So #1 on my "Italian Wishlist" was citizenship, but, you know...whatever. That didn't work out. I'm on to bigger and better things. I love cooking, especially with fresh ingredients and in the fresh air. So I'm after a cucina rustica. This is what I'm talking about:

In Italy all my relatives in the south have a lovely little building for a cucina rustica steps from their home (ok, it doesn't look anything like the one above). Cucina rustica literally translated is "rustic kitchen." It's a little semi-outdoor cooking area, with a stove and wooden spoons and a big old table, where you can really get down to work making bread and fresh pasta and frying up a storm of fish. They usually look a bit more like this:
No matter what they look like (I'd take even half of the one above) for some reason, the food made in a cucina rustica always tastes better. Maybe its the wood stoves or the well-seasoned cookware but there is something about fresh food made old-fashioned that just says comfort. And particularly Italian comfort. The cucina rustica is often the one room where everyone can find a seat, they are just so perfect for the late night dinners with tons of laughter and family.

With bitter winters where I live in Canada, a cucina rustica is not exactly an option (though should I win the lottery...) but that never stopped us from cooking outside besides on the barbeque. My grandfather would often use the portable gas cooker we had around for boiling jars of tomatoes to make huge batches of patate fritta and frittata on the back patio with veges picked right from the garden.

For now I dream of a cucina rustica of my own. Here's some more to drool over (I wish there was food in the pictures!)