nutella

if I could pick one word to describe my Italian lifestyle, it would be nutella. I am currently taking a small break between classes to relax and become my caffeinated self for an intense technical photography class. I am drinking tea out of an old nutella jar (I have already gone through one 400g jar and broke down to get the 750g jar. I am eating spoonfuls out of it at the moment.). I just love nutella.

I took an experimental stroll around Mercato Centrale today between my Italian class and my History class. I found it kind of enthralling and very magical. The place is an indoor maze of butchers, panini stands, fruit and vegetable stalls, wine and olive oil mini stores and some random pasta places thrown in. The shop workers live in their own community in the Mercato, shouting and singing while peddling their goods. As you walk through the aisles the smell of fresh meat is almost overwhelming but satisfying. As a somewhat new cook, I shy away from the pieces of meat that unpleasantly resemble the animal they came from. Roosters with claws, beak, and bright read comb still intact can be a little much for an uncultured cook such as myself. Maybe after a thorough semester of cooking class and wine pairing, I will be able to walk through the market, head held high planning a menu for the obviously fresh rooster, cow muzzle, or Trippe. Well maybe not, but the friendly, light-hearted atmosphere is enough to make anyone feel Florentine.