My night under the stars with Laura Rangoni

Laura Rangoni, journalist, writer, woman researcher and lover of nature. Chief Editor of the weekly food and wine Kale I work with. There are many similarities that led me to her. The 10 August, at his home in the province of Bologna Savigno, under a starry sky between talk, memories and plans for the future, We slid the hours waiting for a shooting star.

The nights in the country are full of atmosphere, the sounds of nature lead us away from concerns that the artificial noise created by man, over time, we wear out weighing down our lives. Surrounded by the hills of Bologna, in the company of his faithful companions, we spent the night of San Lorenzo sitting in his garden, among the scents of the garden and those of rose plants. The stars are not expected to fall. In truth, I believe that the stars are also on the ground. Those lucky enough to meet them, but especially those who have the ability to see them, can experience moments of true beauty, traendo of this luce, true warmth and well-being.

Sunday 10 August, a Casa rangoni, we held the first inaugural dinner of the cultural association of the same name that soon will start paths degustativi, and cultural well-being. A dinner of friendship and good taste-based products of the care that Laura and personally follows. I wanted to bring it here in my blog, to cherish in my memories a special evening spent among nature and listening to a courageous woman, now I'll know better.

Inaugural dinner of the Cultural House Rangoni

D) Laura, I quote a passage in which you present: “I started keeping a journal when, to fifteen years, I left Bologna, my school, friends, dreams of adolescence, to arrive at Monza. The work of my father kidnapped me, and forced to live in a region that I have never loved, in case diverse, in inhospitable places, people with foggy as the weather ... Fifty years have revolutionized my life. " I am convinced that every experience teaches. I say this because I think we can learn from every situation and in every place where we live. Given this, never give up on your dreams. Concordi?

R) Certainly, Cynthia. Dreams are my only, true wealth. And dreams are simple, writer by country. The scent of jasmine, the tranquility of my pet, the jars of preserves in the pantry. In short, what the ancients called the Golden mediocritas. The fifty years for me have marked an important turning point: enough to live “out”, I preferred to focus on “within”. On those things that make me happy, that fill my day, and that does not have an economic value. The serenity and well-being are my daily goals.

Casa rangoni

D) Change your life today, in critical times like these, someone is considered courage, other unconsciousness. I know for a fact that 'only daring' you can enjoy life in the true way to be lived. I'm not saying it's easy, tutt’altro. As far as I'm concerned, the emotions experienced through knowledge in recent years, I pay off the inevitable disappointments that these paths we have. You are at a good point. Can you give some advice to those who would, ma not bear?

R) I do not like to give unsolicited advice, because the life of each of us is different. But there comes a time in life in which – if it is fate – you realize that you can no longer remain firm in your “comfort zone”, understand that you have to dare, You need to do what you really love and try to be as happy as possible, because life runs away in an instant. I understand these things in a very traumatic, when my father came out in the morning to buy bread and never came back. A heart attack has struck down in the street. So I decided to be daring, to savor every moment of life as you were to die tomorrow. And I live today with simplicity, enjoying the small things.

…enjoying the small things

D) Now we come to Casa Rangoni, more than a house a cultural center for the promotion of the territory and of the psycho-physical well-being. How did you came up with the idea, and what the next projects in the program?

R) The idea came day after day, growing in silence. Since I moved the Colli Bolognesi, friends who came to visit said, all (and repeat: all) “Here is just fine, There is regenerated”. So I thought it was just that the “magical power” House Rangoni: make people feel good. We have distanced ourselves from the very nature, and stay here, choose their own tomatoes from the garden, go get the wood to light fire, walk among the roses, taste simple but full of stories to tell, reconciles people to a way of life more human, more harmonious with the slow pace of land. Well-being does this mean: feel good about themselves, regenerate, learn to listen and listen. After many years of studies, after so many books written, are now ready to pass on what I have learned to anyone who wants to listen and try to live in a more holistic way. So in the project there are per-courses to learn how to feel good about themselves, to enjoy the honey and wine tastings that have nothing to technical, Cooking ancient foods, traditional, genuine and simple, cultivation and use of herbs and medicinal, di fitoalimurgia…

…a more human way of living, more harmonious with the slow pace of land

D) As a young girl my father, for me to overcome shyness that led me to isolate myself, gave me a puppy. A dog that, as well as make me happy, for the first time made me feel responsible for creature. We are a country are not adequately educated the reception of man's best friend, despite their therapeutic help is now well established and recognized in many care. I believe that the civilization of a nation should also be recognized through respect and education to animals. To do this you should start from school. What do you think?

R) I think it is very true. All those who know me, attraverso i social o FaceBook, or my books know that I'm a cat lady unrepentant, and my dog ​​Morgana has become a star of the web :-). I love animals, but without exaggeration, respecting their nature. This should teach children, show them that dogs and cats are not toys, but people with their rights and their thoughts. And explain to them that all creatures “serve” in natura, even the mosquitoes… Maybe it will avoid a lot of ugliness and absurdity, such as the recent proposal to tear down the bear that, to defend the puppies, attacked quell'incauto seeker mushrooms…

…all creatures "serve" in nature

D) I often say that 'I love eating more than cooking'. I say this in an ironic sense, seen that in the food and wine especially love the stories search, traditions and emotions stirred. Veniamo a te: Laura Rangoni, not a cook, but a woman who studies, search, kitchen and writes. Mistake?

R) Exact. I am not a cook, I do not have the technical basis of a chef, and I would never do such work. But I love the food because the bearer of cultural meanings and anthropological. The food is the prime factor of a people's, is still the first language and religion, in my view. I love to research the ancient flavors, especially of my land, and places in the world that I loved deeply, I love cooking as it was a time, on the stove economic, using antique tools. Dough by hand, chopped by hand, hand-cut. I do not have even a food processor and my “equipment” cookware is from museum. I love the simple food, what I call the “food hunger”, traditional, poor, with ingredients found on the territory. Too often we have forgotten the poor dishes, bread soup, just to give you an example. In my courses I teach just that: to recover flavors, who have a story to tell, a story that smacks of evenings spent by the fire, fairy tales told in the twilight, or hard work to convince the earth to give us vegetables and fruits…

Then, for work, I also studied foods more sophisticated, Ethnic and similar, but that's another story.

…the food is the prime factor of a people's

D) And 'my habit to photograph everything that I like and share, because the beautiful and the good must be spread. House Rangoni, in your hills, I photographed many varieties of flowers. In particular, loving the natural medicine, I am fascinated by the medicinal plants. I would like to organize themselves more courses to raise awareness of the many therapeutic properties of plants. This is to keep people away from the easy remedies pharmaceutical chemicals, not always necessary. When is the first course?

R) As soon sprout herbs, in the spring! But, not being doctor, I do not want to talk about therapies, and I will not do herbal medicine courses. I prefer to consider the plants, both spontaneous and herbs, as facilitators of well-being. The flowers are also: cultivate a garden or a vegetable garden is how to cultivate his own soul…

…cultivate a garden or a vegetable garden is how to cultivate his own soul

Cultural Association Casa Rangoni

Savigno (BO)   www.casarangoni.it