briciole

raccogliere i porri / harvesting leeks

pausing to take a photograph It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a cook in possession of a good taste, must be in want of leeks. My love affair with leeks is well known from previous proof. Harvesting them by myself (at Redwood Roots Farm) has deepened our close relationship. I brought the two leeks I had just harvested to the designated area and trimmed them. Then, I took off the gloves and took up the camera. peaceful end of the day I then went for a little walk. Looking at the water has always a calming effect on me. This... Read more →

Black and White Wednesday #107: la galleria di foto / the photo gallery

Many thanks to all who contributed their monochromatic images to edition #107 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. And a big thank you to Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook who created the event and to Cinzia of Cindystar who is now organizing it. Enjoy this week's show! Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once: Caffè Torino Cinzia of Cindystar: Proud cocks on my way Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums: Clair Obscur Pears Sanhita of Pocket full of Spices: Egg curry the remains of the meal Simona of briciole: After lunch As of today, Priya of The... Read more →

pane alla zucca con siero di latte / winter squash and whey bread

a beautiful bread As I was taking my seat at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley, one October evening in 2005, the man next to me warned me about the play that would soon start: “It’s all in Italian.” I thanked him with a smile and confessed I spoke the language. In fact, I had seen the same rendition of the play, Arlecchino servitore di due padroni (Servant of Two Masters), some years prior, when I was still living in Milan and could not miss the opportunity to enjoy it again. Supertitles helped the audience navigate the fast dialog spoken not only... Read more →

dopo pranzo / after lunch

the remains of the meal They came. They ate. They left. I passed by the table they had occupied and stopped. What did they talk about over their lunch? Did they laugh or spoke seriously? Did they enjoy the time they spent together? I don't know who they were. I just recorded what they left behind. This week, I have the honor of hosting Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and now organized by Cinzia of Cindystar. Send your contribution at simosite AT mac DOT com, namely your name your blog's... Read more →

pane d'orzo estone / Estonian soda bread

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] stone-ground barley flour Do you remember being told as a kid not to play with your food? I do. Back then, I played with foods I did not like: I had this idea that if I moved it around my plate long enough it would consume itself by friction and disappear. I was never allowed the time needed to prove the correctness of my theory. Now I "play" with food in a completely different way. I match ingredients following some intuition that the marriage will work, I learn techniques that challenge my... Read more →

pane cotto nel forno a legna / bread baked in a wood-fired oven

slices of bread goodness The moment when time stops for a bread baker is when he or she tastes the first slice. You hold the bread in your hands, you look at it closely and evaluate the crust, the crumb, the aroma. Finally, you savor the first morsel. At that point, you can complete your assessment of the result of your efforts. It's an emotional moment. peeking inside the oven The bread in the top photo was baked in the wood-fired oven above, at the San Francisco Baking Institute, a wonderland for bread and pastry makers. This is my contribution to... Read more →

ape al lavoro / busy bee

felicità (happiness) C’è un’ape che se posa su un bottone de rosa: lo succhia e se ne va... Tutto sommato, la felicità è una piccola cosa. [A bee lands on a rosebud: drinks from it, and flies away… All in all, happiness is a small thing.1] Seeing a bee on a flower always reminds me of Trilussa's famous poem, which reminds me that I can find happiness in small things, in simple things, in many things that I may overlook when I am not mindful. Trilussa (Carlo Alberto Salustri, 1871-1950) wrote poems in his native Roman dialect. A collection of them... Read more →

Black and White Wednesday #104: la galleria di foto / the photo gallery

Many thanks to all who illuminated my week by contributing their images to edition #104 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. And a big thank you to Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook who created the event and to Cinzia of Cindystar who is now organizing it. Enjoy this week's show! Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once: Aperitivo Sanhita of Pocket full of Spices: Pizza for Saturday Dinner Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu: Homemade light rye bread Suja of Sujas Kitchen: Savory Kuzhi Paniyaram Cinzia of Cindystar: Vintage Pressure Cooker Simona of briciole: Cauliflower As of today,... Read more →

insalata turca di carote con yogurt / Turkish carrot salad with yogurt

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] look to the rainbow Brilliant blueberry or reddish purple, bright orange, pale yellow or an ivory that, the first time I saw it, made me wonder whether I was looking at a parsnip that had smuggled itself into carrot-land: When I am in the mood for technicolor carrots, I know to which stall to direct my steps at the farmers' market. One recent Saturday, in the early morning sunlight cooled by wisps of coastal California fog, I picked up by the stems a bunch of carrots with their tops still intact. I... Read more →

cavolfiore / cauliflower

a jewel in its setting A dewy head of cauliflower nested in its crown of leaves is one of the prettiest vegetables on earth. This week, I have the honor of hosting Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and now organized by Cinzia of Cindystar. Send your contribution at simosite AT mac DOT com, namely your name your blog's name the image(s) (max 500 px wide, either orientation, max 150 kb file size) You have until Tuesday, November 5 at midnight Pacific time to do so. If you are unfamiliar with... Read more →