We’re in August once again.. and with it, for our Italian club here in Goa, comes our annual celebration of Indian independence / ferragosto lunch for members and special guests. For those of you who missed out on Ferragosto in Goa, 2008 you may read my post on it here
This year we had a comparatively easier time – last year we made the pasta from scratch, this time we bought it and cooked it with 3 varieties of sauces.
Also, Liana, our gracious host, made the traditional ‘patollios’ at home so instead, we made banana fritters. Sorry Ave Cleto, I’ve forgotten the Konkani name 
If you don’t know what ‘patollios’ are you’re going to have read last year’s post.
Here’s Liana, frying the fritters…
This time, the kids didn’t fight as much
Back to the kitchen, Emanuela (our Italian teacher), Maureen (who, last year, demonstrated the art of making pasta), and Liana, turn around to show us their better side…
Out in the hall, on makeshift tables, we have Ameeta and Sharon preparing the mise en place for Emanuela and Chiara…
And others helped get the decorations up…
Our new club president with his grand-daughter…
Some of us had to struggle a bit…
Even the secretary of the club wasn’t spared…
Passing on the technique…
We did have a couple of experts….
Getting the salad chopped..
Some worked tirelessly…. (L to R) Charlotte, who painstakingly made buttonholes for all of us, and Chiara, who was in and out of the kitchen helping Emanuela with the cooking and the rest of us with the decorations…
Whilst others took a break…
The kids had their own agenda…
Supervised by Prof. Ave Cleto….
All that hard work made little Emily hungry…
Revitalized after that short break, we get back to work…
Circolo Italiano director and president planning, strategizing..
OK… Time to put those books away… Let’s play…
Boiling the penne and getting the bacon ready for the carbonara …
Now that the decorations are up, let’s sit down and enjoy the wine…. On the extreme left we have India’s leading bass player Colin D’Cruz who very kindly gave us all Jazz Goa CDs, Merwyn, president Nevett, and Adolfo with Monica, his better half.
Here we have (R to L) Charlotte chatting with ‘first lady’ Maureen and daughter Leanne who made a surprise dessert profiterole
After all that hard work, wine is well-deserved…
Our secretary Basil with his family.. And everyone wants to carry Emily…
Ahh… lunch time… Let’s dig in…..
And now it’s Emily’s turn to entertain us….
Now for a little business.. Our new president giving his acceptance speech….
And Emily clapping for grandpa…
The official handing-over of presidential duties from Ave Cleto to Nevett…
That done, we sat down with dessert and coffee to watch a concert by Andre Rieu
Sorry Emily… Did my popping flashbulb ruin the concert for you???
