briciole

focaccia alle pere e rosmarino / pear and rosemary focaccia

putting the new pear crop to good use Last June, I realized a wish I had held in my heart for many years: I learned to row (remare). Upon hearing of my new activity, one of my neighbors lent me The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. She thought I would enjoy the book and she was right. It tells the true story of "nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Olympic Games." The book trailer gives you an idea of the main story. The book sets that story within its historical context (the Great... Read more →

Black and White Wednesday #144: la galleria di foto / the photo gallery

sunflowers, tomatoes and winter squash at LongHouse Another image from the recent LongHouse Food Revival 2014 in Rensselaerville (NY). Tall sunflowers and bright tomatoes speak of summer, while the winter squash on the right hints at fall. All together, they mean harvest and bounty, and invite us to be thankful. Enough musing for today: below are the images contributed to edition #144 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. Enjoy this week's show! Lauren of Lovely: Parkin (a gingerbread made with oatmeal) Aparna of Stories from the Mahe Coast: Paper Cakes from Malabar Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums:... Read more →

ultimo giorno dell'estate / last day of summer

Hubbard squash and cabbage in the garden of LongHouse Before we know it, it is the last day of summer. Fortunately, summer produce is still plentiful, so I can be in denial for a while longer. At the same time, winter squashes have made their appearance: hoarding season will start soon. I already have a couple of recipe ideas that I am eager to test. I took the photo last weekend at the LongHouse Food Revival 2014 in Rensselaerville (NY). I will talk more about this special event in an upcoming post. This week, I have the honor of hosting Black... Read more →

nodi (pasta fatta a mano) / knots (handmade pasta)

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] tied knots In Italian, to get married is sposarsi. We don't use the metaphorical expression "to tie the knot" (literally, fare un nodo). The current selection of our Cook the Books, A Thousand Days in Venice in which author Marlena de Blasi talks about her marriage to a Venetian man, brought to mind the expression. My passion for turning pasta dough into interesting shapes did the rest: I tried to tie pasta dough into small simple knots and the result was pleasing. Venezia is versatile, like pasta dough. You can personalize your... Read more →

pomodori semisecchi al forno / slow-roasted heirloom tomatoes

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] when life gives you heirloom tomatoes... An abundance of organic heirloom tomatoes is a great problem to have, but one that requires a speedy solution. you start with some of these beauties When I came back from our vacation between sea and sky, two CSA boxes were waiting for me, both rich in heirloom tomatoes clamoring for immediate consumption. gorgeous in black and white (Virginia Sweets in the foreground) I asked my oven for help. Heirloom tomatoes do not lend themselves to be prepared according to my recipe for passata. Therefore, I... Read more →

Annuncio / Announcement: Novel Food #22

I am hereby announcing a new edition of Novel Food, a culinary/literary event with a long history, going back to the fall of 2007. I am a bookworm and therefore this event is close to my heart as it brings together two of my passions. Every edition of Novel Food is a little voyage of literary discovery and also a delightful banquet made up of the literary-inspired dishes contributed by the event's participants. I hope you will join the party. I am looking forward to learning about a published literary work (a novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem, etc.) that... Read more →

crostata di pesche / peach tart

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] a splendid sun Through Neukom Family Farm, this summer life has been giving me a steady stream of peaches. As I eat them, I stash my sensory memory, so once the long peach-less months set in, I will close my eyes and take a large virtual bite, feel the juice flood my mouth and trickle down my hand, taste the sun in the soft flesh of the beloved sweet summer fruit. I roasted peaches and made our family's favorite frittata. I baked a good number of peach, berry and rhubarb cobbler. I... Read more →