Cooking in Diva's Cucina

Yesterday was a thrill for me!
  I spent the day in the cucina of my friend Judy ~ the Divina.

For years she has done cooking classes in Florence and now has moved to the country.
I will post more later ~

Now I am off to the leather market in Florence~
Ciao y'all ~
Sandi

Florence~

I am taking the train today to Florence.
I hope to get to Giovanni's by lunch .   .   . I  better be on the ball.

Mario will welcome me at the Hotel Burchianti ~ and maybe a spritz across the street.
Florence is such a fabulous city

. . . Especially after the pace of Rome.
I have lots of photos to share. I will do that once I get home and have time to blog.
I know y'all will understand.
Ciao~
Sandi

PhotoHunt~ Magical

The PhotoHunt for this week is 'Magical'.
I cant think of anything more Magical than seeing the sun shine through the oculus at the Pantheon in Rome.

The opening in the ceiling is 27 feet ~ the same size as the doorway.

The dome is larger than St Peter's Bascilica

Which is my first stop this morning ~ after a cappuccino (or two)
Amazing~
Check for all the other Magical Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Bella Roma

I have made it to Rome ~ Bella Roma!

Here are just a few photo's of 'my' neighborhood.
My hotel Residenza Canali is just between Piazza Navonna
and The Vatican!

You'll find me enjoying a glass of wine near the Pantheon . . .
~ Salute mi amici~ 

Ciao Y'all~
Sandi

My Great Escape

My adventure begins today ~ I am off for my Italian Great Escape
There is one good thing about this l.o.n.g day of travel...

I have a long layover in Charlotte.
Yes ~ in this case a L.O.N.G layover is a good thing.
Brooke and Hope are meeting me at the airport. I get a LuLu day !
We will spend the day together.

Then I'll sleep like a baby ~ and wake up in Bella Roma.
Y'all follow along~
Sandi

Flavors ~Sea Bass~ 'Fresh Sea Bass on Wild Mushroom Risotto'

I have been really worrying about some of these Fishy 'flavors'. . . not because I don't like fish. It is a proven fact that it is nearly impossible to find good fish at the Piggly Wiggly!
I was talking about this with Chef Rob . . . not a problem he says ~ I'm breaking down fresh fish all the time.
So . . . guess who my guest Chef will be? I have to give the credit to The Tavern of St Clair and Rob. I would never be whacking at this thing in my kitchen!The special tonight at the Tavern is ~
Fresh Sea Bass on Wild Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Asparagus
(recipe by description of the chef...)
Season the sea bass with salt and pepper.
On a hot grill, splash some oil and heat to a slight smoke. With a sprig of fresh thyme, sear the sea bass skin side down. Flash sear until you have a crispy skin and golden color. Flip it once.

Serve over a healthy portion of wild mushroom risotto in a shallow bowl with a slant of asparagus. This is a hot entree and will be gone by the end of the night.
And he was right!

Join us for the ride on Facebook and our blog Flavors .

Happy Cooking y'all~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesday ~ Countdown!

This is a special Traveling Tuesday . . .
Because I am packing!
When it comes to fitting it all in a suitcase ~ I am a huge Zip-Loc fan ~ everything goes into gallon sized bags, then I squish the air out. I will fit everything for a month into one small(ish) suitcase.

This is my most favorite carry- on because it fits right under the seat in front of me.
I have my 'stuff'  ~ and I have a place for my feet on the long flight.

I'll be blogging along the way, I hope y'all will be traveling with me.

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi
*for those of you who played the linky with me . . . you'll notice I no longer have the subscription*
We can still travel together.
Leave a comment and we'll visit!

Happy Mother's Day~

Happy Mothers Day to all y'all ~
These two have been my joy . . .

To watch them grow and still remember their baby smiles.
My joy.

