Home again
Florence to Frankfurt to San Francisco to San Diego. Can’t wait to do this again!
Arrivederci Florence!
Day 25
Arrivederci Florence! Our trip of a lifetime is coming to a close – we said goodbye to Anne and Cameron this morning – shared chocolate croissants and cappuccinos before putting them into a cab for the airport – thanks for visiting us! My students took the final exam this morning and all finished within the 2-hour time window. It was bittersweet turning in the key to my classroom for the last time – the staff at FUA were amazing, wonderful, and kind people who I will surely miss. After my final I met Brian and Greg at home and we headed out in search of some new shirts for Brian – we found what he was looking for at a small shop right on the Ponte Vecchio. We had lunch at a family style restaurant – Trattoria Mario – near Mercato Centrale – where we all had the rigatoni with meat ragú that was molto buona! We strolled bit on our last day in search of some treats to take back home and visited a cute Enoteca Obsequium for a glass of wine (I had a terrific, dry Pinot Grigio; Brian and Greg each enjoyed the Brunello). After that, not surprisingly, we ended up at our favorite enoteca – Alessi. The people there are just so helpful and wonderfully knowledgeable about wine, so friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere is like no other we have found. Greg and Brian each had a specialty Negroni while I had the Vernaccia (di San Gimignano – one more time!) Greg shipped several bottles of deliciousness (including grappa) back home and is planning to host a Tuscan night soon! Heading back home, we all spent time packing for our 10 AM flights tomorrow. Dinner tonight is at Cucina Torcinado just a 2-minute walk around the corner – we pass it every day walking to campus and it has such great reviews. We will miss so much about this wonderful city.
Chocolate!
Day 24
Our final days in Florence. Class today featured a lecture on chocolate making and chemicals, followed by a chocolate tasting! I purchased 6 different chocolates for the class – 100% cocoa butter (white chocolate), milk chocolate (32% cacao), 56%, 75%, 85%, and 100% cacao. In between tastes, we ate apple slices and drank water. Still, the 85 and 100% were very difficult to get through – so bitter. We then held a 2-hour study session in preparation for the final exam tomorrow. We had a large charcuterie board at our favorite wine shop – Enoteca Alessi yet again – because everything is SO good there. Home for a quick siesta for the guys, while Anne and I went shopping. We ended at Leonardo leather where USD affiliates get a 20% discount. I bought a gorgeous leather jacket and Anne a pair of handmade boots. Dinner tonight was back at Francesco Vini where Anne/Cam feasted on bistecca alla Fiorentina. Our server, Stefano, was who we also had when Rae, Trevin, Megan, Brian and I ate here previously. His wine recommendation (La Rasina Brunello) was roundly praised. Brian had the peposo, Greg had the paparadelli with cinguale ragu, and I had the lasagna (molto buono!) The treat of all treats was when Stefano invited us downstairs into the wine cellar – and explained the Roman history of the building which was part of the original amphitheatre walls in Florence. The arches far underground were from the 14th century! What a night!
Leavening Monday
Day 23
My 21 students arrived at our apartment at 8:55 am for our 9 am start time! Following a brief quiz, I lectured on baking, gluten, and leavening – was a challenge since I didn’t have projection in my house, and the students were scattered throughout the downstairs. But we made it work! We began the lab experiment around 10 am and students worked diligently until 12:20 pm. I was exhausted. Brian, Greg, Anne, and Cam went out exploring during the time my students were here but arrived back at noon to cook a pasta lunch at home. At 1:15 pm we walked Anne and Cam to the Biblioteca Firenze to meet their AirBnB driver. Brian, Greg, and I then went in search of chocolate for my tasting in class tomorrow. We found what we were looking for at Vinchi which made it easy. The wind was quite strong and cold today – so they walk me part way to FUA so I could join my students for gelato making. We were treated to 4 different recipes for tasty treats – a cream-based gelato, chocolate gelato, strawberry gelato and a lemon-thyme sorbetta. Unfortunately, the $33K gelato machine was not cooperating, so it took a little longer than expect to freeze the concoctions – nonetheless, we were able to taste the cream and chocolate varieties – we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the others. Our evening rounded out with a pizza tasting (an AirBnB experience that Anne booked for us all!) across the river in Santo Spiritu (I’Pizzacchiere). Along with Andrew and Emily (a couple we met from Philly), we enjoyed 8 different pizzas, delicious wine from our host (Alfredo’s) family vineyard, plus an outstanding dessert calzone filled with Nutella. OMG. We are stuffed and back home … last day of class tomorrow!
