Cookin' with the Nuns

Last weekend, the CLO office coordinated an Italian cooking class at the Carlotta House, a local non for profit run by Catholic nuns from Italy and Bangladesh. It was a 5+ hour event, where we learned to make tiramisu, handmade pasta, lasagna, ragu, white sauce and gnochii. In between dishes, our instructor (an interesting Italian lady who seems to have been everywhere and done everything) taught us sweet Italian songs. We got to enjoy the fruits of our labor at the end of the class (forgot to take pics). Yum!

The cutest little nun you've ever seen, Sister Luisa, who speaks sweetly like the little Bramasole lady from Under the Tuscan Sun movie, flittered around a lot while we cooked. I had met her weeks before at a local pearl shop, where she was having a rosary repaired. I couldn't forget that sweet voice or her warm presence. I think we all enjoyed being near her as much as cooking beautiful food with friends. And there is nothing like the touch and blessings for a healthy baby, as she smiled upon us. No matter your religion, I think just being near a holy person, be it a Catholic nun, a Buddhist monk or whoever, is a calming and joyful experience, a time you can't help but smile. They seem to exude peace, which most people have not yet discovered.