If you missed this one, you missed a good one! The ad announced: “Light Italian Cooking with Maria.” About 24 Reddingites responded by showing up promptly at 11 a.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church for this free cooking class last month.
Before even entering the building, the delicious scent of roasting garlic had wafted out into the parking lot. Inside, we found twelve long tables arranged in a huge square, with additional cooking and serving tables on the side, and Maria Forman in the center. Right from the start we knew this was going to be authentic Italian, because that is what Maria is. Maria is an emotional, energetic presenter – you could even say flamboyant. Maria is a master at her craft. Maria is an excellent communicator. Maria is an entertainer. Maria is devoted – dedicated – to authentic Italian cooking, and makes a special point of saying it is light, not akin to American Italian cooking, which tends to be heavy. Also, meals are served in several distinct courses – in contrast to everything on one platter at once. And measurements in teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, etc., don’t exist. Traditional Italian cooks blend things together, tasting and sampling as they go, using hands and fingers and shakes for measurements. Like painting or dancing or acting, it is an art form.
Maria had placed recipes at each seating place so we could follow her actions and instructions as she prepared each dish, running through a steady dialogue of food, food history, old Italian wives cooking tales, advice, and admonitions about how to cook and how to eat. For example, never cut basil – it browns; tear it. Always use the best virgin olive oil you can afford, and don’t keep it in the fridge. Replace all spices after one year on the shelf. She prefers kosher or sea salt to iodized salt. As she progressed through each step, it became evident she had spent a lot of time preparing for this day. Besides the strawberry-watermelon-tomato-raspberry balsamic salad, and the garlic-lemon-tomato-olive pasta, and the green bean salad with lemon dressing, and the garlic, olive oil-sauteed chicken filets, there were three kinds of wines and fantastic Italian breads – all provided for this free lunch for 24 persons.
Questions and answers flew back and forth across the room. We were invited to stand in a circle around her as she prepared each dish, and after about an hour had gone by, we all lined up to serve ourselves – a genuine light Italian meal. It not only tasted good, it set well in the stomache, which to me is the final proof of healthy cooking.
After all this selfless, non-stop loving care, my wife Margrid and I were determined to contribute something for her devotion and generosity. And of course many others did as well. How could we help it? We had received generations of inherited experience and traditions in real Italian cooking and living.
Thank you, Maria, for sharing your largesse. Now we will look forward to attending your next class on Saturday (July 16), which will be on conversational Italian – it should assist our planned trip to Milan and Venice in the fall.
Saturday’s Italian language class with Maria starts at 11 a.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 2150 Benton Drive Redding, California 96003. 530-243-1000. Coffee and a refreshment will be served, but eat ahead of time; the class may last until about 2 p.m.
Robert Rock moved to Redding from Santa Rosa in 2000, soon found the local Writers Forum, and became its President for four years. Was a former Technical Writer for McDonnell Aircraft Corp., published environmental engineering articles as a professional engineer, public interest articles for newspapers and periodicals, and a book of short stories which covers the 1920s to 2001, including WWII. Is presently secretary of the local Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and assists students at the Good News Rescue Mission in earning their GEDs.
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