Archive for May, 2008
hey where my girls at?! (and is rachael ray a terrorist?)
The answer to the first question is:
Soon to be in Warner Village Cinema in Lamezia Terme anxiously awaiting:
And that’s where I’ll be shortly too.
Wanna come?
Or are you having your own girls’ night out in celebration?
But before you answer, let’s move on to the second question in the post title.
Did you hear about the Dunkin’ Donuts ad with Rachael Ray that was pulled because of what she’s wearing?
Scantily clad, you’re thinking?
Rachael Ray of EVOO and the Garbage Bowl?
OUR Rachael?
Not exactly.
Here’s a still shot from MSNBC.com:
Can you spot the offensive article of clothing?
Michelle Malkin said Ray’s neck accessory resembles a kiffiyeh, a head scarf “popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos.”
Um, is that what you thought when you saw that photo?
I mean, I’m not exactly lovin’ the scarf for fashion purposes, but personally
I just want some Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee, extra cream no sugar. YUM!
Buon weekend everyone!
And be sure to check out Ms Adventures in Italy for Sara’s
La Buona Cucina Americana recipe!
love thursday:
love at the beach
Visions of love from Catanzaro Lido:
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
And by the way, when is the last time *you* held someone’s hand?
what’s cooking wednesday: gluten-free banana pancakes with orange honey sauce
Before we get to the recipe, for those who are still wondering what the photo of the cheese-like substance was in yesterday’s post, Jeff in Puglia got it right–it’s homemade olive oil soap!
Now, the recipe. Remember when I made Gluten-Free Chocolate Coconut Muffins a few weeks ago? I had some almond flour left over so I went looking for recipes for another experimental installment of What’s Cooking Wednesday.
I also wanted to use a banana that was past its prime, and by searching for “almond flour” and “banana,” I found a recipe for Banana Hotcakes with Orange Honey Sauce. I made some adjustments to the recipe, including adding mashed banana to the batter rather than simply setting slices on top of the ‘cakes.
The pancakes *with* the orange honey sauce were really good, and I’ll definitely make them again when I’m in the mood for a breakfast healthier than white flour pancakes and maple syrup (yes I have the latter flown in). These definitely had a different consistency than “normal” pancakes (a bit more grainy and chewy) but that’s to be expected with the change in flour. I was used to it and even enjoying it within two bites.
Honestly though, when I tried one of these without the syrup–um, not so good, but then again, regular pancakes aren’t very tasty without anything added either (at least to me). If for some reason I were going to eat these without syrup, I’d definitely add some sugar to the batter.
Also note that this recipe didn’t make very many pancakes–about six small ones–but *a lot* of sauce. No worries for me on the pancakes as P wasn’t home when I made them. I had plenty for my breakfast.
And the leftover sauce? I used it that afternoon in my tea and then the next day for breakfast with fresh ricotta and more strawberries kind of like this. YUM!
Gluten-free Banana Pancakes with Orange Honey Sauce
Orange Honey Sauce
- 1 cup honey
- Juice and zest of one orange
Pancakes
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 overripe banana, mashed
- 1 small pinch baking soda
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1. Prepare sauce by combining honey, orange juice, and zest in a saucepan and simmer until it’s thickened to syrup consistency. Put through fine sieve before pouring over pancakes. Serve warm.
2. For pancakes, whisk together egg, oil, vanilla, and bananas. Add baking soda and then almond flour a bit at a time until it gets to the consistency of pancake batter. If it gets too thick, add a bit of water or milk.
3. Pour batter in (your preferred) pancake-sized circles onto hot, greased griddle.
4. Cook 2 minutes on first side until you see bubbles on top. Flip and cook another thirty seconds or minute more.
5. Serve warm with orange honey sauce on top.
Buon appetito!
thank heaven for great (italian) neighbors
I’ve been so lucky to have been blessed with great neighbors.
Growing up, Sylvia, the Italian woman next door with four kids of her own, used to bake me a birthday cake *every* year–fancy ones like with a Barbie standing in the middle and stuff.
Even now, she still finds time to send me cards for my birthday and Christmas despite having many, many grandchildren (I’ve lost count!).
Well my buona fortuna continued when I moved here.
I’ve told you about my neighbor Anna Maria before, but I really can’t express how lucky I am to have moved in near her. She is one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever known, always giving me something–literally just about every day it’s something new.
Other than the usuals like olive oil, vino, red wine vinegar, lemons, oranges, clementines, and Brasilena, she also supplies me with some special harbingers of the seasons like:
Berrylicious homegrown strawberries and blackberries!
Just look at these gorgeous fragole:
And she also brings me this:
Want a closer look?
Anyone know or care to guess what it is?
(I know some of you know!)
Also, if you have great neighbors you’d like to brag about, do share!
Duomo in Palermo, Sicily
Welcome back to Palermonday!
A few weeks ago, we started at Teatro Massimo, and then we started a walking tour up Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Now, after passing through the Porta Nuova and seeing Quattro Canti and La Fontana della Vergogna/The Fountain of Shame, we have arrived at the Duomo.
Absolutely one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen.
Part of what makes the Duomo so unique is its many architectural influences that reflect Sicily’s history as a territory that has seen a truly impressive number of leaders–check out this busy flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (thanks Paulus Maximus!).
The Duomo was built by Normans in 1184 on the site of a Muslim mosque that had been built over an early Christian basilica.
Got that?
During the 13th and 14th centuries, Gothic additions were added to the exterior and then the Spaniards added a Catalan touch in the 15th century.
Neoclassical elements were introduced both inside and out during the late 18th and early 19th century by architect Fernando Fuga of Naples.
You can read much more about the architectural details and see great photos of the Duomo, especially of the interior, here.
And just for fun, check out this liceo (equivalent of a US high school) that overlooks the Duomo.
Somehow I don’t think concentration would come easily for me with the gorgeous Duomo outside.
Be sure to come back next week for the last Palermomonday—
gardens and fruits and veggies, oh my!
Happy Memorial Day to those in the US! Hope you have your poppy!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
