Roma day 4: the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Patty

Our common home is Creation and this common home is being ruined to everyone’s detriment but especially that of the poor. I therefore call for responsibility on the basis of the role God gave us when he created the earth – to preserve and cultivate its garden.
– Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Square, 17 June 15

We were told that Pope Francis comes out on Wednesday mornings and addresses pilgrims and the general audience, although we were slated to take a tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica the following day on Thursday. We missed his speech, a prelude to his upcoming encyclical, his first major teaching letter on climate change and its effect on the planet’s poor. But we did visit his home.

The old entrance to the Vatican Museum.

The dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica rises before us.

David’s brother Michael had taken a tour of Rome a few years back given by a local tour company called Enchanting Tours (561.401.0182 or locally +39 347 256 1664, info@enchantingrome.com) and recommended them to us. There are several tours to choose from, but we decided on the Early Morning Vatican tour. We arrived across the street from the entrance to the Vatican at 7:30am after a brisk walk from our apartment, and were met by our incredibly knowledgeable and passionate tour guide Nicolas.

Our Enchanted Rome tour guide NIcolas was our very gracious host.

Our Enchanted Rome tour guide Nicolas, a very gracious host, explains the backstory of the Sistine Chapel’s fresco paintings by Michelangelo.

The courtyard before entering the Vatican Museum.

David and I had gone through the Vatican Museum on our first trip to Rome, but having a guide give backstory on the many things we saw enriched our visit. The tour lasted 3.5 hours, and there was so much information to process. One of the amazing things I learned is that the Vatican is the second smallest country and yet it is the fourth richest country. Ahem. Perhaps the progressive Pope Francis can do something about that. Politics aside, here are some photos of our tour.

Tapestry depicting King Herod’s killing of all children under the age of two.

Intricate ceiling detail in the Room of Maps.

Country map of the boot that is Italy. Nicolas told us that the mapmakers back in the day drew maps that were 85 percent accurate, which is quite a feat.

The famous painting depicting all the great minds of the day.

The famous painting, the title of which I’m drawing a blank, depicting all the great minds of the day.

La Pieta, taking everyone’s breath away.

Inside Saint Peter’s Basilica, an enormous church by any standard.

A colorful Swiss guard keeping watch over the Vatican.

The end of the tour, in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Strolling the Trastevere neighborhood
We walked along the Tiber River to get to the Trastevere neighborhood, known for its bohemian and artsy shops. Along the way, we encountered colorful graffiti and a long line of white tents that looked to be the start of some summer celebration along the river that would be happening after our departure. While the neighborhood seemed a little rundown and not at all as I remembered it to be, David nonetheless took some great photographs.

Strolling the riverside was very scenic and calming.

Taking a break on the steps, watching ducklings being swept by a river with a deceptive current. Isabella’s skirt matches the color graffiti.

Detail of the front of a residence in the Trastevere neighborhood.

Lots of graffiti in Trastevere.

Yes, David gave change to this homeless man to take his photograph by colorful graffiti.

Yes, David gave change to this homeless man to take his photograph by a garage decorated with graffiti.

Roma in the mirror of a vespa.

Medallions adorning one home back in the Piazza Navona area.

Two-seater bicycle parked between a pizzeria and a kitchen shop.

David, taking candid photographs of us all, catches me off guard.

Our last meals in Roma
The other day, our very nice jewelry shop clerk Alexandra at Achilli Gioielli recommended her husband’s restaurant La Zanzara (Via Crescenzio 84, 39 06 68392227) for dinner. We weren’t able to make a reservation in time, so we opted to go to this restaurant for lunch following our Vatican tour. It was close to the Vatican, although we took a circuitous route trying to find it on our way back to the apartment. What a beautiful and charming restaurant it is. It reminds me of a French bistro. We ate rather early for lunch, and David was able to snap some serene photographs, but by the time we left, the place was packed and boisterous.

La Zanzara on Via Crescenzio, near the Vatican.

Quiet before the lunchtime crowd spills in.

The bar at La Zanzara when you first walk in.

What a delight! While I can’t remember the name of the dish I ordered, my pasta was fresh with strong, bold flavors. The dolci was amazing. I didn’t write the name down and the menu can’t be downloaded. Just trust the photographs to entice you. If I gain 10 pounds on this trip, it will be worth it for all the great food we are consuming.

