The other night I went to a cocktail party where I saw some old friends, ran into recently acquired friends and met some people that just might become future friends.
After some lovely Indian food and several glasses of a simply gorgeous red wine, one of these lovely ladies wagged her finger at me and said:
You haven’t updated in a while. What’s it been - a month?
And another said:
That’s not like you.
In some ways it isn’t, but oddly enough lately it is.
Life has been a whirlwind of activity, almost all of it good, but it has taken up my time and energy and poor old Frutto della Passione has been suffering because of it.
This summer I had a record number of visitors from Canada – which I loved – whenever we have visitors it gives me a chance to fall in love with this city and this country all over again.
In the fall I made a flash visit to Canada which started with a Bridal Shower and culminated in a swine fever dazed Halloween.
Christmas was a joy, spent baking and cooking (and eating and drinking) with family and friends and neighbours.
I started my Christmas baking in November and froze dozens of cookies that later where given as gifts to everyone that came through our door during the holidays.
I also made some special purchases at the annual Fiera dell’Artigianato (Artisan’s fair) that is held in Milan every December. Things like truffle butter and truffle/mushroom pesto and Sicilian ricotta salata, all of which will be making their appearances here soon.
We rang the New Year in quietly, with good friends and now we are 1 month into 2010.
My son entered the double digits, which was harder to face than I imagined and we are gearing for two major family events – a wedding and a first communion.
And through it all there will be food. Lots of food, a fair amount of wine and new memories will be created.
Hopefully between the old and the new, there will be enough to entice you all back.