el puerco lloron

carnitas, beans, rice, tortillas, chips, variations on salsa

I forgot how nice it is to have a variety of food to choose from. So far my "Welcome Back to America: A Food Journey" is going well. Next on my list is hombow, Indian food, salmon skin rools, and banh mi.

jetlagged and hungry

Got back from Rome last night. Longest 24 hours of traveling ever. It was weird and sleepy and I was so disoriented the whole time. When I got to JFK from Rome, it was so strange how immediately familiar everything was but I was also really confused at the same time and zapped myself trying to plug in my computer and cut myself on the bathroom door. Then I paid way too much money for a hamburger because I was soooo excited and I tried to pay in Euros. Then when I got my change back in quarters, I thought I had a lot more money that I really did because 3 quarters is not the same as 3 1 euro coins and $1 bills are not the same as 5 euro bills. And when I got to Seattle, it was 50 degrees and gray, welcome home! Now its early in the morning and I am awake so here is the food from the final show.

salumi platter

prosciutto

tomato and basil bruschetta

bean bruschetta with arugula

porchetta!!!!

melon, chocolate dipped lavender cookies, plain lavender cookies

prosciutto wrapped melon

caprese salad on a toothpick

toasted almonds

I know, I'm impressed too. The food at our shows has always been so much better than those round fennel crackers that they have everywhere else. Or even the little sandwiches or mini-pizzas that some places have catered. Maybe that's why Steven Westfall shows up so early. I wish my fridge was full right now. It's nice though because it doesn't smell like rotting food, my kitchen is clean, my floor is not dusty, the bathroom isn't wet and gross, there aren't nesting seagulls crying all day...but it's not the Cenci. But also it's not so weird because it already all feels like a very far away dream where I was floating above my body the whole time. I really don't believe it all happened so fast!

florence

I forgot that I went to Florence. It was such a weird trip. We stayed in Siena and took the bus to Florence for two days. STUPID idea. Sienese painting show was worth it though. Not that much eating, but these things were good:

Salmon and arugula on a poppyseed croissant

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA
just olive oil, salt and pepper. I would have eaten it with my hands if I had been in an empty room by myself.

Now I'm sitting in a sweaty hotel room on my second to last night in Rome even though it already feels like I left forever ago. I'm maybe 10 pounds heavier, haven't worn pants in months, popping lactaid pills 3 times a day, and so happy that it all happened because of too much pasta and cheese. It's super surreal that it's all over. I'll put up pictures from the final show food soon. The Cenci knows how to do it right, even in a smelly, dirty kitchen. Miss that shit.