So you want to be a food writer?...

Jan 4, 2012 by

So you want to be a food writer?

Of course, I don't want to discourage you. But it's good to know what kind of world you'd be getting into before you make elaborate plans to spend your life savings on a website and six months hacking away at your computer while photographing and blogging about your gourmet lunches. To give you a more complete picture, check out this video here (it's just a couple minutes and it's SO fantastic!). And check out these blog posts written by one of our guest speakers, Sarah Henry, writer for the blog Lettuce Eat Kale: Will Write for Food and So you Want to be a Successful Food Writer? Here's how. And here's a video by Lauren Lipton called "Adventures in Food Writing." A...

read more

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...

read more

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,...

read more

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...

read more

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...

read more

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...

read more

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...

read more

Orgasmic Watermelon Salad

Jul 23, 2010 by

Orgasmic Watermelon Salad

Okay, I'm going to be up front with you. This dish is NOT Italian. However, I did serve it to a bunch of Italians whilst in Italy, so perhaps that's enough of a qualifier. They all loved it--the flavors are exotic for an Italian palate, but the flavor combinations are familiarly Mediterranean. The final flavor combination fireworks in your mouth: salty black olives, sweet and crunchy watermelon, creamy feta, oniony onions (okay--how do YOU describe onions?), and the gentle snap of mint. I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs, Rachel Eats, whose beautiful pictures inspired me to upgrade my Canon lens. So, without further ado...here's the recipe for an Orgasmic Watermelon Salad. Eat it sitting down, so you don't embarrass yourself by falling to your knees in rapture at the...

read more

Coffee Granita–it deserves its own post!...

Jul 14, 2010 by

Coffee Granita–it deserves its own post!

Sorry to be repetitive with the recipes here, but Guido and I had THE most amazing treat yesterday--coffee granita. If you love coffee and would like a summertime pick-me-up, you have got to try this.  I know I blogged about lemon granita below, but this was so good, it deserved its own blog! Servings: 2 to 4 people, depending on how much coffee you can handle, and your level of restraint. Prep time: Including making the coffee and time to let things cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ingredients: 8 oz. or 1 cup of espresso or coffee (250 ml) **Not filtered coffee, unless it's crazy strong 4 oz. or 1/2 cup of water (100 ml) 1/2 cup of sugar (100 g)--maybe start with a little less and sweeten to taste. G-spot ingredient: Whipped...

read more

Granita: The perfect summer treat...

Jul 11, 2010 by

Granita: The perfect summer treat

Guido and I went to Rome recently, and while reacquainting myself with the city I saw so many years ago as a teenager, he decided to take me to the famous Piazza Navona, sight of the Tre Fontane (The Three Fountains). I went to Piazza Novana sixteen years ago on a tour in high school, and vaguely remembered savoring a delicious gelato while sitting next to one of the Tre Fontane at night. Well, it wasn't night this time; it was the hottest part of the day. Guido and I were wilting in the heat, so much so that we stuck our feet in one of the fountains (like everyone else, in our defense) and ended up getting yelled at by the carabinieri (the police). We finally managed to drag our sweaty selves to...

read more

Zucchini, Yogurt, and Mint Soup (Zuppa Fredda di Zucchine e Menta)...

Jul 7, 2010 by

Zucchini, Yogurt, and Mint Soup (Zuppa Fredda di Zucchine e Menta)

Looking to make a yummy cold soup for dinner on a hot July night, I stumbled onto this zucchini, mint, and yogurt soup recipe. It was in a couple Italian food blogs, but Guido seemed a bit mystified that it was an Italian recipe. We discovered that it's considered a "modern Italian creation," as yogurt is not a very integral part of Italian cuisine. Regardless, it's creamy, delicate, and easy to make...and (supposedly) Italian. Prep time: This should take about 20 minutes, but let it chill in the fridge for a bit before serving. Serve with: We had this with sautéed chicken and a simple salad. Ingredients (for 2): 2 Zucchini (keep the peels) approx. 1 to 2 cups of yogurt (I recommend that you use one with a medium-thick consistency--I used half thin...

read more

Stingless bees can mummify beetles in resin!...

Jan 9, 2010 by

Stingless bees can mummify beetles in resin!

Yet another reason why bees are awesome: They can mummify beetles. Of course, we're not talking about honeybees here, but I am inspired by ALL bees, no matter what kind. So, apparently this happens in Australian stingless bees, a species called Trigona carbonaria. Scientists placed a bunch of small hive beetles outside a laboratory hive of stingless bees. If the beetles made it past the guard bees, a group of bees in the hive attacked the beetles and coated them with a mixture of resin, mud, and wax. How long does the mummification take? Just about ten minutes. Beat that, Egyptians. The only time researchers saw this method fail was when temperatures rose above 40 Celsius and the resin didn't set. But other than that? Fool proof. Other bees use this method as well,...

read more