See More Worlds: food

Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 December 2015

One of the best things about Italy: FOOD

Hello after a long time. I have been busy. I have been reflecting. I have been away and now I am back.
Happy to be back too.
In a week's time, after five weeks in Los Angeles, I realize that one of the most beautiful things about Italy is so apparent, that perhaps I hadn't thought about it as much as I am doing presently. That thing is

FOOD
Since back I have had the enormous pleasure to receive the most delightful FOOD gifts from people. And that reminds me just how nice this part of Italian culture is.

First I was given some wonderful persimmons, they had been collected from trees out in my friend's yard. They sat around the house for several days, on a tray in the kitchen and now we are enjoying eating them, delicious and easy to eat, with just one small seed in the middle. I was also given by this friend some fresh cabbage which I used in making Chinese food one day and a salad the next.

The day after another friend gave me some oranges which he had received as a gift, and some tangerines.

Just yesterday we had guests for the day, and they brought an amazing array of delicious, typical Italian foods prepared by themselves. First, some wine, one bottle that we were told we will have to open it about 12 hours beforehand since it is old, and to pour it very slowly. The other bottles are other wines they produce. The most important gift, they told us, is their own olive oil. We will use it in special ways, by pouring it on toasted bread, or using it sparingly in other ways. Also, two jars of homemade jam -- one made of blackberries picked in the countryside, and another very special one, chestnut spread! Also, they just "threw" in two finocchi (anise) and some long porri, how do you say that in English....the long leeks! What an array of wonderful things!

And with all this food-giving that goes on here, also a lot more cooking goes on than it does in Los Angeles. I was inspired to make a vegetable "sformato" to take to a little music and food party this evening, in three different flavors. I separated with vegetables with aluminum foil and once they were all sauteed, I poured an egg and parmesan mixture on top, and into the oven. Now they are cut and put onto a tray to take.

Italy has its problems (a true understatement) but the food does save us here, and it is always a pleasure to eat things that people grow in their gardens or prepare by hand.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Olives and olive oil in Italy

How is olive oil made?
Well, first you need to have lots of olive trees.
Then the olives are taken off them, usually dropping them onto a plastic cloth like here in this picture. They are gathered, put into pails or wooden or plastic boxes and then taken to where they process them into oil
These were gathered in our yard, here in Perugia Italy.

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Cooking Raptus

Can't believe what I cooked in one and a half hours.
And can't believe how little I slept and still....had the drive to do it!

Now, first I made a tomato sauce starting with canned tomatoes.
I used it to make lentils.
I used it to make shelled fish sauce, with red pepper and green olives.
Then I made chicken soup, homemade.
I also made baked chicken.
And I also made meatballs in the oven.
Oh, needed some veggies so made green rape (a very dark leafed veggie).
Forgot to add that I also am preparing brown rice to eat with the fish and sauce.
Now,
what's for lunch?

ps...all this with the intention of freezing some of it, definitely can't eat it all in one day

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT IN ITALY

Well......this was a first for me! From Follonica on the Tirrenian Sea, friends and I drove to Piombino. This is the port town where I have been before, but only to take the boat to Sardegna or Elba Island.
This town is incredible!! It is really lively, just like the towns on Elba Island. The buildings and archways, and little houses are fascinating, brightly lit, and filled with tourists. It was a lovely place for a before-dinner walk.
Then, we had the pleasant surprise of a little and popular restaurant, very artsy, walls covered with casual paint and modern paintings. The food was excellent, and very nicely served. The name of the restaurant is "La Taverna dei Boncompagni"

Taverna dei Boncompagni (click right here for their website!)

and here is another link that talks about them.....

http://www.tripadvisor.it/ShowUserReviews-g187900-d1238279-r134399287-Taverna_dei_Boncompagni-Piombino_Province_of_Livorno_Tuscany.html

While at the table I took photos of my plate and those of my husband's and our friends...here they are:

THIS is an antipasto -- served on a square plate, many delicacies, including gazpacho with shrimp, smoked salmon, and other delicious items

This was my plate, an oven-cooked fish, a wonderful sauce with saffron, and a little vegetable kind of quiche, really tasty with the sauce

This is MY antipasto, different from the above one...I don't care for mussels, so they brought me this variation, which was excellent.

This is a fish soup, Caciucco, a specialty of the area

This may seem like a repetition of the above, but actually it is another person's plate, amazingly looks just like the top one doesn't it!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how incredibly delicious this was. The chocolate was to die for!!! When you eat the real thing, you realize how bad other chocolate is....and this chocolate cake, though small, was out of this world!!!!!!!!!!

