Looking forward to weekend

April 3, 2009

This weekend my husband and I get to do our favorite thing in the world—have friends over for dinner. It will be extra fun since we are helping our friends plan a trip to Italy. We just can’t wait to share information and reminisce about our own past trips and experiences. This is their first trip and they’re taking their kids, so anticipation is really high. We will do our best to steer the whole family in the right direction by discussing their itinerary over a huge bowl of pasta with a glass of wine— so Italian! Of course, celebrating life over a feast is something the Italians have been doing for years. Everyone can conger up an image of the Italian grandma preparing a feast to feed the family and friends or a jolly chef serving steaming platters of pasta to salivating onlookers. Naturally, cooking on this scale requires the right utensils and the Italians have always had them! Huge copper pots were once used over wood-burning fires to boil pasta and polenta, enormous skillets slowly melted the flavors of the sauce on the stove and all was washed down with the local vino. The pots and pans we have in the shop have long since been retired. Now they are simply beautiful reminders of the glorious feasts and gatherings they once helped create.