Apologies for all the time it’s been between blog posts. I am in a caregiver role now and that is taking precedence for my time. Whenever I have a few moments, I’m thinking and researching about what’s next for a journey and project.
As I’ve alluded to in the previous Episode 5, the big project I’m currently working on is an Italian cookbook—developing recipes, testing, photography, and writing. It’s a big job and I’ve been at it for almost a year. Things are coming along slowly as there is time to work on it, but this project is my happy place. The focus of the book are dishes that are family favorites, and those that have been handed down for generations from the Italian side of my family, along with recipes that I’ve developed from a modern cooking standpoint. Plus those recipes that I just had to try from my Italian journey. For example, I knew going to Italy that I must find the best cacio e pepe dish. After trying many, I found just the right match for me at an idyllic little trattoria in Rome’s Prati district near the Tiber and the Castel Santangelo. Cacio e pepe is one of the four main Roman pasta dishes, so trying it in that city was a must on my list. When I returned home, I came up with a recipe that came close, along with adding a couple of enhanced ingredients. I hope to blog more regularly and give updates on the progress.
Besides working on a cookbook, researching my next trip from my bucket list makes me happy. I’m thinking about walking the Camino de Santiago (or the Way of Saint James)—the pilgrimage journey across northern Spain ending at the cathedral of Santiago de Campostela in northwestern Spain where, according to tradition, the remains of the apostle are buried. This remarkable pilgrimage was started in the 9th century when the relics were discovered, and has been ongoing ever since. Out of all the journeys that I wish to take, I figure this one must be next while I can still walk well (getting older is a fact of life). So far, I asked for hiking boots for Christmas, and have researched the best hiking socks, and am trying out both on my daily walks to break them in. Much more research on this trip to follow.
Here’s to encouraging you to pick a journey, event, or enterprise from your list, and start—researching, reading about, and even seeing yourself there. Just do it!