This was better or almost as good as the chocolate cake. They were both superb!! This was a cold, ice cream cake with pistacchio. And the berry sauce on the side and the cherries on the top......what an experience!!

Sunday, 10 June 2012

CHINESE FOOD PREPARED BY CHINESE FOR AMERICAN (ME) AND ITALIAN (MY HUSBAND) IN BERLIN GERMANY

SOUNDS STRANGE, but this is exactly what happened. We were in Berlin, my first time in Germany...last June, and there we visited our Chinese friend. His Chinese friend whom we had met before, invited us to a fabulous meal in his home.

Here is his modest kitchen in a small apartment in Berlin, and these are the many dishes he prepared for us.

Here is the kitchen.

And these are part of the dishes he prepared.

The dishes are often based on vegetables, and meat or fish.

Soy sauce is used to pour over the dishes if you prefer.

AND FOR DESSERT...these very odd round gummy gooey little balls. I believe they are made out of flour, in fact, supposedly some have died while eating them for how gooey they are....easy to get stuck in ones throat!

The first bite, didn't really convince me.....but then eating one after another, they sort of taste better as one goes along!!

Chinese sweets are not anything like the sweets we eat in the USA or in Italy. They are not really very sweet at all. But they were pretty good, and after a big meal of vegetables and meat and fish, it seemed the right way to finish...with just a little something sweet.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

See More BEANS!!! -- Vedere Più Legumi!!!!

I couldn't resist....it's so much fun to "draw" into a tray full of lentils, or other kinds of dry foods....See More Worlds, and See More Beans!!

Non sono riuscita resistere....è troppo divertente "disegnare" in un vasoio di lenticchie o altri cibi secchi....See More Worlds....e Vedere Più Legumi!!!

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

POTLUCK dinner party in Italy

This was my fridge AFTER THE PARTY!!!!! You tell me....do people bring a bit too much food??? Actually, lots of people took food home too, because, how could I have put it into my fridge, AND how could I have eaten all this!!!

Questo era il mio frigo DOPO LA FESTA dove ognuno ha portato qualcosa da mangiare!!! Secondo te, la gente forse porta un pò troppo cibo??? (poì molti hanno riportato indietro qualche cosa, perchè se no, dove lo mettevo, e come potevo mangiare tutto questo!)

Sunday, 15 May 2011

Cooking contest - Gara di cucina

At my house last night, during one of my "salons" here is one of the plates prepared for the competition...this one by Enzo. Bravo!!

A casa mia ieri sera, durante uno dei miei "salotti" ecco uno dei piatti preparati durante la gara...questo di Enzo, bravo!!

Each person had one object...here, two clips for hair (on top)

Ogni person aveva un oggetto...qui, due molette per i capelli (sopra)

each person choses a plate as a base

ogni persona sceglie un piatto come base...

each person has an object to inspire their dish...here an airplane

ogni persona ha un oggetto per ispirazione...ecco un aeroplano

a key is the center of this heart...

una chiave è al centro di questo cuore...

Strange face with shell for a mouth

Viso strano con conciglia per bocca

Frozen peas in center with clip on plate

Piselli congelati con moletta sul piatto

a baby is at the center of this cucumber and jam...

un bambino sta al centro di questo cetriolo e marmellata

a flower...

un fiore...

a "coop" disc in the center of this plate

un disco della coop al centro del piatto

a huge bug in the center of an apple with lemon to cover it

un insetto enorme al centro di una mela che si copre con il limone

a strange animal with bowtie (dog biscuit)

un animale strano con papillon (biscotto per cani)

THE WINNER!!! A WRITTEN LETTER WITH SIGNATURE (in vegetable)

IL VINCITORE....UNA LETTERA CON LA FIRMA (in verdura)

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

DOLCI SICILIANI IN UNA PASTICCERIA A FOLLONICA.....SICILIAN SWEETS AT THE SEASIDE, FOLLONICA

PASTRIES FROM SICILY!!

We waited until the store opened at 5pm bought them and then left to come back home. It was worth the wait!

Abbiamo aspettato l'apertura del negozio alle ore 17. Le abbiamo comprato, poì siamo partiti per casa. Valeva la pena aspettare.

NO COMMENT NECESSARY

Oh...Mamma mia!!!

There I am in the mirror....

Eccomi nello specchio...

These are made with crushed pistacchios!!!!!

Queste sono fatte con pistacchi in bricciole!!!!

Once again, no comment.....

sigh....

A little less fattening with the fruit ; )......

Un pò meno calorie con la frutta.....

Cannoli made just for us....

Cannoli appena fatti per noi...

Delicious ricotta, sugar, in crispy fried shell...candied fruit....oh Mamma Mia!!!

