Last night we went to one of our favorite places – the lovely Tuscany country inn – “Il Pozzo” for a pizza-making party – hosted by our awesome friend and the coolest inn-keeper in all of Italy – probably the world – Carla Veneri!
Of course, Italy is synonymous with pizza, but with Carla, you get more; it’s a real hands-on experience!
Olivia, Mateo, Matilde, Eduardo, Ludovica and of course, Lulu were all provided wooden boards, flour, yeast, water and salt. They dug in, pouring, stirring and rolling – as I marveled how those few simple ingredients combine to make such a tasty crust.
As the children marched outside – carrying their rolled-out crusts over to Il Pozzo’s stone oven, (manned by their indomitable chief handy-man and chef, Carlo) I realized that maybe it’s more than the ingredients; it is also the smoky flavor and crisp texture the oven’s wood-sparked flames provide that make the “That’s Italian” difference.
The final result, as you can see but unfortunately cannot taste, was perfect. Topped with tangy tomato sauce, cheese and whatever-other-delectables-you-can-imagine, we happily munched away!
And, as with every gathering over which Carla presides, laughter and fun are always served up alongside.
This was our last visit to this glorious, breath-taking 500-year-old farmhouse set among Tuscany’s rollling hills. For this time around. I know it won’t be our last.
We love Il Pozzo. We love you Carla.
And we love Pizza!
Baci, Gina
Copyright 2014 Gina London. All Rights Reserved.
Gina London's Little Adventures 