Sorry!!! Scusate!!!

I accidentally refused a comment...managgia a me! (trans: darn me!) Paula, please post your comment again if you see this. I don't even have your e-mail to say sorry personally. How could I do that! Never refuse "love" :)

Taking on Family Traditions

Me and the chef!

When I went home for Christmas this year my grandpa passed on a great family recipe for Bagna Cauda, which is a traditional garlic dip from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, eaten with fresh cut veggies. I got the idea to post some pictures from this special event from Erbe in Cucina who has another version of this recipe on her blog.

There are several versions of this recipe due to large scale immigration in the late 1800s and, like most Italian recipes, to simple location variations. For example, Erbe's version uses butter, my grandpa told me the original recipe from his grandparents included cream which was then left out from the recipe we use because they just couldn't afford cream at that time.

Unfortunately I don't feel I have the right to post the full recipe. I might change my mind later, but at this point it would feel like a violation of a family secret. Let me say this though, the key to good Bagna Cauda is cooking the garlic for a long time, over very low heat. I guess this breaks down the acidity which causes a bad after taste and helps to avoid upset tummies-also my great grandmother told us always, never drink water because water and oil don't mix and will lead to upset tummies, that goes for drinking milk too, because it will curdle due to the hot temperature of the Bagna....so, the only option is to drink wine! Isn't that convenient! We usually drink a bottle of my grandpa's Zinfandel or Syrrah. Yum.

Look at all that yummy garlic

The top picture on the right is my grandma being the supervisor...she took over the role when my grandma Lucy died, I think I'll take over when it's time.

In the picture directly to the right I think I am already getting in the groove, telling grandma she can't use her bread as a dish, just as an oil drip catcher (one of the fundamental grandma Lucy rules) -ha!

In other people's eyes

When we see each other through other people's eyes sometimes it's difficult to see. Our behavior isn't always understood as we intend it to be understood, or according to our feelings at a particular moment. Is it important for us to know what other people think of us, or see in us? Maybe if we can take these views and learn what we like or don't like about ourselves, not so much what others don't like about us, then maybe it's useful. There's a book by a famous Italian author, Luigi Pirandello, where he asks, are we the person we see ourselves as or what other people see us as, and is it important to see this difference to understand our true identity. I think it's a combination of both and the observation of ourselves and others determines the person we eventually become.

Ricetta Riuscita!! (Recipe Success, more or less)

Italian biscotti-which are actually called Cantucci (kantuchi)- is one of those things I always loved, but NEVER thought I could make. They are actually so easy to make, if a little messy. And I'm happy to say that I was a little worried at first because the original dough was pretty sticky, but with the encouragement of my roommate (whose fantastically talented mother gave me the recipe) Success! Here's the recipe-all measurements are metric, one of the challenges of Italian cooking...

Almond Cantucci-
500 g Flour
350 g White Sugar
250 g Almonds
5 eggs
1 package yeast ( I used a solid yeast for bread, pizza and desserts, but I'm sure the powder would be fine)

Pre-heat oven to about 350°-375°. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together, it's better if you use your hands to get the egg and yeast mixed into the flour as well as possible. The dough will be very sticky, add small amounts of flour until the dough holds together enough to roll, it will be a bit like sugar cookie dough consistency.
Lightly flour a cookie sheet and flour a flat surface to roll on. You can roll the cantucci to whatever size you want, I like them bite sized. Once you've separated the dough and rolled them into long strips set them on the cookie sheet and press down very slightly. Put the dough in the oven until it begins to get firm. Remove the cookie sheet and cut diagonally into thumb width pieces and return to the oven until they are completely cooked (they will be golden brown on the under side. Cool the Cantucci on a piece of foil until they are completely cool (this will give them the crunchy texture, if you put them in containers before they are cool they will be a bit chewy.

This is the process I followed, as I only recieved written ingredient amounts and verbal instructions!! Good luck :)

Cooking challenge

After four years of living in Rome I've managed to collect a fair share of recipes, recipe books and cooking magazines. My all time favorite is "Cucina Italiana". It's got fantastic recipes and the pictures make my mouth water every time I look through it! My only problem is that I never use the recipes! A lot of it has to do with time. The only time I cook is the weekend, usually Sunday (since we try to eat lighter during the week) and so I really only have one opportunity a week to try new recipes.

So, starting this weekend (excluding those when we go to my in-laws place) I will set myself a cooking challenge. To try something new, or play with recipes I know. I'll try to take pictures of the successes (and failures...I guess :/ ) and post them up here.

I better start looking for that perfect recipe!!

I just know this post is going to make me feel old...

So, kids these days! In particular Italian teenagers...I just don't get them. The first thing you notice about Italian teenagers, at least in Rome, is that their clothes are absolutely ridiculous. They have found a way to intertwine 80s style with that of the early 90s, and to do it in such a way that the urge to hold a mirror in front of them and scream "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???" is overwhelming. Let me paint you a picture...A boy of about sixteen, dirty blonde hair, cut to look like a cross between a mohawk and shag (it sounds weird, but it's the closest I can get, it's shaved on the sides and medium-short on top, standing straight up but not greasy or gelled stiff), unless it's covered by a baseball cap set very precisely on the back of the head so all you can see is the front. His pants are sweat pants, or jeans, they wear them pretty much the same way, baggy on the butt- you can usually read the brand and see the exact shape of their cheeks they are so far down- and tight rolled or hemmed so tight at the bottom it's a wonder they don't cut off the circulation at the ankles- if you're really lucky, you'll see a pair of jeans with rhinstones or some kind of design on them...it's a pretty awesome form of entertainment in and of itself, and untied sneakers on their feet. You sometimes pray they will trip over one so you can laugh. Anyway, the shirts are usually tight, no matter what the style, and short enough to show the elastic of the aforementioned underwear. On their face, they more often than not have some pair of god-awful, huge lensed sunglasses set a little too low on their nose, so they have to lean their head back slightly to get any use out of them whatsoever. This causes their walk to be more of a saunter or a swagger, greatly increased by the fact that they almost always have their hands in their pockets. I'm convinced that this move is in reality to keep their pants from falling all the way down :)
My favorite part of the picture, however hilarious it may be, is not actually their clothing, but the way they relate to each other, especially in a group. I'm rarely able to decipher exactly what they are saying in it's entirety, but it sounds much like I imagine a herd of apes would sound....."AHO...BELLO ZI'....OOO OOO, EEE EEE, AAARRRGH" (the last bit may be an exaggeration, but it's not too far off).
My question is this: do they honestly think this is attractive? I see them checking out girls, and the girls check them out too, and again all I can think is "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING????"

IKEA

Okay, so some of you may remember a certain post in which I was DESPERATELY hoping to con my honey into taking me to IKEA, to no avail. WELL....success! Last week I somehow got him to take me, and it was all I could have hoped for. Pots, pans, potpourri, oh my! (okay I don't use potpourri because I think it smells like old lady, but I do use candles, close enough) I love love love Ikea. I would live there if they would let me :) http://www.ikea.com/it/it/ Browse, and bask in the loveliness of organized closets...