agriturismo (aka air)

Dear Uncle Matt (aka Fatty Matt, Blainer, or J. Matt-as I like to call you after a few drinks-),

They have these wonderful things here in Italy called agriturismos. Have you heard of them? Generally, they serve fresh ingredients grown in their gardens along with fresh chicken, fish, beef, cheese and homemade wine. As a customer, you usually pay a set price for a "menu completo." This consists of antipasti, which is a million dishes ranging from cabbage to beans to salami to beef stew. Then, you get a "primi" dish, which is usually an assortment of homemade pastas. After that, you get a "secondi,"which is a plate of meat and/or fish. Then, you get "dolce," or dessert, which is always a wonderful surprise of a flan type dish or chocolate or cake or all of the above. And, of course, you are getting your glass refilled with house wine the whole time, and at the end they serve limoncello and cafe. Not only is the food outstanding, but the atmosphere is also picturesque. The ones we have been to feel like we are in someone's living room eating off their fancy china collection. The whole process takes at least three hours, and the point is to enjoy the food and the company. Bellisimo!

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because after our dinner at an agriturismo tonight, I began realizing how frequently we've been eating at them since we came to Italy. I started to wonder how in the world I am going to live without them once/if/when we move back to the United States. I decided that surviving without them is impossible. They have become like air to me. I need them in order to live (even if that means gaining a pound here or there, but whatever). The only solution I could come up with was to create one on your property.

We could rock Spokane's world with an authentic agriturismo. You already have the garden. All you need are some chickens. We could use Freeman to raise sheep to make cheese and cows for the steaks. We just need to figure out a way to get some fresh fish, but it's not impossible. All organic. All fresh. All the time. I will take cooking and wine-making classes, and learn some Italian design and language to make it feel totally authentic. You just keep planting vegetables. And get some chickens and grapes. And tell your dad to get some cows. Whata you say? Are you in?

Then, we could really shake things up and go international by serving your amazing paella from time to time.

Spokanites won't know what hit them.

Ponder it for awhile and let me know what you think.

peace and love forever and ever,

your favorite sister-in-law,

Katherine (aka Kitty Kat)

p.s. I took the photo with you and Graham, but the others were curtesy of one Stephen James White.

p.p.s. We could include the van somehow.

p.p.p.s. We really miss you.