I Ate Well
This journey of food and the goodness of the Lord warmed my body and soul, and I hope the stories uplifting you, and the food warms your body and soul.
I am one of luckiest people in the world. I lived in Italy for two years and lived in many cities during that period. I awoke under crystal-blue skies and looked over a turquoise sea in Taormina, Sicilia. For hours I strolled through the cobblestone streets of Roma and explored glorious churches around every corner and discovered the spontaneity of Italy. I lived in Portovenere in Northern Italy; the birthplace of pesto and the deep blue sea of the Ligurian coast.
One December evening I announced to my family, “I am going to Italy for awhile.” I didn’t know for how long I’d be gone. I did know I needed a break. Having traveled many summers as a young girl with my parents to Italy, I knew exactly where I wanted to go first…Roma! So there I went.
My journey began in Roma because I knew I could find amazing food to warm my body and heal my soul. I always crave nourishing comfort food, and Italian food is the ultimate comfort food. Throughout my whole life pasta has been a culinary staple. Mia nonna (my grandmother) Raffaela used to cook for me, I wish I paid more attention to her cooking techniques. I wish I’d written down the recipes and asked her questions.
She was masterful at creating delicious dishes out of the simplest fresh ingredients, which is what made her even more special. Even now, I can close my eyes and smell the soffritto on the early Sunday mornings. Our sense of smell has a long memory.
As I traveled through Italy, I made new friends and was invited into their homes as a family member. Their mothers and grandmothers let me cook with them. I spent hours getting to know restaurant owners, so they would have me as a student in their kitchens. This wasn’t an all-glamor journey; it was a soul-searching time. I struggled through many disappointments and setbacks only to find out later that I had always been right where I was supposed to be.
All the while I walked and watched, cooked and collaborated, I never imagined I would write it all down to share. This is my healing and learning, and now it is time to share. This journey of food and the goodness of the Lord really did warm my body and soul, and I hope you find the stories uplifting and that the food warms your body and your soul.
Gina Marie Raffaela Russo
