A California Girl in Italy...forever??

The Secret...to happiness

2010-01-23T21:40:00.004+01:00

In September my Grandma insisted on giving me her book of "The Secret". I started reading it as soon as I got back to Italy and for about a month I couldn't stop smiling. When I started reading it the first time I was in a bad place, relatively speaking, with where I was living, I felt powerless in a lot of situations of my life and reading this magical book changed my life. Granted I haven't quite got the hang of it, not 100% at least, but I have seen some amazing changes-moved into a house with my boyfriend of 5 years, positive progress in my job and waiting for more good news! Anyway, today I am just seeing all over the push to be happy-appreciate what you have and be happy for it-and my heart is just overwhelmed with feelings of happiness and gratitude and I just wanted to share that with all of you and remind you to be appreciative, thankful and happy for all that you have.

Share the love you have inside of you with the world!

58(corrected-62 or so!!)...where does that put me on the foodie scale??

2009-07-16T20:43:00.004+02:00

I found this fun fun quiz on The Gourmet Girl Magazine's blog. Copy and paste the following list putting anything you've tried in bold. It's supposed to tell you where you are between foodie and gourmet foodie...I didn't think I'd have tried so many, but I must say there are also churros and french fries on the list! I added a few comments and asterisks on the ones I haven't tried but would like to... comment me and let me know where YOU fall.
1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie* I don't know what this is, but I bet it's good
3. Tofu
4. Haggis*
5. Mangosteen*
6. Creme brulee - maybe my favorite dessert ever
7. Fondue - my mom has a fantastic recipe for shrimp fondue...yum, I'll have to post it in winter time
8. Marmite/Vegemite -not good
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (this was an update, I've eaten it, but didn't know what it was called, now that's adventurous!
15. Taco from a street cart (This was so added by Anthony Bourdain)
16. Boba Tea (a.k.a. Bubble Tea)-Thanks to my very chic SD roommate, love you Nattie, muah!
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine (Elderberry, etc)
19. Gyoza (this is an add too, potstickers people!)
20. Vanilla ice cream - homemade no less
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish*
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper*
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl -a Central Coast staple!
33. Mango lassi *
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float - wow, I haven't had one of these in a long time
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Lasagna - my mother-in-law's is the best
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Caviar -It's a repeat I know, but I didn't write the quiz...
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwaffle *
47. Samosas - the veggei ones are the best
48. Sushi - every chance I get
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed/Wakame
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Crepes
54. Squid or Octopus
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple or Spam
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Lo Mein
63. Bangers & Mash
64. Curry
65. Sea Urchin-fresh out of the shell, fresh, salty, delicious
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake -seriously?
68. Adzuki beans
69. Fried plantain*
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe *
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can -again...seriously?
76. Pomegranate
77. Potato Knishes*
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy - classic comfort food
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup*
82. Something made with squid ink
83. Tings
84. Frogs Legs
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup - the first time I tasted this I was very sorry I was not born with a Jewish grandmother...warm goodness, mmmm.
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi *
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Wild Game, such as Ostrich, Venison, Elk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain
100. Raw cookie dough

Foodies and buzzes and...kamikazes? Oh my!

2009-07-15T23:09:00.002+02:00

Okay, so I have recently come to realize that there is a world of food blogs, websites, forums and recipes out there that I had NO idea existed! How do you all do it? I mean, keeping up with all these websites and discovering new ones every day. I would honestly have to cook around the clock for the rest of my life to try all the fantastic and yummy looking recipes I've come across just in the past few days.

Some of my favorites have been from http://www.epicurious.com/, including the Carnitas Tacos, New England Clam Chowder and Crab Cakes from there 80 recipes series. Another is a fantastic looking recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits from The Hungry Mouse (there is also a great recipe for french fries being featured on her site that I can't wait to try for my honey!).

In any case, I am very excited and sorry I have to "waste" all this time working and am not able to jump right into these great recipes. For now I'll have to consider it eye candy...

Sorry!!! Scusate!!!

