briciole

scone alle fragole / strawberry scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] not your typical strawberry scones In The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather, the current selection of our Cook the Books Club, the author tells the story of how she built a new life for herself in a lakeside cabin in Michigan after back-to-back divorce and lay-off. Following the seasons of one year, she describes her food sources, meal plans and preservation efforts, and provides some recipes. I already do a fair amount of food preservation in the form of freezing and fruit preserves. I also bake bread, make cheese, kefir and broth.... Read more →

Q come Quarkkeulchen / Q like Quarkkeulchen

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] highway to the sky One morning in early March, a good number of years ago, I boarded a train at Milan's Stazione Centrale. After crossing the border, the train glided across Switzerland, breaking the silence of meadows and woods sleeping peacefully under a thick blanket of snow. After the sun set, it became more difficult to follow the progress of my journey and I settled with my book. Around 10 pm, the train arrived at Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof) and I got off. The brisk air carried the memory of recent... Read more →

mela al cartoccio salata / savory apple baked in puff pastry

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] not the typical apple baked in puff pastry Well-demarcated in both time and space, the novel Going to Solace by Amanda McTigue is expansive in the varied cast of characters and rich array of themes it presents: It's Thanksgiving week, 1989. We're in Big Piney and Little Piney, two hollows near the town of Garnet in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A handful of mismatched folks - some country people, some far-flung, fancy people - discover they have one thing in common: someone they know is sick, real sick, dying sick. Their paths... Read more →

pesche a colazione / a peachy breakfast

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] rye berries Rye berries (chicchi di segale) are pretty. I discovered that a while ago, when I got a package of them as part of my monthly grain CSA share. I cooked them as I usually do hulled barley (dry toasting then boiling), then used them in this dish, and we liked the result. A friend lent me her grain flaker while she was away and I enjoyed using it with various grains. You put the grains into the hopper and turn the handle which makes the rollers turn and flatten the... Read more →

pane di mais con mirtilli / blueberry cornbread

blueberry cornbread for breakfast Please, help yourself to a square of the moist, golden cornbread punctuated with juicy blueberries that I just cut. It's light and substantial at the same time, lightly sweetened and rich in flavor. After partaking of this sunny bread, follow me as I introduce you to a beloved author and one of his novels. Years ago, during one of my usual bookstore browsing adventures, I picked up a slim volume: The Warden (1855) by Anthony Trollope (1815-1882). It was the first book I read by the famous novelist from the Victorian era and the beginning of a... Read more →

scone alla ricotta con semi di papavero / ricotta scones with poppy seeds

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] poppy seeds and pod You get up and reach the kitchen in that half-clouded state where the battle between the wish to sleep and the need to wake up is waged. The smell of something baking is, together with the smell of espresso, the best invitation to alertness you can receive at this point in your day, especially if the baked goods are scones. You smell something slightly buttery and crisp. A bite brings you past the crispness to reach the soft heart with its hint of citrus, the delicate pop of... Read more →

scone zucca e zenzero con curry / curried pumpkin and ginger scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] just baked Biting on one of these scones brings a pleasant surprise (sorpresa). The combination of curry, candied ginger (zenzero candito), browned butter (burro nocciola), and roasted pumpkin in the background, with just enough sweetness to round all the flavors tickles and satisfies. I have lost track of how many times I have baked these scones, but I know that the last time was yesterday morning. If you have the ingredients ready, you can mix them while the oven heats up and then you are only 15 minutes away from a satisfactory... Read more →

lassi alla fragola / strawberry lassi

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] strawberry lassi made with kefir Having a steady supply of homemade kefir means being able to experiment with it on the spur of the moment. My husband likes Indian food and when he eats at an Indian restaurant, he always orders a mango lassi, so it was not difficult to choose that fruit flavor for my first try at using kefir to make the beverage. But then, of course, I had to invent something different. You may remember from last year (and if you don't, I'll remind you right now) that I... Read more →

yogurt a colazione / yogurt for breakfast

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] yogurt, pear and pistachios Breakfast option #1: homemade plain, non-fat yogurt, diced baked pear (pera), chopped toasted pistachios (pistacchi). My husband does not use any sweetener. Sometimes I add toasted pecans instead of pistachios. To prepare the pear, preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash a ripe but firm pear (e.g., Bosc) and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise. Take the slices that include some of the core, cut each in half lengthwise and carve out the core. Distribute on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and bake... Read more →

fare colazione / to have breakfast

Breakfasts of the World Challenge on Very Good Recipes This month, I have the honor, together with nine other bloggers, of being a judge in a challenge that has a theme suited to the time of the year: If we think about January as the morning of the year, then breakfast is a perfect topic to consider during this month. All the details of the challenge are explained on this page, so I won't repeat them here. You have until Monday, January 30th to submit your entry according to the specifications laid out on the page referenced above. We are looking... Read more →