briciole

dalla finestra della cucina

from the kitchen window
[scorrete avanti per la versione in italiano]

The inspiration for this post is provided to me by Elga of Semi di Papavero (poppy seeds) Italian blogger and fellow Daring Baker, who a little while ago asked us to show what we see from our kitchen window.

Kitchen in Italian is cucina. The word comes from the late Latin cocina, a variant of coquina, from the verb coquere, to cook. From the same verb comes the Italian cuocere, to cook in the sense of applying heat to foods to prepare them for eating, as in cuocere la pasta. To describe the act of cooking in general, we use the verb cucinare, as in io cucino molto (I cook a lot).

Since we split our time between two places, I have two kitchens, a small one and a nice-sized one. The latter has two windows, both over the sink. The photo on the left shows how they look from the outside. The little green bushes on the right are part of my herb garden, which I started last year and of which I am very proud.

Looking through those windows is not very comfortable for a short person like me, because of the presence of the sink (lavello). The view will be better when we change the old windows, which are also hard to open. The following images were therefore taken behind the glass. First a look at my herb garden, with its parsley jungle.

Then a look at the Pacific Ocean, which, on this particular occasion, was living up to its name. It is not always as calm as it appears here.

Some days, like last Sunday, you can hear the ocean so you know it is there, but you can hardly see it, because of the fog. I actually spend more time at the stove (ai fornelli) than at the sink. There I have a white wall in front of me, which is definitely not worth photographing.

Hear me pronounce the words on the dalla finestra della cucina audio file [mp3] or go to the dalla finestra della cucina audio page for more listening options.

L'ispirazione per questo post mi è stata data da Elga di Semi di Papavero, una Daring Baker come me, che qualche tempo fa ha chiesto di mostrare quello che vediamo dalla finestra della cucina. Dal momento che dividiamo il nostro tempo tra due residenze, ho due cucine, una piccola e una più grande. Quest'ultima ha due finestre, entrambe sopra il lavello. La foto in alto a sinistra mostra le finestre viste da fuori. I cespugli in basso a destra fanno parte del mio giardinetto di erbe aromatiche che ho piantato l'anno scorso e del quale sono molto fiera.

Guardare fuori attraverso quelle finestre non risulta molto comodo per una persona non molto alta come me, per via del lavello. Il panorama migliorerà quando cambieremo le finestre, che tra l'altro non si aprono bene. Le foto le ho scattata dietro il vetro. Prima di tutto uno sguardo al giardinetto e alla giungla di prezzemolo. Poi uno sguardo all''Oceano Pacifico che per in questa occasione ha fatto onore al suo nome, ma non è sempre calmo come lo si vede qui.

Certi giorni, come domenica scorsa, l'oceano si sente ma non si vede, a causa della nebbia, un fenomeno particolare della costa californiana. La foto in basso a destra mostra la stessa veduta di prima, ma con la nebbbia. Certamente passo più tempo ai fornelli che al lavello. Lì ho davanti a me una parete bianca che decisamente non vale la pena fotografare.

pasta al burro e parmigiano

pasta with butter and parmigiano
(scorrete avanti per un sommario del post in italiano)

I grew up eating pasta for lunch almost every day. As a child, I looked forward to departures from the routine (which, in the case of pasta seasoning, was tomato and meat sauce): I looked forward to having pasta al burro e parmigiano. Arriving home after school, I would ask my mother: Cosa c'è per pranzo? (what's for lunch?) and the 'right' answer would bring a big smile on my face.

My preferred shape for pasta al burro e parmigiano is spaghetti, but any shape can be used. Pasta al burro e parmigiano can be made easily and quickly, if the ingredients are available: good quality pasta and unsalted butter and genuine parmigiano.

I know that other people in Italy have a soft spot for this kind of pasta. I have also met a young woman in this country who, thanks to an Italian baby-sitter, loves pasta al burro e parmigiano, which makes me think that the dish has a power across geographic boundaries. To me it has the power of skilled simplicity. When I decided to follow on my mother's steps and make pasta all'uovo (egg pasta), my first batch of fettuccine was made al burro e parmigiano.

