zucchini parmesan, zucchini boats, zucchini flowers, zucchini omelette...

(said in the Bubba voice from Forrest Gump)

With an abundance of zucchini in the garden here on Via Monte, I can't help but think of Bubba's shrimp menu that lasted through military marches, storms and battles. We have so many zucchini that each day it seems we have a new way of preparing them.

Roasted zucchini, zucchini fritters, zucchini boats, zucchini parmesan, pasta with zucchini, stuffed zucchini flowers, zucchini with mint, zucchini omelette and the list goes on.

It is a good thing that I am more than happy to eat zucchini every which way. In fact, my eyes open wide and my mouth starts to water when the morning sun shines on long delicate slices of zucchini laid out on the table on the terrace to dry in the sun.

only in Italy

This is the first in what I am sure will be many posts about the crazy things that go on here in Italy. We are ordering aprons with our logo on them from a friend of the pizzaiolo (normal, you don't get anywhere unless you go through friend or friends, or cousins or friends or whathaveyou). Now, let's ignore the fact that Pizzaiolo had to have the aprons made in a different place than sews the logo; that is small potatoes.

We arrive at the day Pizzaiolo shows my boss an apron with Coocking Vacantions written on it. Coocking Vacantions. Did the apron man even look at our logo we gave him? I understand that English isn't his native language, but just COPY WHAT IS WRITTEN! No?!

Anyway, attempt number two had no profanity at least, but in an attempt to make the colors more bello, he just picked the colors with no resemblance to our logo. Sky blue and yellow became turquoise and orange.

On my joyous trip to Agerola, the apron man presented me with a palate of colored thread and in exasperated Italian, clearly not comprehending what the problem was, he said: "You choose." I tried explain how a logo works. It isn't a matter of making it more bello, the purpose of a logo is that it has to be the SAME; consistent.

I am interested to see attempt number three, even with specific thread chosen for him, and Cooking Vacations written clearly in front of him, where will his imagination take him?

Fornillo

Spiaggia di Fornillo is how I think of Positano. Laid back, fun, imperfect and absolutely stunning.