San Marino is a land-locked microstate completely surrounded by Italy who joined the UN on March 2nd, 1992. This can only mean one thing...
Italian food, Italian food, Italian food, Italian food, ITALIAN FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!
Cibo Italiano, andiamo!!!!
This is where my friends would chime in and say, "IT'S NOT ITALIAN FOOD! IT'S SAN MARINESE FOOD!", something I heard at least 3 times during the dinner.
This is where my friends would chime in and say, "IT'S NOT ITALIAN FOOD! IT'S SAN MARINESE FOOD!", something I heard at least 3 times during the dinner.
When we were coming up with recipes it sorta went like...
I'm making a pasta dish, what are you making? Oh, you're making a past dish too? And you're also making pasta. Pasta, pasta, pasta. And soup, apparently.
I'm making a pasta dish, what are you making? Oh, you're making a past dish too? And you're also making pasta. Pasta, pasta, pasta. And soup, apparently.
I chose to make Swallows Nests, aka Pasta Flowers. Of course I got the tune to San Francisco immediately stuck in my head, with a few minor lyrical changes of course:
If you're goiiiiiiing to Saaaaan Maaaaaarinoooooooo
Be sure to eeeeeeeeeeat some Pasta Flowers over theeeeeeeeeere!
Early in the day of the dinner Amber was nice enough to share her work in progress consisting of what I have been dubbing the "pasta tree":
Hands down, best UN dinner photo since we started these dinners. I dare anyone not to get excited about a meal after see that.
After I finished kneading, simmering, chopping, rolling, and baking, Jenny picked me up and we were on our way.
Fyi, super excited about Jenny driving. It meant I could partake in the 5 bottles of wine I was bringing to the dinner. Though, there was a clause in the agreement I wasn't aware of until we were almost there. Apparently, as my DD, I had entered into a silent agreement that I was to be her entertainment for the evening. I think I met this agreement when I blurted out one of my classic mis-worded questions, aided by the wine I brought: "How do you wink with both eyes?" At which point someone responded with, "You mean blinking?" Not what I meant, but that did't stop everyone from laughing hysterically at me. It's okay, I'm used to it.
Dinner was SO GOOD. As soon as everyone started digging in it got pretty quiet pretty quick.
People slowed down pretty quick too. There was a lot of pausing and staring at some still very full plates. I imagined that during those moments everyone was trying to will their stomachs to double in size so they could keep going. They tried too. That's how good it was.
We even managed to cram down the cannolis Bryan picked up for dessert. The best part about them was not how delicious they were (and they were), but because they somehow lead to a discussion about how Jenny isn't a big fan of nuts. I will leave you to interpret said comment however you wish. We chose to interpret it in a juvenile and immature way.
After dinner and clean up we played a few of our favorite drawing games before we (Jenny) called it quits. Probably a good thing. I had a long day of regretting this meal planned for tomorrow, and I needed to start early. And I did. Still do. But at least I plenty of time to get the post out without delay!
(Celebrated February 25th, 2017)
Early in the day of the dinner Amber was nice enough to share her work in progress consisting of what I have been dubbing the "pasta tree":
After I finished kneading, simmering, chopping, rolling, and baking, Jenny picked me up and we were on our way.
Fyi, super excited about Jenny driving. It meant I could partake in the 5 bottles of wine I was bringing to the dinner. Though, there was a clause in the agreement I wasn't aware of until we were almost there. Apparently, as my DD, I had entered into a silent agreement that I was to be her entertainment for the evening. I think I met this agreement when I blurted out one of my classic mis-worded questions, aided by the wine I brought: "How do you wink with both eyes?" At which point someone responded with, "You mean blinking?" Not what I meant, but that did't stop everyone from laughing hysterically at me. It's okay, I'm used to it.
Dinner was SO GOOD. As soon as everyone started digging in it got pretty quiet pretty quick.
People slowed down pretty quick too. There was a lot of pausing and staring at some still very full plates. I imagined that during those moments everyone was trying to will their stomachs to double in size so they could keep going. They tried too. That's how good it was.
We even managed to cram down the cannolis Bryan picked up for dessert. The best part about them was not how delicious they were (and they were), but because they somehow lead to a discussion about how Jenny isn't a big fan of nuts. I will leave you to interpret said comment however you wish. We chose to interpret it in a juvenile and immature way.
After dinner and clean up we played a few of our favorite drawing games before we (Jenny) called it quits. Probably a good thing. I had a long day of regretting this meal planned for tomorrow, and I needed to start early. And I did. Still do. But at least I plenty of time to get the post out without delay!
(Celebrated February 25th, 2017)