To prepare pasta al burro e parmigiano for two, I bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and toss in it 1/3 lb of spaghetti or other dried pasta shape. While the pasta is cooking, I place one tablespoon of unsalted butter into each of two bowls, cut into 3-4 pieces. I also grate an ounce of parmigiano. I cook the pasta until it is al dente (firm to the bite), drain it, leaving a little of the cooking water clinging to it, and divide it equally into the two bowls with the butter. I start stirring immediately, so that the heat from the pasta melts the butter. At the same time, I sprinkle the grated parmigiano on it (also divided equally into two), and keep stirring until butter and cheese are evenly distributed. Immediate eating is required, as the dish is at its best when hot.

This is my contribution to Un Piatto di Potere (a dish of power), an event organized by Lenny of Una Finestra di Fronte. The idea is to talk about a dish that affected our lives. Here is the roundup of the event, presented as the table of contents of an anthology.

I loved pasta al burro e parmigiano as a child: eating it was an utter pleasure that has left one of the strongest memories of my childhood. The delight (in both smell and flavor) of this simple three-ingredient dish transcends the sum of its components.

Hear me pronounce the words on the pasta al burro e parmigiano audio file [mp3] or go to the pasta al burro e parmigiano audio page for more listening options.

Sono cresciuta mangiando pasta a pranzo quasi tutti i giorni. Da bambina non vedevo l'ora che mia madre facesse la pasta al burro e parmigiano. Per questo tipo di pasta io preferisco gli spaghetti, ma si possono usare altri tipi. La pasta al burro e parmigiano è facile e veloce da preparare, se si hanno gli ingredienti.

So che si sono altre persone in Italia che hanno un debole per questo tipo di pasta. Ho anche incontrato una giovane donna americana che, grazie ad una baby-sitter italiana, ama la pasta al burro e parmigiano, il che mi fa pensare che questo piatto ha un potere che va al di là dei confini geografici. Per me, questo piatto ha il potere della semplicità esperta.

Per due persone, io cuocio 150 g di pasta. In ognuno di due piatti fondi metto 15 g di burro, poi ci verso metà della pasta scolata lasciando su di essa un po' dell'acqua di cottura. Mentre mescolo, distribuisco il parmigiano, grattugiato di fresco (30 g, divisi tra le due porzioni di pasta). Quando burro e parmigiano sono ben distribuiti, servo la pasta, che va mangiata immediatamente. 

Questo è il mio contributo a Un Piatto di Potere, evento organizzato da Lenny di Una Finestra di Fronte. Il riassunto, presentato come l'indice di un'antologia, si trova qui.

Da bambina adoravo la pasta al burro e parmigiano: mangiarla era una delizia che ha lasciato un ricordo indelebile. La delizia di questo semplice piatto fatto di tre ingredienti trascende la somma delle sue parti.

mela

apple
I am not a breakfast person: when I get up, the first thing I crave is something hot and liquid, which translates into a cup of black tea, followed by another cup of black tea, followed, an hour or so later, by a cup of coffee made using my stovetop coffee maker. It is not until mid-morning that I turn my attention to something solid and that something has been, for more years than I can remember, una mela (an apple).

Una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno (an apple a day keeps the doctor away), you may remind me. The reason for my breakfast choice, however, is really my lifelong love for apples. It is certainly a great bonus that apples are good for my health. What has changed in the years is my favorite kind: that spot has been occupied for some time by the Mutsu apple. This time of the year it is not available in the stores, so I am currently breakfasting mostly with a Pinova apple and sometimes with a Golden Delicious. Just yesterday, I purchased some Ambrosia apples but have not yet tasted one.

