Best of Italy

Ever since I was a child, I've been fascinated with women who choose to live a life of seclusion and sacrifice in a convent or monastery. So when I saw this novel by Sarah Dunant, one of my favourite authors, I immediately ordered it.

The novel explores how many women were forced to enter monasteries in Renaissance Italy, and its effects on the cloister and the individuals who lived therein. Meticulously researched, I found the entire novel fascinating. It is a tale well told and one I will definitely keep on my book shelf as an all time favourite.

Who hasn't dreamed of owning or driving a Ferrari these days? I certainly have. I stumbled across this video on the making of a Ferrari and thought it would be fun to share it with you. As usual, the Italians never do anything half-well. Their attention to detail and meticulousness is evident here.

I just finished reading this novel last night. It's a wonderful, heartwarming story of Tuscany and the people in a tiny forgotten village. I loved this story for its brilliant characters and the emotions it draws from you as you read it. A gentle, comfortable read, the authors prose is brilliant and often humorous.

Back Cover Blurb:

A magical story of love...and miracles.
After twenty years, Leo Pizzola has come back to the Tuscan village of Santo Fico, still single and still looking for a way to get rich. The town is as poor as it was when Leo left, yet some things have changed. Of Leo's childhood companions, only little guido whom everyone calls "Topo," embraces him. His best friend is long dead. The woman he once adored refuses to talk to him. And worse of all, the kindly old town priest seems to have lost his faith. Perhaps what Santo Fico needs is a miracle - even if Leo and Topo have to manufacture one themselves. Now, as one botched scheme after another unravels, something completely unexpected happens, and wonders indeed begin to transform this Italian town, including the greatest miracle of all.

Published around the world, this debut novel sparkles with the Italian spirit and emotions that will dance off the page and into your heart.

The First Line:

Sleep was the enemy.

How would you like to be invited to dinner and then find out that you are the dinner. Well, that's exactly what happened to a few unsuspecting businessmen invited over for dinner by a local Mafia boss in Italy.

While searching for weapons at the home of this particularly hard-nosed mob boss, the anti-Mafia police squad stumbled upon a Caiman crocodile on the man's terrace. The creature weighed 88 pounds and was almost 6 feet in length. The mob boss kept the croc well-fed on a diet of live rabbits and mice. Apparently, the mob boss would take his invited guests up to the terrace and threaten to set the beast loose on them if they didn’t pay him extortion money and give him whatever favours he requested. Nice!

That particular species of crocodile originates from South America. No one knows how the man managed to smuggle the creature into Italy, although I'm sure the Italian police will try to find that out. Needless to say, charges are pending.

The creativity of the Mafia is often shocking. I once learned of a man who was told by the mafia to kill himself or be killed by them. The man did as told and dived headfirst into a well.

Okay, so I got my Mukka Express in the mail this week. To tell you the truth, when I first opened up the package, I felt a little intimidated. This is because of the DVD that came enclosed with it. Having made espresso all my life with a stove top Moka, also from Bialetti, needing a DVD to make a coffee did scare me somewhat.

So I watched the DVD and followed the instructions to the letter. For ceran top stoves, it recommended setting the heat to medium-high, which I did, and it said it should take 5 to 10 minutes to brew. It also recommended slightly more water and slightly more milk. However, stoves differ and I must have a super fast one, because in less than 2 minutes, it had brewed and spewed milk out over my stove.

Even so, the capuccino was pretty darn good. In fact, they say that you should just make espresso in the maker for the first 3 times and discard it because the coffee won't taste very good.

So today, I tried again, this time with the lower minimum setting for the water and the milk. And I kept the heat down to a medium. It worked splendidly and I'm enjoying a nice mug of capuccino right now.

So far so good. I know it will take a few days to get it just right. Making capuccino from the Mukka Express is a little more delicate and fussy, but I think once I get it right, it will become a daily habit.