John Grisham - 2007 - Playing for Pizza.pdf - fuyuhoshikim
John Grisham - 2007 - Playing for Pizza.pdf - fuyuhoshikim
John Grisham - 2007 - Playing for Pizza.pdf - fuyuhoshikim
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Panthers!" Paolo said with a laugh. Sam laughed, too, then sipped his wine and thought <strong>for</strong> a moment. "It's a<br />
lovely little town of a hundred and fifty thousand. Great food and wine, great people who work hard and live<br />
well. But it doesn't attract a lot of attention. And that's good. You agree, Paolo?"<br />
"Yes. We do not want Parma to change."<br />
Rick worked a mouthful and tried to isolate the veal, but it was impossible. The meats, cheese, and spinach<br />
blended together into one delicious taste. He was certainly no longer hungry, nor was he full. They had been<br />
there <strong>for</strong> an hour and a half, a very long dinner by his old standards, but just warming up in Parma. On cue<br />
from the other three, he began to eat slowly, very slowly. The Italians around him talked more than they ate,<br />
and a mild roar engulfed the trattoria. Dining was certainly about great food, but it was also a social event.<br />
Nino dropped by every few minutes with a quick "Is good?" <strong>for</strong> Rick. Great, wonderful, delicious,<br />
unbelievable. For the second course, Carlo took a break from the pasta. The plates were covered--small<br />
portions still--with cotolette alia parmigiana, another famous dish from Parma and one of the chef's all-time<br />
favorites. "Veal cutlets, Parma style," Sam translated. "The veal cutlets are beaten with a small bat, then dipped<br />
in eggs, fried in a skillet, then baked in the oven with a mix of parmigiano cheese and stock until the cheese<br />
melts. Carlo's wife's uncle raised the veal himself and delivered it this afternoon." As Carlo narrated and Sam<br />
interpreted, Nino was busy with the next wine, a dry red from the Parma region. Fresh glasses, even larger,<br />
were presented, and Nino swirled and sniffed and gulped. Another orgasmic roll of the eyes and it was<br />
declared sensational. A very close friend made the wine, perhaps Nino's favorite of all. Sam whispered,<br />
"Parma is famous <strong>for</strong> its food, but not its wine." Rick sipped the wine and smiled at the veal and vowed that he<br />
would, <strong>for</strong> the rest of the meal anyway, eat slower than the Italians. Sam watched him closely, certain that the<br />
culture shock was vanishing in a flood of food and wine.<br />
"You eat like this often?" Rick asked him.<br />
"Not every day, but this is not unusual," Sam replied casually. "This is typical food <strong>for</strong> Parma." Paolo and<br />
Giorgio were slicing their veal, and Rick slowly attacked his. The cutlets lasted half an hour, and when the<br />
plates were clean, they were removed with a flourish. A long pause followed as Nino and the waiters worked<br />
the other tables. Dessert was not an option, because Carlo had baked his special, torta nera, or black pie, and<br />
because Nino had secured a very special wine <strong>for</strong> the occasion, a dry sparkling white from the province. He<br />
was saying that the black pie, created in Parma, was chocolate with almonds and coffee, and since it was so<br />
fresh from the oven, Carlo had added just a touch of vanilla ice cream on the side. Nino had a minute to spare,<br />
so he pulled up a chair and joined his teammates and coach <strong>for</strong> the final course, unless they were in the mood<br />
<strong>for</strong> some cheese and a digestif. They were not. The restaurant was still half-full when Sam and Rick began<br />
offering their thanks and trying to say good-bye. Embraces, pats on backs, powerful handshakes, promises to<br />
come again, more welcomes to Parma, many thanks <strong>for</strong> the un<strong>for</strong>gettable dinner--the ritual took <strong>for</strong>ever. Paolo<br />
and Giorgio decided to stay behind and have a bite of cheese and finish off the wine. "I'm not driving," Sam<br />
said. "We can walk. Your apartment is not far, and I'll catch a cab from there." "I gained ten pounds," Rick<br />
said, pushing his stomach <strong>for</strong>ward and following a step behind his coach. "Welcome to Parma."