My pasta with fish, capers, olives, and lemon.

A latte and creamy dessert with flakey pastry.

Latte and chocolate dessert with fruit dusted in sugar.

For our late dinner in Roma, we walked three minutes from our great neighborhood to Il Belli (Via Giuseppe Gioacchino Bello 33, 06 3221031) and sat outdoors to enjoy the warm evening. My ravioli was flavorful, as was the escarole that we shared. After chocolate lava cake and perfetto dessert, our host poured everyone a shot of chocolate for the kids and a shot of chocolate and rum for us adults. Now that is a fitting way to say good-bye to Roma! If we must say good-bye to Roma….

Ravioli, escarole, and a good bottle of red.

Just another sinfully rich dessert - perfitto.

Just another sinfully rich dessert – perfitterole.

I eyed Isabella’s chocolate lava cake….

I will definitely miss and already miss our spacious apartment in Roma. The next time I come back, I hope to be able to stay here again. The place itself and the neighborhood were ideal. I can’t imagine staying anyplace else in this beautiful city. But onwards we go to Naples.

The painting we woke up to every morning in Roma.

The living room painting by Tommaso C, cousin of our apartment owner Alberto.

The living room painting by Tommaso Cascella, cousin of our apartment owner Alberto.

Roma day 3: return to the Coliseum and Forum

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Patty

While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; when falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall, and when Rome falls, the world.
– Lord Byron, English poet and leading figure of the Romantic Movement

I remember 18 years ago when we landed in Rome in the morning and we followed advice to stay awake the entire day so as not to prolong jet lag. Our first stop was the Coliseum and the Forum. And I remember vividly my awe as I approached the Coliseum and looked up at one of the great wonders of the world.

In all its glory, the Coliseum in panoramic view.

This time around, we weren’t a couple on the verge of becoming engaged. We were a family of four traveling with good friends, another family of four. We took two taxis and promptly wondered how we would communicate, given that we didn’t have Internet access. I remember the crowds, but somehow this time around the crowds were more intrusive. This is probably due to the influx of selfie sticks, which I now roundly condemn. No longer do people communicate with strangers and ask them to take their picture. Now we have single people or couples who don’t take into consideration who is behind them or in front of them, as they become self-absorbed in taking their photographs. But enough said of this phenomenon!

Arches just inside the entrance.

Family portrait with the Coliseum in the background.

As before, I was in awe of the monuments. We took a guided tour, which was a mixed bag of having to deal with a crowd within a crowd and missing a lot of what our tour guide in training was saying because it was hard to decipher his words via the speakers. One thing we all agreed to hearing was how the word “vomit” came to be. Passage ways in the Coliseum were built below or behind the seats so that people could disperse quickly upon completion of the event or in an emergency evacuation. The Latin word “vomitoria” means rapid discharge. The English took that word to mean what we know it as today.

A panoramic view of the interior of the Coliseum.

One other thing that I remember our tour guide telling us was the argument among archaeologists about whether to rebuild the Coliseum or to let it continue to crumble, showing the passage of time. I saw sections of the Coliseum that had been rebuilt with newer brick. After comparing them side by side, I have to agree with the archaeologists who believe that it should not be rebuilt. It just doesn’t look the same. Perhaps it can be rebuilt elsewhere, but the ruins remain as is. I agree that after all is said and done, you can’t renovate a masterpiece. It becomes part of antiquity and future generations can read books and see photographs – and perhaps see a rebuilt version on other grounds.

The gang’s all here for a group shot in the Coliseum.

After the Coliseum tour, we ate our first mediocre meal of our trip, which we figured would be the case, given its proximity to the Coliseum and our understanding that many of these nearby dining establishments cater to tourists. That was planned because after lunch we then went to the Forum, an enormous rectangular piazza filled with wondrous ancient ruins.

The massive Arch of Constantine before entering the Forum.

Detail from the Arch of Constantine.

Detail of a broken piece on the grounds of the Forum.

A view of the Arch of Septimus Severus, which is at one end of the Forum.

A long view of the Forum facing the entrance to the Forum.

A grouping of ruins.

Columns facing a cloudy sky.

