And the studies continue!

In the three years since graduating from ANU I have never really taken time off from being a student, though the scope and extent of my studies have morphed. I audited courses for two years at Brandeis and this past year I took online courses and now language classes. However, starting in the fall I will be a full-time, full-fee-paying student once again! I heard from Framingham State Univ that I was accepted to their Masters in Food and Nutrition program, and when I fulfill the long list of prerequisites (which I think will take a solid year and a half) I can apply to their Coordinated Program in Dietetics, an additional two-year endeavor. Though I am not looking forward to being the equivalent of a Junior in college again, I will be very happy to return to life as a full-time student!

Now for something domestic: last night I was adventurous and made fresh pici (a type of Tuscan pasta) with misto mare. Misto mare is mixed seafood, though I don't think it usually contains fish. The type I bought had shrimp, squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, though I'm not totally sure still what cuttlefish is... It was a little freaky to eat the suction cups on the chunks of octopus (?) tentacles, but it beats eating entire tiny octopi, like in the risotto con mare misto Seth ordered at the trattoria last week. I'm glad I tried cooking this on my own, though I think I will leave it to I Tatti in the future!

Pici con misto mare

For dessert at least we had something really fun--a Colomba Pasquale! This is a light, fluffy cake with citrus pieces (basically an Easter panettone) and 'shaped' like a dove. I have the feeling we will be eating many of these within the coming weeks.

Colomba Pasquale (sorry for the sideways view!)

The past couple mornings during our run I have been picking tiny flowers while Seth pauses to waters flowers. These are really cute because at night they close up then reopen during the day. Here they are getting to know some parsley :P

Goofy kitchen art