Slow Sunday
Day 22
Ahhhhh … Sunday. We slept in today that means 8 am – then had a leisurely breakfast. We headed out around 11 am to Mercato Centrale to check out the fare for lunch. I came home to prepare for classes Mon/Tues while the gang went strolling around the city. I can’t say what they did but I’m guessing it involved jewelry and wine – I have a lovely new necklace from Brian (rose gold and carbon) they were all very happy. Greg debuted a fancy new decanter – amazing! We left home about 5 pm to make the long walk downstairs to Kikuya to watch the Liverpool vs. Manchester United game that Cameron has been awaiting (and the rest of us, of course … cough). We had a light dinner there and drinks and celebrated the Liverpool win! Lecture/lab is here at the apartment tomorrow – leavening. All prepped.
Siena and San Gimignano
Day 21
Today was a travel day – we joined the group from USD to visit Siena and San Gimignano to the south (about 1.5-hour bus ride). The only downside was the rain and cold but didn’t stop us from having a wonderful time! The countryside was beautiful, the towns lovely, and the food to die for. We began our tour of Siena at Basilica di Cateriniana where we learned about Saint Catherine of Siena; from there we walked into the center of the city (lots of hills!) and the Piazza del Campo. We visited the Museo Civico in the Palazzo Pubblico and saw the beautiful frescoes – Cameron summed up the tour “Florence bad, Siena good”. Our free time led us to a restaurant Nick and Camille told us about that they visited on the honeymoon – Antica Osteria da Divo. In a gorgeous setting, the food was tremendous and the wines phenomenal. The Chianti Classico from Lilliano was claimed (by Brian, Cameron, and Greg) to be the best of the trip! Anne and I shared a Pinot Grigio that was also spectacular. Appetizer was duck ragu and wild fennel in filo pastry topped with Parmesan foam. Around the table was Coniglio stuffed with pork sausage (with freshly shaved black truffle), rack of lamb, and pici pasta with traditional Tuscan meat sauce. Back on the bus took us to the small, hilltop city of San Gimignano where we didn’t have much time but enjoyed the torre (towers) and gelato (of course!) The bus ride home we were in the last row and it was a bit bouncy – so we are enjoying some downtime at home while we recover. Uh … hold on … the rest of the gang is heading to a cannoli bar (I’m staying in!)
Happy Friday!
Day 20
Happy Friday! Gave the last full lecture of the course – balancing chemical reactions (combustion, mostly), calculating energy changes in chemical reaction via bond dissociation energies, then browning reactions in cooking (caramelization, Maillard, and enzymatic). Brian and Greg did an AirBnB experience cooking class – gnocchi and ragú at Anna’s home in Piazza Pitti across the river. Anne and Cam were traveling by bus from Cinque Terre to Florence today and arrived around 1:30 pm at the about the same time as Brian and Greg finished their class. I spent the afternoon writing my final exam (woohoo!). We headed over to Enoteca Alessi for some snacks and drinks – had an absolutely wonderful time. I had the flight of white wines (Prosecco, Pinot Bianco, and Vernaccia del San Giminagno); Anne and Cam each had the “Taste of Tuscany” – Montepulchiano di Noble, Brunello di Montechino, and Chianti Classico. Greg had a flight of Grappa and Brian enjoyed a Luxardo gin and tonic. We shared a beautiful and tasty charcuterie board – fantastic bruschetta. Came home to FaceTime with Jack, Charlotte, and Natalie then headed back out for cocktails and dinner at Casa Toscana - what a fun time!
