I stumbled across this on youtube.  It’s an advertisement for tourism in Tuscany.  I’m scratching my head while I look at it, and  I’m also giggling.  It’s weird.  There’s a little too much stuff going on but it kind of works.  I don’t know why.  I kind of like it, in a really strange way.  Maybe it’s something to do with the lady mid-way through it, with wine dripping down her face as she gleefully gulps from her cup.

I’ve been obsessed with making my own pasta by hand for a few years now.  I generally make egg pasta, cutting nice irregular tagliatelle, and I also like making ravioli (and tossing with butter and sage. Mmmm.)   Recently I’ve decided to take the leap with pici, which are hand-rolled and come from Siena.  (For you English speakers, that’s pronouned PEE-chee).

After a trial and error, I grumbled for help on twitter and was directed by @divinacucina to her recipe, which I used on Saturday with a group of girlfriends, as two of them had “won” a Tuscan cooking session at a small woman’s practica I had organized, and again last night with another group.  I needed a little more water than the recipe called for, but it worked out nicely and I definitely recommend her recipe.  I added a bit of olive oil as well, out of pure desire.

Pici *sound* complicated to make, because you roll each noodle by hand, but really it’s a very fun, social activity.  Nice to do in groups, but it’s so easy you can do it alone.  Champagne, chit-chat and music usually go well with the process.

So on Saturday, we chatted and sipped champagne, each of us coming up with her own MO for rolling the perfect pici as the music of Mina played in the background.

I made a special sauce that my aunt and I invented together in Buenos Aires on New Year’s Eve.  I’d share the recipe here but I’d like to get permission from the co-inventor (and really it was more her creation than mine, though I have since branched off and have my own version).  What I can tell you is that the end result, between the pici and the sauce, was fantastic - the pici were perfectly delicate.   With a glass of bonarda that was black as night, even better.  A peach kuchen dessert (made by one spectacular lady) and small glasses of grappa were followed by tango - as usual.   How much better can a Saturday get?

*Thanks to Elizabeth for the photos and the dessert!

Not only have Katerina and Bonjour Madame recently awarded me with the Our Lovely Blog award, but thanks to Annika I have have the Honest Scrap award. How lucky am I!  I’ll focus on the Honest Scrap award as it is a little more interactive.

The Honest Scrap award is given by other bloggers who consider a blog’s content or design to be brilliant.  The awardee must then post ten honest things about themselves and pass the award on to other bloggers who fit the bill - in other words, whose blog is brilliant.

Ten honest things.  Ok.  Let’s try.

1. I’m obsessed with leading (in Tango) these days.  I want to emulate Pedro but that is only so possible.

2. I really like holing up with my computer and staying in during the day, because I teach in the afternoon and dance at night.  Since I work from home that’s not too hard.

3. I miss Buenos Aires so much.  But not simply for the milongas.  The milongas are amazing and special but I miss so many other things and people first.  When I start to write about them, I get choked up.

4. I’m a little afraid for the future these days.  I suppose that’s normal.

5. I really like Seattle’s tango community.  Holy cow have we got a good scene!  Whatever happened while I was away, I’m happy.

6. I wish I could invade a different person’s kitchen every day and make Tuscan food.  I’m thinking of offering private Tuscan cooking courses in that format, to save up a bit of money and also share something I love love love.

7. I’m so in love with Pike Place Market.  I’ve been going since I was a little kid, and I still try to get things there, food-wise.  It strikes me as strange that it attracts tourists from around the US who take pictures of it and are overall amazed.  It makes me realize that markets like this are not common in the US, and I feel sorry for those who have to come all the way to another city to see one.  I hope they all get inspired to start farmers markets in their neighborhoods (or at least to search for closer markets).  I sure am lucky to be in Seattle!

8. Speaking of the market, I love DeLaurenti.  I can spend hours in there, comparing olive oil.

9. I’ve been exploring Argentine rock bands as of late.

10. I’m happy where I am but I’m itching to get back to a place where they don’t speak English.

So who do I want to give the award to?

Martha at Roam2Rome

Modern Single Momma who is now Modern Married Momma

Cherie at Tango Cherie

A blog I’ve just discovered called Ciao Down

And of course, Miss Expatria

Miss Expatria has me on a night photo fix, apparently.  Here are some I took in Rome, my last night in Italy in February 2007, before following my heart to Argentina to be with my now ex.  I’ll never forget the sadness mixed with excited anticipation that I felt that night.  I look back and I realize that if I had never fallen in love, I wouldn’t have had any of the experiences I’ve had in the past couple of years.  Wow.

