My Melange

Panzanella

If you are like me, you love bread.  I mean reeeeally love bread.  And I don't mean soggy old Wonder Bread either.  I am talking about homemade artisan breads like Ciabatta, Peasant Bread, Boules and French Baguettes. 

A loaf of these delicious breads runs about four bucks and since there is only two of us, it is no surprise that is turns stale before we can use it up and there are only so many batches of bread crumbs a girl can make!

I hate wasting food, so I turn to the Italians, specifically the Tuscans, who wrote the book on how to make use of everything you have.  You know, stretch that almighty Euro.  Even stale bread. 

In the winter, the best way to use up stale bread is to make a ribollita.  But since I can't even think about making a hot, heavy soup in the heat of the summer, I'll turn to the best summer recipe I know.

Panzanella.

This one is so simple, but yet I have seen many different recipes for it.  I do not put cucumbers in mine, but you can if you like.  I also prefer large chunks of bread and tomatoes, even though the traditional recipe states to cube the bread and tomatoes into small 1 inch pieces.  But it is all about personal preference.

No exact measurements for this one, as I think it is one of those throw it all together and season to your taste recipes.  Which is another reason I love it!

Panzanella

stale unsalted artisan bread, cut into chunks
tomatoes
red onion
fresh basil
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Soak the bread in some water for about 10 minutes-longer if the bread is really stale.  Squeeze out excess water.  Put into a bowl.  Chop tomatoes and onion and add to the bread.  Liberally drizzle with oil.  Splash in a few dashes of the vinegar.  Add the roughly chopped basil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Gently toss and let the flavors mingle a while before serving.

Buon Appetito!

Cherry Almond Crostata

I love making a crostata.  I love eating them even more.  They are Italian baked dessert tarts, much less fussy and perfect looking than a tart or a pie.  The rustic, rough shaped finished product looks homemade with human hands, rather than the perfect, glossy tart and that in and of itself warms my heart. 

And as a bonus, you don't have any extra pan to clean.

So last week, when I spotted fresh cherries at the farmers market, I knew what I had to do.

This recipe is adapted from several different recipes from Barefoot Contessa, Victoria Magazine and Taste of Italy Magazine, with my own little touches thrown in.

Cherry Almond Crostata

For the pastry (makes 2):

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pound very cold unsalted butter, diced
dash of almond extract

For the Almond Frangipane:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg

For the filling, topping

4 to 5 cups fresh cherries, pitted, halved
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
1/4 sliced almonds
sugar for sprinkling

For the pastry, place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse to combine.  And butter and hand toss to coat with flour mixture. 

Pulse 12-15 times until the butter is pea-sized.  With the processor running, add 1/4 cup ice water mixed with the almond extract, all at once from the feed tube.  Keep pulsing to combine, stop the machine before the dough comes together. 

Turn the tough out onto a floured board and form 2 disks.  Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate one for at least 1 hour.  The other goes in the freezer (unless you are feeling hungry and want to make 2).

While the dough is chilling, make the frangipane.  Blend the almonds and sugar in the food processor.  Cut the butter into cubes add to the nut mixture and pulse to combine.

Add egg and pulse until completed combined, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a sealed container and freeze for 1 hour.

Now prep the cherries; pit and cut them in half and place them into a large bowl.  Add the cornstarch and gently fold to combine.  Set aside.

When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 425*, take the dough from the fridge and roll out onto a piece of parchment paper placed on a board into an 11 inch round.  Transfer dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.

Remove frangipane from the freezer.  Scoop 1/4 cup of the almond frangipane into the center of the dough.  Top with cherries, spreading them evenly over the dough, leaving about a 2 inch border.

Fold up edges up over the sides and pinch to keep in place.  Lightly beat the egg and brush over crust top.  Sprinkle the almonds over the cherries, then sprinkle the entire surface with sugar.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool for about 20 minutes. 

Cut and serve alone or with whipped cream, marscapone cheese or your favorite ice cream!

Of course you can substitite any fruit or nut combination, depending on what is in season. Apple & Walnut, Peach & Pecan, Raspberry & Pistachio. 

What is your favorite to make?

A Sunday Apéritif

The French call it apéritif, the Italians call it aperitivo.  Whatever it's called, I'm a huge fan and I 'm always on board!