One week to go!
Day 19
Busy day here! Class this morning took us back to basics – the periodic table and the structure of the atom, bonding in detail, then kitchen basics including utensils, pots, and pans! First things first – we capped off our discussion of milk, cheese (proteins in general) by making butter. We successfully made 7 batches, the students drained off the buttermilk, washed the butter, then spread it on bread with jam for breakfast – what a great, tasty time. Brian, Greg, and I had lunch at Le Fonticine – guys had tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach with truffle and cream sauce while I had the best rigatoni and Bolognese sauce I’ve had thus far. On our walk back home we passed Enoteca Alessi (another wine bar owned by friends of our guides Sandro and Ludavica from yesterday) – phenomenal. Very cute barstools with seats full of wine corks (in Lucite), a ridiculously huge selection of all kinds of liquors (in the gin section Brian is pointing to one that comes in a can – reminding me of how we used buy turpentine! This afternoon I had my second activity with students – an olive oil lecture and tasting with Professoressa Cecilia Ricci. We tasted oil from northern Italy (Lombardo region), southern Italy (Sicily), and one from Tuscany (a single varietal – monocultural) – all were delicious. More guests arriving tomorrow – yay!
Hidden gems of Florence
Day 18
Today is a “free” day for the USD students, meaning no class. We scheduled another AirBnB experience (recommended by Nick and Camille from their honeymoon in September last year) called the “Hidden Gems” tour by Sandro and his wife Ludovica. We met in Palazzo Vecchio where we heard the rich and deep history of the Medici family and the statues in the piazza. Ludovica and Sandro shared their story of each growing up in/near Florence and being treated to history lessons from parents and grandparents, which they graciously now pass on. We walked and talked for 3 hours – enjoyed caffe, a visit to Museo dell'Officina Profumo - Pharmaceutical of Santa Maria Novella (one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, whose origins go back to 1221), and a visit to Richard Ginori – an exquisite porcelain shop located in an old palace with absolutely stunning table ware, art, etc (Jan: we were reminded of the beautiful Pickard china you have shown us – took the picture of hand painted tableware for you!) Another treat was looking inside the Via della Studio – where the Opera del Duomo Workshop is located. Here is where master artists restore, maintain, and conserve the great works in the Duomo. It is rare that the door covering the windows to the studio are open and they were today – what a treat! We ended our tour at Fratelli Zanobini – a wine bar owned by friends of Sandro. He remembers his grandfathers coming here every day for a glass of wine. The owners produce their own wine “Le Lame” – I had the Rose, Brian and Greg had the Chianti – all were excellent. Ludovica brought us the traditional Florentine snack called “coccoli” (translates to “pamper” – as in how it makes your stomach feel!) – a fried pizza dough filled with ham and cheese – yum! Gelateria de Neri (just around the corner from our apratment) re-opened today after the holiday so Brian and Greg tried it out on the way home – another winner! We are planning a quiet evening in to prepare for class tomorrow.
Midterm Tuesday
Day 17
Finished up the lecture on proteins with a wonderful discussion of milk and cheese! Since the students made cheese themselves last week, they were very interested to hear the application of protein chemistry that we learned yesterday and the details of how it works – especially that cheese is essentially milk. Casein, whey, calcium, and rennet were topics of the day. At 11 am I administered the midterm exam – they were pretty anxious about it – but no tears or panic attacks (yay!). Lunch with Brian at Gilli was a delicious lasagna for me and spaghetti with scampi and lemon – beautiful presentation with a little guy staring out you! Pictured also is Brian’s Panna cotta last night at Casa Toscana, and a gorgeous cappuccino Eataly this morning. I graded the midterms all afternoon – they did well – average was 83% and high was 96% - woo! Our friend Greg Payne arrives any minute – tomorrow is the Hidden Gems of Florence tour!
