Cooking Clams with Local Chefs
Emily, Charlie, and Kayla Learn the Secrets of Spaghetti con Arselle from a Local Expert…
As Bagno Stefanella’s chef Ivana snapped the rubber gloves to her hands, we had no idea what was in store for us. Laid about in front of her were the most brilliant colors radiating against the cold, stainless steel of her kitchen. The freshness of the cherry tomatoes, parsley, and garlic were prevalent as they were chopped on the table. Tiny clams called arselle, a local delicacy to the Versilia region, waited patiently in a bucket to accompany all the other delicious flavors. Ivana’s gentle ease in the kitchen portrayed her expert love for food and its preparation. Her calm way of moving around the kitchen and deftly preparing was countered by the anxious energy of students who wanted to assist. The peak of the cooking lesson was learning about the clams – shelling the tiny creatures and cooking them with the other aromatic ingredients in the sizzling and snapping pan. As shutters of the photography students clicked to capture the beauty of the scene, Ivana continued to calmly speak and prepare the forthcoming meal. The room was wafting with the aromas of the wine, parsley, clams, and garlic intermixed. The scent became even stronger as the al dente spaghetti noodles were added to the mixture. The plates were hungrily waiting to be dressed with the delectable food already prepared. When dressed, the plates became a magical object glistening with enticing food. Brilliant colors jumped off the plate giving it a surreal and vibrant look against the gray of the steel cooking surface before being served at the beach club’s grassy patio.