The one ruin I was especially looking forward to revisiting was the Vestal of Virgins. David had taken a series of black-and-white photographs of this row of statues 18 years ago. After walking around, we thought perhaps they were behind sections that were cordoned off for refurbishing. Thank goodness, to my delight, the last section we entered was the famed ruin. It did not disappoint. Neither did David’s new set of photographs.

My favorite area of the Forum – the Vestal Virgins.

A lone virgin.

The Vestal Virgins and backdrop.

While we were walking around the grounds of the Vestal of Virgins, the promised thunderstorm that was lurking behind gathering clouds early afternoon finally came down with mighty force. We were prepared with our rain jackets and umbrellas. As Sofia, Raissa and Mike’s daughter, dutifully held the umbrella to protect David’s camera, David took this amazing photograph:

The Forum during a thunderstorm.

One thing David and I didn’t do when we were here 18 years ago was go to the top of the gardens and overlook the Forum. We were in for a breathtaking treat, which was a fitting way to conclude our visit to the Forum.

Amazing clouds over a glorious sweep of the Forum.

A view from the top of the Forum looking toward the entrance.

To the far left of the Forum from the top of the gardens.

A view of the far left of the Forum from the top of the gardens.

A panoramic view of the Forum.

Our last stop of the day was to see Michelangelo’s statue of Moses (with horns) at San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains). The famous marble statue was commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb. Michelangelo worked on it from 1513 to 1515. The church also contains the chains of Peter, which were used to bound Saint Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem.

Seeing Michelangelo’s Moses the second time around is not any less impressive than seeing it for the first time.

We concluded our evening with our last dinner at the Grotta Azzura, two doors down. And went to bed with our red birds safely watching over us in our Roma apartment.

I’m going to miss waking up in this amazing four-poster bed with red birds in flight above me.

Rome: street scenes and hidden treasures on day 2

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Patty

Veni, vedi, vici.
– Caius Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader

On Tuesday, we retraced our steps to the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona with our friends. While they went back to the apartment with the kids to rest up in the afternoon, David and I remained to return to Piazza Navona and wander the streets on our way back to the apartment. It reminded me of when we first came to Rome 18 years ago. David took photographs while I poked in and out of quiet streets and the hidden treasures of local shops.

Lone rower on the Tiber River. On our way to Trevi Fountain.

Rooftop garden of an apartment building on the way to the Spanish Steps.

Rooftop garden of an apartment building on the way to Piazza Navona.

Artists abound at Piazza Navona.

An explosion of colorful flowers on a balcony along Piazza Navona – a common scene in Roma.

We split up at the base of the Spanish Steps after ascending to the top and enjoying the view. From there, David was my able compass, although we deliberately meandered in and out of side streets. One of the shops that we ventured into was tucked in a corner of a quiet street. Achilli Giotelli (Via dei Prefetti, 44 – 00186, 06 68133661) is a compact jewelry shop. Alexandra, the shop clerk, was very nice and indulged me as I tried on different pairs of earrings by Disegno. I settled on a matte black pair.

Achilli Gioielli jewelry store, Via dei, 44.

Wearing my Disegno earrings while looking out of our Roma apartment living room window.

Wearing the earrings in front of a painting by Tommaso Cascella, artist and cousin to the owner of the apartment we are renting.

Shuttered window on the way to the Pantheon.

Antique and art shops are tucked away on this quiet side street. David and I loved the fact that you could see a reflection of graffiti across the street in the window of this art shop.

Street sign on a quiet intersection.

I loved this little artisan chocolate shop.

When you get closer, you can see the craftsmanship and love put into each little piece of chocolate.

Like little jewels and pretty wrapped presents.

Another street scene, with a gypsy woman walking along the vespas.

Another street scene, with a gypsy woman walking on one side lined with parked vespas.

Just one of many charming street scenes.

Gelato shop – yes!

Another charming shop along the way home to Via Cicerone.

Walking along a bridge over the Tiber River, with another bridge and the Vatican in the background.

Statue on the bridge over the Tiber River.

Statue on the Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge over the Tiber River.

On the other side of the Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge.