Back to work
Day 16
Today begins the second half of the course – just 5 more lectures left (we don’t have class on Weds 1/15 – a “free” day for the students and we technically have class next Tues 1/21 but that is the day before the final exam and not real fair to ask students to integrate new material 24 hours before an exam) – I have other plans for that day! We began our discussion of amino acids, peptides, proteins, milk, cheese, and meat which we will finish tomorrow. Students used handheld models of amino acid to link into an octapeptide, then used foam models to fold a protein using side chain interactions then “denaturing” it. In preparation for the midterm tomorrow, I held a 2-hour study session 2-4 pm and 16/21 students showed up for some or all of it – great turnout! While I was in class, Brian climbed the Campanile of the Duomo (slightly shorter than the cupola) but he was one of only 6 people at the top. He got some great views of the city, and the Duomo, and he wrote a message on a “grafitti” tablet. J Again, we sampled pizza for lunch, tonight we dine at Casa Toscana in the Piazza Santa Croce (not too far from home).
Domenica riposante
Day 15
We very much needed a day of rest today … Brian twisted his ankle yesterday on the unsteady street right before our Duomo climb and I had boatloads of grading to do. We set out after breakfast to see the Baptistry (part of our ticket for the Duomo experience – cupola, baptistry, museum, crypt, campanile) – always stunning with all of the gold inlay. From there we crossed the Ponte Vecchio (we are just drawn to that side of the city!) and had lunch at La Beppa Fioraia (another recommendation from Debbie and Al – all have been fantastic!) situated in a little neighborhood outside of Piazella Michelangelo. Delicious food, but the wait staff wasn’t very patient with me as I tried to decide what to order … so I went with salad and potatoes (awesome potatoes!!!) We shared a bottle of Rosé since Brian ordered beet gnocchi (with cabbage and bacon) as first course followed by grilled polpo (octopus). We headed home after that so I could grade quizzes and lab reports from Friday and prepare for Monday’s class. Thankfully, I got my midterm written for Tuesday when our next guest (Greg Payne) arrives. Enjoying a quiet Sunday evening at home now.
Memorable Saturday
Day 14
Another gorgeous day in Florence. We have had remarkable weather here … we are so fortunate. Today we had a tour of the Duomo scheduled at 2 pm so we took our time in the morning, heading out about 11 am and explored a bit before making our way to il Mercato Centrale for lunch (what else – pizza! we are doing a very scientific study of as many different pizza shops as possible). We met our guide Natalia at 1:45 pm outside the Duomo’s Porta della Mandorla (12 o’clock on the picture collage), where she told us much about the cathedral’s history. We entered the church and took the picture at 1 o’clock on the collage from the ground floor – we would eventually climb past the frescoes! The 463 steps we climbed we constructed for the workers who built the cupola designed by Filippo Brunelleschi (a bit of trivia: it took 16 years for just 60 workers to build the cupola). Brunelleschi lived to see the cupola finished and consecrated by the bishop but died before the lantern (very top) was completed. Brian and I are pictured with the campanile ion the left (Brian might climb that on Monday – I’m done!) Since the cupola is the highest point in the city, the views are stunning – pictures is our neighborhood with Santa Croce visible. After taking the 463 stairs back down, we headed to il Grande Museo del Duomo where they have on display some truly amazing works including the enormous statues depicting (7 o’clock on the collage on around) biblical events, original Duomo works, a stunning altar with immaculate detail, an original gold inlay door to the Baptistry, and (in the center of the collage) the Pietà Bandini by Michelangelo. What a day!
Brian’s gelato excursions: among his very favorites are 1) Vivoli – flavor: lemon and sage; 2) Santa Trinita – flavor: black sesame; 3) Perche no? – flavor: rose. He also had a good coconut gelato at a small place that he really liked.
