Off to the Motherland

That's right - Gabrielle's Travels is back! I created this blog two years ago during my semester abroad in Bologna, and I haven't traveled much since then (except to Florida and Louisiana) so I haven't had any reason to write on it. But now I'm resurrecting it, because on Wednesday night I'm returning to the old country and finally visiting the motherland - Sicilia!

We're going to Sicily for 10 days with a tour group (which I've never done before) led by a Sicilian heritage group called Arba Sicula. I'll probably be the only person under 50 on the trip, but that's fine by me! Sicily is one of the only places in Italy I didn't get to see when I was in Italy in 2008, and I've been dying to go pretty much since I became interested in my family's history. (So, 1996?) The trip is my graduation present, which I think is a very appropriate culmination of my undergraduate education, not only because I majored in Italian and my background is half-Sicilian, but because of what I wrote for my Italian thesis. I wrote 10 short fictional stories about Manhattan's Little Italy that take place from 1910-2010, showing the changes in the neighborhood and in the Italian-American experience over the course of a century, and many of my characters are Sicilian and Sicilian-American. I also researched and used a lot of Sicilian dialect, so I'm really interested to hear Sicilian dialect and Italian spoken with a Sicilian accent.

We'll be visiting Palermo, Cefalù, Marsala, Agrigento, Siracusa, Catania, Messina, and Taormina, in addition to smaller places en route or on day trips. I don't really know where most of those places are either; basically, we'll be circling the island. I don't know what kind of internet access the hotels will have, and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to upload any pictures while I'm there, but I'll try to update a few times if I can, and then post pictures when I get back.

Ciao, America - Sicilia, here I come!

Vassar Graduation

I became a Vassar College graduate exactly one week ago...and it's still sinking in! Here are some highlights from graduation. It was a beautiful day; rain was predicted but never came. It was warm but there was cloud cover, which was nice for us in our big black robes, and the sun broke through the clouds a few times during the ceremony. It was held on a hill on campus that overlooks a lake, so it was a really beautiful setting.

Lisa Kudrow, Vassar Class of '85, was our commencement speaker. Her speech was really interesting - if you feel like watching it, go here and fast forward to around 78 minutes in.

Meryl Streep (class of '74) is on the Board of Trustees, so she was also in attendance. She's sitting on the far right in this photo, with the blue drape over her shoulders. Click on the photo to make it bigger and check out her awesome heels!

Senior class marching to the hill.

My Italian professors in their academic garb.

Ty, future Vassar student, class of 2031!

Ty's picture even made it onto the Vassar website, since he looked so dashing in his Vassar t-shirt - go to http://commencement.vassar.edu/ and click on picture #27!

Gabrielle's Lemon Squares

Okay, I'll admit it - the main reason I wanted to try this recipe is because it has my name in the title. But aside from that, who doesn't love lemon squares? I decided to make them this afternoon as an early birthday treat. It was the first time I've ever made lemon squares and they were delicious!

Gabrielle’s Lemon Squares

from “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman

Makes: 12-16

Time: About 1 hour

These two-step squares are sweet-tart and moist. Be sure not to overbake them; they’re done when the edges are firming up and the middle is still a bit soft. Rotate the pan if they appear to be baking unevenly.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for the pan

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon baking soda

Grated or minced zest of 1 lemon

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter with ¼ cup of the sugar and the salt. Stir in the cup of flour. This mixture will be quite dry; press into the greased pan and bake for 20 minutes, no longer; it should just be turning golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
3. Beat together the eggs, lemon juice, and remaining sugar until lightened and thick; add the remaining flour, the baking soda, and the lemon zest. Pour over the crust and bake until firm on the edges but still a little soft in the middle, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool, then dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares and serve. Store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

Sicilia!

This June I'm going to Sicily for 10 days with my mom, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Chris, on a tour with a Sicilian heritage group called Arba Sicula. I'll probably be the only person under 50 on the trip, but that's fine by me - I'm going to the motherland! Sicily is one of the only places in Italy I didn't get to see when I was studying abroad in Fall 2008, and I've been dying to go pretty much since I knew my mother's side of the family was Sicilian. (So, 1996?)

On the trip, we're almost circling the island of Sicily. We'll be visiting Palermo, Cefalù, Marsala, Agrigento, Siracusa, Catania, Messina, and Taormina, in addition to smaller places en route or on day trips. Since I don't know where any of these places are either (except for Palermo), I made a google map marking all the places we'll be visiting:


View Sicily Trip June 2010 in a larger map

Non vedo l'ora - I can't wait!

Chocolate Chip Scones

Last night my housemate and I baked chocolate chip scones from a Martha Stewart recipe that we adapted. We made the recipe, Fast Raspberry Scones, with blackberries on Saturday, and tried it last night with chocolate chips. They were delicious! Here's our adapted version:

Chocolate Chip Scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk (we used milk with lemon juice to make buttermilk)

1 large egg yolk

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and mush together. (We used our hands because the recipe called for a food processor, which we don't have.) In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk. Slowly pour buttermilk mixture into larger bowl, mixing until dough just comes together.

Knead in chocolate chips. Transfer to flat surface. Gather and pat dough into a 1-inch thick square and cut or pull apart into 2-inch pieces. Place pieces about 2 inches apart on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle tops with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let scones cool slightly on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 20.

The Final Countdown

Today is May 3rd, which means I turn 22 in 10 days, and graduate in 20 days. Commence freakout. Or, commence senioritis. (Or more accurately, a little of both.)

On Wednesday we had spring convocation, the ceremony that marks the end of the academic year, when juniors officially become seniors (and get to ring the bell on top of Main building - see this post from last May) and seniors officially become alumni/e. But of course, that's all symbolic because we haven't even finished classes yet, let alone final papers and exams. We did, nevertheless, get to dress up in our graduation robes and march into the Vassar Chapel, and listen to some people make speeches.

The absolute best part of convocation was the speaker from the Alumni Association of Vassar College, a graduate from the class of 1995 who founded Peanut Butter & Co., a peanut butter company with exotic flavors such as White Chocolate Wonderful and Dark Chocolate Dreams, that even has a sandwich shop in Greenwich Village. The speaker, Lee Zalben, was funny and encouraging, and here's the best part: we all got free peanut butter! They handed out jars of Smooth Operator, Crunch Time, and White Chocolate Wonderful, and there was enough that each senior could take two. So now our house has eight jars of peanut butter, in addition to the jar of Skippy that was already open in the fridge. (Yummy.)

Nothing like a little peanut butter to soften the shock of becoming an alum...

Classes end tomorrow, and I'll be done with everything by May 12th. It's a crazy two weeks ahead (jazz dance performance tonight, tap performance Wednesday night, then final papers galore) but the weather is beautiful and it'll be senior week before I know it, so I'll try to enjoy every moment. All too soon I'll be an alum for real...ahh!!!