Archive for 2007
love thursday: big gifts from little ones
Anyone away from most family and friends probably appreciates postal deliveries more than just about anything in life. I’m no different.
I love getting any letter or package, but it’s particularly special when I receive something from my niece and nephew back in the States. Knowing that they still think of me in between soccer and baseball, school and birthday parties, iPods and whatever else it is kids play with these days? Warms my heart and, quite often, makes me downright giddy.
You may remember reading that Mia, my niece, had sent me a postcard from Disney. It arrived!
The other side of the cartolina is a family picture in front of Epcot, but I won’t post it because I haven’t asked permission. You’ll just have to trust me that it’s adorable.
Of course I save everything my niece and nephew have sent me. Here’s a collection of some of the older stuff, drawings when they were both a few years younger:
But it’s not limited to just drawings. They also send me little gifts that they’ve picked up here and there (usually with the help of Nana) that somehow remind me of them.
From left to right: Gangster Bean, a giraffe pin, and a little ceramic owl.
For the record, I’m never doing a photo shoot with a bean, a giraffe, and an owl again. You see how they all refused to look at the camera?
The Gangster Bean came about because before I left to come here, my nephew Michael was big into the Mighty Beanz. A list of all the beans, er, beanz came with the packets, and I told him about my affinity for Gangster Bean (go figure). So when he got his hands on this guy, he sent it off to me.
The giraffe is because I love giraffes, and my niece knows that. So one day while out at yard sales with Nana and Mommy, she saw this and knew I would love it. And I do.
The ceramic owl was gifted during the time of Filippo and Filippa, the wild owls that we raised for a little while. Isn’t it a hoot? Hah!
I display their letters, pictures, drawings, and gifts throughout my house, and everyone always asks about them, their names, how old they are, etc.
And you know is always the most interested? Other children. When P’s nieces and nephews or kids from the village come around, they zero on anything related to Michael and Mia (especially their blond hair!) and ask, above all, when they’re coming to visit.
I can’t wait for the day that they come and can meet all the people who already know so much about them. And somehow I don’t think the language barrier is going to make a bit of difference.
Hearts seem to have a language of their own.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
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[tags]love thursday, giraffes, mighty beanz, gangster bean, owls, children’s drawings[/tags]
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Breaded Veal Cutlets
If you’re looking for healthy, light and/or vegetarian eating, this ain’t the place today.
This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is Breaded Veal Cutlets. I’ve had these in many a Calabrese-American and Calabrese home, and they always taste pretty much the same–but this recipe comes from my non-Italian mom.
Then again, these cutlets sound awfully similar to Wiener Schnitzel, an Austrian dish more along the lines of my mom’s German heritage. Oh, but not so fast! Some say even the schnitz originated in northern Italy, under the name cotoletta alla milanese (although these generally have bones and are fried in butter).
Whatever their origin, they’re darn good, and I recommend that when you make them, you make a lot (at least a pound) because (1) they’ll go fast and you’ll wish you had made more while the mess was out; and (2) they are great leftover, even cold. Especially as a hangover remedy. Or so they tell me.
We tend to make a meal out of them (with salad or other greens), but they can also be used as a traditional Italian second course. Serve with lemon if you like, although I’m not a big lemon fan, so I don’t.
Also, I should note that I like mine a little smaller than what I’ve been served in many an Italian dining room; I like making them about the size of my hand at their biggest whereas most I’ve seen take up most of the plate. I think my preference comes from when I was small (literally) and my mom would make special baby ones for me because I didn’t use to eat very much.
My how things have changed. And yet the recipe remains the same!
Breaded Veal Cutlets
1 1/2 to 2 lb veal cutlets, about 1/8 inch thick (beat ’em if you have to; it’s fun!)- 1 1/2 c unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 3 tbsp grated parmigiano cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp milk
- vegetable oil for frying
First I recommend setting up a comfortable work area as it will make the whole process go much smoother. I put down a cloth or newspaper to catch spillage and stray crumbs and it makes clean-up very easy.
If you need to thin out your cutlets, do so with a flat mallet (I’ll use the underside of a tablespoon in a pinch). Now once your cutlets are the desired thickness, put them on a plate to your far left–if you work left to right, that is, otherwise far right and work your way to the left.
