Have you ever seen so many perfect dandelions in one place? I was tempted to get down on my hands and knees and just blow on them, but decided to leave this perfect picture just as it was. We were a few steps away from our charming agriturismo outside of Ferrara, but it felt like [...]
Archive for September, 2008
Walking Down A Country Lane
Posted in Italy, travel on September 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Vacation, All I Ever Wanted…
Posted in Italy, travel on September 29, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Who doesn’t love vacation? Well, I suppose there are workaholics that can’t bear to leave their desk, and others who take their laptops everywhere and insist on working on a daily basis no matter where they are. In case you’re wondering, that’s not me. I love to pack a bag, get on a plane and [...]
Cooking Up A Storm
Posted in cooking, food on September 27, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Cooking is what I do. I love it, everyone needs food and it’s fun for me. I’ve had a variety of jobs over the years involving cooking and I suppose you could say that I’m never happier than when I’m in the kitchen (unless I’m in a kitchen in Italy). I’ve had jobs in gourmet [...]
Mio Nonno (My Grandfather)
Posted in Calitri, Italy, family on September 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I have very vivid memories of my grandfather, although I didn’t know him very long. He died when I was only eleven. My grandfather, Lazzaro, left his family in Calitri, Italy and came to the USA at the age of eighteen. Like thousands of others before him, he traveled by boat-the SS Koenigen Luise-and [...]
Quick Visit To Rome?
Posted in Italy, travel on September 25, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I’m being tempted to pop over to Rome for an impromptu visit. While sipping my morning cappuccino and reading my daily dose of The Italian Notebook I saw that they are extending an invitation to their readers to help celebrate their one year anniversary. Of course you have to go to Italy to get in [...]
Fall Is In The Air
Posted in California, cooking, food on September 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Don’t you just love that little bit of coolness in the air when you wake up in the morning? It definitely signals the end of summer and the beginning of my favorite season-fall. I suppose more than the actual temperature, what really signals autumn to me is the change happening at the farmers’ markets. [...]
From The Pages Of-The Italian Country Table
Posted in Italy, cooking, food, recipe on September 23, 2008 | 6 Comments »
My Italian tutor is coming to my house for my lesson today and I decided it would be fitting for me to make an Italian cake to have with coffee. Most Italian baked goods aren’t incredibly sweet and I wanted to make sure that what ever I baked would be appealing to P. Personally, nothing [...]
Wandering Through Deruta
Posted in Italy, travel on September 22, 2008 | 4 Comments »
When I first realized that we would be spending time in Umbria I knew we had to visit either Gubbio or Deruta, if not both. Both of these towns are known for the gorgeous ceramics. I am addicted to ceramica (ceramics) especially those of the Italian variety and I always know that I will be [...]
The Pleasures Of Fennel
Posted in cooking, food, recipe on September 20, 2008 | 3 Comments »
I have a clear vision of the first time that I tasted roasted fennel. I was sitting in the classroom of a cooking school in Santa Barbara attending a class given by the woman I credit for giving me the foundation for being a serious cook-Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It had been about fifteen years since [...]
Recipe Heaven
Posted in cooking, food, recipe on September 19, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Do you have a recipe that you just love? I have the hugest collection, spilling out from files and folders, baskets and books. I started collecting them in high school when I first started to cooking to please my friends. Every week I would scour the local food sections and clip out everything that sounded [...]