Our second night we ate at the Grotto Azzura, a ristorante – pizzeria located two doors from our apartment at Via Cicerone 62/A (Tel. 06 3234586). Jacob, Isabella, and I had a sinfully rich lasagna. We celebrated our first evening as two families with a bottle of sangiovese, which went well with our main course. But I still had room to put away a mamosa cake, which was a very moist yellow cake with lemon crème. It was so good that we ate dinner there the following evening. The owner recognized us and treated us like long-time patrons. At the end of our meal, he offered us limoncello, an apertif made with lemons, which we gratefully accepted. It’s this kind of experience that makes me feel at home in Roma. And I’d love to live here for another six months to a year. In this great apartment in a great neighborhood, and of course, in a wonderful city that is Roma.

David’s flavorful ravioli.

Mamosa cake to round out the delicious dinner.

A favorite restaurant for both families – Grotta Azzurra.

Roman holiday: return to Rome

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Patty

I found Rome built of bricks. I have her clothed her in marble.
– Augustus, Roman emperor

We landed in Rome on Monday and we’ve concluded our second full day. I thought it easiest to do a pictorial and recap the highlights of our trip a day later. We are traveling with our friends Mike and Raissa and their two kids. We met with them the second day. On our first day, we checked into the apartment that Mike found for the first city’s stay. It’s a gorgeous four-bedroom, two-bath apartment in the heart of the city, near Piazza Cavour and the Tiber River. The owner’s cousin’s artwork – from abstract paintings to hand-welded beds (moon and stars, and birds) and nightstand – adorned the apartment, which is already graced with tall ceilings and gleaming hardwood floors.

Our bedroom in our apartment in Roma.

The living room part of the great room that also includes the dining area.

The living room part of the great room, which also includes the dining area.

The dining area of the great room.

Here’s the other bedroom featuring welding work by the owner’s artist cousin. One of the other bedrooms has a loft and another bed below the loft, which is perfect for kids.

The first day we took the kids to Trevi Fountain, where David proposed to me 18 years ago. Thank goodness the fountain was flowing back then, as it is currently under construction. I’ll leave the symbolism of that to your imagination!

Eighteen years later, we return to where David proposed to me. Alas, under construction!

Still gorgeous, still overrun by tourists, Trevi Fountain is still a sight to behold – even under construction.

Eighteen years later, here are what we have to show for our amazing years together - Isabella and Jacob.

Eighteen years later, here is what we have to show for our amazing years together – Isabella and Jacob.

We also spent time at the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona. We ended the evening with dinner at Mama’s, which was recommended by our apartment owner. The food was great, including my sea bass with basil, capers, and tomatoes with crispy potato chips. Of course, we indulged in gelato, not once or twice but thrice!

David and I return to one of our favorite ancient buildings in Roma, and it became Jacob's favorite part of the day.

David and I return to one of our favorite ancient buildings in Roma, and it became Jacob’s favorite attraction of Roma thus far and the best part of his day.

We used Isabella’s selfie stick, which is a hot item being sold at all tourist attractions, by the way, to take this photo of us positioned under the Pantheon’s occulus.

David got a new camera, a Nikon 5500 SLR, and what beautiful, crisp images it takes! This is a detail of a statue from one of the fountains at Piazza Novena, another favorite place that David and I were looking forward to seeing again. It did not disappoint – from the artists to the statues to the charming outdoor restaurants under colorful awnings.

We have a photograph that David took of this statue 18 years ago, which hangs in our bedroom. Nice to revisit it.

We have a B&W photograph that David took of this statue 18 years ago, which hangs in our bedroom. Nice to revisit it in color.

More statue love from PIazza Novena.

The following day, our friends Mike and Raissa and their two kids arrived. We retraced our steps from our Monday tour. We had more leisurely time to take more pictures, capturing the architecture of the city, and enjoy this part of town. David and I were able to wander around on a photo tour and we had a really nice time in a jewelry shop, but all that is for tomorrow’s entry.

Dinner at Mama’s our first night in Rome – tender sea bass under a bed of homemade thin potato chips.

Sirona Skinner Nixon: Personal chef as artist

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Patty

Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me a chance to do my best.
– Isak Dinesen, nom de plume for Danish writer Karen Blixen, from Babette’s Feast & Other Anecdotes of Destiny

As this year’s chef for the Lunafest East Bay Committee’s Lunafest VIP event on March 21st, Sirona Skinner Nixon intends to do what she’s always done as a private chef – “to provide food that is unique, beautiful, and deeply flavorful, and to wow and delight my clients and their guests.” Based on the glowing reviews of her work, there’s good reason to believe that she will meet and exceed great expectations.

