Gnocchi!

“Lei fa ricotta?” was apparently one of the most nonsense questions I could have asked.  I found myself in the midst of a bustling lunchtime scene at our local Salumeria.  Only there to buy a rotisserie chicken and a basket of french fries (because they have the BEST chicken and fries), the mother of the Salumeria’s owner appeared by my side.  She is a lovely woman and I imagine a true free spirit in her day.  I usually catch every other word she says, but we normally figure out how to understand each other.  In the back and forth of our conversation surrounded by loud Italian chatter, I asked her if she made ricotta cheese.  She began telling me to add sugar and eggs and it became apparent she didn’t understand what I meant.  I asked again, “No, Lei (Lei is a formal way to say you) fa ricotta?”  Of course repeating the question the same way, only inserting “no” would help her understand what I was saying ~ and I wasn’t even sure I was saying it correctly!  At this point, Rosario (the Salumeria’s owner and a friend of ours) stepped in along with 3 or 4 other customers trying to understand my question.  After a very animated conversation and a possibly not quite sober man working his way into the middle of our conversation circle to shake my hand and ask where I was from, they informed me it was impossible for me to make ricotta.  After all, why would I make ricotta when I can buy it for 2 euro?  I was told it would be possible to make pasta and gnocchi, but never ricotta.

Later that evening on a stroll to the panificio to buy cookies, we stopped in the Salumeria to get the kids a lollypop (ok, sometimes they’re spoiled!).  Rosario grabbed a scratch piece of paper and wrote out a recipe to make gnocchi, reminding me once again “gnocchi, ok, ricotta, no!”  My very first real life Italian recipe and I felt like I was holding gold!  There is a great sense of pride in Italian cooking and it’s almost as if you can taste the warmth and spirit of past generations who have used the recipe.    Food is held in high regard and there is a true understanding of the importance of using only the best and freshest ingredients.  Gnocchi… not ricotta… it’s what’s for dinner!