Then, in a shallow, wide bowl, place the egg, milk, and salt and beat together well. If you’re really serious, you can check out the 3 piece breading pans like this.
Next in line comes the bread crumb mixture. I usually just mix this through with a fork until it looks well blended. Do this in another shallow, wide bowl.
And finally, put an empty plate for the finished breaded cutlets on the far right.
Now begin breading. Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture, and then into the breading, patting gently to keep the crumbs on but not too hard so that you’re grinding them into the meat.
Shake off excess crumbs before you put on the “done” plate. You don’t want want too many extra crumbs flaking off into the oil later because they’ll burn and make everything taste funny. Or at least burny.
When you’re finished breading, you’re ready to fry.
Put about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and set on medium/high until oil is hot, when it starts to pop a bit. If you want to test it, put in a small cutlet; if it doesn’t immediately sizzle, the oil isn’t hot enough yet.
Put as many cutlets in the pan that fit without crowding them. While your first batch is frying, get ready a plate covered in a couple layers of paper towels, which will soak up a lot of the big bad oil when the cutlets are done frying. Depending on how many cutlets you’re making, you can go through a serious amount of paper towels here, so be prepared.
You only need to fry them about 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. When on the first side, once you notice that the ends are starting to get a little brown, flip. You really don’t want to flip more than once because then they’ll soak up more oil and you may lose breading. You’ll know when they’re done when both sides are golden brown.
Note that some people use flour in addition to the egg and breading steps, which you can do if you like a thicker breading. Also, some may question why I don’t use olive oil for frying; I find it too heavy, and I really don’t like the flavor it gives the cutlets (I have tried it), although perhaps it’s just because I’m used to the vegetable oil variety.
Feel free to play around with the measurements, by the way, because these are only approximations. Rest assured, though, that I did confer with my mom before posting this.
Buon appetito!
meme italiano: kinda like the mambo but not
As promised yesterday, here is my first Italian meme!
I’ve completed it in both Italian and English, and the only rule is “Don’t make fun of my Italian.” Avete capito?
Let’s continue then.
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Con piacere accetto l’invito di New Brigand a rispondere ad alcune domande sul rapporto che ho con il vino.
Sei più vino rosso, bianco o rosé?
Rosso, rosso, rosso! Non c’è dubbio. Non mi piace rosé per niente e bevo il bianco solo se non c’è nient’altro.
La tua prima volta?
Che domanda! E’ terribile che non mi ricordo?
La migliore associazione tra un vino e una portata?
Le fette delle pesche inzuppate del vino rosso (come ha fatta la nonna una volta).
La tua migliore degustazione?
Mi piacciono sempre i vini della Sicilia e anche quello del mio suocero. Che altro!
Chi sceglie il vino in casa tua e chi amministra la cantina?
P. E’ meglio così perché non so niente di vino.
Quanti vini hai in cantina?
Sinceramente solo uno—quello del mio suocero! Ma cuciniamo anche con un vino bianco di Cirò (Calabria).
Come inizieresti un giovane al vino?
Come ha detto New Brigand, con gli amici—come tutte le cose mi sembra.
Salute! Cent’anni!
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With pleasure, I accept the invitation of New Brigand to respond to some questions about my relationship with wine.
Are you more white, red, or rosé?
Red, red, red. Without a doubt. I don’t like rosé at all and I drink white only if there’s nothing else.
Your first time?
What a question! Is it terrible that I don’t remember?
The best pairing between a wine and dish?
Peaches soaked in red wine (like my grandmother used to do).
Your favorite?
I always like Sicilian wines but I also like my father-in-law’s wine too. Of course!
Who chooses the wine at your house or who manages your wine cellar?
P. It’s better this way because I don’t know anything about wine.
How many wines do you have in your wine cellar?
Honestly, just one—my father-in-law’s! But we also cook with a white wine from Cirò (Calabria).
How do you introduce a young person to wine?
As New Brigand said, with friends—like everything I think.
Cheers! A hundred years!
And now some photos of our cantina, or at least our soon to be cantina when we switch to the bigger house:
I won’t tag anyone, but if anyone would like to play in either English or Italian (or both!), please do and leave me a comment saying as much so we can find your answers.
And while we’re sort of on the subject (wine and food go hand in hand after all), I’m putting a call out to all my foodie friends.