PhotoHunt~ Scoop

A 'scoop' of gelato in Florence

Perche No?
Which means 'Why Not?' ~ that's exactly my way of thinking.
This time next week . . . that's where I will be.
Check for all the other Awesome Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Flavors ~Squid~ 'Fried Calimari with Sea Salt'

Y'all know, I have said before that the most exciting thing about the 'Flavors' is the challenge. This week the challenge was quite an adventure. It is my week to cook with Squid~ no problem! We Southerners are good at frying things!
The true challenge was to find a fresh squid in Birmingham. When Jan and I were cooking up our Bottarga in Venice... I wish we had bought some of these babies at the Rialto Fish Market and fried them up right then and there.
'Allora'~ I was on a search. My first stop was Snapper Grabber's in Vestavia~ the best place for fresh seafood in this area. (one word of advise... don't go on monday because they are closed)
I ended up at Whole Foods... and ended up with a bag of frozen squid. The best part about these squid are that they are already cleaned!The process of frying the calamari rings is very simple. Pat the rings dry, lightly coat with flour and shake off the excess. Fry in vegetable oil without crowding, drain and sprinkle with salt. . . lots of salt!

Once again, a fun adventure. One that has the flavor of the Pescheria in Venice.
Priceless!
Join us for the ride on Facebook and our blog Flavors .

Happy Cooking y'all~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ Countdown!

I am on the countdown for my Great Escape to Italy  ~ Y'all will have to follow along.
I will do my best to blog along the way ~
that is always easier said than done.

This year it is . . .

Rome ~ where I plan to sit right here and enjoy a glass of wine.

Florence ~ where David is waiting for me . . .

Tuscany ~ where I plan to search out the poppy fields.

and Amalfi ~ where I will enjoy my share of Limoncello.
Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi
*for those of you who played the linky with me  . . .  you'll notice I no longer have the subscription*

We can still travel together.
Leave a comment and we'll visit!

PhotoHunt~ Zap

This photohunt was a bit of a challenge . . . ZaP

I did find a photo of a fritata in the oven. . . it looks like it is being zapped.

It still was yummy!
Check for all the other  Photos of 'Zap' on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Flavors ~Coffee~ 'Pork Chops with Coffee Bourbon and Molasses'

The 'flavor' of the week is coffee. What goes with coffee?
You don't need to buy the Flavor Bible to know that Bourbon and sugar go with coffee.So, I decided to take some of our favorite flavors and use them in a sauce over grilled pork chops. . . Brilliant!
Pork Chops with Coffee Bourbon Molasses
1 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup BOURBON
1/2 cup packed light BROWN SUGAR
2 Tbs MOLASSES
1 CINNAMON stick
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Simmer over low heat until reduced to desired thickness. Remove cinnamon sticks.
Brush over porkchops while grilling.It doesn't get much better than this!
Join us for the ride on Facebook and our blog Flavors .

Happy Cooking y'all~
Sandi

Cooking Light ~ Lunch with MoM

Our Cooking Light Virtual Supper club is celebrating 'Lunch with MoM' this month ~ How I would LOVE to have lunch with Mom.
She has been gone to many years ~ but I often think of the conversations we'd have. Kids, grandbabies, weddings and even divorce. Careers and Holidays.
I do know this . . . she would be proud of her little girl. That, I feel in every part of my grown up freckle face.

I decided to go with something fresh and light . . . and found the perfect Cooking Light Recipe. I used the fresh herbs out of my pots.
Cous~Cous Chicken Salad
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) package couscous
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup sliced green onions
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon; set aside. Cool slightly, and coarsely chop.

While chicken cools, (I brown my couscous first) add couscous to broth; stir well. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Place couscous in a large bowl; cool completely. Fluff with a fork. Stir in basil and next 5 ingredients (basil through garlic). Add chopped chicken, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas; toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

The flavors do improve as the couscous pearls have time to soak up all the juices.
Now let's see what everyone else has brought for our Lunch with MoM...
Jerry has made a French Martini Sorbet (MoM would like that!)
 Val is bringing a Pea and Mint Salad with Pecorino
Roz has a Raspberry Orange Sunrise
Giz has our main dish, a Spice Rubbed Salmon with Lemon Garlic Spinach.

Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesdays ~ Cesare the Coppersmith

One of the things I look forward to on our trips to Montepulciano, is our visit to Cesare Mazzetti the Coppersmith. 

He is such an artist. The copper products they sell in their shop are hand made. . . unbelievable! Just to visit his shop is a delight, and our friend and tour guide Pino takes us there. He and Cesare are old friends, and it is fun to watch them chatter back and forth.

I cherish the pieces that I have.

A visit to his shop is the highlight of our day. To see these pieces being welded together . . . just waiting for me to decide which one to take home.

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi
*for those of you who played the linky with me . . . you'll notice I no longer have the subscription*
We can still travel together.
Leave a comment and we'll visit!