I finally found someone to dye the wedding shoes BLUE!
The rinestone shoe clips belonged to my grandmother. How special will that be? Gekie would be thrilled to know that she is a part of Brooke's wedding... along with her ring ( Click HERE for that story )!
Which is what you do when you are riding the tube in London.
This is a simple No Recipe recipe from my 'Long & Blond Limoncello' niece. It is all about the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of layering the stacks. First a thin layer of fresh tomato sauce, a thin slice of fried eggplant, a layer of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and then repeat.
Bake until the mozzarella cheese is melted. Top with fresh parmigiano cheese.
A bite of Italy!
So~ now what is your favorite today?
I followed Marcella's instructions on thinly slicing the eggplant and laying it in a colander with salt. This will draw out the bitter taste and any excess liquid.
The dried eggplant is then lightly floured...
and fried in hot vegetable oil (we like ours crispy!)
If a southern cook knows anything... it is how to fry!
He's on a first name basis with the seafood guys at whole foods. He decided on the freshest salmon which was a wild caught Atlantic Salmon. He got a huge fillet and cut it himself.
It was fun to sit back and let him take over the kitchen. He made a Teriyaki Glazed Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Orange Zested Asparagus on a bed of creamy polenta.
This guy can cook! ~The sad part is that his knives look better than mine.
I wonder if he'll notice if that Henckel knife ends up in my drawer? ;-)
I was the 'Lou' Chef~ which means I get to sit back with a glass of wine. . . and enjoy every moment!
Isn't life just precious?
The flavor is so unique~ and of course brings a smile to my face as I remember our tour at the cheese factory last may near Bologna. Here's the link to that favorite trip! We stood between the walls of maturing Parmigiano-Reggiano, as the wheels wait for the day to crack them open.
This is a beautiful cheese with a nutty, salty flavor all it's own... that I must say, bears NO resemblance to the stuff in the green shaker!
The batter for these fried cauliflower is a mixture of water and beaten egg with grated parmigiano and flour. The cauliflower is first cooked in a large pot of water and cooled. Once cooled, break the cauliflower in to bite-sized florets. These are dipped in the egg batter and fried in vegetable oil until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
This is how I roasted some chick peas. They come out crunchy and salty with a bit of spice (my favorite Italian... of course!)
Rinse the canned chick peas. Spread them out on a cookie sheet with 2 Tbs olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt. Roast at 400 until crispy~ 10-15 minutes.
You'll eat them like popcorn!Y'all join in~
Smores!
Actually today might not be the best day to ask such a question. I know a lot of you have been dealing with more snow and ice than you would like this week.
It is beautiful... and in the south it doesn't last long (USUALLY!)Y'all join in the linky party~
At the 'Split Pea Cottage'!
The highlight of the evening was Christy's eggplant parmesan... I learned a few tricks! I can't wait to try it myself.
Thanks Doug and Christy.
I loved being entertained in your home. 
As I flew through the beautiful blue skies.
That makes for a fun trip!
The countryside looks so pretty from way up here! We both fly out tomorrow... hopefully?!?
This dish is made with fresh just snapped beans, finely chopped onion, and Pancetta. The secret to the brightness of the beans is adding salt to the boiling water before adding the beans. They should cook to a nutty, sweet flavor~ the time will depend on the freshness of the beans.
Melt some white chocolate with Aunt Beth's help~
Dip a pretzel stick in and swirl it around~
Stand them up in the packing containers from the lab (or something similar)
Then share your chocolate pretzels with your G-Jo!That would be my favorite any day!
