Nuts about food: Hello 2013!

Apple ice wine from Quebec

Happy New Year to all of you!

I know I haven't posted in ages and I am not going to bore you with excuses of pre-festive crazyness, my offspring's birthday right before Christmas and right after I got back from a trip, packing for a ski trip (mountains of stuff, pun intended), said ski trip, back to office, kids home from school, homework, back to school, large work load. Although I just did.

The truth is, despite having packed up all the Christmas decorations for another year; despite having resumed my exercise routine (and fantasized more than I should have about liposuction); despite us having settled back into our daily routine; despite the human species needing food to survive, I haven't been cooking. Or at least nothing blog-worthy. To top it all off, blogger has been having some issues, making me even more lazy about posting.

But, my dear friends, I have missed you and wanted to check in and say hi. So here are some long overdue pictures of the Fiera dell'Artigianato, where we went with the kids at the beginning of December, just so I have an excuse to post.

The Fiera dell'Artigianato is an annual event, open to anyone and free. It is held at the Milan Fair and brings together artisans and craftspeople from all over the world. There is a pavillions dedicated to the regions of Italy, another to Europe and others still to the rest of the world. The hundreds of stands offer local food, products (ranging from junk and tacky souvenirs to beautiful and even valuable goods) and crafts (some of which are disappearing all too rapidly) from all these countries.

Mantecaos from Andalucia: two of the many flavors offered (pistachio and chocolate&hazelnut)

I won't lie: it is crowded, noisy and the restaurants/snack bars offer pretty stereotypical and often average food, but you can also come across some true gems and learn new things about far away places without ever leaving town. It was an especially fun experience for the kids, who learned about people, cultures, food and music from all over the world in a handful of hours. Last but not least, it is a good way to get a lot of Christmas shopping done at once.

I realize now most of my pictures are of food... big surprise, eh?

France

...and more France

Learning how to carve wood in Val d'Aosta

Germany

Music in Germany

More France

Welcome to Belgium: coconut macaroons

Holland of course

Paella in Spain

Germany I believe. Or Hungary?

Christmas ornaments made with corn husks

Watching them (and baskets in the back) being made

Prosciutto di San Daniele

South Tyrol...

...making a point (They are NOT made out of plastic and they do NOT come from China. They are wooden figurines from Val Gardena).

Cake from South Tyrol anyone?

Balloon hair

Welcome to Sicily: u' pani c'a meusa (spleen sandwiches)

Cannoli, cassatine and more

Frutta di Martorana (marzipan) and almond paste cookies

The star, what keeps us coming back every year: pistachio from Bronte and ricotta chip ice cream rolled in chopped pistachio with a great new addition! The cone is made out of a cannoli shell! I stopped the person in front of me to snap this picture.