Ricotta deliziosa con zucchero....ecc ecc...voi Italiani mi capite...Mamma Mia!!

Wednesday, 4 May 2011

CAKES AND PIES IN ITALY -- Dolci e crostate in Italia

The sweet side of Italy....

Il lato dolce d'Italia

THIS was a magnificent pie made with 12 kinds of homemade jam!!!

Questa crostata fu creata con 12 tipi di marmellate fatte in casa!!

The same woman made this one too...

La stessa signora ha fatto anche questa....

Huge plate...tiny little creamy delicious sinful dessert!

Enorme piatto...minuscolo cremoso dolce!

A very special first time for me, cake made with Napolitano recipe.

Una prima volta per me...un dolce di ricetta di Napoli.

A birthday cake....homemade, of course delicious.

Un dolce per un compleanno...fatto in casa e molto buono!

A traditional dry fruitcake of this area....Torcolo di S. Costanzo

Un dolce alla frutta secca...di questa zona: il Torcolo di S. Costanzo

The famous ciaramicola made by Liliana....what a cook!

La ciaramicola fatta da Liliana....una cuoca bravissima!

Better not tell you just how delicious these were, or how fresh, or how creamy, or how sweet and wonderful!!!

Meglio non dirti quanto erano buone queste paste, o come erano fresche, o cremose, o dolce...o fantastiche!

They didn't last long....and every little crumb was removed from the tray!

Non hanno durato a lungo...ogni piccola briciola è stata mangiata dal vasoio!

Do we like cakes in Italy? OF COURSE!!! I still love the good old American pies and cakes of my childhood, but here too, there are some wonderful ones.
A noi piacciono i dolci in Italia? CERTO!! Mi piacciono sempre i dolci Americani della mia infanzia, ma anche qui ce ne sono molto buoni, e belli.

HOW TO SPEAK ITALIAN...in 60 seconds

Cavolo...means cabbage BUT you can use it when you want to say WOW!
Non so. So simple, and it means, I don't know. The word no, is no (easy) AND the word so comes from the verb sapere which is to know. So is used for I.....io so, I know. But in this case it is so simple...forget the I, and just say NON SO. Everyone will know what you mean, that is that you don't know!!
Raffreddore -- it means, a COLD. Like a fever, a cough, like what I feel I may be coming down with right now. If I want to say that I have a cold, I say "Sono raffreddata". That translates that I have (or I am) with a cold. You can also say "Ho un raffreddore" which means, I have a cold. Anyway you look at it, you will have to stay in bed or around the house, until you become....guarito or guarita, which means that you are cured!
IMPEGNATA!!! That is what I have been lately. BUSY! Lots of IMPEGNI (appointments, things to do, tasks, chores, you name it!) Actually I should say IMPEGNATISSIMA....meaning very very busy. And to tell you the truth, that is exactly how I like my life!
Per favore.....it is a nice way of asking someone "please" do this or that, or take one, or asking a favor. BUT you can also use it with hands wide and saying PLEASE!!! Stop it! Don't! Be quiet! It is all in the way you say it, and your body language. PLEASE!!!!!
Lo.......this is used when you have a noun like Spagnolo.....you see, this word means a Spanish man. Lo is used because the word starts with sp and you have to use lo rather than il, probably because it makes it easier to pronounce the two sounds....lo with sp rather than il and then sp lo sp, not il sp......When, on the other hand you need to use plural, that is Spagnoli, you must change the lo to gli and then say gli spagnoli. Oh my, this is difficult even for me. Signing off now, will be back with an easier lesson next time.
If you know Spanish, can it help you to know Italian?? YES!! Do I know Spanish? NO! But when I hear it, I can understand lots of it, and I am SURE it's because I know Italian.
Differente....it is easy to see what it means. But the hard part is the ORDER you put this word in. You don't want to use it like in English BUT to put it after the noun that you are calling different. Like I want a different book. Vorrei un libro differente. See, it is AFTER the noun, that is how you use adjectvies in Italian. And don't forget to say the letter E at the end....different - TAY.