So, here is the recipe for my apple-based breakfast. Take an organic apple of your liking and wash it carefully. Bite into it and savor the juicy morsel in your mouth. Chew slowly and concentrate on the texture and flavor. Repeat until you are left with just the core. Place it in your compost bin. Wait a few minutes, enjoying the apple's aftertaste, then cut yourself a small piece of excellent quality extra dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content) and break it into 2-3 morsels. Eat them in slow succession, savoring each one by letting it melt slowly in your mouth. Feel good.

Ricetta in italiano: colazione con la mela. Prendete una mela da coltivazione biologica e lavatela bene. Mangiatela a morsi, assaporando ogni pezzetto succoso che avete in bocca. Masticate lentamente e concentrate la vostra attenzione sul sapore. Ripetete fino a quando rimane solo il torsolo. Godetevi per qualche minuto il retrogusto della mela. Tagliate un piccolo pezzo di ottimo cioccolato amaro con almeno il 70% di cacao e spezzatelo in 2 o 3. Mangiate un pezzetto dopo l'altro, lasciandolo sciogliere lentamente in bocca per assaporarlo. Sentitevi ritemprati.

This is my contribution to the Una mela al giorno... event by rossdibi of Ma che ti sei mangiato... (but what did you eat). A year ago she had a mild stroke. Her event is a celebration of life with an attention to a diet that keeps us healthy. She asked bloggers to contribute a dish that, besides apples, features at least another ingredient from a list that includes black tea and dark chocolate. Here is the roundup.

Least I forget: after my apple and dark chocolate breakfast, I have another cup of black tea, called Black Chocolate Cream.

Hear me pronounce the words on the mela audio file [mp3] or go to the mela audio page for more listening options.

a volte basta un nonnulla

sometimes the slightest thing is enough
This Italian expression is not related to food, but it is the title of an image contest that Italian blogger Baol of vorrei essere un baol (I'd like to be a baol) launched a little while ago, and to which I am participating. The idea was to submit an original image (photo or drawing) inspired by the expression: a volte basta un nonnulla.

Since this is a context, there will be a winner, and also a second and third place. I am inviting you to visit the page where the entries are displayed, here, and to vote by expressing your preferences in a comment. Make sure you specify first, second and third before the number of the entry. If you simply list three entries, baol will interpret them as being preferences for third, second and first place, respectively, which may be the opposite of what you intended.

Each entry comes with a caption. My entry is number 30 (hint, hint, hint) and the caption says:

A volte basta un nonnulla, basta guardare con attenzione alle cose che abbiamo sempe davanti agli occhi per vedere le meraviglie del mondo

which means (with a slight dose of poetic license): sometimes the slightest thing is enough, it is enough to look with observant eyes at the things that are always in front of us to see the beauty of the world.

I realize that for non-Italian speakers it is not easy to interpret the combination image-caption: hence, I'll be more than happy to translate captions, if you let me know which one(s) interest you.

Hear me pronounce the words on the a volte basta un nonnulla audio file [mp3] or go to the a volte basta un nonnulla audio page for more listening options.

Edizione speciale: Novel Food #3

Special Edition: Announcing Novel Food #3

The culinary/literary event Lisa of Champaign Taste and I co-launched two seasons ago is back. Continuing what is becoming a special tradition, we are looking to find culinary inspiration in literary works. Hence, we are co-hosting the third edition of Novel Food.

In case you missed the previous editions of the event and you are wondering what it is about, you can read the roundups here and here (first edition), here and here (second edition). The roundups are also great sources of reading suggestions.

I will make this announcement short and just lay out the simple rules for participating in Novel Food #3:

1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a published literary work (novel, novella, short story, memoir).
2. Post it on your blog by Saturday March 22, 2008, 9 am (Pacific Time).
3. Send an e-mail to Lisa (webrina AT gmail DOT com) or to me (simosite AT mac DOT com) and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post.

Non-English submissions are fine. If possible, include an introduction in English.

Lisa and I will do a roundup soon afterward the deadline: it will be our special way of welcoming the spring/fall season (depending on which hemisphere you live).