If you like to cook, bake, or even just eat, you should check out what’s happening at Jenn’s Foodie Blogroll.
It’s a convenient way to keep track of all of your fellow food lovers, so why not join? Just click the above graphic, link, here, or the link on my sidebar. See how easy?
Then pour yourself a glass a wine and settle in for some great foodie recipes, tips, tales and such.
And we’re full circle.
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[tags]vino, wine, memes, cantina[/tags]
meme monday (all about things)
Today is the first in a two-part series in which I will do all of the meme tags I currently have outstanding. With recent Internet issues, I got a little behind, but let it not be said that I am not a diligent blogger. Because I am. It just might take a while.
For those dying in anticipation, tomorrow will be my first Italian meme! Don’t worry, I’ll translate for the Italianistically challenged.
So, way back on March 19, I was tagged by AJ for the 4 Things meme, which goes a little something like this:
Four jobs I’ve had
1. Freelance writer
2. Appellate law clerk
3. Clothes folder at college bookstore
4. Amusement park ride operator
Four movies I can watch over and over
1. The American President
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. A Few Good Men
4. Meet the Parents
Four places I have lived
1. Anthracite Coal Country, Pennsylvania, USA
2. Durham, North Carolina, USA
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
4. Calabria, Italy
Four television shows I love to watch
1. Lost
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Friends, still
4. King of Queens
Four places I have been on vacation
1. Sarasota, Florida, USA
2. Atlanta, Georgia, USA
3. Boston, Massachusetts, USA
4. Morehead City Beach, North Carolina, USA
Four of my favorite dishes
1. Linguine with some type of seafood
2. Spaghetti alla carbonara
3. Thanksgiving—all of it
4. Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Four websites I visit daily
1. Msnbc.com
2. Perezhilton.com
3. Bloglines.com
4. Expatsinitaly.com
Four places I would rather be right now
1. Anywhere hugging my niece and nephew.
2. Snuggled with P, anywhere.
3. Somewhere with only a book, Luna, and time to keep me company.
4. Completely moved in and settled in our “new” old house.
Four bloggers I am tagging
1. Cheeky, because I’m just getting to know her and this way is as good as any.
2. Cherrye, because I know she loves a good meme as much as anyone.
3. Erin, for reasons 2 and 3 above.
4. Shannon, because she’s such a tag-backer it’s not even funny.
More recently, I was tagged by two lovely ladies, Irene and Val, on the same day not even an hour apart, but thankfully with the same meme. This one is called the 7 things meme and these are the rules:
Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
Alrighty. I’ve already posted 100 Things, Another 100 Things, Six Weird Things, and another five things based on the five senses for good measure. You’d think I’d be out of stuff you don’t know about me, wouldn’t you?
Hah! You don’t know me very well.
For this meme, I’m going with the 7 theme and basing this list on the Seven Deadly Sins and how they manifest themselves in me.
The revelation that I’m not perfect? Consider that your bonus eighth.
1. Lust. Well we might as well start big. And yet tame, because this is mostly a family blog, right? So let’s just say that I love wearing sexy things to bed, especially little nighties.
2. Gluttony. Put freshly baked cakes or muffins in front of me if you must, but do take them away after five minutes or else there won’t be any left for anyone else.
3. Greed. I’m not very greedy when it comes to accumulating things except for books. I want them. I want to buy them. And most often, I want to keep them.
4. Sloth. Left to my own devices, I can waste a darn lot of time just lying around doing nothing. Although a book is often my accomplice, so that’s not technically “nothing” is it?
5. Wrath. I don’t have a bad temper, but when you piss me off, you’d be advised to just leave me alone. I don’t want to talk about it (yet), and be forewarned that although I forgive, I don’t forget.
6. Envy. As much as I don’t care to have a lot of money, I have always envied women born into wealthy families in the early to mid 20th century–you know, the kinds that were respected, educated, and well-traveled but never worked except for charities?
7. Pride. I’m seriously concerned about the amount of white hairs sprouting on my head, and so I will probably be playing with hair color soon. This saddens me.
So there we are.
Now I’m supposed to tag 7 people, who if they choose to accept the challenge, may do the original meme of 7 things we don’t know about them or my revised Seven Deadly Sins version.
Aren’t I kind?
