tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86753747033817955332024-03-18T10:15:29.469+01:00Nuts about foodJuggling a family, a job and an obsession for food. In ItalyNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-86262526657877670542015-04-30T11:24:00.001+02:002015-04-30T11:24:39.551+02:00Farrotto al pomodoro
When I made this, the wisteria was still blooming outside of our kitchen window. The weather was warm, the smell was divine and we kept the window open all day to make the most of that warm, scented spring breeze and lovely view. Every now and then, I cut off some of the flowers and livened up our table and my blog photos.
That lasted about a week.
Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-15411590816664063222015-04-23T13:11:00.002+02:002015-04-23T13:11:29.909+02:0010 minute, one-bowl dark chocolate cake (with secret ingredient)
Yet another quick, one-bowl cake recipe? Yes, because you can never have enough, especially when they involve lots of dark chocolate.
But if you have had enough, you will forgive me the next time you have guests coming over and you have to make a last-minute dessert, trust me. This is a trick to have up your sleeve.
The only minor catch is that you need a Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-31638587218113687232015-04-10T11:45:00.000+02:002015-04-10T12:08:22.656+02:00Pasta with zucchini, saffron and smoked pancetta
I do not showcase pasta as much as I probably should on this blog, given that I live in Italy and we all love it in any shape or size. The reason is that more often than not, we throw together a pasta on a Friday night, while opening a bottle of wine to unwind, using up the last wilted greens and limp vegetables left in our fridge, and embellishing it Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-35836136985682212542015-03-20T12:05:00.001+01:002015-03-24T12:11:04.310+01:00Moist, dense banana-date bread (no sugar, butter or white carbs and a hidden ingredient)
There is no denying that I am super excited about this recipe: a totally delicious dessert/breakfast loaf that is made without white carbs, sugar and butter but is full of hidden antioxidants and vitamins.
Plus, I did not have to buy one. single. ingredient. to bake this, I used up a ton of odds and ends I had lying around and the result was loved by all. How satisfying is that?Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-49847819907741655672015-03-16T10:52:00.001+01:002015-03-16T10:52:51.128+01:00Orange, carrot and almond cake (no flour, butter or oil!)
This post has been a long time coming. There was a quick family trip to the subpolar temperatures in NY (although there was plenty of sunshine and love to warm our hearts while there). Then came jet lag, work overload and, to be honest, also a reasonable degree of laziness.
Until a few days ago, when I finally decided to bake a cake that had piquedNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-87902298554244005602015-02-13T19:42:00.001+01:002015-03-26T12:52:07.730+01:00La vie en rose
I tend to be an optimist, I have always been that way (unless we're talking bureaucracy, then I am given to looking on the black side). To me the glass is usually half full, not half empty, if you know what I mean.
That doesn't mean I don't have bad days or moments, of course. I most certainly do.
Like the other day for example.
I could tell you the story this way: the Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-67494294422145904972015-02-09T10:38:00.001+01:002015-02-09T10:38:58.081+01:00Stuffed cabbage soup
Stuffed cabbage soup is what you make when you bought the ingredients to make stuffed cabbage only to realise you just don't have the time to go through the whole process (after you have been pushing it off for three days in a row) and your ground meat really needs using up. And guess what? It is just as good (or at least we thought so), very comforting, warming and full Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-83658042449542463972015-01-29T14:19:00.002+01:002015-01-29T14:25:44.729+01:00Zucca in agrodolce, or sweet and sour grilled butternut squash
Life is bittersweet in all of its nuances, in the big things and the little things.
In the big picture there are love and loss, health and illness, success and failure.
And then there are the daily minutiae, some good and others not so much: a great meal, your wireless not working right before a deadline, a good laugh with a friend, a bad driver in front of you.
An Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-81661712336028215352015-01-22T16:35:00.001+01:002015-01-29T18:21:57.608+01:00Making bone broth and soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) in Asian-inspired pork bone broth
The worst thing is starting a new week with little sleep.
I know because my week began with just a handful of hours between Sunday and Monday.
It all started with a nightmare and soothing a little one back to sleep. Just as I was finally managing to drift back off almost an hour later, the crying started again, with sniffling pleas to come into our bed, a special treat (for us so thatNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-54733068799596640002015-01-15T19:15:00.003+01:002015-01-15T19:15:33.864+01:00How to use up leftovers: riso alla Cantonese (or Yeung Chow fried rice) fried in duck fat
Alternative title: Chinese food that really isn't Chinese
Most of us are aware that the Chinese food we eat is often heavily bastardized. I still haven't had the privilege of eating the authentic thing, but between NY and Milan (the latter appartently boasts the largest and oldest Chinatown in Italy), I have been lucky enough to get a little closer to the real deal comparedNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-18952399891657056932015-01-08T11:45:00.000+01:002015-01-08T11:45:03.572+01:00Chocolate layered Kit Kat and M&M birthday cake
After these holidays my brain feels like it has been given a hard reset: blank. Totally devoid of any important or useful information to function. Empty.
When I was preparing my daughter's schoolbag the other night I couldn't remember what books to put in for Wednesday and whether she needed to wear a gym suit to school or not.
This feeling of vagueness continued as I prepared Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-90197652489449839582014-12-11T18:39:00.004+01:002014-12-11T18:39:49.030+01:00Passata di zucca e funghi porcini - Cream of pumpkin and porcini mushrooms
Hi friends, forgive me for being away for so long. I will admit I was tempted several times to post a hurried recipe with bad photos taken on endless rainy days and not much of a story just to let you know I hadn't disappeared into thin air, but then I decided against it, because this is one of the few places in my life were I shouldn't feel like I have to clock in, right?
In Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-37171905756030458492014-11-05T10:26:00.001+01:002014-11-05T10:26:17.144+01:00Sea bass two ways: quenelle in fish fumet and roulade with seafood and shrimp bisque reduction
In my previous post I promised you two recipes we prepared during the the course at the cooking school Salotto del Gusto with Chef Maurizio Dall'Omo.
As impressive and fancy as they look, they were both quite simple and really let the main ingredient to shine through. They are perfect to serve at a dinner party: I promise your guests will think you slaved awayNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-7602930086919239892014-10-27T12:22:00.000+01:002014-10-27T12:22:43.109+01:00About fish, freezers and more. Did you know...?
A few weeks ago a close friend drove a couple of hundred kms to attend a cooking course we had booked as a birthday present for each other for our 2013 birthdays, so a little over a year later. Considering we live far apart and three out of four of us have young children, we didn't do too bad!
The course was all about cooking fish and we really enjoyed it: not only Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-26313295419111445832014-10-17T12:25:00.000+02:002014-10-20T08:40:50.071+02:00We can all make a difference
Foto source: Nexive
Maybe not all of you know this, but yesterday was the 2014 World Food Day.
As explained on the FAO website, the World Food Day is celebrated each year on the 16 October because that is when the Organization was founded back in 1945. The objectives of this day, among other things, are to raise public awareness of the problem of world Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-13785396379830890402014-10-10T12:53:00.001+02:002014-10-16T11:52:10.050+02:00Pumpkin, Swiss chard and ricotta gnudi (a low carb alternative to ravioli or gnocchi)
After an extrememly warm and sunny September, fall has arrived in all its glory. I can tell by the orange and yellow leaves and the chestnuts covering the sidewalks of the city, I can tell by the variety of apples, mushrooms and pumpkins at the store. I can tell by the plentiful rain, my runny nose and my desire to eat something a little more substantial and comforting for dinner.
Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-9303228099306659942014-09-18T10:44:00.000+02:002014-09-18T10:44:23.977+02:00Variations on a theme: quince compote, jam, jelly and syrup
Quince is one of those almost-forgotten fruits that you usually do not come across at a supermarket. You may be lucky enough to find some at a farmer's market, but usually you either get them from a tree in your own back yard or from friends, who are usually happy to part with some of their bounty.
I fall into the second category. Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-20442534845309663202014-09-06T11:31:00.002+02:002014-09-08T09:36:53.669+02:00Fette Sau BBQ - Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Our very recent trip to the US was filled with great food (some of which you may have seen on Instagram and Facebook), beautiful places and people we love.
There were long beaches, big waves, lakes, farmland and the great urban marvel that is New York. We grilled aged steaks in our backyard, had sweet and buttery corn on the cob, NY bagels and pie. We Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-10989150871683807912014-07-25T10:48:00.001+02:002014-07-25T11:28:16.633+02:00Multigrain seed no-knead bread
More questions from a five-year old.
Son: "Mommy, what does your saliva taste like?"
Me: "...".
After some thought:
Me: "I'm not sure, pretty neutral. I guess like yours".
"So does everybody's saliva taste the same?"
"Yes, sweetie. I think so". I wasn't about to tell him I had made my small contribution to Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-73596743707383847822014-07-16T11:27:00.002+02:002014-07-16T11:27:59.110+02:00Raisin, caper, browned garlic and anchovy sauce
Having kids means you will hear a lot of funny and often embarassing questions being asked.
My son recently asked me I take my breasts off at night.
Say whaaaat?
It turns out he actually meant my bra, but it made for a pretty funny 10 minutes.
Yesterday he asked the new girl who helps us with the cleaning if she has a job. I immediately went in forNuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-49603490041134159932014-07-04T10:46:00.000+02:002014-07-04T10:46:30.385+02:00Cold peanut soba noodle salad
Happy 4th of July to all my American readers!
Here it is a day like any other, but I thought this recipe would be handy for a last minute idea to take along to a picnic or BBQ (or a delicious salad for any other occasion if you are not celebrating Independence Day today).
It has been a while since my last real post, so forgive me, but last week we were away Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-78068611203964880172014-07-01T11:43:00.003+02:002014-07-01T11:43:35.485+02:00We're back!
We were here, but now we are back and I am working on something for you! See you soon!
Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-61029116299971271402014-06-13T11:59:00.000+02:002014-06-13T11:59:30.814+02:00Gnocchi di ricotta
This recipe was a cinch. It took no more than ten minutes to prepare and under three minutes to cook.
I served them with pesto, because I always keep some in the fridge for emergencies but - if you want to keep things simple - I think they would be great with a fresh, quick, summery tomato sauce and lots of basil or even just butter, sage and Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-60742904308727302722014-06-02T10:47:00.001+02:002014-06-03T10:25:39.613+02:00Nun, Taste of Middle East
I just can’t seem to
get back to a normal pace of things.
I have gone to bed more than once in the
past weeks thinking “finally tomorrow I have a couple of free hours to finally post on
my blog” and then something unexpected happens at work, or the kids’ social
life takes over as usual and it just doesn’t happen. For the same reason, things have not been
Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675374703381795533.post-73023141595827479642014-05-15T11:38:00.000+02:002014-05-15T11:38:03.674+02:00Persian rice Tah Cheen (or Tah Chin) style, step-by-step tutorial
The other day, while we were having dinner, my son asked me why nests don't fall off of trees.
Besides the basic grasp - if not understanding - of physics (balance, gravity and all that jazz) behind the question, which surprised me to a degree, it once again made me realize how much more for granted we take things compared to the average four year old. Nuts about foodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11081157237653314887noreply@blogger.com9