Cartolina da Perugia: pinoccate

Postcard from Perugia: pinoccate
also called pinocchiate

A pinoccata (or pinocchiata) is a lozenge-shaped sweet made with zucchero e pinoli (sugar and pine nuts). Altrimenti detto (in other words), a pinoccata is pure indulgence. As you can see from the photo, pinoccate can be either white or brown (if cocoa powder is added to the two main ingredients). They are traditional Christmas sweets. When I was a child, my father, responsible party for the Holiday sweets' shopping, would by some for my mother, who loves them. I would take just a bite and did not need more, because pinoccate are intensely, intoxicatingly sweet. You can chew your mouthful or, like me, you can let the sugar melt in your mouth to leave behind a small cluster of tasty toasted pine nuts, whose flavor slowly emerges as the sugar wears off from your taste buds. 

Let me introduce you to one of the most important monuments of my home town: the Fontana Maggiore, a gorgeous fountain built in 1275-78 adorned with sculptures by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano (a father and son team). The building you can see behind the fountain is the city hall, Palazzo dei Priori, the first portion of which was built between 1293 and 1297. The entrance to the building is around the left corner, on Corso Vannucci. Perugia is actually much older than all that: the Etruscans started building massive walls around the city in the 6th century BCE.

This is a closer view of the door to the Sala dei Notari (go inside if you happen to visit: it is a beautiful, stately room) over which stand guard the two symbols of the city, il grifo e il leone (the griffin and the lion). These are reproductions: the original bronzes are kept in a museum. My higher than ground level vintage point was achieved by walking up the steps on the side of the cattedrale di San Lorenzo: in truth, this cathedral is not particularly striking from the outside, though this should not prevent you from going inside, a highly recommended move. There is much more to see in Perugia, but I will stop here for today.

From the steps of the cattedrale I will make a couple of announcements regarding special events.

• Menu for Hope 4: Chez Pim's event in support of the UN World Food Program is on, and I invite you to visit her web site and read about how you can participate in this great initiative.
• FreeRice: Novel Food co-host Lisa has posted about this entertaining way of donating grains of rice to the same program. I am scoring quite well in the game: how about you?
• Food Blog Awards 2007: It's nomination time over at the Well Fed Network site, in 14 categories. Until the end of Wednesday, you can nominate blogs in some or all of them. Then it will be time to vote on the five blogs chosen among the ones nominated in each category.
• Weekend Herb Blogging: Kalyn's brainchild has reached edition number 112 and this week I have the high honor of being the host.
• Last, but not least, Aspettando Natale/Waiting for Christmas: Francesca is hosting this bi-lingual Holiday event that is expected to collect a great selection of recipes. I am working on a special creation for the occasion.

Hear me pronounce the words on the pinoccate audio file  [mp3] or go to the pinoccate audio page for more listening options.

Edizione speciale: Novel Food #2

Special Edition: Announcing Novel Food #2

The culinary/literary event Lisa of Champaign Taste and I co-launched three months ago is back for the winter season. We would like to continue on the same path of finding culinary inspiration in literary works. Hence, we are co-hosting the second edition of Novel Food. For the occasion we are unveiling (fanfare, please) a fantastic logo, compliments of graphic wizard Keith (thank you!).

The debut edition was a lot of fun for all involved (hosts, participants and readers), which was, obviously, how we intended it to be. In case you missed it, you can read the two halves of the roundup here and here, which will also give you a sense of what this is all about. In the time of the year when gift-giving is particularly active, past and future entries for this event may be used as suggestions for presents (to be given or to be received) in the form of books or as suggestions for reading (or reading again) books that are already on our bookshelves.

Here are the simple rules for Novel Food:

1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a literary work.
2. Post it on your blog by Friday December 21, 2007, 9 am (Pacific Time).
3. Send an e-mail to either Lisa (webrina AT gmail DOT com) or myself (simosite AT mac DOT com) and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post.

We will do a roundup soon afterwards: it will be our special Holiday culinary/literary present.

