Lunch at Anna Maria's!

For our last language class, Anna Maria, our language teacher, invited our class over to her apartment to have lunch together. It was a snowy beautiful day and she served us a meal that helped us prepare for the cold outside... by fattening us up as quickly and effectively as possible.


When we walked inside, she started off by saying that she's not a "cook." Somehow, I was skeptical because I had this image of every Italian being able to cook somewhat better than an average American would, (no offense) just because the priority given to food is much greater here in Italy. And this time, I was proven to be correct.


We were served an incredible meal filled with love, and it was truly delicious. Let me guide you through this fun and scrumptious meal with some pictures and descriptions.

The first part of the meal consisted of Tortellini (Bologna specialty) which had a bit of meat inside, and it was served in a sauce of cream and butter (how could this combination possibly taste bad?) This is the preparation stage!

After a few minutes of drooling over the tortellini that was tossed around in the sauce, we got to eat it with parmesan on top and a serving of bread (focaccia with sea salt on top and this firm bread with sesame on it). And of course, it would not be a complete meal without wine. Sam, a classmate of ours, generously brought Pignoletto (the wine that I have had multiple times at Tamburini already). It paired with the dish perfectly!

Afterwards, Anna Maria served us a salad with some salad greens, raisins, oranges, pine nuts and a dressing of olive oil and REAL balsamic vinegar. She said that she bought it in Modena for a hefty price and told us that we need to buy a bottle when we visit Modena later in the semester (already was planning on it). The truth is, the balsamic vinegar did make a significant difference in the salad, and to be honest, it was one of my favorite salads! Refreshing with a depth of flavor. What more could you ask for?

And she also prepared some slices of pear that were to be paired with pecorino and some honey. The end result? Delicious. Anna Maria claimed that not too many people know how those things should be served together and that it's a shame. My world has changed yesterday, so I guess I won't be part of that "un-enlightened" crowd anymore!

Then came the dessert. I was already stuffed from the heavy tortellini dish and the salad and pears +pecorino + honey. Gia brought some cookies made with chocolate chips and coconut in it, which was crumbly and delicious. 

Anna Maria prepared a spin-off of Tiramisu that she saw on television not too long ago and she thought this would be the perfect occasion to try it out. This spin-off called for Pavesini (above in the picture), mascarpone, espresso, shredded coconut, and nutella. Pavesini looks like ladyfingers, but they are a lot lighter and flakier. 

 Rest of the ingredients.

(End result!) 

To make these babies, use two Pavesini pieces. Put mascarpone on one Pavesini and nutella on the other. Then bring them together into a cookie sandwich (as Anna Maria's adorable daughter calls them) and then roll it quickly in espresso. Then toss it around in coconut shreds. Are they delicious? Yes. Yes. Yes. None of us could stop making/eating them.

After a round of coffee, good conversation and serious food coma, our class was ready to take on the cold weather outside. It was not nearly as difficult as our way to Anna Maria's apartment thanks to the extra poundage we gained from this meal.

Thanks so much for having us over Anna Maria!!