The 3 hour lab - lactase activity!
Day 13
We had a crowded house today! 21 students plus Brian and me. The students worked in teams of 7 – two pairs and one trio to collect replicate data on the effect of pH, substrate and detection specificity, and temperature on lactase activity. A lot of experimentation and learning going on – and it was such a good idea to hold it in the apartment where we had room and snacks. Students have incredible appetites – all cheese in the house is gone! We had a quiet lunch to recover – food wasn’t great but we had a lovely view at the window and they had a fun light fixture made from white porcelain colanders! Before dinner we walked around the city to get more steps in for the day … found a little outdoor spot for a cocktail – I tried my first Mojito – yum! Bring on the weekend. P.S. Santa Croce by full moon is gorgeous.
Tough concepts today
Day 12
We completed our discussion of intermolecular forces (hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules) then dove into acid-base chemistry today. We capped off class in 2 ways: Chef Victoria delivered the cheese prepared by the students yesterday (which she had salted and added some spices) with crackers – the students LOVED tasting the results! Then we performed a brief experiment to determine the pH of various food/household substances using cabbage juice indicator (a bit smelly!) Doh – forgot to take pictures again. On the plus side, the iPad worked terrifically as a whiteboard and for my Powerpoints. After class, Brian and I headed to the other side of the Arno river and had lunch at Golden View Bar with a river side view – lovely. I had the Stracotto al mange e pure (beef stew with mashed potatoes) while Brian had the gnocchi with sausage and gorgonzola sauce. After lunch we strolled west on the Arno quite a ways (passed the US Consulate), then made our way back home via Piazza Santa Maria de Novella. In front of the Grand Hotel Minerva was a Formula One car (Alfa Romeo team) – beautiful! On the building of the hotel I spotted a commemorative plate translating as: "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow / 1807 - 1882 / American poet in the Romance languages teacher / translator of the Divine Comedy / among the Florentine residences had this house in the square which was called "The Mecca of foreigners". Tomorrow brings our longest lab experiment (3 hours) for which the students are coming to our apartment! It is easier to move around – our classroom is very small. I have a marvelous TA (Brian) - wish us luck!
Cheese and gnocchi making
Day 11
Today’s class was on lipids, fats, and oils – and McDonald’s hamburgers (see https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/happy-meal-art-project for more info!) Brian and I had lunch at Il Bottegone (adjacent to the Duomo) since I needed to get back to campus for cooking class at 3 pm and pop-in to the Apple store for a stylus so I can use my iPad as a whiteboard – I need board space! My students were graciously treated to a class on cheesemaking by the chefs at FUA Culinary Arts program (Chefs Victoria and Kenneth). They prepared fresh ricotta cheese (though it wasn’t finished by the time we left at 5:30 pm, Victoria told us she will salt it for us in the next day and bring it to class for us to taste!) They spent the rest of the time preparing gnocchi – two kinds – traditional gnocchi with goat cheese and potato gnocchi for our vegetarian/lactose sensitive members. Check out the pictures – the students did EVERYTHING! including setting the table. Lastly, two students were in charge of preparing sage for warming in olive oil (yay! we talked about blooming spices today and the students were delighted we actually did it here!) which was drizzled over the gnocchi before serving. It was wonderful! Chef Kenneth (originally from Colorado, now living in Florence) gave our students valuable information about where to get the best food and gelato – what a treat.
Second day of class
Day 10
Walking to class today we stopped at Caffe Mario to grab a coffee and chocolate croissant on the go – bad idea – ended up with chocolatey hands and cold coffee. That was a failed experiment. On the walk to class, we passed a Formula E car that was on display (electric race car, pictured). Class went well today – we finished off talking about sugars and carbohydrates, moved into density and measurement and stopped to do a fun experiment comparing the mass vs. volume of 4 kinds of salts (I brought pocket balances for them to use) – worked really well. Following an extensive discussion (open mic style) where the students asked questions that came to mind from the content so far, we discussed the chemistry of water and introduced pH.