Sirona and her mom, Nancy Skinner, cooking in her mom’s home in Berkeley.

Berkeley roots,
grandma’s cooking
The daughter of recently retired California State Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, Sirona grew up in Berkeley – the “birthplace of California cuisine” – and attended Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, where Chez Panisse (1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 510.548.5525) owner Alice Waters co-founded the original Edible Schoolyard. Waters pioneered the culinary philosophy of sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients that are locally and sustainably grown. “At a young age, I understood that food tastes better when it’s prepared with ingredients at the peak of their season,” Sirona said. She remembers her excitement over taking an after-school cooking class in seventh grade. “We used the lettuce grown right there in the schoolyard to make a simple salad showcasing the beauty and flavor of the leaves,” she recalled. As a child, she was – and still is – a big fan of the popular Cheese Board (1504-1512 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 510.549.3183). Noting that her favorite childhood breakfast was a fresh warm cheese roll from the Cheese Board, she said, “I understood what good bread was, what the difference in flavor and texture was between the over-processed stuff at the supermarket and the good fresh stuff that was made with time and care.”

Sirona’s grandmother Texas Helene Hurd Nixon.

Even with the Berkeley influence, it’s clear that her culinary love was in her DNA. While other kids watched cartoons, when she was as young as two years old, Sirona was mesmerized by cooking shows hosted by chefs such as Jacques Pépin. She’d wait all week for Saturday mornings to jump on her parents’ bed and ask to turn on the television set to the PBS station KQED. Most importantly, she was inspired by her grandmother, Helene Hurd Nixon, who cooked family dinners several times a week right up until she passed away – at age 102. Some of Sirona’s fondest childhood memories were watching her grandmother make macaroni and cheese, buttermilk pancakes, French toast, crispy chicken, and glazed carrots in her grandmother’s small apartment kitchen.

Her grandmother encouraged her to experiment with ingredients, which included knowingly allowing Sirona to mix ingredients that weren’t going to work well together so she could find out for herself by tasting her creations. “This is the way we learn – throw it together and see what happens,” she said, of her grandmother’s philosophy. This trial-and-error experience became the foundation for what she loves most about her work – “creativity in menu development – combining flavors and combining dishes on a menu to tell a story.” Sirona’s cooking style pays homage to her grandmother’s “1950s Americana” style, which she says was infused with “a lot of love.” She added, “I love plays on sweet and savory combinations and elevated comfort food.”

Sirona and her wife, Sinead, campaigning for her mom’s State Assembly primary race in 2008.

A Mom’s influence
Sirona credits her “superhuman” mother, Nancy, for her drive and determination. “It still blows my mind that she ran for Berkeley City Council at age 26 while pregnant with me and still a student at Cal,” Sirona said. “She has always pushed me hard to do better and achieve more.” Her mother instilled in her a “conscientiousness” about the provenance of ingredients and how they’re produced, and their impact on our health and environment, which led Sirona to pay attention to her menus’ “carbon footprint.” Her mother’s undergraduate work as a naturalist also influenced Sirona’s philosophy of sourcing fresh, local ingredients. “She has an encyclopedic knowledge of local edible plants,” Sirona said. “She used to take me on walks through our neighborhood in Berkeley and point them all out. We’d sample loquats, blackberries, sour grass, and nasturtium.”

Sirona’s mom helps out with dishes after a pop-up dinner.

Sirona earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in community studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), which put her on a path slightly similar to the one her mother took. She still harbored a love of cooking, but feared jumping into that career and instead followed her mother’s advice to get a well-rounded education. While at UCSC, she completed a semester-long field study, participating in food service job training – essentially, a cooking school – for low-income and homeless people at the now-defunct Haight-Ashbury Food Program in San Francisco. The program taught her the difference between charity and social change. “Charity is a Band-aid over the problem, but if you go to the core of the problem and give people the tools to make a change and have a career, you can make lasting change,” she said. Participating in the program made her realize that she could no longer push aside her love of cooking, and upon graduation, she set out to follow her passion.

At work at BayWolf Restaurant in 2010.