Novel Food I: peperoni arrosto

roasted bell peppers
Several years ago, after I was already living in California, an Italian friend of mine suggested I read one of Camilleri's mysteries. I followed her advice, read La Forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) and fell in love with Camilleri's writing.

At the very beginning of chapter 10 of The Shape of Water, the first mystery Andrea Camilleri wrote that has inspector Salvo Montalbano as protagonist, our hero finds a generous portion of peperoni arrosto in the fridge and eating them has a regenerative effect on him. Adelina, the housekeeper, usually leaves food for Montalbano either in the fridge or in the oven, and he always welcomes what he finds with joy. If the weather permits it, he sets the table on the veranda, so he can eat while looking at, and listening to, the sea. After eating the peperoni arrosto, Montalbano is ready for his next move, a phone call to Ingrid Sjostrom, a Swedish woman married to a Sicilian man. The conversation that follows includes some embarrassing exchanges, but their relationship quickly recovers from the awkward start and in time it  evolves into a friendship that will help Montalbano not only in the current but also in future adventures.

Yesterday morning, as I arrived at the farmers' market, I was greeted by what you see on the photo. And that was just the beginning: stalls were overflowing with bell peppers of all colors, shapes and sizes. I bought four and roasted them: Montalbano would have approved. Following on Adelina's footsteps, I made a simple yet delicious dish, colorful and full of flavor, like a small piece of Sicily (which I will visit soon, though not the area where the Montalbano stories are set).

I roasted in the oven the four specimens I had put in my basket. Some people prefer to roast the peppers over a flame (I don't have a gas range, so I cannot use a flame). I roasted them at 375 F for about 40 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes. I placed the roasted peppers inside a paper bag until cool, then peeled them, removed the seeds and cut them into strips. I spread the strips on a plate, alternating the different colors. One thing Montalbano misses, since he is not a cook, is the smell of food as it is being prepared. I am sorry for him: I enjoy following the progress of what I am preparing with my nose, as well as with my eyes.

I minced 3 small cloves of garlic (tre spicchi d'aglio), together with a tablespoon of fresh origano¹ and two tablespoons of fresh parsley (prezzemolo) and distributed garlic and herbs over the peppers. I sprinkled some salt and freshly-ground black pepper and finally seasoned the whole dish with a thread of olive oil. I let the peperoni arrosto marinate for a couple of hours and served them for dinner, at room temperature. Salvo Montalbano was not a guest at our dinner table. I would be terrified at the prospect of cooking for such a buongustaio (gourmet). My husband and I enjoyed the peperoni arrosto while looking at, and listening to, the ocean.

This is my first entry for the Novel Food event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I are co-hosting.

¹ The seasoning for my peperoni arrosto is pretty standard. The addition of oregano was suggested to me by a recipe for this dish displayed on a site dedicated to Camilleri and his novels.

Hear me pronounce the words on the peperoni arrosto audio file [mp3] or go to the peperoni arrosto audio page for more listening options.

Edizione speciale: Novel Food

Special Edition: Announcing the Novel Food Event

In a recent article in the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik states that there are four kinds of food in books:

1. food that is served by an author to characters who are not expected to taste it;
2. food that is served by an author to characters in order to show who they are;
3. food that an author cooks for characters in order to eat it with them; and, last (and most recent),
4. food that an author cooks for characters but actually serves to the reader.

The whole article makes for a pleasant reading with plenty of examples of the different categories. We may or may not agree with Gopnik's classification, but we may have a dish that is associated in our mind with a novel.

In recent weeks Lisa of Champaign Taste and myself have been talking about food mentioned in the Montalbano novels and Lisa came up with the idea of launching a food in novels event. We are co-hosting it and look forward to hearing interesting literary and culinary stories.

Here are the rules for the event:

1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a novel.
2. Post it on your blog by midnight on September 21, 2007.
3. Send an e-mail to either Lisa (webrina AT gmail DOT com) or myself (simosite AT mac DOT com) and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a link to your post.

We will do a roundup the following weekend.