Derived from the Latin verb, apirire, it literally means to *open the palate*.  It refers to the hour or two before dinner, where you can enjoy a small nosh or nibble of finger food, with alcohol, prior to the big meal. 

On occassion, depending what is on offer, apéritif can replace the large meal. Like in the heat of summer, when just the thought of cooking a big meal in my postage-stamp size kitchen, makes beads of sweat appear upon my forehead.

No thanks!

Today happened to be one of those days.  Plus, it's a lazy Sunday.  An apéritif was in order.

I am pretty familiar with the types of foods both cultures typically serve for apéritif, many of which are always on hand a casa. 

Part of the fun is having an imagination about what you would like to serve and combining that with what you have on hand.  It's a perfetto time to use leftovers, or items that you only have a few morsels of.

A common French drink, especially in the South of France, for apéritif, is Pastis.  An herbal anise drink which is usually diluted with water in a tall glass.  It is different from Absinthe, but closely related.

Italians will drink campari, prosecco or maybe even a bellini.   In recent years, wine has become an acceptable alternative to the classic campari and soda.

Today our apéritif consisted of:

* almonds

* olive

* vine ripened tomotoes dressed in olive oil, sea salt, pepper and fresh torn basil

* marinated cippolini onions

* toasted Italian bread, drizzled with olive oil and fresh rosemary from our garden

* Italian sweet summer sausage

* fresh local cheese- one cow's milk, one goat's milk

* a honeycomb

And to wash it all down, a chilled, crisp Sicilian vino bianco. 

Now, the one thing I didn't have on hand that is always on my table for apéritif, are sweet baby gherkins.  Cornichons are very much a French classic, but I prefer sweet to sour.

Other popular alternatives for noshing are pistachios, potato chips, grilled veggies like eggplant or zucchini, marinated favorites like mushrooms and artichokes, prosciutto and melone and whatever fruit is in season, such as figs, cherries or strawberries. 

I have admittedly read way too many memoirs containing story upon story of apéritif in the French Countryside and aperitivo in its Italian counterpart.  Each tale filled with deliciously prepared food of the season, friends and family gathered around the old wooden communal table dressed in white linen and placed under the afternoon shade of the nearest olive or fruit tree, sharing stories, clinking glasses of continuously topped-off wine until dinner arrives and it's all repeated well into the wee hours of the night.

Oh, what I would not give to be a part of that.

But today, myself and my vivid imagination were joined by Chris and Madison as we sat on the covered front porch, surrounded by fresh herbs, flowering plants, garden statuary and antique urns, and we enjoyed our Sunday apéritif. 

As I was daydreaming of taking an apéritif with friends in France, the clouds moved overhead and rain began to fall, gently, from the sky. 

Without missing a beat, Chris and I looked at one another as he said, "Now it really feels like Paris."

I guess I am not the only one with an imagination!

What are your favorite things to eat for apéritif/aperitivo?  What about to drink?  What stories do you have to share?

Italian Arch-itecture

 
Click on the thumbnails to see a larger picture.

There is something about European Architecture.  All those curved lines are much prettier and softer than severe right angles.  We have curved archways here in the US, but certainly not of the same grandeur that Europe does.  Come to think of it, the word arch appears in architecture.  I wonder if there is a connection?

Oggi, I decided to share some of my favorite photos of arches in Italy.  Domani, I 'll give you a peek at some of my French favorites.

Which one is your favorite?

Harry's in Venice takes pity on Poor Americans

photo courtesy of Cipriani.com

Well, we are all feeling the pinch at the pump and the housing slump.  The weak dollar (at an all time low) has negatively impacted my travel plans to Europe this year.  Italy and France, as well as the rest of Europe count on American tourism to boost their economy, so it is inevitable that with our economy tanking of late, that the effects on our economy will be felt in Europe as well.

But, you know it is bad when the famous Harry's Bar in Venice, is offering a discount to Poor Americans. According to Reuters, the owner said there has been a noticeable drop in American customers since January, and April is not looking any better.  He hopes to boost some business by offering Americans a 20% discount off all items on the menu.  The discount does not apply to just drinks at the bar.

That may be a great offer, but honestly, if the major portion of the trip is the cost for the outrageous airfare and hotel, which have gone up so much that travelers can't even afford to step onto the plane, I doubt if this discount will entice you to book that European vacation.