Following her passion
Sirona cut her culinary teeth, so to speak, at Michael Wild’s BayWolf Restaurant (3853 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA, 510.655.6004), where her wife and business partner, Sinead O’Rourke, also worked. For five years, she worked her way up the ranks, from lunch chef, who is responsible for planning all lunch menus, to sous chef. “That restaurant was all about local, seasonal California cuisine, which was a huge foundation for me,” she said. In 2012, Sirona and Sinead moved to New York City, where they both worked for Danny Meyer’s Maialino restaurant, in the Gramercy Park Hotel. Sirona was in charge of the fresh pasta for its menu of classic Roman-Italian soul food and served as a party chef at his events company.

At work at Maialino restaurant in New York City in 2012.

Working in a restaurant with the line cooks is akin to being on a sports team and developing a tight camaraderie. Sirona acknowledged that lifestyle changes such as settling down and raising a family, however, required a shift from the physically demanding career paths of either owning and opening up a restaurant or getting promoted to executive chef. Most executive chefs, in fact, no longer cook, which is at the heart of why Sirona is in the business in the first place. Her eight-plus years in the restaurant business provided the foundation she needed to be a successful private chef, such as learning how to cook in an open hearth and wood oven, and making flawless handmade pasta. “I look at restaurant work as a rite of passage, a school to graduate from,” she explained.

Sinead and Sirona cheffing a 30-guest dinner at the host’s home.

While culinary schools and training are important, Sirona emphasized that being technically perfect isn’t enough. You have to have a “built-in or nurtured palate” to make a delicious meal that is infused with soul and love. “That’s what separates me from a lot of cooks,” she said. “You have to pay attention to your own palate when you’re layering and developing flavors.

Sirona and Sinead plating dinner.

Bay Area homecoming
Sirona and Sinead’s stay in New York City was also temporary, but their three years of success there gave them the confidence to become self-employed under their private chef business, S&S Foods, and return to their “incredible network of friends and family” and make the Bay Area their permanent home. “One of the beauties of being a private chef is you can really do it anywhere,” she noted.

“My favorite thing in the world is menu development, and the private work we do allows me to create something totally unique for every event,” Sirona said. While Sirona serves as chef, Sinead runs the hospitality part of their business, making guests feel welcomed and relaxed, thanks to what Sirona cheekily calls Sinead’s “gift of gab” – handed down from her Irish heritage – and her warm personality. “Working for ourselves and having the freedom to cook the foods that we want to cook is a dream,” Sirona said. “I get to physically cook every single day and earn a real living.”

Making a great team in life and work, Sirona and Sinead in 2007.

In Manhattan, Sirona and Sinead’s clients hosted events in their amazing homes, including museum-like penthouses, but one of their most memorable events since coming back to the Bay Area was cheffing a 70th birthday celebration for a Napa family’s grandmother – an al fresco dinner in an autumn garden setting. “They were such a sweet family and so appreciative of our food and service,” Sirona enthused. “I remembered thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is work; I am so lucky to be able to support myself doing what I love surrounded by so much happiness and beauty.'” While she and Sinead eventually want to open a small brick-and-mortar food business, right now their private chef business is “perfect for us,” she said.

Come meet Sirona and Sinead, and enjoy their culinary offerings at the 6pm VIP reception at 638 Clayton Avenue in El Cerrito, CA. The Lunafest screening begins at 7:30pm at the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Center, 540 Ashbury Avenue, one block over from the VIP event. Tickets for both the VIP reception and films are $50 per person. You can purchase the tickets here or contact me directly. Bon appétit!

Personal chef Sirona Skinner Nixon (photo credit: Albert Law, Pork Belly Studio).

Lost, found, and forever kept: sisterhood and cousinhood

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Patty

Jo’s face was a study next day, for the secret rather weighed upon her, and she found it hard not to look mysterious and important. Meg observed it, but did not trouble herself to make inquiries, for she had learned that the best way to manage Jo was by the law of contraries, so she felt sure of being told everything if she did not ask.
– Louisa May Alcott, American novelist, from Little Women

Celebrating Jacob's 5th birthday and my mom's 80th birthday, with Joshua and Isabella, June 2005.

Celebrating Jacob’s 5th birthday and my mom’s 80th birthday, with Joshua and Isabella in Folsom, June 2005.