Curiosities of Italian Life

VERY curious indeed, this Italian life. On the OUTSIDE it looks like people have loads of money, buying expensive iphones, cars, clothes and even eating out and spending money here and there. BUT on the inside, we are all having troubles with paying bills, hoping our children find jobs (most want to leave Italy now, lots do anyhow). So, the curious thing is that Italians look like they are having an easy time, but believe me.............
Moods........hmmmmmmm......when I am on facebook, I see the difference of the mood here in Italy and the mood in the States. There is a huge difference. People here are moody, due to the politics, especially. We just don't have the fun-loving thouughts and moods of the people in the States. Of course, I am from there, so I have a pretty happy mood most of the time. But being in the middle of complaining and low moods makes it even harder to stay up. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!
No shopping list. What do I mean? I mean, when you go to the market, you don't always need to have a shopping list....you see what looks fresh, colorful and good, and then buy what excites you. I have often had guests for dinner without really knowing what I am going to make. I see zucchini, or tomatoes, or something else and then the idea comes to me. That's how it is in Italy, the visual gives one the idea of what to do next.
City streets.....why oh why are there so many HOLES in the streets!! They just wrote about them the other day in the paper, and there are hundreds (or thousands, don't remember) of holes of all dimensions all over this city. And that means uncomfortable driving that is for sure!! Bump bump bump! The rain opens them up more and then they get bigger. They fill them up sometimes but not well enough. Another of Italy's problems, beautiful country, but we have a large share of things that need to be improved.
Politics. Read on!! In Italy, no matter what the occasion, dinner parties, tv shows, meeting people on the street, watch out, because politics and talking about them is what is in store!!! People just can't get together without talking politics. It is a BIG part of Italian life. And talking about it often can get you in trouble IF the people you are talking to think differently than you do. If they are of another viewpoint, watch out!! If you ever saw two Italians with differing views, you will know what I mean.
SNOW....will it or won't it snow? If it does, the curious thing about snow in a small town, is that everything just about STOPS all of a sudden. They are very slow in cleaning up the streets, but in a way it is nice because you can go out and walk all over the place without any cars around, and then, it is very very beautiful and quiet. So.....into bed I go and perhaps tomorrow it will SNOW!!

EATING and other things....in Italy

TOMATOES -- it is easy to talk about tomatoes in this country. And easy to eat them. They come is such a variety, the ones for sugo, the ones for salad. Ones you can cut into little pieces, or lay out flat with oregano and oil and vinegar and salt.....They are so good, they get lots of sun, and people love to use them in cooking. If you don't know how to use them, just ask an Italian mamma in the store. She for sure can tell you everything you need to know.
Good parmesan, bad parmesan. You know, here in Italy we have wonderful parmesan. It is really really delicious. I once heard that in the States they take the waxy part of the parmesan and even use that to be ground into the stuff you can buy in a box. If that is true, that is really terrible!!!! It would be like eating candles!
Lemons. Why lemons? Because you can squeeze them in water, add sugar or honey; you can squeeze it on meat or fish or salad, or use them to decorate a plate. You can use the peel for flavor in a cake, or to decorate the top of a dessert. You can even use half to put into the dishwasher and make things come out sweeter. Why lemons you ask???
Wintertime weight gain. Yes. Easy to munch on cookies, or almonds or parmesan!! Or a glass of wine and nuts, or a bruschetta! Hard to take off that one or two kili.....that means taking a walk, and today it is going to rain, so wouldn't it just be easier to stay inside, with a nice glass of hot milk and coffee and a few cookies??
JUst how sweet do you want things? In Italy, sweets are sweet but not as sweet as in England, or the States. A cake may have something on it, but not as gooey and sweet as in other places. Salt, on the other hand, is used more freely here than perhaps in the States. Foods can often be very salty, though very good too. Sugar and salt, each country has their own way of using them.
Honey.....it's the time for honey lately, because it is cold, and in the evening is a good time for camomilla tea, or some other hot drink. I like to use honey, good for the throat, and tastes so good. The hard honey is the best, easier to bend a spoon getting it out, but better for you and more "real" and usually biological, whereas the liquid might just have some sugar in it, or not be quite as natural.
Sweet potatoes. If you love American sweet potatoes, the ones they serve on Thanksgiving, be prepared to NOT find them in Italy. It is very hard to find them (actually I just heard a Chinese market has them) but the ones they have in the normal markets are white on the inside! Sweet but white! Isn't that strange!
RED WINE (vino rosso) goes with meat, and WHITE WINE (vino bianco) goes with fish. But wine is so good in Italy, especially the really good ones, any wine is fine most of the time. Room temperature (reds) and white chilled.
CELERY?? When I was a kid, we ate celery sticks all the time. With salt, without, in the lunchbox, or at home in a glass of cold water. I think I have never been served a piece of celery like this in Italy UNLESS they served it with lots of other vegetables to create a vegetable platter to dip in oil and salt, and that dish is called pinzimonio. (better check my spelling on that one, and I will let you know!)
I am going to cook when I get to L.A. BUT it won't be as good as in Italy (see my last post under curiosities of Italian life). I try the best I can BUT the ingredients just aren't the same. And the cuts of meat are different too.

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