’Tis the season for comfort food!
But you knew that already. I mean, that’s why you’ve been whipping up apple-stuffed waffles every Sunday morning, and baking up gooey toffee cookies any time you get a hankering for a midnight snack, right?
Good. That’s what I thought. (more…)
This is the third and final part of Eating Through Europe – read up on Part I and Part II to whet your appetite. Part III is all about my visits to Florence, Siena, and Rome. Let’s do this.
Florence
Traveling from the red city of Bologna to the gray city of Florence marked the transition from the Emilia-Romagna region into Tuscany. Florence and Siena, my two stops in Tuscany, were by far the most scenic, and were home to the most beautiful works of art.
In Florence, after a full day of walking through galleries and visiting the David, my stomach demanded sustenance. Luckily, there was a nearby panini shop, All’Antico Vinaio, that had a never-ending line out the door. The enigmatic guys behind the counter made ordering a panino easy – either you told them what you wanted, or they surprised you with a combination of meats, cheeses, and veggies that melded so perfectly together you could say they were the Michaelangelo of sandwiches. I can’t even tell you what the specific ingredients were in my panino, but I do know there was a hefty amount of pecorino cream on each piece of freshly baked rustic focaccia. It was divine.
Welcome to Part II of this series, Eating Through Europe! This part is all about the places I loved in Italy. More specifically, in Venice, Parma, and the foodie’s paradise, Bologna. (Check out all the places I loved in Paris in Part I).
Venice
I quickly realized that Venice in July was populated by more tourists than locals, and I was a little anxious about falling into one of the many tourist-trap eateries that seemed to be on every corner. Luckily, though, I was able to stumble upon couple spots off the beaten path that offered a more authentic view of Venetian fare. First up, though: the outdoor markets.
As it is surrounded by water, it only makes sense that Venetian dining is heavy on the seafood. The bustling fish markets by the Rialto bridge were a sushi-chef’s dream, and the fresh produce stands that accompanied it were a feast for the eyes.
After a full day of getting lost in Venice’s ancient, narrow streets, cicheti (small bites) were the perfect pre-gelato snack. At All’Amarone, these salty cicheti included toast with various salumi, cheeses, olive spreads, and sardines. I was pleasantly surprised by the baccalà mantecato (salted and dried cod cooked in milk to become a creamy, salty spread). It was rich, yet simultaneously light like a mousse, and was one of my favorite foods in Venice.
My other favorite? Dinner at Osteria del Cason, a modern eatery well away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist-filled piazzas. Spaghetti al nero di seppia, a black pasta dish with cuttlefish in a sauce of its own ink, was saltily delicious and the cuttlefish were plump and meaty. If black pasta turns you off, that’s your loss – this was seriously good. Although to be fair, it did stain everything from my gums to the tablecloth (sorry I’m not a perfect eater, guys). The shrimp at Osteria del Cason were also plump, herbed and buttery, and downright drool-worthy. When in Venice, this is the place to go.
While I was sad to leave Venice, I was thrilled to finally get to my next stop: the Emilia-Romagna region. While each region in Italy has their own cuisine, Emilia-Romagna is considered the foodiest region (yes, “foodiest” is the technical term). It’s famous for some of Italy’s richest foods: meats, cheeses, pastas…basically, all the good stuff. Let’s get into it. (more…)
I think I’m having one of those weeks where I get massively lazy and refuse to shop or cook. The hazy summer informs me I should have a slushie or ice cream instead. It’s a titanic effort to leave the beach or park to initiate any adult responsibilities. You guys know what I’m talking about, right?
So I go the farmers’ markets for inspiration and they never disappoint. This time of year, they are lush with vegetables, flowers, fruits, and energy. This mushroom pasta has been a staple of mine for a long time, but I added some garlic scapes for good measure. If you haven’t noticed, I have a special relationship with garlic from green ‘til bulb. (more…)
We’re going traditional, straight-up, full-frontal Italian with today’s recipe, because I have some very relevant news:
I’m officially going to Italy this summer!
