Now I Understand the Macaron Craze...

Jan 28, 2011 by

Now I Understand the Macaron Craze

Okay, I get it now. Tonight marked a big moment in any foodie's life--okay, maybe in any woman's life: I tried my first macaron. I couldn't believe I'd waited so long, really, as I tasted them from the bottom up. The bottom, a pistachio macaron with green-tea filling. The next, raspberry, and the top, lemon with lemon creme. Oo la la. I mean, come on, doesn't the pure French-ness of the word macaron turn you on just a little bit? Aren't you just a tad aroused by all the almond meal and egg white glory up there? You're probably thinking, Duh, of course they're amazing. Why'd you wait so long? Well, allow me to explain. Part of it is because they're ridiculously (nearly prohibitively, in my book) expensive. But it goes much deeper than...

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Orgasm in a Cup: The Marocchino...

Oct 21, 2010 by

Orgasm in a Cup: The Marocchino

There are two kinds of people in the world, coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. I am definitely in the tea drinking camp. If you asked me to describe one of my favorite pleasures, I would say: Drinking a cup of tea--black with milk and honey in the morning and mint or rooibos in the afternoon and evening. Add a rainy day, a fantastic novel, snuggling on the couch, or chatting with friends, and I'm as happy as a Milanese woman with a new Furla purse. The problem is, no one really drinks tea in Italy. This is the land of espresso. But it's not like I pictured it would be: people sitting around in cafes, chatting as they savored their cappuccinos and lattes. Oh no. That's France. In Italy, people drink coffee like they...

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Smoked Herring (Kipper) with Capers and Onions...

Oct 7, 2010 by

Smoked Herring (Kipper) with Capers and Onions

You know the ol' "if you were stranded on an island" game, where you have to choose what you'd eat or what you'd read, which CD you'd listen to, or who you'd take with you? The one where you're forced to think deeply, and perhaps a bit pointlessly about the that you'd want with you forever and ever? Okay, I admit it, I love to play it, especially when hiking long stretches of trail, or waiting for delayed trains, planes, and automobiles. I am usually quite horrible at it though, because when asked, I suddenly forget the name of every musician I love and every book I've ever read. Food though--food I don't forget. I remember thinking long and hard about that one when asked a few years back. I thought about squash soup,...

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Red Currant Spelt Muffini

Oct 3, 2010 by

Red Currant Spelt Muffini

No, that's not a typo in the title. Allow me to explain. There are no such things as muffins in Italy. I keep asking around: "Hey--do you guys know what muffins are?" And they do, but only as some distant creation formed in strange tins in the United States. "What do you call them?" I asked my boyfriend one Sunday, as I prepared a batch of muffins for his virgin experience. "We call them muffin," Guido replied. "But what do you call them in plural? When there's more than one?" "Muffin," he said, laughing. "But that's ridiculous," I said. "If you're going to use the American word, then you should have a plural form." I thought for a moment about Italian grammar. Since most foreign words like "film" and "computer" are masculine by default,...

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Simple Squash Soup

Sep 25, 2010 by

Simple Squash Soup

I miss my dad. This time of year my dad and I both really love cooking and planning our big family gatherings like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Now that I'm in Italy, we'll have to plan our separate menus over the phone. Living in Italy is really wonderful, but I can't lie--being away from my family during the holidays hurts. One dish my dad and I love to prepare this time of year is squash soup. It was a tough decision in the past, because he and I were the only ones who really enjoyed it. Growing up, my brothers were so much younger (by six and nine years) that the flavor didn't appeal to them. My mom wasn't crazy about eating a sweet soup either. In her mind, soup should be savory--like the gumbo...

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Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto...

Sep 23, 2010 by

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Moan alert. Of all the things Guido and I have prepared since my arrival, I have to say that this is one of the most orgasmic recipes, moan-worthy recipes I have to offer. And the fantastic thing is that it is oh so simple. Yesterday Guido and I went to the questura, which is the Italian word for "hell" (okay, it's what they call the local police station). I'm in the process of finishing the fabulously labyrinthine process for my permesso di soggiorno, which is sort of like my green card/identity card for my next year in Italy. Anyway, we had an appointment slip for 8:16am and thought that we'd walk right up to the window at the ever so exact time printed on the paper. I mean, why else would they say 8:16am,...

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Pasta with Mushrooms, White Wine, and Cream...