1. Annika because she’s always up for a good meme.
2. Bongga Mom because I’m hoping she’ll reveal more bongga mom secrets.
3. Delinissima because I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a meme on her blog and I’m concerned.
4. Femminista because I love her blog (and her new puppy) and you should too.
5. Judith because I have a feeling she’s a sinner (and she said no one ever asks her to do memes).
6. Karen because I know with two young daughters at home, she’s kinda bored and just wishing she had a meme to complete.
7. Vanessa because she’s tagged me before and it’s only fair.
You’re up! And to everyone I’ve tagged, please leave a link to your meme post here in the comments if you do decide to play.
Happy meme-ing!
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[tags]memes, seven deadly sins[/tags]
sunday scribblings: ocean
Prompt #58: Ocean
Ah, the ocean. Many have fond memories of going to the beach as a child, frolicking in the sand, building sandcastles, getting tossed around in the waves.
Not me.
I remember going to Atlantic City with my grandmother once when I was small, but we didn’t actually get near the water as it was too cold. And yes, for those in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, I’m talking about “going to the shore” here. Cheesesteaks optional but advised.
So my first time near a large body of water was in college when some friends and I went to Morehead City (accent on the first syllable; make your own jokes please), North Carolina. Is that possible? Nearly 20 years of my life without knowing the ocean?
Entirely. From the middle of Pennsylvania, where I am from, the ocean is several hours away; those from the Midwest may have even more dramatic horror stories. Add to that a family that was never, say, enamored with the water or vacations, and it’s not too hard to understand. Of course it is a bit strange if you consider that I now live minutes from the crystal clear Ionian Sea, a northern Italian and European holiday hotspot.
So when I was 19 years old, I got thrown around by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Scary at the start, but then simply glorious. Being flipped and turned beyond your control really puts the world into perspective for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old college kid.
I remember feeling so small, insignificant, powerless. And happy. Deliriously happy.
It was the perfect time to feel and understand that I was just a tiny piece of the larger puzzle of the world. At the time, I was attending an ultra-competitive university with students who often fit every stereotype you could imagine; it was easy to get suckered into thinking that every decision, including actually eating dinner instead of having half of a plain baked potato, would affect my Entire Future.
Should I continue with German? Should I double major? Should I break down and take a math course? Can I fit in another part-time job? This was critical stuff!
Having nothing to do but lie on the beach, read some novels, and frolic, yes frolic, in the water was the perfect wind-down to another physically and emotionally draining school year; as it turned out, my introduction to the ocean happened exactly when I needed it and, perhaps more importantly, when I was ready to accept it.
I think that when you haven’t grown up with something, your adult years can either find you strangely drawn toward it or still keeping your distance.
With the ocean, I’m somewhere in between. I’m not afraid of the water, although I’ll admit I’m not entirely comfortable on a boat where I can no longer see land. If you haven’t guessed, I’ve never been on a cruise, but I’d welcome the chance if, you know, I won one or something.
On the other hand, I’m definitely not addicted to the sea either–a minor sin here, in fact, where I’m asked nearly every day in the summer if I had gone “al mare,” to the sea. Thank goodness I found P, who isn’t appassionato either, proving one of P’s (and now my) favorite sayings: “Dio li fa e poi li accoppia.” This is the equivalent of our “birds of a feather flock together,” but literally (and much prettier, I think): “God makes them and then matches them up.”
So while not al mare every day, I do enjoy quiet times at the beach when there are few others around. Lucky for me, Italians are quite rigid on when they go to the beach, so those early March and late September days? The beach and the moist, salty air? Pretty much all mine.
I imagine this might change a bit if I have children, though, because I would want them to be comfortable with the water and have all those sweet, frolicky memories that so many others have–although building sandcastles probably isn’t going to happen on our beaches here.
And so, I am at peace with the fact that the ocean and I have a bit of a strained relationship. I wouldn’t die if I wasn’t near it, but then again, that crisp, fresh air and cool water feels oh so good when the sun is warming my cheeks and shoulders (properly covered in sunscreen, of course).
But for now I’ll continue to take it in small doses until the Ionian, which surely knows more than I, pulls me to know it a little better.
And then I will open myself up to whatever it has to offer.
P.S. You can find more images of the sea here.
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[tags]ocean, sea, ionian sea, badolato[/tags]
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.
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