When the kids were younger, I used to take them on weekend trips to my sister’s home in Folsom, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the Bay Area. My mom had been living with my middle sister Joyce and her husband when my nephew, Joshua, was born almost 18 years ago. Jacob was born 3.5 years later. When Isabella came along 2.5 years after Jacob, and David was working a lot of overtime hours, I sought refuge, relief, and motherhood support in Folsom. There, my mom doted over her three grandkids and I hung out, exhausted on the family room sofa, enjoying the cozy retreat. Oftentimes, I had to bring work, but I always carved out time for catching my breath, flipping through Joyce’s stack of People magazines late at night, and gabbing around the kitchen table.

The grandkids and Nellie at my mom’s grave site in Folsom, Christmas Day 2014.

We visited a lot, and my kids really loved spending time with their cousin and their “lola,” my mom. Once Jacob started playing youth baseball, my work encroached beyond the 50-hour work week, and the three-hour roundtrip became too onerous, we didn’t visit as much. Joshua didn’t want February birthday parties anymore, so we didn’t come that month, and soon, we only came at Easter, my mom’s birthday in June, and Christmastime, then just June and December. I harbored feelings of regret, which got eaten whole, by everyone’s schedule and the resulting exhaustion. The kids complained about not visiting as often, and after my mom passed away three years ago, it was difficult when we did visit. Somehow, Jacob and Isabella became aware of the fact that when kids graduate from high school, they “go away from the house” afterwards, whether it be for college or work.

Their oldest cousin, Nick, on David’s side of the family, Joshua, and my college roommate’s son Grant are all seniors this year. In Jacob’s and Isabella’s eyes, they were going to be leaving their homes and that meant the two of them wouldn’t be able to see them easily anymore. Last year, they started lobbying for me to set up the next dinner with my college roommates so they could get together again with Grant and his younger brother Michael. They wanted to stay longer in Stockton, where David’s parents live, during the holidays to visit with Nick and their other cousins. And they especially bugged me about going to Folsom more – like old times – so they could hang out with Joshua. I’m glad they infused me with their urgency, which ignited my own urgency, which had been smothered by my to-do list and other obligations.

Ready for the short road trip to Folsom in comfortable clothes.

Though I didn’t have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off, the kids had a three-day weekend, Jacob finished his semester so he didn’t have any weekend homework, and we had no sports commitment on Saturday. Seize the day, I told myself. Go to Folsom. The kids were ecstatic. And even I looked forward to relaxing a bit, which I wasn’t able to do this past Christmas in Folsom. I even looked forward to driving, listening to mellow music, letting my mind drift, enjoying the gray skies and the landscape bathed in a sheath of fog. I caught myself getting excited to see mom, who used to always answer the door when we arrived. When Joyce answered the door this time, however, I was overcome by that old home-away-from-home feeling, which took my hand and led me in.

Textures again: scarf (Personal Pizazz, Berkeley, CA), stack of rings (Kate Peterson Designs, El Cerrito, CA), Laura Lombardi hoops, jeans, eyelash sweater (H&M), and my own vintage Talbots crossbody bag in mint condition from the early 90s.

Laura Lombardi spheres hoops and Kate Peterson Designs stack of rings.

Laura Lombardi spheres and hoops earrings and Kate Peterson Designs stack of rings.

Joyce made spaghetti sauce and pasta for lunch for us. Now that she’s retired, she’s cooking, which is saying a lot for someone who had a framed saying that declared “I’d cook if I could find the can opener.” She informed me that she had “ceremoniously dumped it [the framed picture] last month.” I brought our thick binder of favorite recipes, and I marked with stick-it notes the recipes I thought she would like – easy ones with few ingredients – though she requested recipes that didn’t call for exotic ingredients that can’t be found in a regular grocery store. I’m thrilled that she’s cooking healthful meals and not eating a lot of processed frozen foods, which were her staple during her long days of teaching. It was fun to share recipes with her. And I was surprised and delighted to hear that she bought a ukulele and would take up an instrument that she had longed to play for a while. As she talked, I was content to see her finally relaxed because much of her working life was filled with deadlines, stress, report cards, and difficult students and parents. I was happy for her.

Three sisters at Christmastime in our old house, me with my baby doll, middle sister Joyce with Chatty Cathy, and oldest sister, Heidi.

