Porcini Chronicles: The Working Woman’s Guide to Great Food

I’ve been working at an elevated pace since coming back to Milan from my luxurious, 3-week Christmas vacation. The day after I came back I started a new job instituting changes for the Erasmus program (that’s an EU-funded university student exchange program) at the U where I’ve been teaching English Composition and Scientific Writing for the last 2 years. I’ve also kept my Saturday English course at the Politecnico in Como (no George Clooney sightings yet) and am holding on to some favorite private English students. They are more fun than work, but… I’m pretty tired.

Needless, to say since I added the 9 to 5 to this work combo, I’ve been a little stressed. Aside from the boost in activity which is largely positive, there’s potential for loss here. There’s no more time to go to different Milan neighborhood markets on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to get the freshest arugula, mandarins and porcinis. How will I find the time to make bolognese sauce over homemade pasta for Tuesday night dinner? Homemade bread? Summer vegetable terrine? and Bagna cauda?

Well, the answer is that this blog is going to get strategic. In the coming weeks and months, you will find tips on how to do much of your cooking for the week on Sunday, great recipes for brown bag lunches at work and more. For the sake of conviviality at work I’m going to have to have lunch out at the most profoundly disappointing restaurant in Italy at least a couple times a week, but otherwise, it’s hummous-tomato sandwiches with mint, tortilla española with arugula and prosciutto and carrot-orange buttermilk bread. All portable and good at room temperature. Recipes to come soon.

I think it’ll be fun. Not least because this Saturday, after finishing class at the Politecnico in Como, I happened to walk past a big Saturday market that I hadn’t known existed before, so I’m doing my veggie shopping there from now on!