Transitioning Through Life

To everything there is a season....

I have always believed in cycles and seasons, both in my life and in the kitchen.

When I was waitressing in San Francisco, one of my clients explained to me a simple way to prepare for change. He believed that life happens in 7 year cycles, which follows along with many other cultures beliefs as well.

At 7 you come into being a “person” and start school

14 - teen years you have friends and opinions

21- adult and you study for what you want to be

28- what you thought you were going to be goes out the window and you get a clearer vision of what you want to be when you grow up

You get the idea. Being prepared for change and embracing it makes life easier.

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September is the best month of the year for me. School starting reuniting with friends, learning new things and in the countryside now the wine harvest and food festivals really kick off!

It’s also my anniversary of the trip that changed my life.My first trip to Europe was in 1972, right out of high school.

I remember my Winnie the Pooh Disney watch with the macarame’ band I made. Those elephant leg jeans are sure dated aren’t they? I went with a friend from high school that lived around the corner from me. We had family friends in a lot of places, so it was an easy trip.

London, Paris, Amsterdam then back to London and by train up to Edinburgh. It was a wonderful trip and I also managed to get college credit by documenting my trip and reporting on it when I came home. One of my teachers told me,

You will learn more there than you will here.

He also gave me a list of things to see, I remember one was Saint Paul’s Cathedrale in London. He was right, I learned so much on that trip and now, look where I am. There were more trips, with other friends, mostly to France, where my grandfather was born.

I visted Paris,Lyon,Nice. Another trip we also hit Venice where my Grandmother’s neice had moved after her husband died and followed her dream to be an artist.

She passed away after living 33 years in Venice. I guess I take after her side of the family.

I spent a year between Greece and Israel in 1977, coming back from that trip I got really ill and after a year moved to San Francisco and started working in a 5 star hotel, which then opened the world to me as a new profession. I eventually got into pastry and cooking.

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In 1984, I bought a one way ticket to France, planning on staying a month in France and a month in Florence,Italy,to learn Italian. I was hoping to get an apprenticeship in a pastry shop or a cooking school in France. I had a letter of recommendation and connections in several towns.

But Florence captured my heart.

When I took the train into town, we found the a place to stay and went to bed. When we woke up in the morning we walked down the street and turned the corner and this was what I saw.

It was love at first site. Can you blame me!

Today, I am celebrating 38 years in Italy. It never gets old.

It is hard sometimes, but this is home.

Within Florence being my home, the Mercato Centrale was my home for 20 years, when I started teaching and opened my school right in front of the mercato.

Things have changed in Florence, in the market and our world has changed. Friends and family have passed away. It’s all part of the cycle of life and all you can hope to do is live it to the fullest you can.

What’s your Mantra about life?

This month if you are in Italy, keep your eyes open for any sort of festival happening! Usually on the weekends.

Chianti is having their wine festivals, I have seen posters up for many food “sagra’s” which are meals celebrating some local specialty.

Everyone now is working hard with the harvest so looking to have fun on the weekends!

The heat has finally dropped here, we have cooler nights, thanks to some rain and it makes it so much nicer to tour around.

If you are still suffering the heat, try the Italian Caffe Shakerato-Ice Coffee. I always ask the bartender to let me have the ice as well, or they throw it away after chilling the coffee.

“Con ghiaccio” per favore!

Let me know if you make one!