I love the pictures of the spooky Pantheon - my favorite thing in Rome.  There are a couple of dusk photos in here but I couldn’t leave them out.

Some more night photos, again inspired by previous entries by Miss Expatria.  These are of my favorite city, Florence.  The first one is more of a dusk photo, but the rest of them are at night.  I actually took all of these pictures on the same evening with the intent of a “Florence by night” blog post, but it never happened. Now, here it is!

You’ll notice that there is a bit of text on each photo. Annoying, yes, but that’s how it’s going to be from now on.

MissExpatria has recently posted some beautiful pictures of Rome at night and some equally beautiful pictures of Paris at night, and of course I’m inspired to post some pictures of Buenos Aires at night.

Mine don’t hold a candle to hers, but they bring back some lovely memories.  Maybe tomorrow I can get out some of my Italian nighttime photos!  In the meantime, I’m sure some of you will recognize two open air milongas in this set.

Dossier ~ A file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject.

After reading the Carmen Sandiego-inspired dossier of @ModernSingleMom, who stopped by my blog earlier today and got me hooked on her blog, I am totally inspired and excited.  This is just what I need to give myself some confidence and motivation.  Take a look at her dossier as well, and follow all her links!

Dossier of: Tina Ferrari - aliases: @bellissimatina, Tina Tangos.
Owner of Tina Tangos.  Translator, Tango Dancer.  Dual citizen. Gypsy Soul.

Looking Glass Powers
-Ability to communicate in three languages.
-Ability to blend into, or at least be warmly included in, the places I visit or live in around the world.
-Ability to sensually sing tango lyrics in your ear as we dance.
-Ability to make pasta by hand, with the most fabulous butter-tomato-basil sauce you could imagine.
-Ability to get up, wipe the dust off my jeans and keep walking.

Dress-up Closet
Funky orange/red skirt from Buenos Aires.  Faux-snake skin flats, also from Buenos Aires.  Old worn Argentinean leather shoulder bag.  Black cardigan from Perugia, Italy.  Red scarf from Paris. Sunglasses. Wooden hand-painted fan purchased in Once (Buenos Aires) for 11 pesos. Black swishy “Marilyn Monroe” dress. Several pairs of Comme il Faut tango shoes.

Disguise
Black Raquel tango shoes with faded turquoise heel, blue strapless dress, mascara.   Usually embracing a milonguero.

Go-To Gadget
Laptop computer for “laptop nomad” tendencies.  French press coffee maker.  Skype headset.

Vice
Red wine and dark chocolate

Magic Potion
Red wine and dark chocolate. Extra virgin olive oil. Hair conditioner with no silicones.

Battery Recharge Hub
The milonga.

Bratty Spoilers
Big bowl of pasta.  Chianti.  Tango and a glass of champagne.

Owner’s Manual
A cookbook purchased in Tuscany 6 years ago. My blog. Italian and Spanish Dictionaries.

Weapon
Botticelli curls.  The Embrace.  Two passports.

Nemesis
Self doubt. Tango nuevo. The word “expat”.

Secret Ambition
World Traveler, Translator, Tango Dancer…. oh hey, I already am all of those!!

Ladies (and gentlemen too), what will your dossier say?

For the first time since the heartbreaking devastation (I am not exaggerating) of getting on a plane that took me away from my adopted land of Buenos Aires (which will always be my home no matter where I am), and for the first time since my whole world came crashing down (or seemed to anyway), I have the urge to say this:

I love my life!

What happened? Does this mean I have come out of my funk?  I think so!

Whew.

Anyway, yeah.  I love it.  Ok, there are still downs, but the ups are winning the race.  I’m getting translations again, on subjects that I love.  I’m teaching a dance I love to wonderful people and making new friends because of it.  I’m surrounded by friends and family, though I sorely miss the friends and family I have in Buenos Aires and Italy.  I have a passport from Italy that opens up many countries to me.  I can also go back to Argentina if I want.  I’m not pining for lost love anymore. Even though there are things in my life I would still like to change and fix, for the most part it can’t be that bad, because really, I can do anything I want.

Let’s celebrate!

(me in Porto Venere, taken in April 2006, when I still straightened my hair)