briciole: Herb

Herb

November 23, 2014

damper: pane australiano / damper: Australian bread

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] a taste of Australia on Italian linen (from la FABBRICA del LINO) The third stop of our World Culinary ABC is Australia, a country I visited a number of years ago. Highlights of that trip were: the visit to Sydney and its iconic Opera House, snorkeling around Lizard Island, on the Great Barrier Reef (Grande Barriera Corallina) a week touring Tasmania, where I found myself in a rainforest (foresta pluviale) for the first time in my life (and the seaplane flight into it was also memorable), close encounters with adorable animals like... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on November 23, 2014 in Baking, Bread, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Recipe, Special Event, Traditional Dish | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 07, 2014

zucchetta al pomodoro / tromboncino squash with tomatoes

Nature's simple beauty Tromboncino squash cannot be missed when displayed on a table at the farmers' market. When I spotted it, I squealed with joy, because it is a rather rare find. I must thank The Corn Crib for growing this beauty. Besides being eye-catching with its long, curvy shape, it has a dense flesh and a delicate, pleasant flavor. Although it is harvested early and consumed as a summer squash, it does not belong to the Cucurbita pepo species like zucchini and other summer squashes, but rather to Cucurbita moschata, like butternut squash. Like its more famous relative, zucchetta has... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on October 07, 2014 in Black and White Wednesday, Everyday, Health, Herb, Recipe, Side Dish, Vegetable Dish | Permalink | Comments (13)

July 27, 2014

pâté di olive con fichi e menta / tapenade with figs and mint

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] a nice couple ready for the table A tall woman and a French man were preparing a chicken for roasting, while conversing amiably. She wiggled her hand into the space between the bird's skin and the flesh, something I had never seen anybody do before. I could not quite figure out to what extent the two in the kitchen were serious. My mother-in-law was watching this on her television when we arrived for a visit and we watched it with her for a while. It was my introduction to Julia Child and... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on July 27, 2014 in Appetizer, Books, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Recipe, Special Event, Weekend Herb Blogging | Permalink | Comments (20)

July 18, 2014

spirali (pasta fatta a mano) / spirals (handmade pasta)

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] small ridged bites of pasta dough When I need some quiet time to relax and let my thoughts fly away quickly before weighing too heavily on my mind, I make a batch of pasta dough and allow my hands to take the helm. Sometimes follow a well-rehearsed set of steps to make a familiar pasta shape. Other times, they explore a new path. When they reach a place worth describing in detail, I tell the story here. If you have been following me for some time, you know that making pasta by... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on July 18, 2014 in Consigli, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Pasta, Recipe, Weekend Herb Blogging | Permalink | Comments (9)

March 30, 2014

trota al forno per Mark Twain / roasted trout for Mark Twain

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] a tavola! Mark Twain did not like the food he ate in the hotels where he lodged during his stay in Europe in 1879. He makes that quite clear in the autobiographical book, A Tramp Abroad, written during that trip. After negative reviews of pretty much everything he has tasted, Twain sees the light at the end of the tunnel, since he is getting ready to travel back home, where he is planning to eat: Radishes. Baked apples, with cream. Fried oysters; stewed oysters. Frogs. American coffee, with real cream... He goes... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on March 30, 2014 in Books, Consigli, English / italiano, Everyday, Fish Dish, Health, Herb, Recipe, Special Event, Weekend Herb Blogging | Permalink | Comments (10)

July 21, 2013

scone con zucchine novelle e noci / baby zucchini and walnut scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] rustic beauty I owe zucchini: for years I detested this vegetable with unmatched zeal. When I finally learned to appreciate it, I became a devout fan, and every year I try to expiate my early sin by singing its praise. Zucchini season is in full swing, which means zucchini of all varieties are readily available at local farmers' markets and stores. Hence, this is the time to get creative with them. A bunch of baby zucchini and some basil (basilico) in a recent CSA box made me realize another winning version of... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on July 21, 2013 in Baking, Consigli, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Pastry, Recipe, Special Event, Weekend Herb Blogging | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

May 10, 2013

scone con barbabietola rossa, mela e pistacchi / red beet, apple and pistachio scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] photo could be better — scones are perfect The recipe started with yet another batch of small red beets freshly harvested and promptly roasted. It went on with an apple too large to eat all as my breakfast. En route, it picked up some fresh dill (aneto) and to complete the party, it invited pistachios to join: what a success! I had a hard time setting up this shooting session, even within the realm of my minimalist style of food photography. I baked four batches of these scones and every time, my... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on May 10, 2013 in Baking, Books, Consigli, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Pastry, Recipe, Weekend Herb Blogging | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

May 07, 2013

Havarti con aneto / dill Havarti

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] just sliced Traveling with the Abbecedario culinario della Comunità Europea (European Community Culinary ABC), we've arrived in Denmark (Danimarca). Finally, we are in a country I have visited, albeit briefly. It was in Denmark that I first experienced the long days characteristic of summer in northern Europe. One August, years ago, three friends of mine and I drove from Italy to Norway and back, a wonderful trip that brought us to seven countries: Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. On our way up, we visited Copenhagen, where I enjoyed our... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on May 07, 2013 in Cheese making, English / italiano, Herb, Special Event, Travel | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

June 18, 2012

M come Matera (Basilicata): strascinati con la menta / M like Matera (Basilicata): strascinati with mint

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] ready to be served "La città dei Sassi" (the city of the stones): this definition in crossword puzzles taught me what is the defining feature of Matera, a city in southern Italy. What are the Sassi? The Sassi district is the ancient heart of the city of Matera. The Sassi... constitute a city unto itself, completely carved out of the face of the calcareous rock - what is known as tufa stone. The Sassi district is a system made of dwellings carved out of the steep slopes of a deep valley with... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on June 18, 2012 in English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Pasta, Presto Pasta Nights, Recipe, Special Event, Traditional Dish | Permalink | Comments (35)

March 29, 2011

hummus ai carciofi / artichoke hummus

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] This is a spread I had had in mind to make for a while. I saw it somewhere on the web, but I can't remember where: I only remember that it was a hummus made also with artichokes. I like artichokes a lot. My mother made them often, when they were in season: artichoke frittata and carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style) were often on the table. The important ingredient in the latter is mentuccia, a type of mint that grows wild. According to my mother, there was no substitute for it, so we... Read more →

Posted by Simona Carini on March 29, 2011 in Appetizer, Consigli, English / italiano, Everyday, Herb, Legume Dish, Recipe, Special Event, Vegetable Dish | Permalink | Comments (18)