Milano & Home

I have been SO delinquent in the postings. My last two weeks have been crazy, but incredibly besutiful, fun, and awe-inspiring. I have so much to write about and will spread it out over the next few days. I am currently in Milan, but will be leaving in just 11 short hours for home. Yes home. I am leaving Europe, and all the 6 countries that I have called home the last three months. I say six countries because they have all in some way have been some place special, some place where I could see myself, if given the chance, living for some time in my life. Obviously, my time in France became my home and I really miss all that I was able to get to know and meet.

Friend's & I at a dinner party

Caitlin & I at the Cenac Rugby Bodega

Albert & I at the St Cyprien Night Market

I went to England, and found myself wanting to spend much more time there with a certain someone.

I would say that this fireworks at the last Night at the Proms explains the feeling quite well

I went to Italy to follow my food passions and learn what 5,000 farmers from 150 countries are doing to preserve their food heritage and culture.

Wishes at the Trevi Fountain

Terra Madre 2010

I went to Germany, to get in touch with my family roots.

Market in Munich, no WONDER I love these swings so much

I went to the Czech Republic not knowing what to expect and only to find that Prague reminded me so much of my favorite city in the world, San Fransisco.

So not the Golden Gate Bridge, but there was just something that connected this city to home

And finally, I went to Switzerland, to discover some of the greatest beauty I have seen in any landscape.

So it only makes sense that I am here in Milan, on my last night in Europe, with a wonderful family. They are the family of our friend Tony, and graciously accepted me into their house very last minute. Mom and Dad don't speak any English and Ivana, their daughter, does her best in translating our conversations (and she is REALLY good at it). But even without directly speaking to one another, I have again found myself in a place that feels like home.  It only seems appropriate to be in this home before I embark on my 18 hour journey in the morning back to the Bay. We spent a few hours "talking" about our respective homes, their love for their native Calabria, and my love for Sonoma County. I showed the pictures of my family and friends. But without speaking anything at all, we bonded over the language of food.

lunch for us four

Wonderful salumi-like cured pork from Calabria

1st course-antipasto of the pork, cheese, pickled vegetables

2nd course-pasta with a DUCK and pork ragu. She started cooking this before I got up for even breakfast!

3rd course, 'fried' chicken and potaotes

And a wonderful pannacotta that we had to eat a view hours later after a nap because I was so full. But, sitting in their living room, we laughed and enjoyed the meal together, and I couldn't help but feel part of the family. 

Now I head home to my own family and I say goodbye to this three month chapter in my life. It was an amazing experience and I know that my adventure is not yet over. There is too much good food and good people to not just get out there to taste and meet everyone. And this blog is not over either! During this last two weeks I have had some incredible encounters with people and food, just not enough time to write about them. So on my 12 and a half hour flight from Zurich to Los Angeles (and my two one hour flights before and after), I will be writing away and posting upon my return to the Bay. From there, I will see where my life will take me as I begin the real quest to figure out what I want to do with my life, and of course, document and share with you my food moments along the way.

Munchin' in München

Munich was such a fun city to be in for a few days despite the fact it was FREEZING. Something a California girl cannot get used to overnight. We arrived at 6:30 in the morning on a overnight train to dark skies and frosty air. I was forever grateful that I broke down and bought mittens and a hat two nights earlier in Bologna. We checked into the hostel and went on a free tour of the city. Free but again, FREEZING. And I noticed that the tour guide kept referring everything to beer. Maybe because it was mostly 20 somethings in the group or maybe it was was the fact that it was so cold, people needed a few beers just to warm up! He did mention that tax-wise, beer is considered a food, NOT an alcoholic drink. I think they're up to something with that one...

Either way, I was really excited to try out some local food, and there's not a  better place to do so then in a Beer Hall! Our first stop was the Augustiner Beer Hall in the pedestrian area of the city, not a far walk from the city center, Marienplatz.

Inside the Hall

Also inside the Hall

We of course, ordered some beer! This Augustiner brew is the Augustiner Edelstoff. Rumored to be what the current Pope drinks according to our tour guide. Either way, it is really good. 

For food, we each got a soup to start. Mine was a traditional Munich Beef Liver Meatball in a beef broth. Interesting but very good.

 For dinner, we ordered a Red Sausage, with a Potato and Vegetable side....

 And 'Spicy' Chicken Sausages also with Potatoes and Vegetables.

Yes, the pile of mush on the RIGHT side is considered to be vegetables in Munich

Dinner was fabulous and we were stuffed and warmed to the brim to make our chilling walk back to the hostel.

Lexi and I managed to stumble up on the The Auer Dult two afternoons after our Augustiner night. It happens three times a year and vendors bring in their goods. Also set up are children rides. Since this was the fall fair, all of the booths were decorated in lovely autumn themes. We started to search for some yummy food and found this stand. Un-able to read any of the German menu, we ordered by pointing to the large cast iron pans inside to get some grub.

The biggest cast iron pans I have ever seen

What we ordered was called  Schufrundein and Kasespatzle in Rostzmeibech.

The Schufrundein is on the left and the Kasespatzle in Rostzmeibech is on the right. Pretty much it summed up to large potato gnocchi-like guys with sauerkraut on the left and potato cheese nips with onions on the right. It also means GOOD.

Potatoy-Cheesy-Sauerkrauty GOOD and a bonus, you can eat the bowl! Tasted kinda like an ice cream cone...

We then moved on to find desert and found these AWESOME sweet pretzel type items, called Baumstriezel. We have found them in Prague too and seem to be pretty popular all around this part of Europe. Basically, they roll out a dough into long strips then wrap that around a buttered wooded skewer. They stick that in the oven that you see below and it spins it to cook it evenly.

Moving them around the oven

Rolling the dough

The end result-we got a cinnamon sugar one but they roll it in many different things when it is pulled out of the oven

In Prague we have seen them being cooked over coals, which gives it a different, more crispy texture. The one we ate pictured here was soft and chewy-just barely cooked dough. The grey on top of the bag is steam coming off in the cold Autumn day! I found a video on youtube of a guy making them here.

On a side note, also in the fair was loads of ceramics, antiques, random household goods, and clothing. My favorite clothing stand? This SUSPENDER making station. Can't we have these at home?

They had them in all different colors and sizes, looks like ribbon in the picture but its all stretchy suspender materials. So cool.

We spent our last night in the Hofbräuhaus München. One of the world's most famous beer gardens.

Kegs and kegs, bottles and bottles

Since it was our last night, we decided to be truly German and order a whole Liter of their original stuff. That plus a pork dinner (pictures to dark to see) and we were full. But very fully satisfied.