2009-06-13T08:58:00.001+02:00

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

2009-06-10T20:48:00.008+02:00

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

2009-06-07T22:17:00.002+02:00

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)

2009-03-01T17:50:00.003+01:00

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

2009-02-26T08:46:00.003+01:00

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...

2009-02-20T18:27:00.003+01:00

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

2009-01-12T21:30:00.003+01:00

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...

HOME

2009-01-12T21:21:00.003+01:00

So after three weeks at home I have found myself asking more than once why I moved...I mean how gorgeous is this!! I know, I know, normal life happening in one of the most amazing cultural cities in the world. That's pretty awesome too, but no riding on the beach here...UFFA!
PS. Happy New Year everyone! It's going to be a good one, I can feel it!

Crazy weather!

2008-12-11T09:15:00.003+01:00

Last night felt like the end of the world! Seriously! I have never seen storms like this one after the other-wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightning that shook the top floor of our apartment building (I know first hand since that's where we live). Crazy!
Then the cherry on top of the very wet cake was to wake up to a flood in the kitchen-how do you have a flood on the top floor do you ask? Well, our cooking area has these vents, which due to the genius of Italian engineering, don't close, so when it rains the rain comes in and I feel like Winnie the Pooh in the movie where him and Piglet are floating down the river on the tree trunk...Anyway, after cleaning up the flood I got to go out in it! And here is where we come to the real point of this entry-

How is it possible for a European capital city to enter into a panic when it rains? Flooding, trees down, car accidents etc. etc. etc. People can't get to work, can't drive their cars, because the flooding causes the engines to get wet and stall. It's incredible. I'm wondering if other cities have this problem, and if they don't do their civil engineers want to come clean up our mess??? I expect something like this in San Diego or the desert where it never rains, but not in Rome.

Why I'm here.

2008-11-25T18:34:00.002+01:00

Sometimes in our lives we need little reminders about why we have made certain choices, especially in these times when not only our world, but our personal lives may seem to be in a tail spin, or just aren't working out quite as we imagined they would.
I had one of these reminders yesterday as I was settling into bed next to my boyfriend, snuggling in may actually be more appropriate as my position is generally cuddled up to his side with my hand rested on his chest, and all of a sudden this peace came over me.
After a chaotic day, at the beginning of a chaotic week in a chaotic month it was just the thing I needed. Since I've been here he's always been like that for me. A port in the storm, a shoulder to cry on and a warm body to snuggle up to on a cold autumn night. And I remembered why, why I'm here, why I left my beautiful California home to live in the disorganization, inefficient, but hopelessly charming country we call Italy. For love of him, because anyone who can bring you complete peace and a feeling of safety when you are feeling completely lost is worth making that kind of sacrifice for.

Amatricana!

2008-11-16T10:27:00.002+01:00

On the up-side, I'm making amatriciana today. One of my favorite things to make. If you're interested, here's the recipe:

4 tbs olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 c diced bacon (pork cheek is actually better and more flavorful)
1/2 c white wine
2 cans diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 package spaghetti
romano cheese to top

Put a pot of water on a high fire. In a medium sized pan saute the diced onion with the olive oil until it's translucent. Add the bacon or pork cheek and saute until they are almost crispy. Add the wine and reduce. Add the diced tomatoes, salt (not too much since the bacon is already a bit salty) and pepper.
When the water is boiling add a small handful of coarse salt and the spaghetti. Cook until al dente or to the consistency you prefer. Drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce and mix. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot.

Enjoy!

What to do when you don't have a car.

2008-11-16T10:20:00.002+01:00

One of the biggest things I miss about Cali is having my car. To us I think a car is not only a necessity, but key to our independence.
Living in Rome having a car is almost insane. The traffic, the parking, the driving. It's worse than LA at rush hour...honestly! There's a huge difference between freeway traffic and city traffic, and I'd much rather have freeway traffic!
So, my point being that I feel a bit dependent, okay a lot dependent on my boyfriend for rides to do the grocery shopping, go anywhere off the beaten path, and today IKEA! I really, really want to go to IKEA, but Matteo is working, and then when he gets home there's the soccer game (Sunday's are almost exclusively reserved to sports, one of the few similarities with the States actually), so looks like I'm stuck! Suck!

