Mangia!

I love good food.  Cooking, eating, and sharing good food are some of my favorite ways of glorifying God who "...makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate--bringing forth food from the earth:  wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart."  Psalm 104.

Sadly, in my house, cooking is often limited to opening a jar of Prego and boiling some spaghetti noodles.  The beloved Swede does most of the "show cooking" in our home, creating meals and experiences that we enjoy sharing with others.  What that man can do with a venison tenderloin could drive me to fall more deeply in love with him, if that were humanly possible.

So when a friend of mine invited me to come to an Italian cooking class she was teaching, I had my apron on and was out the door before she could say, "Buon appetito!"

(Okay, that's not really true.  I don't even own an apron.)

Nonetheless, I did sign up for the class, and I did learn how to make some really, really good Italian food like: 

Saltimbocca

Insalata Rustica With Candied Walnuts (Yum!)

Bucatini all"Amatriciana with Chicken Parmesan

We also made Cappuccino Panna Cotta with Chocolate Whipped Cream.  I don't have a picture of it, but trust me--anytime you steep espresso beans and add heavy cream, sugar, and cocoa powder, only good things can happen.

This is chef Becky teaching us the proper method for determining whether or not pasta is done:

And me, looking like I know what I'm doing.  Told you I didn't have an apron.

The afternoon I spent at this class will most certainly rank as one of my favorites of this summer.  The food was delicious, and I had a great time both making and eating it.  Becky taught us that true Italian cooking was about honoring the authenticity of the ingredients.  Most of the recipes were simple, requiring very few spices--so unlike my handy jar of Prego.

What I enjoyed most, however, was the time spent with my friend learning about her time in Italy and what motivated her to go there to learn to cook.  I was reminded of the exchange between Julia Child and her husband in the Julie/Julia movie when Julia was trying to figure out what to do with herself in Paris.  Her husband asked her,

What do you love?

May we all find the things that we love and do them to the glory of God.  Buon appetito!