On the other hand, if your trip is already planned or you are currently wandering around the Piazza San Marco in Venice.....you may want to head right over to Harry's and announce to the staff, "Please sir, I am a poor American".  You may be able to enjoy a meal in a historic location, where the legendary Hemingway did, at 20% off.  Or you can just buy the cookbook.

But you'd better act fast....there is no telling when this special offer expires!!

Harry's Bar
San Marco 1323
30124 Venezia
041.5285777

Arno River, Florence

                                                                                                                 The Arno River, Florence

The Arno is a river in Tuscany, Italy.  The river begins in the Apennines mountains and flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa.  The Arno runs through Firenze (Florence) and is both the largest and most important river in the region, at 149 miles in length.

The Arno has flooded many times over the years, the most famous and recent flood taking place in November 1966.  You can learn more here and see some pictures of the event here and here. Forty people lost their lives that day and equally important, millions of antique rare books and works of art were destroyed as well.  Even the Duomo flooded and the famous bronze Baptistry doors were damaged.  Since that time, some damns have been built to help avoid further flooding.

The flow of the Arno can be very irregular.  It is reported that it can go from almost dry to flooding conditions in just a few days.  Though, the day we were there, the water was pretty calm as the crew team was practicing right on the river. 

Hmm, maybe that Italian passion for life, art and culture in Florence can flow right into the river and influence the river's conditions?  Sounds plausible.

The Ponte Vecchio, or the Old Bridge, is a Medieval bridge that crosses the Arno in Florence.  The bridge was constructed of wood by Romans, but a flood in the 1300's destroyed it, so it was rebuilt using stone, which proved to stand the test of time.

This unique bridge is lined with old buildings that were originally inhabited by butchers. The butchers have come and gone and now jewelery, art and souvenir shops occupy the shops.

So, if you find yourself in Florence, make sure you go for a little passeggiata across the Ponte Vecchio, drink in the view of the Arno at sunset, buy yourself a little Italian gold bauble, and don't forget to to treat yourself to a scoop of all that's good and holy (yeah, the stuff is that good) at the gelateria at the end of the bridge.

 

Italian Cinema

One of the ways we are trying to get more practice with the Italian language is renting and watching Italian movies.  We have seen three in the last few weeks, and not only did we have fun picking out some words that we knew, but we thoroughly enjoyed the movies.  Uh, we also learned that we won't be speaking and understanding any Italian locals for quite some time.  *Sigh*

So, I would like to share those movies with you. 

Add them to your Netflix queue or run out to your local video store to rent them.  Or, if you want to add them to your DVD collection, click on the links below to purchase them through Amazon.

I loved all three movies.  Each has it's own unique message of love, of inspiration, of destiny.  Each one can make you cry...but for very different reasons.  I had seen Life is Beautiful before, but I can watch that movie over and over and fall in love with it again and again each time I see it.  That one is certainly my favorite of all three.  That Roberto Benigni is some genius!  It is no wonder he and the film won the Academy Award some ten years ago.

Have you seen any of these movies?  What did you think?  Do you like any of them so much, that you had to own it?  Do you have any other Italian movies that you'd recommend to me?

   

The Colors of Italy

I love all of the different colors of Italy.  Granted, in the spring and summer months, the colors are more vibrant, as the sun is shining and the skies are blue.  So is the water...

The terracotta tiles have a warm glow..

The grass and the vines are so very green...

Red shows up just about everywhere... facades, poppies and the ubiquitous geraniums.

And how can I forget the peach and ocher hued case and pallazzi.

Though it may not be a bright color, don't count out gray.  The stone and marble, weathered over time, always tell a good story. They are a solid part of Italian history...

And metallic always make a showy appearance.  Like the bronze doors on the Duomo in Florence.

And if you think that is impressive, look at the inside of the dome...

Ah, the colors of Italy. How can one resist?  What are the favorite colors in your Italy?

Discovering Venice

One of the things that makes Venice so unique, other than that it is a city built on water is the lack of car noise.  No roads, no cars, no horns, no screeching tires.  Just the clip-clop of heels and toes against the old cobblestones.  Venice is a city to explore on foot.  To meander the mazes of calle.  And to get lost in the alleys.  Yes, many a calle is mistakenly navigated, only to wind up at an impasse.  No bridge to cross, no corner to turn.  Only the possibility of retracing your steps, searching for another option, and...getting stuck yet again.   Or taking a dunk in the water.

