Week 3

This week I stayed mostly in Sorrento and the surrounding areas. I started off the week with my friend Eesha's Birthday! We all went to a Tiramisu making class for fun, so we used that activity as a celebration for Eesha. During the class, we learned how to make an authentic Italian Tiramisu from scratch. One of the most important ingredients in Tiramisu is Espresso. Back in the States, the espresso used is usually not of great quality, which effects the flavor a lot more than I realized. After trying a fresh authentic version of Tiramisu, I have to say it is the best I have ever had. The student engagement faculty member, Angelo, gave us his recipe and taught us all the steps. After the Tiramisu making class, while our desserts were setting, we did a sunset meditation class overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We then cooked dinner together and played some games (per Eesha's request). Finally, the desserts were ready to eat, and we lit a birthday candle for Eesha!

The rest of my school week consisted mostly of classes and beach days. I also had my first day of Lab on Thursday; however, I mixed up the times, and was on the beach when lab started. The lab ended up being on Marina Grande, so too my suprise, my classmates and professor showed up on the beach while I was swimming, When I realized my mistake, I ran up to my professor and he laughed, and let me join into the class. I ended up doing my lab on the beach in my swimsuit that day! Although it was embarrassing at first, it made for some funny memories.

Once the weekend came around I was very excited. I traveled to Piano, Italy on Friday with some classmates and Angelo. We spent the day exploring the streets, going to the beach, shopping, and trying new foods. Piano had so many cute and cheap shops, I was able to get new shoes along with some more clothes. Piano is about a 5 minuet train ride from Sorrento, so if you have limited time to shop or go explore, it is a great destination. After Piano, my favorite part of the week was coming up! I WENT PARASAILING! My friends and I booked a boat tour that included parasialing. We were in the air for about 15 munites and were about 250 feet in the air. I was expecting an adrenaline rush when we did that, but it was actually a very relaxing activity. The captain and other passengers on the boat were amazing! We all danced to the radio and sipped on Peroni. Once everyone had their turn parasailing, the captain took us to Regina Giovanna where we got to cliff jump again! If you are interested in parasailing in sorrento, I recommend Capitano Ago. They have many boat/water activities you can sign up for, and it is a great company. After parasailing, I went to meet my roommate and other friends at a street food festival going on in Sorrento. We spent some time there exploring the vendors and trying new foods! Even though I had already eaten, we wanted to try a new restraunts that is on the water called Taverna Azzurra. We got pasta and dessert, and then went to our favorite pub, English Inn.

The rest of the weekend was spent going to the beach, clubbing, exploring the town, and having a Mamma Mia movie night. I have learned that it is important to make sure you don't travel every weekend you study abroad. It is good to take some weekends to stay nearby your host city and really get to know the culture around you. I will only have 2 other weekends in Sorrento during my program, so I tried to make the most of each second.

Tiramisu Recipe and Ingredients

• 30 Ladyfingers (Vicenzovo Savoiardi)

• 500 grams Mascarpone cheese

• 4 medium eggs

• 300 ml of espresso coffe3 (Kimbo)

• 2 tablespoons marsala wine or rum (optional)

• unsweetened cocoa powder

• semi--sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1. Make espresso, then add 2 tablespoons of wine or run. Set aside and let cool.

2. Separate egg whites and yolks. Wipe the eggs whites until stiff. Set aside both the eggs whites and yolks.

3. Beat the egg yolks and slowly add in the sugar until light and smooth. This takes about 5 minutes.

4. Stir the mascarpone cheese in a separate bowl to make it softer. Then add the yolks to the mascarpone cheese. Slowly whip for about 3 minutes while adding chocolate chips (if wanted).

5. Then add the beaten eggs whites slowly until creamy and set aside.

6. Quickly dip the ladyfingers into the cooled espresso and layer the bottom of the dish. Then add a layer of the combined cream. You should have about three layers for the cream and two layers of the ladyfingers. You can make more layers if you would like.

IMPORTANT

• Do not oversoak the ladyfinger or Tiramisu will become runny

• Always mix in a clockwise direction. This prevents the creation of air bubbles in your dessert.