Notizie Dal Mio Cuore - 21
Here are the instructions for giving a Chanukah party in Florence:
First - go to Milano for Natale (that’s Christmas in italian). This is very important in the preparation of making latkes. It is in Milano, when you encounter your wonderful friend, Emily, who you have not seen in over 20 years (see photo of united college friends), who has been living in Italy for, penso (I think) 17, and who is married to an amazing man named Franco where you learn that baking powder does not exist in Italy. This is an necessary ingredient in Latke making (old family recipe…… ) and without it…. well who knows what might happen. Emily does as she has been making carrot cake for Franco’s family every Natale for, penso (I think) 12 years or so. It took 7 years for them to accept it (“che cose?”) as Italians are very particular about their gastronomic experiences and it takes a little time for them to accept new things…. but once they do….”Emily, fai il tuo torte di carrota per natale certo!” …. now it’s absolutely a must. But Emily has a small heart palpitation each year as she creates a science experiement with making baking powder with baking soda, yeast and prayer (one year it…. well it didn’t work…)….. so now I knew I was in trouble….. I had to find baking powder in Italy before my Chanukah party in less than a week! Emily has been searching for 12 years or so….. oh dio!
Step two….. go to large family gatherings of Franco’s family (see photos) where no one speaks English. This will prepare you for explaining Chanukah at casa tua to a room full of people who have never even heard of it . . . in Italian. Emily and Franco’s family were exceptional to me. “Lei parla piu bene da Emily! “(She speaks better than Emily! — poor Emily!) They fed me constantly, and I truly feel I have a Milanese family now. Franco’s mother wants me to stay with her next time (see picture of me with Rita).
Step three….. return to Firenze with newly purchased German blender from discount store that is 20 euro cheaper than any you’ve found in Firenze (necessary for latke making …. old family recipe . . . and also apple sauce making (did I mention they don’t have apple sauce here? You must have apple sauce with latkes. Actually, you should also have sour cream. But they don’t have sour cream in Italy either so I decided to tell the Italians you only eat it with apple sauce. What would they know? I could make sour cream… I think… with a lemon and cream of tartar but…. who has time when I also had to make the dreidel as they don’t have those here either (or not easily found at least in Firenze). These are a MUST for playing a newly created form of dreidel which involves Jack Daniels…. but we’ll get to that….
Step four…. contemplate with seriousness the menu for said festa di chanukah. Understand the guest list of 12 in your small apartamento involves italians. These are people who only eat dinner sitting at a table (barbarians!) with a particular order of dishes (antipasti, primo, secondo, ecc….) and may not appreciate the sophisticated process of piling all your food on your plate at one go and plopping the dish on your lap. Understand that introducing a dish such as “tzimmis” might offend the italian palate as it is “dolce” (sweet) while not actually a desert and this may cause confusion on the “lingua” (tongue)….. but beyond simply the confusion on the taste buds is the fact that sweet potatoes are not to be found in Florence at this time of year, and neither are butternut squash for that matter (major ingredients in said “tzimmis” recipe). Instructions - go to market, find a squash-looking thing, buy it, and hope for the best.
Step five….. enlist your friend Pauline to locate needed baking powder. She has lived here 31 years (14 more than Emily) and may have some thoughts. Fortuna! Pauline suspects there is indeed one store which imports baking powder (along with peanut butter and betty crocker cake mix and dried dill amongst other necessities). Buy one bottle for self and one for poor Emily to alieve stress in Natale 2006. Do all this during the first snow fall in Florence that sticks (as far as anyone can remember) Bellissima!!!! (see photos) and as you greet your lovely friends Kevin and Noreen from Los Angeles celebrating a long-awaited honeymoon (see photo of italian version of lit desert for celebration).
Step six…. cook, cook, cook and clean!! Make paper decorations for apartment, light candles and open door . . . . .
Step seven….. during plate-on-lap-eating-session entertain guests with the complex explanation of the history, significance and relevance of the festival of Chanukah while speaking level two italian (basically the vocabulary of a five year old), with three glasses of wine in you on a relatively empty stomach. Thank dio that your Italian teacher, Simone, is on your left prompting you when you make mistakes…. as you do… but continue on with full force as it is (or seems) important to explain to this room full of people who know nothing of your holiday, religion or cullture why it is important, what it means and why you celebrate it. Light the menorah and sing the prayers. Conclude with applause for your efforts (a first for this little jew-girl) and serve deserts from guests brought back from trips to Spain, Germany and Southern Italy. Then…. let the games begin!
Step eight…. break out bottle of Jack Daniels and dreidel. Put 12 people around small table (see photos) and create a new version of the game where it is required to drink a shot of whiskey when the top lands on the letter “nun.” Watch as your wonderful landlord becomes more wonderful, your friend from Japan keeps getting “nun” (really he didn’t but Simone (my teacher) and I just kept telling him he did — “oh, Yoichi, mi dispiace! Hai “nun” ancora! Bere sopra!”) and holds his liquor with great authority, while you all discuss the fact that if you go to Parma and have dinner with someone you are guaranteed that a wonderful night of sex will follow (vado li subito! - I am going there immediately!). After 30 minutes change the rules slightly — adding wine consumption and chocolate consumption into the equation. Guests all leave by three am.
Step nine… pass out.
Buon anno ragazzi! Spero quest’anno e’ piu da splendida per voi!
Con affetto,
Bari