In one month, I’ll be hightailing it out of Boston for a month-long adventure of smelling and eating and seeing all the things in Paris and then a bunch of cities throughout Italy. Even with all my tickets booked, Airbnbs reserved and regional food research completed, I still feel like I could wake up one day and find that all these plans were just a dream; something my travel-thirsty mind created to keep me from going totally insane. (more…)
My absolute favorite thing to do in the kitchen isn’t just to bake or cook, or even eat (gasp!). What I truly love to do is to experiment. Sorry Mom, but I just really love to play with my food.
Because really, creating new recipes is so much fun. It’s a chance to channel your inner mad scientist. When I’m working on a recipe, I tweak one thing, try it again, take notes, tweak another thing, take more notes, cackle victoriously, tweak tweak tweak, eat eat eat. By the end I’m usually covered in butter and ready for a nap, but hopefully I’ve at least learned something new and created something delicious. Experimenting with baking is easier to me because all the ratios of ingredients can only be changed in certain ways, so I have more control over everything.
Imagine this: It’s date night and it is getting colder and colder outside. Are you too lazy to go out to a restaurant but still want a nice sit-down meal? Now imagine this: you can make your own delicious, gourmet meal for your date. Be the hero and cook up this delicious pasta dish for a date or a lucky friend.
Fun fact: I have always loved seafood – my mother introduced me to all kinds of adventurous eating while I was growing up. She’s a lucky lady, too, because she was blessed with a daughter who would clear the plate and ask for seconds. For that reason, I don’t remember my first experience with shrimp but I know shrimp always meant a good meal. To complete the circle of life, my mom will eat anything I make if it comes from the sea.
This shrimp spaghetti is simply a variation of a pasta I already make all the time. The ingredients are very traditional and there are no weird surprises here. However, I highly recommend using fresh herbs and peppercorn for this little number. The herbs really serve as the binding flavors for everything here from the fresh lemon to the succulent shrimp. I gently encourage you to use freshly grounded peppercorn because it does make a difference in aroma and in the kick.
Let’s get it on.
-W. (more…)
The best advice I’ve ever gotten is something we’ve all heard before:
Fake it ’til you make it.
I was a shy little intern at my first bakery job when the Chef there casually threw this tiny phrase at me, and I don’t think he realized how much I would take it to heart. Because of this offhanded advice, I started to fake the necessary confidence and “make it”. I became a real baker there after my internship, and actually felt sure of myself rather than fearful that I would burn the whole place to the ground.
The beauty of “fake it ’til you make it” is that it can even be applied ability, particularly when it comes to being in the kitchen.
And that’s where this pasta comes in.
Before embarking on the mission to make homemade pasta, I assumed the process would be insanely complicated and require the skills and dexterity of a wise Italian nonna.
What I found was that it’s just a long process, but actually relatively simple. Sure I hit some road bumps along the way, but nothing that I couldn’t overcome with the help of a quick Google search. Even then I still had no clue what I was doing – all I had was the confidence that I could figure it out.
What I discovered was that the best homemade pasta is made with real semolina, not plain old all-purpose flour. Most of the pasta recipes I saw out there call for all-purpose because it’s easy, but AP flour just isn’t strong enough for pasta, and in my opinion, lacks true pasta flavor. You can find semolina at most health food stores, or online (I got mine from King Arthur Flour). Not to mention there are many other uses for it beyond this pasta.
I’ll even let you in on a secret: I had to make this pasta at least seven times before I got my recipe right. Even after switching from AP to semolina, I messed up in every possible way, which is great – now I can warn you about all the possible pasta pitfalls.
Ready? Let’s do this.
Basil is the unofficial herb of summer – at least in our books. We love using basil pesto with pasta, roasted vegetables, or even as a salad dressing with an extra bit of olive oil. The recipe is so simple that it is almost impossible to get wrong. Here, we’ll make it two ways: in a food processor, and using a mortar and pestle.
Creamy Pesto
For this pesto, a food processor does the heavy lifting. The garlic is slightly roasted on the stove top here, which gets rid of its bite and yields a much softer and sweeter flavor. Honey is the secret ingredient, but don’t let it weird you out – the sweetness perfectly offsets the savoriness of the pesto. The addition of spinach is great for sneaking more veggies into your kids’ diet, and ricotta really fills it out nicely. The result is a creamy, mellow pesto that’s not only great for picky eaters, but easy to whip up in a pinch. Enjoy!
-L.
