DBJ--Don't Be Jealous

My sister Mary likes to say "DBJ" to make me laugh and when she's purposely trying to make me jealous. Rob and I recently returned from Rome, Italy, where I accompanied him for an academic conference. I was on my own for the entire day he presented his paper and spent 6 hours at a cooking class. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!! It was beyond fun. I learned so much, loved trying new foods, meeting new people (all other 11 students that day were Americans), loved hearing a real Italian chef say things like "peccorino" and "fettucine" and "You cannot-a get these kinds of artichokes in America."

If you or anyone you know ever goes to Rome, please look up Cooking Classes in Rome. It was a highlight of my trip!

The Menu:
Artichokes stuffed with Roman mint and garlic
Sauteed spinach with golden raisins, pine nuts, and peccorino cheese
Saltimbocca (paper thin slices of beef tenderloin, Edam cheese, and prosciutto ham, wrapped together and secured with a sage leaf before cooking--one of the simplest, most delicious things I've ever tasted)
Homemade fettucine with fresh peas, mushrooms, and tomato sauce
Crostata (kind of like a tart) with apple jam, ricotta, and dark chocolate

Chef Consoli wrote down the Italian names of all the ingredients for me and later that week, Rob and I went to a local open air market and bought stuff so I could recreate a few dishes in our tiny apartment kitchen. That was also WAY fun--nobody spoke any English and we had to watch out for all the feisty Italian grandmas trying to get the best produce!

Since it's artichoke season, we also wanted to try them in the Jewish Ghetto, a section of town famous for their fried version. It was a fun little restaurant and we shared a table with a cute young couple from Manhattan, but I think I prefer them stuffed.