Taste of Tuscia - Memories with Mama Maria - June 16, 2010

It's another beautiful morning in Italy as we gather in the lobby with a large group of lodgers who are all taking part in the "Taste of Tuscia" adventure with Floriana. We have read of the many delights of this in the postings on Trip Advisor. It seems like yet another Italian dream come true to experience a cooking lesson with Mama Maria, Floriana's mother. Timing is on our side as this is the first cooking session of the season with Mama. One week earlier and we would have missed it - with great disappointment, for sure.

City Bus Ride - First, we amble down through the main square to meet up at the bus stop. Yes, we are taking the city bus to the first stop for a wine tasting. A couple ladies were a bit pokey and we lost them along the way so there was a scramble to find them before the bus comes. Luckily, they are found in the nick of time. Floriana hands over our bus passes and off we wander into the countryside on a nice clean, modern bus.  It seems odd to be riding the public bus rather than a private van, but there are so many of us, that it is the eco-friendly way to go and it keeps the cost down.


Wine Tasting  - We hop off at a wine producing business with a tasting room that compares somewhat with those seen in eastern Washington, western Oregon, and Livermore, Calif., but definitely less plush than Napa Valley. We prefer the less ostentatious so this suits us just fine.  Just like any tasting, we begin with lower price wines and end with higher price wines. The grapes are native to this area and are certainly drinkable.
Soon we walk down the country road the length of about four or five blocks back to a bus stop. There are no sidewalks and the ditch is right there so we walk on the road. It feels a little dangerous but there are very few cars and the ones that drive by go around us. Along the way we pass by a gate warning to beware of the dogs - the noses of which stick through the fence and the tails of which wag their haunches. Ferocious, my foot.

Firing up the Oven - The bus comes and we head off to our next stop for a cooking lesson at Mama Maria's. What a delightful place! It's an ordinary house set amid a large yard or property of olive trees. The living quarters are on the second floor; and underneath this level is a large covered and shady open air patio with a small kitchen sink area chockablock with pots and pans, soap, towels, aprons, and other implements of cooking. A sensible arrangement. On the way into the yard, we pass the large brick pizza oven roaring with a fire. Mama and Papa don't speak English and the word spreads around to wash our hands and put on an apron. Mine has yellow lemons and Bob gets a ruffled pink one. He is a good sport and gamely ties it on. The first thing that must be done is mix the pizza dough. A strong young man volunteers to mix up a batch with Mama and there is no shortage of teasing and laughter. The dough sets aside to rise.

Pasta Chefs - It takes three shifts of chefs to get a turn at mixing a batch of pasta dough at one of the several long tables set up in the patio.  The eggs go in the middle of each flour pile and are whisked in until the dough is very moist. Once it is kneaded with lots of extra flour, it is formed into little balls and pricked with our initials and set aside to rest.

Elixir of the Gods - While waiting for the next activity, we entertain ourselves throwing the ball into the olive grove for an eager dog to chase. Meanwhile, Floriana is setting up a white cloth-covered table with bottles of olive oil. Eventually, everyone gathers round to learn about olive oil from a local producer: the process, the certification, the pressing, and bottling. Frantoio Cioccolini has been a family business since 1890 although they increased the size of the mill and, in 1963, invested in mechanized equipment to press oil for other farmers. The owner tells us that the olive oil pressing has been more like a hobby, as he could not have made a living from it. He does it full time now that he has retired from AlItalia Airlines. He pours liberal samples of the oil on bread for us to taste (all olive oil is liberally poured in Italy) and we are offered opportunity to buy several bottles in various sizes. Kay snatches up a fair share of the extra virgin oil (which costs a mint in the U.S.) for gifts. (Bob worries about getting the weight home in our suitcases!)

Pasta Sauce Prep - Back to the patio we head to prepare the pasta sauce. Bob missed out on the pizza dough mixing so he jumps right in beside Mama Maria to chop and prepare the sauce with a bit of onion, celery, carrot, fresh basil, and tomato sauce (the house brand from the Coop). All gets added to an extra large pot on the propane-fired cooktop in the outdoor kitchen in the olive grove.

That's Amore - Mama Maria keeps us on schedule spreading out the pizza dough in pans. The toppings are all vegetarian with very little cheese and no meat. Our favorites are the shredded onion and the thinly sliced potato with fresh rosemary. Pan after pan gets placed in the pizza oven. When done, out they come and cut into small pieces with scissors by Mama's friend who is on hand to help. We only saw scissors being used to cut pizza throughout our travels - never a pizza cutter. It is piled on plates and everyone begins to work through them - with glasses of wine or water to wash it down.

Sing a Song of Pasta - It is time to roll out the pasta dough, and just when it seems as if it can't be rolled any thinner, Mama comes along and stretches it some more. Then it gets wrapped around the rolling pin which is basically a thick, smooth, round cylinder of wood. By this time, Bob has become Mama's sidekick and she breaks out into song trying to get him to sing "Volare" and several other recognizable tunes. What Mama doesn't realize is that Bob is tone deaf and couldn't sing a note to save his soul if he had to.  It's pretty funny to watch him fake it. (Remember the funny lyrics to Dean Martin's song? "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, That's amore. When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine. That's amore. Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling. And you'll sing "Vita bella." Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay. Like a gay tarantella..")

New Friends - By this time, an English-speaking British/German friend of Floriana's has joined us. Floriana demonstrates different ways to cut the noodles and different shapes that can be made.  We get busy cutting and uncurling the pasta into fettuccini lengths and loosely curling it into nests. Floriana takes a break and her charming friend, Anette, takes over translating and explaining techniques. I can't quite place her accent and discover that darling Anette is actually German but lived and run a business in England for years. She has retired to Soriano nel Cimino and has become one of the locals and a good friend of Floriana and her family.

Tasty Brown Lumps - Next, Mama makes chocolate hazelnut biscotti. All the ingredients are measured by weight. She dumps in a large bag of whole hazelnuts that would cost a fortune here. They are dropped by spoonfuls onto parchment-lined pans that go out to cook in the pizza oven.

Supper Time - The pasta has piled up and is carted off to the olive grove kitchen for boiling. The dogs are eagerly awaiting their share. The patio tables have been cleared and set with plates and silverware. Wine flows and everyone is warm, well fed, and happy surrounded by our new friends from around the world.

Day is Done - Dessert is the chocolate biscotti drops accompanied by homemade limoncello (yum!). All too soon it is time to hop back on the bus for the ride back to Soriano. Writing about this day brings back wonderful memories - hopefully, the photos show the flavor of a day filled with food and love.