Ti Amo e Ti Voglio Bene

How many Valentines day gone by and I completely forgot the feeling of mushiness. I have outgrown the feeling. In fact today I am in a house arrest and my right leg has a huge bruise with the color of aubergine. I got this when I fell down just a few steps away from my house here in Milano. Isn't it painful when the weather is freezing at a temperature of -7 and the environment outside is surrounded with snow that doesn't melt for a week already? It isn't actually....

From the the title of my post today, there is something important I learned here in Italy. Yes in Italy! The most romantic place in the world (for me) where you can find the most romantic men in the planet! Saying "I LOVE YOU" in English has two different meanings in Italian. First "TI AMO" means romantic I love you being said to the one you are in love with. Second "TI VOGLIO BENE" means generic I love you being said to families and friends that you value and care about. Both ways I am glad to have heard both words right before my ears. To love doesn't mean you should be in a relationship but I think the bravest one can do is to let the person know how much you love and care for him. Whether it's "Ti Amo" or "Ti Voglio Bene."

Learning how to do this pasta ravioli with Beetroot filling is one of the things I love the most in my culinary class. From doing the fresh pasta dough then you will roll it over in the machine to achieve the thin sheet. Afterwards you will press the heart-shaped utensil to achieve the shape. Then we just stuffed it with Beetroot and later on cooked with butter, black poppy seeds, salt and pepper---Ecco! What a simple yet heart-warming dish!

Learning and finding something in the land of pasta is such an endearing experience in my life. I learned how important LOVE is and how to be HAPPY in life no matter what :)

Ti Voglio Tanto Bene a Tutti!!!!!

hugs,

joanie xxx