Italian Cooking

Yes I was given a voucher to Cucina Italiana for my birthday. oh what a great gift! the whole expereince was fantastic (www.cucinaitaliana.com.au). We learned how to make a dough for fresh pasta, then made a tortellini out of it. Then eat and drink lots of good food, including tuscan antipasti,a herb chicken dish and semifreddo al caffe as a desert. Because I ve learned how to make them, now I am planning to invite some friends and see what they think about my italian cooking.

Our instructor/chef Luciana was such a lovely lady, and refreshingly mediterranean in terms of attitude, sense of humor and sharpness. That s what I like about Italians and about many Turkish women and men. Italians feel a lot closer to me, and reminds me of my family, our values, and food. Yes the cooking style was very similar to my mum's, so I was not surprised like the Ozzies in the class. Yeah that s how we cook garlic, and that s how we cook vegetables, and that s what it tastes like. By the way I think everything tastes slightly better in Italy or Turkey, because of the fresh food culture, and the availability of the quality ingredients, but that s another story.

Luciana gave me so much energy and enthusiasm about food, and I admired her passion and perfectionism for Italian cooking. Once more I realized seeking for details and developing expertise can turn any practice into passion. The passion is contagious,changes people's views, it easily affects the environment, and can create a more positive life around us. Luciana reminded me of holding on to values, culture and what you know best and developing it into a passion. I have to write about the things I am passionate about, the ones that I forgot about becuase of living in a foreign country.

What are you passionate about?