Sep 19, 2010 by

Pasta with Mushrooms, White Wine, and Cream

I got into this simple dish when I was living in Turkey. I lived in an isolated home about 45 minutes from Isparta's city center, with windows so badly insulated that it sounded like I lived in a tea kettle whenever the wind blew--which was every day, all the time. I swear the house could have been in the 1939 production of Wuthering Heights. Anyway, one day I finally found out where to buy alcohol in my town--it's not easy once you're out of the tourist destinations. I had a chunk of parmesan from my last visit to Italy that Guido (my Italian boyfriend) had wrapped in foil and stuffed in my suitcase. Finally, I had a precious bag of gluten-free pasta that my best friend Melanie sent me for my birthday. All I...

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La Cucina Ecologico–Keeping Your Kitchen Green...

Sep 12, 2010 by

La Cucina Ecologico–Keeping Your Kitchen Green

It can be expensive and difficult to always buy green and organic products, though for the most part, I say it's worth it. However, one huge way you can green your kitchen and home is by using natural cleaning products in our kitchen, and of course the rest of the house. Unfortunately, it's hard to find products like Simple Green and Seventh Generation here in Italy, and it's almost harder to convince my partner that it's worth the (lots of) extra Euros. In addition, I'm not entirely convinced that I want to inhale those products either, or that they are all that much more effective than some simple products I could make at home. I stumbled on a great website that had all kinds of natural recipes for cleaning fluids and cleansers. Here are...

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Surprisingly Fabulous Tuna Pasta (and Hand Gestures You Shouldn’t Make in Italy)...

Aug 27, 2010 by

Surprisingly Fabulous Tuna Pasta (and Hand Gestures You Shouldn’t Make in Italy)

I just have to come out and say it--this pasta may not look fabulous, and it may not sound fabulous, but it is surprisingly super duper fabulous...even though it's made with canned tuna. When Guido pulled out the canned tuna to try out this recipe one evening, I had my doubts. So did he, which is why when I came in to the kitchen to help cook, he jokingly referred to his dish as "la cena del cornuto." La corna In southern Italy one of the worst things you can call a man is a cornuto, and don't you dare think about making the sign of the horns (la corna) by extending your index and pinkie finger...unless you're looking for a fight. Calling a man a cornuto is the same as telling him he's...

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Prociutto Salad with Apple, Walnut, and Parmigiano...

Aug 27, 2010 by

Prociutto Salad with Apple, Walnut, and Parmigiano

While traveling in California introducing Guido to my family, we impressed my Santa Barbara relatives with a simple prosciutto salad. This version is a more embellished version, but you can simplify it by cutting the extra ingredients. Ah...Proscuitto di Parma. Sigh... There are few things in Italian cuisine that I love as much as prosciutto crudo, a thinly sliced salt-cured ham produced in central and northern Italy, most famously in Parma. It's slightly ironic that I love it so much, since I hadn't eaten pork products for almost 15 years before I started coming to Italy in 2010. One evening Guido set some prosciutto on the table along with a few slices of bread, some parmigiano (parmesan), and a little wine. I took a bite, hesitant...I don't really like to eat mammals. But once...

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Potato and Tomato Frittata with Chives...

Jul 28, 2010 by

Potato and Tomato Frittata with Chives

Welcome to the first official recipe co-created with my dad. I'm traveling in the U.S. at the moment, visiting family, and as usual Dad is wowing me with his fabulous eats. Yesterday I begged him for a frittata, an Italian egg dish that's much like a Spanish omelet. I prefer my dad's variation, which is with potatoes, spiced up with some vegetables and herbs from his backyard garden. Yum! Let's talk quickly about which pan you should use. You need a pan that can work on the stovetop AND in the oven. I'm a big fan of the cast iron pan (or carbon steel, which is more pricey). But you can use any kind of non-stick pan you like that is stove and oven-safe. For this amount of eggs, a round pan with a...

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Watermelon, Yogurt and Mint Smoothie...

Jul 24, 2010 by

Watermelon, Yogurt and Mint Smoothie

Okay, I must confess once more: This is NOT Italian. But, it's super tasty and I made it for my Italian boyfriend on his birthday (in Italy, no less!), so...excuses, excuses, I know. But let's get over it already and delight in the yummy goodness of this smoothie: It's fresh, it's tasty, it's unique, and it's a great way to use up the rest of your watermelon on a hot summer day. One warning: The yogurt makes this smoothie very filling; you could easily have this for breakfast and be satisfied for the rest of the morning. Servings: 2 generous portions Ingredients: 2 cups of seeded watermelon chunks 1 T. mint (or more, if you're nuts for mint, like me) 1 cup plain or lemon yogurt Optional: 1 T. honey G-Spot Ingredient: A dash...

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