Strawberries~ Italiano

The fun part about our Sunday Slow Baking group is that it forces me to do something that I never would try.

Strawberries and ricotta cheese with black pepper?

That has 'bleack' written all over it!

This weeks recipe from Gina DePalma's cookbook 'Dolce Italiano' is Strawberries in Chianti with Black Pepper Ricotta Cream. Strawberries are in season and fresh from Chilton County, I had some ricotta that I was planning to use in a lasagna latter in the week.

Here goes nothing...

Strawberries with Black Pepper Cream

2 pints strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Chianti wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cups ricotta

2 tsp black peppercorns

2 hours before serving, slice the strawberries and cover with 2 tbs sugar. Pour the wine on top of the berries and give them a stir. Place in the fridge to chill and marinate.

Mix the heavy cream and 6 Tbs of sugar on medium until soft peaks form. Add the ricotta and cracked black pepper, beat briefly until smooth.

To serve place a generous spoonful of the strawberries in a glass and cover with cream.

This was such a treat! The sweetness of the wine soaked strawberries and the creaminess of the ricotta with a twang of black pepper. It really is a delightful summertime dessert.

It went perfectly with our grilled chicken and veggies, and we didn't even have to heat up the kitchen!

Y'all enjoy!

Sandi

More Poppies

Hmmmm~ I've been looking at these pictures of beautiful poppies and guess what??

It flung a craving on me...

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs poppy seeds

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 tsp lemon extract

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients and poppy seeds. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix eggs with yogurt. Add oil, extract, and lemon zest. Stir in dry ingredients, only enough to blend well. Pour into prepared muffin pan. Bake at 350° for 20-23 minutes.

These will be perfect for breakfast this weekend!

Y'all enjoy~

Sandi

Fields of Poppies

There is NOTHING that says 'Italy in the spring time' like poppies.

We were lucky enough to be in Tuscany as the poppies were blooming.

There were fields of the red/orange blooms, softly blowing in the wind.As we flew over in the hot air balloon, the hills were colored with flowers.Just the thought makes me smile!Don't y'all agree?~ bellissima!

Sandi

Slow Sunday CheeseCake

Our task this week for the Sunday Slow Bakers was Torta di Ricotta. It was my week to choose and I am a little nutty about cheesecake. Gina DePalma calls it Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake in her cookbook 'Dolce Italiano'.

Rather than list the entire recipe (it's on page 96) I'll describe the process. It is a ricotta based cheesecake with 8 oz of cream cheese. The addition of amaretto and candied orange and lemon adds a nice citrusy flavor, but changes the texture. The base of the cheesecake is a yummy crust of crushed sliced almonds with a touch of vanilla. The thin nutty crust is a perfect compliment to the cheesecake.

As I said, I am obsessive about cheesecake. I have posted a couple of recipes Lemoncello Cheesecake , and Orange Cheesecake. This is usually my dessert of choice to take to any event. With a lot of practice, I have learned to make a cheesecake without cracks~ stirring gently, tapping out air bubbles, baking slowly in a water bath, cooling gently in the oven.

Even with all those tricks, this cheesecake wasn't 'perfect'. I was a little disappointed with the texture and the huge crack in the top. It was still good with a cup of coffee.

G-daddy will love it when I take it for our Father's Day lunch.

He spent years making the desserts for the WhistleStop Cafe. Customers agree that the desserts just haven't been the same since he retired. His specialty was the Mississippi Mud and a Banana Split Pie. Now those are some obsessive desserts!

Happy Father's Day y'all!

Sandi

A New Centerpiece

My box arrived from Orvieto! There is something about getting a shipment that brings back wonderful memories of a trip. Kind of like when Jerry got the box he mailed home to himself~ full of dirty clothes.

My box was way better than that!

I have a new centerpiece for my kitchen table. Every time I glance that way, I will be filled with memories of my wonderful trip with Gail's Great Escape .

We went shopping with PalmaBella, the queen of Italian ceramics. She took us to her favorite shop in Orvieto. They gave us a special discount and he shipped for free! (which in any language translates to 'you spent plenty and I can afford to throw in a little shipping')

On the internet you are always reading about bad experiences with ceramic shops in Italy that either don't ship, or ship the wrong things... Frauolini's is a small shop across from the Duomo in Orvieto. This shop is FULL of beautiful quality pieces. He was so nice and patient while we debilitated over our decision making. I bet you can guess why I wanted this pattern. These are close-ups of my bowl.

My sister, Holly, also got this beautiful plate.

There were a few other things... but Mrs. Claus may want to keep those a secret for now.

Y'all don't forget to send in your centerpieces this month.

Sandi

Salmon Patties

By now y'all must think all I do is travel and poor Bill can't get a homemade meal without going to Mom's house.

Well, you are almost right!

