Archive for 2008
1st of the month featured bloggers: september
These days there are a lot of us expats from various home countries blogging from Italy (check out my list of links here), but one of the absolute best and one that I always look forward to visiting is Julian and Amanda’s A Tuscan View – from Umbria.
Amanda and Julian alternate with fabulous posts on this blog, which also features gorgeous photos. Both write with amazing clarity and share such keen observations–what a lovely, interesting couple they must be to meet in person. I certainly hope to do so someday soon!
Amanda never fails to invoke gorgeous imagery and deep emotions with her words and photos; Julian’s posts are cleverly crafted and laugh-out-loud funny. My favorite of his is called “Sopranome” and tells the tale of the time he nutmegged Jesus, who, not surprisingly, “didn’t like it. Not one bit.”
One of my favorite posts of Amanda’s and one of my favorites of anyone’s anywhere is called “The colour of earth” and includes these lines (and the above photo):
Since I first visited Italy, years ago, I have been infatuated with its colours; the warm rosy apricots and rich terracottas of the peeling stucco in the piazzas. Faded frescos with the soft tinctures of the Renaissance, ghosts of vivid lapis blues and true clear reds.
In the countryside, the ever-changing grey green olives and inky dark cypresses stand against the ripened gold of wheat. And the land itself, its ploughed and fallow fields with great clods of soil like raw siena, the fertile colour of earth.
In the cavernous warehouse where we have come to buy the paint I feel suddenly nervous, almost overwhelmed by colour, but I know I haven’t come this far to paint yet another stark white wall, so I hold my breath and choose…
*sigh*
As I told Amanda, I wouldn’t mind living in that post.
An added bonus is that Amanda features the “best thing I ate today” while Julian always includes “the stupidest thing I did today.” How can you not love those tidbits about real life in Italy?
And, just in case you aren’t impressed with all of this, consider that Julian is an artist who, along with the help of his lovely wife, runs Artist in Italy painting holidays and workshops in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.
You know you want to know more about this spectacularly talented duo, so go visit Julian and Amanda. Just don’t blame me when you spend the next couple hours reading their archives. You’ve been warned.
And speaking of wonderful things in Italy, be sure to head over to Alex’s Blog from Italy this Friday, September 5th, when he’ll be starting up a recipe contest with prizes in the forms of free subscriptions to the La Cucina Italiana magazine. I’ll be on the taste-testing team, so be sure to check out the details!
Petite Anglaise by Katherine Sanderson
Simply loved this book by Katherine Sanderson; flew through it way too quickly.
Read on...love thursday:
happy birthday mia!
Yes my niece and nephew were born just a week (and three years) apart, so that meant combined birthday parties in their younger days. I’ve been in the reminiscing mood lately, thinking about those fun family times, and I remembered that I actually had some photos stored on the computer.
I thought it was about time to get them up on Flickr, and since I know my niece takes after her Aunt Shell in loving to look at family photos, I’ll share them here too for her birthday today.
This is the three of us at their 2002 birthday party:
And here is Mia with my mom, her Nana, around the same time:
Definitely one of my favorite photos of all time.
And these are all from the last time I was home between February and June 2004, during which we played around with the webcam quite a bit:
Happy Birthday Mia!
I hope to be there for more eskimo kisses and fishy faces very soon.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
The Skinny on Prickly Pears – Fichi d’India
Ever since I published these photos, I know our good friend Gil has been wondering about whether the prickly pears (fichi d’India) are ripe, and well, I’m happy to announce, the time has arrived (see left)!
So for today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday, a quick lesson in prickly pears.
The prickly pear, or fico d’India in Italian, is the fruit that grows on the end of cacti like in the photo. Those of you in southwestern US and various other hot, cactus-bearing places know this fruit well, I’m sure, but for the rest of you, the most important thing to keep in mind:
DON’T TOUCH THESE WITH BARE HANDS.
Yeah, the “prickly” in the name might have given you that clue, but it’s not what you think. It’s not the spines on the cactus that are prickly, it’s the tiny, nearly invisible hair-like spines that are *all over* the fruit that cause the trouble–and they are nearly impossible to wash off of you once they’re on. Trust me. It’s like having pins and needles all over your hands, and so not fun.
Now, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t clean these. This is P’s job, and although some people soak them in water beforehand is advisable, I’ve never seen him do it. He’s just really, really skilled with a knife, but I still suggest you wear gloves and watch this video to see some pros at work.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with prickly pears, you’re probably wondering what they taste like. Well, um, they’re unique. They’re sweet but not too sweet, kind of a cross between a fig and, I don’t know, a plum maybe?
One thing I can say is that they are very seedy, and no, I don’t mean like from a questionable part of town, I mean like this:
And truth be told, this is my favorite way to eat them. Fresh, seeds and all.
Another popular way to prepare them is in jams or marmalades; you’ll find countless recipes for those with a quick Google search.
But for some unique recipes, check out these from fellow bloggers:
- Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Vinaigrette from Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy
- Prickly Pear Juice from Ilva of Lucullian Delights
- Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Salad from Scrumptious Street
- Prickly Pear Granita from Esi of Dishing Up Delights
- And here’s a tutorial on how to clean prickly pears at Vanilla Garlic
Buon appetito!
berlusconi singing for his cena*, sort of
Well you can’t say Silvio Berlusconi, who turns 72 next month, isn’t entertaining.
No seriously. He entertains.
This former cruise ship singer, media mogul, and–oh yeah–Prime Minister of Italy is currently producing a CD of canzoni d’amore (love songs) with Neapolitan** singer Mariano Apicella.
Actually, this will be Berlu’s second set of compositions released by Apicella; the first was out during Berlusconi’s second time around as Prime Minister in 2003 and reached Italy’s Top 50.
The duo hope that the CD will be released in December (just in time for Christmas shopping!), but Apicella admits “it won’t be easy given all the (prime minister’s) responsibilities.”
Oh yeah…THOSE! Glad someone’s thinking about that.
Will you be buying the Berlusconi-produced CD?
And my *real* question:
When are we going to see Obama or McCain’s greatest hits?!
*Cena (CHAY-nah) in Italian means dinner/supper.
**Why isn’t it “Napolitan?” It’s not Neapoli, it’s Napoli! If anyone has answers, please share. This has always bothered me.
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