And since Venice is made up of 117 little islands, those ubiquitous little  footbridges are a means of connecting the dots and allowing you to get around on foot, crossing the more than 150 canals, without relying on public canal transportation.

Venice has more than 400 bridges.  Some, which are famous, like the Accademia and the Rialto bridges on the Grand Canal. 

And while beautiful and well traveled, I prefer finding the small, unusual, unknown, tiny foot bridges that don't appear on any map.  Some have iron railings, others do not.  Many offer views of Venetian laundry hanging against chipped ocher hued palazzos.

On others, you can stand, gaze down and watch two lovebirds glide underneath in their gondola, looking as smitten as if it were a real tunnel of love.

It is the very process of trying to get somewhere by way of map, and giving up, no longer caring about the map or the destination, but only the journey, that lets you discover and fall in love with Venice.  The real Venice.  You suddenly abandon your travel *to-do*list, in favor of the unknown. 

It becomes fun to explore, to see where the calle and bridges will carry you.  Although, I must admit that *fun* was not the four-letter *F*-word I was uttering on my first trip to Venice as I traversed many of said footbridges on my way from the San Marco Square to our B&B on the Campo San Maurizio, with heavy luggage in tow. No, that was a very different *F*-word entirely.  Funny, those map makers always fail to point out how many bridges and how many steps these bridges have, on the map.  It felt like a thousand that day.  Especially after an entire day of travel.  That experience alone motivated me to become a Carry-on Traveler!

It didn't change my mind about Venice,  though.  I don't think anything ever could.

Where have you gotten lost?  What did you find?  What kind of traveler are you?  Do you stick to the plan, or do you throw caution to the wind and see where life takes you?

 

Panettone: An Italian Holiday Tradition

picture courtesy of Paluani.it

When I first saw Panettone, I thought it was that ubiquitous fruitcake that you see around the Holidays.  You know, the dense brick of a log that everyone hates, but gets as a gift...and re-gifts it on down the line until they find someone who either actually likes it, or until it becomes so hard someone decides to be creative and use it as a Holiday doorstop.  Yeah, that fruitcake.  But panettone, is better.  Way better.  I saw Giada make French Toast out of it {recipe to follow in tomorrow's post} and I was hooked!  I shoulda figured that anything shaped like a chef's hat, should be a darn good treat.

Panettone is a traditional Italian bread, dare I say Christmas Bread, eaten during the Holiday Season.  Though it originated in Milan, it has become more popular in Central and Southern Italy. It can be eaten for breakfast with a big schmere of marscapone cheese.  Or enjoyed after dinner with a little Marsala wine.  *mouth watering*  I like it toasted with a little butter.  Honestly, I love it so much that you could probably rub it in the dirt and run it over with the car a few times...and I would still eat it.  Moaning and groaning in my enjoyment of it the entire time.  It's that damned good!

There are several anecdotal legends floating around that describe how the bread was discovered and named.  They are probably untrue, but they read well and are cute tales none-the-less, so I will share.

Story numero uno:  A 15th century legend from Milan states Atellani created the bread when he fell in love with the daughter of a poor baker named Toni.  Atellani, disguising himself as a baker, created the dough and added lots of fruits to make the bread richer, thereby impressing the girls father.  The Duke of Milan, gave his blessing and a marriage took place, in the presence of Da Vinci, and the new bread was then aptly named, Toni's bread, or Pane del Ton.

Story numero due: This one hails from the court in Milan.  During Christmas one year, the court cook had no dessert to serve.  A kitchen boy whipped up a sweet bread and everyone raved about it!  The cook did not take the credit, but rather gave it to the boy, whose name was of course, Toni.  And the bread was named after him. 

Some of the more popular names that we see here that make it are Perugina and Bauli. 

So, next time your mulling over that fruit cake in the supermarket, thinking it might the perfect gift for a neighbor, think again. Envision this: In true Christmas Vacation fashion, that very dense fruitcake might be lobbed in a fit of rage from the neighbors porch next door, loudly crashing through the dining room window, sending shards of broken glass flying through the air, some landing in the homemade gravy, others piercing the skin of that perfectly cooked turkey, while the whole family is gathered round the perfectly set Holiday table in the middle of saying grace.

Buy a panettone instead, for the window and ensuing debacle you save may be your own.