Three sisters at Christmastime in our old house in Terra Bella, with me and my baby doll, Joyce with Chatty Cathy, and oldest sister, Heidi. Check out the encyclopedia dinosaurs!

The Enrado women, sans Mom, Christmas in Folsom, 2014.

We ran errands, with Isabella tagging along. We checked out the premium outlets. We Enrado women have a history of shopping, a tradition of shopping the day after Thanksgiving to get our Christmas gifts bought and out of the way and the day after Christmas to spend the $100 my mom gave each of us for Christmas. We would get up early and she’d drive us to the malls in either Bakersfield or Visalia. Of course, we would make our dollar stretch and buy clothes and accessories on sale and on clearance. When Joyce and I came home from the Folsom shops, Joshua was sprawled across the family room sofa, his pillow leaning against Isabella, while Jacob was spread out across the other sofa. Aside from the fact that they were watching the dreaded show, Walking Dead, a sense of contentment was draped around me at the sight of the three of them hanging out, if only for a very short weekend.

Joyce and me in our Auntie Leonora's house, our old house, 1972.

Joyce and me in our Auntie Leonora’s house, our old house in Terra Bella, 1972.

After dinner, Joyce suggested we spend the evening watching the movie Bridesmaids, which I hadn’t seen but she did see when her old high school friends were in town a few years ago. I’d always wanted to see it, having heard good reviews, but never got around to doing it, which seems to be a constant theme in my life. The movie was funny, and it was actually heartwarming for me to watch this chick-flick with my sister. At points during the movie, I was conscious of the fact that we hadn’t sat down and watched a movie like this – outside of a few distracted times with kids zipping in and out of the family room – since I was an undergraduate at UC Davis, spending the day or weekend with Joyce, who had recently graduated from Cal State Sacramento and was working and living in Sacramento, about 15 minutes from my campus. Those were the truly endless days when nothing seemed pressing, and it was so easy to pop over and hang out.

Hawk in a tree on our neighborhood walk in Folsom.

Sunday morning, with the kids in charge of steering Nellie, the family dog, Joyce and I chatted while walking to the park and pond and around the neighborhood. It was cool and foggy, a perfect January day. She wanted me to walk with her because she felt she needed to exercise. I told her it was important to do some sort of exercise every day, how she ought to walk Nellie daily – both she and dog would benefit and she’d get some fresh air. I told her to keep moving. I told her about sleep studies that recommend women going to bed by 10PM. Knowing that she goes to bed late and sleeps in late, I told her she ought to push back her sleep pattern a few hours and her health would improve. I was always worried for her when she was teaching and only getting two to three hours of sleep a night.

Dad (his shadow) taking a photograph of us three sisters at our home in Los Angeles, February 1964.

After the walk she made soggy French toast, which we all ate not because we felt forced to, but because of gratitude. She had taken the time to make it. I was really proud of her. Not in a condescending way because David makes really wonderful meals and I’ve been cooking regularly for years, but proud that she was proud of her cooking. The kids took off for Joshua’s room soon after eating half of their French toast. Since we had to leave midday to make it back in time for Jacob’s hitting lesson, and I had precious few hours left that Sunday morning, I decided to wait until I got home to take my shower. I wanted to hang out at the kitchen table and keep talking, just talking. We caught up on old classmates and family and relatives. I felt like we weren’t almost 53 and nearly 55. We were in our 20s in Joyce’s Sacramento apartment. We were teenagers in her Ford Pinto coming home from high school the next town over, fearful of the blanket of hot-white fog on Old Highway 65. We were 7 and 9, playing our homemade version of the Mystery Date Game, laughing at the dud guy behind the white board game door, in the cramped screened-in porch in the back of our house, on an endless summer Sunday afternoon.

Joyce and me in front of our first house in Terra Bella, 1967.

Joyce and me and one of the many dogs in our childhood, in front of our first house in Terra Bella, 1967.

The Dress at 50

Live the creative, meaningful, and full life

Category Archives: Food and recipes

Roma day 4: the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica

Like this:

Roma day 3: return to the Coliseum and Forum

Like this:

Rome: street scenes and hidden treasures on day 2

Like this:

Roman holiday: return to Rome

Like this:

Sirona Skinner Nixon: Personal chef as artist

Like this:

Lost, found, and forever kept: sisterhood and cousinhood

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: