Luca
We had an interesting anniversary dinner on Monday, the 2nd of June. Since neither grandfolks were able to babysit that evening, we decided to take the kids along, and postpone dinner alone to another night. So our little family headed to La Braceria for some pizza and ravioli. As it was a Monday night, the place wasn't crowded. The last time we were there, Emma was intrigued by the pizza-making process, and especially how they were placed in the wood-fired, open-flamed brick oven. So this time, she went straight to the counter and started making conversation with chef Luca.
"What is your name?"
"What are you doing?"
"What are you rolling?"
"Why are you not wearing the same shirt (as the last time)? Are you working today?"
"What is that? Why is it red?" (referring to the tomato sauce)
"What are you putting on the pizza?" (almost every ingredient)
"Why is the oven so hot?"
"Where are you going?" (when he went into the kitchen)
.
.
.
Poor Luca. We tried to get her away but she just kept going back. She was rather annoying but he was so so patient and tried to answer all her questions. Finally, our pizza came and we thought she would settle down at last and enjoy it. As she ate, she turned back and continued to chat with him.
"Mmmm, it's yummy. Uncle Luca, I love the crunchy part."
"Uncle Luca, what are you making now?"
"Uncle Luca, see, I'm eating all the crunchy parts."
"Look, Uncle Luca! Elliot and I are eating the yummy pizza."
Clarence and I were so embarrassed and wanted to send her home. But Luca is like the nicest guy in the world and guess what he did?
He actually took a high chair and placed Emma on it, right at his counter top and taught her to make a pizza!
First we flatten out the dough...
Is this good enough?
Using a rolling pin
Spreading the tomato paste
Sprinkling on the parmesan
Sitting pretty in the brick oven
Ta-dah! Emma's very own Pizza Margherita
She insisted on carrying it herself
Extremely proud of her own pizza
Needless to say, we are eternally grateful to Luca for his patience and generousity. He could easily have ignored her, asked us to take her away so as not to be disturbed, or just cast ugly glances at us parents as a hint. But no, he actually went out of his way to engage her and give her such a precious opportunity at his own expense. It's people like that who make like worth living!
Emma's last questions to him were, "Uncle Luca, how old are you?" "Are you six years old?" When he laughed and said he was older than that, she asked, "Are you ten years old?"
"What is your name?"
"What are you doing?"
"What are you rolling?"
"Why are you not wearing the same shirt (as the last time)? Are you working today?"
"What is that? Why is it red?" (referring to the tomato sauce)
"What are you putting on the pizza?" (almost every ingredient)
"Why is the oven so hot?"
"Where are you going?" (when he went into the kitchen)
.
.
.
Poor Luca. We tried to get her away but she just kept going back. She was rather annoying but he was so so patient and tried to answer all her questions. Finally, our pizza came and we thought she would settle down at last and enjoy it. As she ate, she turned back and continued to chat with him.
"Mmmm, it's yummy. Uncle Luca, I love the crunchy part."
"Uncle Luca, what are you making now?"
"Uncle Luca, see, I'm eating all the crunchy parts."
"Look, Uncle Luca! Elliot and I are eating the yummy pizza."
Clarence and I were so embarrassed and wanted to send her home. But Luca is like the nicest guy in the world and guess what he did?
He actually took a high chair and placed Emma on it, right at his counter top and taught her to make a pizza!
First we flatten out the dough...
Is this good enough?
Using a rolling pin
Spreading the tomato paste
Sprinkling on the parmesan
Sitting pretty in the brick oven
Ta-dah! Emma's very own Pizza Margherita
She insisted on carrying it herself
Extremely proud of her own pizza
Needless to say, we are eternally grateful to Luca for his patience and generousity. He could easily have ignored her, asked us to take her away so as not to be disturbed, or just cast ugly glances at us parents as a hint. But no, he actually went out of his way to engage her and give her such a precious opportunity at his own expense. It's people like that who make like worth living!
Emma's last questions to him were, "Uncle Luca, how old are you?" "Are you six years old?" When he laughed and said he was older than that, she asked, "Are you ten years old?"