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!! but a bit sad to be a Californian...

2008-11-06T18:40:00.004+01:00

and embarrased to be living in Italy, where the respect for the leader of another nation doesn't last even 3 days.

Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, has had the great audacity (probably closer to stupidity) to insult our new president. "Good, handsome and tanned." Are you kidding me? It's as if he has no filter between his brain and his vocal chords. I think it's a very good indication of the state of a nation when it's highest elected official thinks no consequences will come from the words he uses...and in effect none do. Nothing more than profuse apologies from the opposition were heard. As for Mr. Berlusconi, some more kind words for the journalists who published his blunder, and who are apparently "imbeciles." Maybe he thinks he's still singing on a cruise ship, but harsh words and reprimand should come from more than just the opposition.

In any case, getting back to being disappointed to be a Californian...aren't we supposed to be the most forward looking state? The state of the first smoking bans, green laws and such. Apparently we aren't the state of freedom and tolerance I thought. I am of course talking about prop 8. It just seems to me that in this day and age no one has the right to determine what constitutes a family. Why put limits on marriage? We have pushed the boundaries on so many levels and about so many issues and yet marriage is a limit people don't want to push. Why? What change does it make in people's lives REALLY, except those people fighting for their rights? Are gay couples less capable of love? No. Anyone who thinks so is seriously mistaken and short sighted.

4 Years and Holding

2008-10-15T14:06:00.007+02:00

Four years ago, as a naive 22 year old who believed herself to be a bit jaded and totally mature, I took off for Italy on what I had thought was going to be a year long experience of English teaching, sight seeing, life (and resume) enhancement...

Well, the English teaching and life enhancement turned out to be true, the sight seeing a bit less than I had planned, and the experience as a whole has lasted far longer than I originally thought it would. Three years longer to be exact. And in that time I have learned to further love and hate Italians and Italian life, learning more than I thought possible about life itself and what exactly it is that I want from it.

Going back a few steps, my love affair with Italy and all things related to the "Bel Paese" really began in 1999, though it's roots were growing years before. My great grandmother's family had immigrated to America in the 1860's just around the unification of Italy and settled in Globe, AZ, which ended up being a transplant of most of her families small mountain village in Piemonte. My grandpa grew up speaking English, Piemontese and even a little Mexican, but the strongest thing, that rests still today in our family is the family closeness that comes with being from Italian origin. It's something in your blood, that holds onto your heart and refuses to let it go. That hold squeezed a little tighter when I was sixteen and I decided I wanted to see where my family came from, what being Italian was all about and feel a little closer to the great grandmother (who they say was an absolute pistol) I never really got to know.

I decided to go abroad my senior year of high school, leaving my life, family, friends and boyfriend far behind. It was only 10 months, but it felt like I was leaving for 10 years. My family was shocked my dad was even considering allowing me to go, but I think he knew in his heart it was something I had to do in order for me to start making a life for myself, based on my own decisions and my own desires. Something he had always taught me was my right. The year I spent away from my family was filled to the brim with learning-about the language, the culture the history and the people of Italy, but not only, because I also learned so much about myself. There are surely things I wish I hadn't done, and things I wish I had, but in the end every experience is something we can learn from and if given the choice I wouldn't change a single one. In any case, the 10 months literally flew by and soon it was time to go home and face reality and the rest of my life.

I chose to study Italian Studies, though nobody told me at the time that my degree, without a Masters or PhD after it would be absolutely useless, and continued to foster my love for a country that wasn't really mine. After graduating I decided to apply to grad school, but, since nobody is really interested in studying contemporary Italian life except for contemporary Italians I didn't get into the PhD program I really wanted and so I decided to come back to Italy for 1 year. And so here we are...four years later and holding on for dear life. How did I get here, and is it forever?