After many trials and tribulations in the UK, I was offered a teaching position in Italy, in the area I had visited whilst on holiday.
The offer was tempting-a good school and amazing food|
It took me a while to make my mind up but in the end I thought it would be a good cultural experience for my self and 'Iloveflavourme JR,' i.e my 6 year old.
So I packed my pans and he packed his toys and we both headed off to the land of Balsamic Vinegar, Modena, just outside of Bologna.
My students have been the most positive aspect of it all. Very friendly, warm and so keen to put up with me!.
I am grateful for the hours of enjoyment, while they endured the hardship of trying to understand what the hell this weird British woman is teaching them, or even, saying to them!
You should be able to gather by now that I have bullied them into reading this blog and therefore need to keep them sweet as possible!
But seriously, they really are a great bunch and have managed to smooth some the harshest aspects of the cultural shock involved when moving to another country.
A few weeks back I gave them an assignement. The assignment was to write a typical recipe of the region in English. You can see how unselfish I was being in my request!!
In return, I promised that I would publish this recipe on the blog and therefore make them famous all over the internet.
Of course they did not believe a single word of that, but being the kind, hospitable souls they are, they granted me the privilige of getting to know some of their culinary secrets and hey presto! I managed to get myself some yummy recipes!
I also promised them I would publish the recipes one at a time, as they were sent, with no ammendments! They should be proud of their English, unless they used Google translator, of course...yes, you know who you are lol
This recipe comes from a lovely lady called Maria Grazia! She has the warmest of smiles and she never, ever stops smiling either!!
She is indeed a Ray of Sunshine in the classroom, even at 8 pm on a cold Tuesday evening!
Thank you Maria Grazia!
'Gnocchi di patate
Ingredients:
1 Kg. Potatoes
200 gr.of flour
50 gr. Parmesan cheese grated
70 gr. Butter
Salt
Boil the potatoes in their skins, drain, peel and mash dropping the mash on the floured pastry board.
Then mix with the flour and pinch of salt.
Mix the ingredients well and knead.
Cut the mixture into small dumpliongs, and one at a time, roll on the fork by pressing with your thumb.
Place on a floured cloth until ready to use.
Bring to boiling salted water, toss the gnocchi in and remove them with a slotted spoon when they start to float (drain well)
Arrange on warm serving dish, sprinkle with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
I like this dish with tomato sauce: some onions, carrots, celery and fresh tomatoes.
In a small pot, pour in some olive oil or butter, add onion, carrot and celery cut in small pieces and simmer on a low fire
Add the tomato cut into small pieces,and simmer
Add salt to taste. and last, before finishing, add 4 or 5 leaves of basil.
Buon appetito
Maria Grazia'
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