After class we walked to GustaPizza (recommended by several friends) where we shared the Calabrese with spicy salami – best we’ve had so far! On the way home we stopped for a cioccolata calda for Brian (pictured in cup) that reminded me of brownie batter – once was enough of that. Now we are in for the night, preparing for tomorrow.
Slow Monday
Day 9
January 6 is a national holiday in Italy celebrating the Epiphany (when the three wise men came to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem). What that means for me is no class today. I got some grading done (yes, I gave a quiz on day 1 of class!) – students did great! Another gorgeous day in Florence (sunny and chilly 50°) so we went for a walk to the south side of the city/Arno River. We crossed at Via dei Benci (happens to be the street on which we live) – the photo is a picture looking west at the Ponte Vecchio. We strolled and visited shops that caught our eyes. One door had a sign above (see photo) stating that Feodor Dostoyevsky lived near here when he wrote one of his most famous works “The Idiot”. We spotted a trendy caffetteria (coffee shop) called Ditta Artigianale where we enjoyed delicious coffee and noted they have over 100 gins available. We’ll have to return for a cocktail …. We took a quiet dinner at home tonight … simple pasta (I chose bolognese sauce and Brian had mushroom and truffle sauce) and vino.
First day of class!
Day 8
In anticipation of the first day of class (Chemistry 102) of course I didn’t get much sleep – but rolled out of bed at 6:30 AM to get ready to meet the students at Hotel Mediterraneo at 9:00 AM (where they are staying and where we held the first day of class since tomorrow – Monday – is Epiphany and all Florence buildings are closed, including FUA). We discussed a bit of science in the Renaissance era, then quickly advanced to modern chemistry. We talked extensively about (and worked problems on) the scientific method, matter, pure substances, mixtures, and carbohydrates over the course of about 2 hours. We wrapped up lecture/discussion around 11:20 AM then made ice cream! Each group of 4-5 students made 2 batches – one using simply ice as the cooling agent and one using an ice/salt mixture – which yielded ice cream in about 15 minutes! One group had several vegetarians/lactose intolerant students so I brought in almond milk and they successfully made almond milk ice cream too. We all enjoyed tasting our work! Of course, I was so wrapped up in talking with students during the activity that I forgot to take pictures! Need to work on that. For photos today, you have the massive Nespresso (coffee) machine in the Hotel Mediterraneo near today’s classroom (standing at least 6 feet tall); Brian’s Napoli pizza for lunch; the Palazzo Vecchio during this gorgeous day, and a picture of the side of Basilica di San Lorenzo (the largest church in Florence and burial place of many of the Medici family (a wealthy and influential family in Florence since the 13th century).
Orientation and preparation day
Day 7
We said goodbye to Raelene, Megan, and Trevin – thanks for visiting us! Brian and I then went shopping for the rest of my “lab” supplies (baking soda, baking powder, lemons, milk, cream, vinegar, etc.) so I can prepare for each day. We then made our way to Eataly for some lunch where I had my first taste of authentic “Sfoglia rina” pasta with traditional ragú alla Bolognese – terrific! From there we strolled to the campus where I’ll be teaching at Florence University of the Arts (FUA) at Via Ricosoli 21. We had faculty/staff orientation, a technology orientation, and then got to see our classrooms for the first time. This particular facility is recently renovated and opened in spring 2019 so very modern. My particular classroom is typically used for winetasting classes, so there are “troughs” built into each bench for spitting! Very luckily, I also have a sink right in the room – and will lecture via AppleTV/Powerpoint – so that is nice. The Apicius Culinary Arts program is taught in the building one floor up from my classroom – that is where my students and I will make cheese and gelato with the chefs at FUA, and also do an olive oil class/tasting. Dinner with all USD participants tonight and first day of class tomorrow!