Monday, July 27, 2009

A Southern Italian Wedding, 4

Food and eating are an important part of everyday life and any social gathering in southern Italy. At a wedding reception, the meal becomes the central event that all other activities revolve around.

The bride and groom were very concerned about accomodating all of their guests' particular food needs, so several different variations on the menu were provided. There was a children's menu for the kids, cooked mollusks for those who don't eat raw mollusks (a delicacy here), special dishes for the diabetics, and, since I am intolerant to gluten and lactose, a special meal for me. The headwaiter introduced himself immediately and told (ordered!) me not to eat anything that had not been served to me directly from his hands!

When I saw Mario, the man in today's photo, making mozzarella from scratch I had to go meet him and take his photo. He assured me that I could eat his cheese because he cooked it at 90° celcius which, apparently, destroys the lactose. When it was ready, he personally brought me the first dish of tiny knots of exquisitely delicious - and fresh - mozzarella. Unfortunately, my personal waiter saw me eating it and threw a fit...he went directly over to Mario and scolded him! It was like having a food bodyguard...ready to fight for my digestive system!

In the end, we got the misunderstanding worked out. But, my waiter remained ever-vigilant...all the way up to the cutting of the cake, when he brought me my own special slice of no-gluten, no-lactose cake!

13 comments:

Leif Hagen said...

Delicious photo! Never seen cheese prepared like that before! Could the ocean view have been any better?

B SQUARED said...

You must have felt like you had died and gone to heaven.

Anonymous said...

What an extraordinary photo! I bet the mozzarella had that perfect blend of moist & soft texture that I can't find anywhere else but in Italy.

Is it true that one ball is over 2,000 calories? My friends tell me that, but I buy mozzarella at cheese shops that don't list the calorie content.

Saluti!
Barbara
http://theespressobreak.blogspot.com

Paty said...

this mozzarela looks delicious! I want some!

VP said...

Nice story and really a beautiful photo. I hope Mario survived the scolding by your food bodyguard.
I understand that La perla del Doge is an excellent place for ceremonies.

Hilda said...

I thought it was spaghetti until I read your story. Oh yummmmm!

I love how your waiter took so good care of you!

marley said...

Treated like royatlty! Lol!

Thanks for your answer to my big question! Nothing like getting the grey matter working on a Monday :)

amatamari© said...

The photography is beautiful and gives happiness and appetite!
:-)

Lowell said...

What an amazing story. I've been involved in some fancy weddings before, but nothing that compares with this!

How fortunate you were to have your own special food guard...important...we have a grandson who has Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac disease so food is always a problem for him.

Ann said...

I thought it was pasta till I read your explanation. No idea they made mozarella like that.

Maria Verivaki said...

i cant tell you how superb and dreamlike the whole concept of an italian wedding sounds like to me, judging from your photos and the description.

can i ask you: is this kind of wedding feast typical in Itlay, or in your region? it sounds very grand and expensive!

Tinsie said...

Amazing photo! Never knew mozzarella was made quite like this!

Chuck Pefley said...

Wow! That's quite the story, and so Italian. Glad you got the waiter and cheese-maker back onto the same page -:)