Bleeding Espresso

Last weekend Cherrye of My Bella Vita, Dawn (blogless! scandalous!), and I met up at Il Cedro in Catanzaro for our 2nd annual Calabrian Women’s Summit. Remember how much fun we had last year?

As we now know of two other American women (two!) in Calabria, look for the event to grow and hopefully become more frequent as well!

We’re already planning to get together to see Sex and the City (in Italian–boo) next weekend . . . yes it opens here on May 30 just like for most of you. Are you going? I only started watching Carrie and the girls here a few months ago, but I’m just as addicted as everyone else who has been with the ladies for years.

Will she and Big *really* get married?!

Anyway, Cherrye gives a great rundown of this year’s Summit with photos here, so do head over and check it out. We had a blast! Woohoo!

For my part, I’m going to share some photos of Catanzaro Lido and get those of you in the States geared up for the long weekend with some beach shots:

The Lungomare:

Setting up for the summer:

Boys in the water (there was a cool breeze, but they didn’t feel it):

This little one retreated every time the water came near–water was cold to her!

Puppy in the grass appropriately acting out the theme song of the weekend, “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy–I *dare* you not to dance or sing along if you click on that link.

Read more about this lovely Bottlebrush (aka Feather duster to me) in the comment on Flickr here:

And a final shot of Catanzaro Lido:

Summer’s just about here!

Don’t forget check out Judy’s Over a Tuscan Stove for this week’s La Buona Cucina America recipe– Buffalo Wings!–and also my guest blog appearance over at Lucky Dorito!

Buon weekend!

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This heart-shaped tomato was the sweetest I’ve ever eaten.

Maybe (just a little) because P handed it to me with a kiss.

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

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Yesterday just as I was seriously wondering whether I’d have something interesting to make for What’s Cooking Wednesday, I received an email from Salena of The Daily Rant, aka “The Camera Fairy.”

She included a link to a recipe for Olive Oil Cake from Saveur and asked if I’d be willing to be her test kitchen; not surprisingly, Salena’s truck-driving career doesn’t give her much opportunity to bake.

Of course I accepted the challenge.

As stated on Saveur’s site, the original recipe comes from Trattoria Dalla Rosa Alda, a restaurant in the Valpolicella region in the province of Verona in northern Italy. The cake is called Pissota con l’Oio and uses a special liqueur made by Dalla Rosa Alda.

In place of this unique booze, Saveur recommends “Grand Marnier or other sweet citrus-flavored liqueur.”

Well if you’re in southern Italy like I am, “sweet citrus-flavored liqueur” means limoncello, so that’s what I used.

I also added a half teaspoon of confectioner’s sugar because when I tasted the batter, it seemed really bitter to me. You’re welcome to use your own judgment.

I’ll definitely make this cake again and maybe add even a bit more limoncello and lemon zest next time for even more lemony goodness. I’m not sure that my texture came out the way it’s supposed to, but I do love it–kind of a lemon sponge and not dry at all (like Italian cakes can sometimes be).

And now I have yet another reason to love lemons.

Grazie mille Salena!

Olive Oil & Limoncello Cake
[adapted from Saveur]

Butter & flour for preparing pan
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest
3/4 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp limoncello
1/2 tsp confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).

2. Grease an 11-cup bundt pan with butter and dust with flour, and set aside.

3. Beat eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer until pale yellow, about 1 minute.

4. Add flour, lemon zest, oil, milk, and limoncello and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add baking powder and confectioner’s sugar and stir until thoroughly combined.

5. Spoon batter into prepared pan and place in oven.

6. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to let cool completely, in its pan.

7. Before serving, dust with confectioner’s sugar if you like. Incidentally, this cake goes fabulously with espresso.

Buon appetito!

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Even though I’m not in America any more, the end of May still means bright red poppies to me.

Yes, these in the fields around here, but I’m talking about the ones that remind me of the sacrifices veterans have made for you and me and how many of them still suffer today even while in the “care” of our veterans’ hospitals.

Every year around Memorial Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)’s Buddy Poppy Program and the American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Program distribute millions of crepe paper poppies in exchange for contributions that benefit disabled and hospitalized veterans and their families.

Where do the poppies come from?

Why, the hospitalized veterans make these nine-piece wonders in “Poppy Shops,” gaining a small wage and also some physical and mental therapy.

What is history of the paper poppy?

During World War I, ever-resilient poppies grew and thrived in the war-torn battlefields of Belgium, inspiring this poem by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The symbol was picked up by Allied countries immediately after the war ended and paper poppies began being sold. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold French-produced poppies to benefit the children in areas of France and Belgium hit heaviest by the war.

When the Children’s League dissolved in 1922, the VFW took over the cause and two years later began the Buddy Poppy Program with veterans producing the poppies for the benefit of veterans and their families.

As much as I love the gorgeous wild, natural poppies that surround me, I’m still nostalgic for those paper beauties and all they represent.

So if you’re in America, can you do me a favor? Please make a contribution to the VFW or American Legion Auxiliary and get yourself a poppy.

That way you can remember too.

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It’s Palermonday again!

After visiting Teatro Massimo, La Fontana della Vergogna, and Quattro Canti, we’re now continuing along on Corso Vittorio Emanuele through la Porta Nuova (left) in Palermo.

This is one of my favorite photos of Palermo. I love how it captures the history, the hustle and bustle of the city, and even a Smart car–essential for any European street scene.

Plus I’m pretty proud of myself for not caring that I looked like a total tourist while stopping on that tiny sidewalk (believe me, the photo makes it look *gigantic* compared to the reality), burning my eyes looking into the strong midday sun, and snapping away.

I used to have issues with that, but I’m apparently past them.

The original Porta Nuova was built in 1583 to commemorate the victory of Charles V (known as Carlo V in Italy) over the Turks, but was destroyed in an explosion in 1667. Two years later, architect Gaspare Guercio redid the entrance to the city, adding a majolica-tiled pyramid with an eagle on the top (as always, click on photos to enlarge):

For centuries, Porta Nuova was the most important entry way into the city of Palermo, but Cherrye and I had a few moments of doubt as to whether we could actually pass through it on foot and continue along Corso Vittorio Emanuele without taking a detour.

We are living proof that you can indeed walk through the Porta Nuova.

Sure, it’s against traffic, but don’t worry, it opens up a bit inside to about the same width as the sidewalk outside. In fact, I felt safe enough to stop and take a photo of the inside of Porta Nuova, something you’re not going to find just anywhere:

Adjacent to the Porta Nuova is the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Regional Parliament in Sicily and also home of the Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily and one of the most beautiful and impressive sites in all of Palermo.

Or so we’ve been told.

It was closed the day we were there, which means we have yet another reason to return to this beautiful city.

On to the Duomo next Palermonday!

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