E Pazzo, Amici Miei!

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

"Passionate" and "colorful" are not two adjectives normally associated with Yours Truly, "cranky" and "cold" being nearer the mark according to most people.

Nonetheless, I've always been very fond of the Mediterranian way, particularly in the matter of food and drink. Red wine, garlic and olive oil - what more could anyone possibly want?

And as it happens, we had an old friend over for dinner last evening, with self cooking a big shrimp and prosciutto pasta dish. I can't recall whether Julia Child ever said so, but I've always held that it's imperative to have a drink while you're cooking. For one thing, it loosens you up, helping to free you from a slavish obsession with recipe amounts and letting you get artistic with your creations. (Another clove of garlic? Sure, why the hell not.) And of course, if you're knocking back the sherry - particularly if it takes a long time to put your dinner together - then by the time you get to the table you may no longer give a damn what it tastes like.

Fortunately, I absolutely nailed it last evening. Everyone asked for more and even the seven year old, who is about as picky as Mikey, found it delicious. Mirabile dictu.

Yips! to Cheese-eating Surrender Monkey Jenna.