San Lorenzo Market!!

Went to the San Lorenzo Market today that we never knew existed. Until my cooking teacher opened out eyes up to it today we had been shopping in a teeny tiny grocery store with little selection. The San Lorenzo Market is HUGE. You could seriously get lost among all of the fresh fruits and veggies, the amazing smelling cheeses, flowers, and tons of dead animals with their heads and eyes still intact (yes Mom it was absolutely gross). Our teacher taught us about what fruits and vegetables were in season and how to know when they are ripe. Not only does the market provide a huge variety of food, it is also cheaper than the grocery stores, so we will definitely be going here more often. Surrounding the fresh food market are a million leather stands, scarves (yes I will come home with a million due to my scarf addiction), and touristy gifts.  The San Lorenzo fresh market is inside and through a somewhat hidden door behind all of the stands outside, but it was definitely a great find today!

My 2nd cooking class today, besides going to the market, was great! My instructor went to culinary school for 5 years and is extremely difficult to understand, but she seems to be a great teacher.  At the end of the class we will be creating a dish on our own which we will be expected to memorize.  Then a judge will come in and taste our food on taste, presentation, and our speech which has to be about how this dish fits into current Italian cuisine.  I am so excited!

Had my art history class and if its possible to die of boredom I'm pretty sure that happened to me today. It was sooo long and sooo boring. We are going to museums everyday which will be fun and interesting but today we didn't and it was rough.  This is the only class so far that I am not crazy about but oh well, I'm in Florence...whats there to complain about!

Oh I almost forgot! Found a very "American" place to grab lunch today in between my classes.  They have hotdawgs (said with New York accent for Uncle Vinny), hamburgers, eggs and bacon, grilled chicken sandwiches, and lots of great salads! I even got ranch dressing on my sandwich!!! Although I love Italian food and doubt I'll get sick of it this was nice for a change.