I decided that I'd better get in the kitchen and make his favorite salmon patties... before the shipment of ceramic pottery arrives from Orvieto.

Salmon Patties

1 large can salmon

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs creole seasoning

1 sleeve ritz, crushed

olive oil

Drain salmon and pick out the bones (or buy boneless!) Saute onion in butter until tender. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Stirring to blend. Form into large patties.

Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. In a hot pan, brown the patties on each side for 3-5 minutes.

Serve with a salad and you will have a quick home cooked meal in minutes.

Y'all know the fastest way to a man's heart!

Enjoy!

Sandi

Slow Sunday Baking

It is time for our Slow Sunday Baking. Once again we are trying a recipe out of 'Dolce Italiano' by Gina De Palma. This cookie recipe combines to great flavors, bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts.


I knew that finding the hazelnuts would not be easy. I had looked at the Piggley Wiggley once before~ no luck there. I headed this time straight to Whole Foods. Bingo! I did use Hershey cocoa... even though Gina suggests 'dutched' cocoa for it's less acidic nature. I'm on a budget~ Hershey's would have to do.
BitterSweet Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
Preheat to 325°

In a medium bowl combine flour cocoa, baking powder and salt. Chop the hazelnuts and combine with dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in chocolate chips. Chill dough until firm.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. then roll each ball in confectioner's sugar to coat. back until puffed and cracking, 8-10 minutes. If desired dust with additional sugar.

These cookies are light, and not to sweet. A nice change from the usual chocolate chip cookies. They were perfect with a cup of coffee.


Y'all enjoy!
Sandi

Up Up and Away~

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

This was one of the highlights of our trip. The hot air balloon ride with Robert Etherington across the hills and valleys of Tuscany. His wife and assistant Liz, is an artist and author of children's books. They live in an authentic 13th century farm home, just outside of Montisi.

I planned this as a celebration of my 50th birthday year~ and what a commemoration it was. The chance to glide over the Tuscan countryside was magical. The greens of the hills and valleys, the poppy fields and the mustard yellows. We had such a wonderful day...Starting with the inflation of the huge balloon and ending with a champagne toast.

Bella, bella!

Sandi

Cafe-Cappuccino-Caffeine

Right about now I am really missing my caffeine. Whether it is a Cafe Americano, a Cappuccino, or an Espresso~ I am missing that European jolt of caffeine.

In the morning~

In the evening~Or in the middle of the afternoon~

My cup of coffee on the way to work in the morning~ just isn't the same.

Ciao y'all~ Sandi

Centerpiece of the month~ May

Luckily, while I have been living la dolce vita in Italy, my friends have been sending in their centerpieces for the month of May. I am happy to be able to share them with all y'all. First, a centerpiece that appeared on our table in Sienna.

Krista who is In and Out of the Garden posted the most wonderful centerpiece of roses from her garden. She has that green thumb we all yearn for ~ oh, the sweet smell.

At The Bunnies Bungalow DebraK brought her hot pink tulips in from the cold. A gardener at heart.

Rosies Wimsy's posted a lovely centerpiece for Mother's Day, where she say's 'do the things that make you happy, allow joy to overtake you and give you peace.'

Lori Lynn shows us how to Taste With the Eyes. She helped host a tea to celebrate Mothers and Daughters. The centerpieces were on tables outside- overlooking the Pacific. I can't think of a more idyllic setting.

Speaking of the sweet life... at the House In The Woods there is breakfast in the garden. That is how Britt-Arnhild celebrates spring in Norway.

Nature Girl has the most poetic way of looking at everyday things. She wrote... "Allow your imagination to take flight as it never dies no matter how many layers of life and work we pile on top of it"

I think the centerpieces this month all reflect the 'Sweet Life'.

La Dolce Vita!

Ciao y'all~

Sandi

Reality Sets In

I have slept 10 hours and now I am beginning to feel human once again. Now to see if I can even begin to catch up on my blogging posts. I will be posting on bella Italia for weeks. I have hundreds of photos to show, plenty of stories to tell, and even some food to talk about (surprise!)

I am not sure if my brain will function without a frothy cappuccino.

No trip is complete with out a few minor catastrophes. Luckily we were able to return our rental car without a scratch, doors intact, and diesel in the tank. We managed to get one of the last seats out of Pisa to London... up-graded to first class! Lula our travel fairy had protected us throughout the trip.

But...

She must have been looking the other way when my suitcase was slammed onto the baggage claim belt. The bottle of Pimms I had purchased in the duty free didn't survive. The cookbooks I collected will have a stain and unique smell. People will wonder what perfume I am wearing on my new pashminas. I wish I had a video of us dragging that suitcase through the Birmingham airport with a trail of brown liquid.

Now to see if I can save any of the laundry. I may just have to buy some brown rit dye!
Ciao y'all!

Sandi