The Fam Beard just returned from an amazing Italian vacay. This was in celebration of #3s graduation from high school. (Pro: when the kids graduate from high school, they get to pick a trip and we all get to go; Con: she’s the last one)(do you have a high schooler I can adopt? Wait, nevermind…)
From Venice to Florence to the Amalfi Coast to Rome, we saw beautiful sights, ate fantastic food, and had a blast. If you ask any of the six of us (Fam Beard plus Thomas a/k/a Tommish the Boyfriend) to name our favorite things about the trip, I’m willing to bet that the pasta making class we had at our villa in Massa Lubrense is at the top of everyone’s list.
La Costiera Food Events features Chef Tommaso de Turris, accompanied by his lovely wife Peppe, and his cousin, Daniela, who translates for him. Honey, let me tell ya: Chef Tommaso is a bowl full of personality. Don’t you just love a chef who loves what he does? He, Peppe, and Daniela arrived bearing loads of fresh foods. Everything we used came from their farm, including cheeses, vegetables, wine, and limoncello. (Limoncello, nommmm!)
First up was pizza dough. Yes, we got to throw dough in the air. Check out #2’s mad skills:
Daniela serves as chief translator. She speaks a number of languages, including French, which came in handy at times. No Italian? No English? No problem! Let Daniela and #2 discuss it in French and voilà, we have communication!
We laughed all night – they are such fun. Here’s Tommish and Daniela having a chuckle because Tommish kept eating raw dough. Those nutty Americans…
We ate – and drank – while we learned. Tommaso showed us the fine art of pizza slicing while we tried not to drool all over ourselves.
Each time we made a new kind of pasta, Tommaso would have the kids take a turn cutting pasta in different shapes. Tommaso laughs often and carries a really large knife. He tried to get us to cut without looking (“Look me!” he’d say) which, since we valued our fingers, we weren’t real sure about doing. This exchange between him and #3 is hilarious.
Look at #2’s face when it was time to roll pasta.
This beautifulness was one of our courses.
This zucchini-mozzarella-basil-tomato yummy thing took real concentration.
Here’s how an engineer does it: very precisely…
Check out that olive oil can, wouldya? I swear if they had turned their backs I would have stolen that puppy and hidden it in my suitcase asked them where to find one just like it.
At last, we got to eat everything we cooked. It was a feast! (sorry, I didn’t get pics of all the dishes – I was too busy shoveling it in my mouth) Isn’t this pretty?
We (very unfortunately) didn’t learn to make it, but Peppe made tiramisu for our dessert. Lemme ‘splain something. I LOVE tiramisu. I order it every chance I get, and I’ve had it all over the world. Peppe’s tiramisu is the best I’ve ever had. Ever. So, if for no other reason, go to Massa Lubrense and beg/borrow/steal/bribe to get Peppe to make tiramisu for you. She’s a nice lady, so I’m sure if you just ask politely that will work. Look at that lovely shaved chocolate!
Good food, laughter, friends – it’s really all you need to make an evening, and a trip. Many thanks to our new friends Tommaso, Peppe, and Daniela from La Costiera Food Events for a wonderful experience!
Lynn Padgett Beard 