DellaCiliegia: Date with a Suocera....

A true Rina poise to keep in mind for later....

'Suocera' is probably the most important italian word, if you happen to know an italian. Mother-in-law is what you call them in the states, but here, Suocera takes on a whole different meaning. A suocera typically lives within blocks of her children, if she can't, she visits them 2x a year for atleast a month at a time. Common duties of a suocera included doing laundry, cooking exhorbinant amounts of food, and making sure everyone, including their daughter/sons in laws have made their yearly health check-ups at the doctor (to ensure Grandchildren). If you can't make it over to your suocera's house for dinner, don't worry, she'll bring it to you!
Mark and I had heard of such a suocera through Rina & Dario Lombardo. One time I made Rina some chocolate chip cookies, which she shared with her Suocera. According to Rina, she adored the cookies, and thus, baked me a homemade Lemon Cake. Wow, is all i can say. So finally this week, we had the priviledge of dining with the Suoceri (mom&dad).
It began promptly at 8 o'clock, as any decent dinner would in Italy. We feasted at a white table cloth in a room that more resembled the renaissance era at the Uffizi Museum in Florence. Each setting had 3 glasses (1, prosecco glass 2, rose' and red wine glass 3, water glass). First course, platter of freshly cut prosciutto & speck & homemade facoccia bread. Second course, Mushroom & Parmesan Salad. Third course, Flaky breaded roll stuffed with turkey and ricotta cheese. Fourth course, crudo salami (raw) wrapped in turkey and served with a side of steamed spinach. Fifth course, homemade pasta with parmesan & mushrooms. Sixth course, Brasato & Grilled Potatos. (Brasato is a heavenly marinade made with onions, garlic, oil and barolo red wine, layered over thinly sliced sirloin steak). Seventh course A, homemade Apple Pie (guess who brought this?). And Seventh course B was Semi-Freddo (a gelato like tablet made of cream, amaretto, and chocolate......after all this 'Would anyone like some fruit?"
So what happens to a person with they experience so much joy in their mouth and so much food, and drink in their stomach......something like this.