Author Archive

O Foods Recipe: Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO

I had lots of ideas for what my O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Contest recipe would be, but in the end, none was better than one of our standby favorites that is just *laden* with O’s.

Spaghetti AgliO OliO e PeperoncinO

Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino on Flickr

  • Spaghetti for two people
  • Water for pasta
  • A few tablespoons of oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
  • 1 hot pepper, chopped, or hot pepper flakes to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: bread crumbs, chopped parsley and/or grated cheese

1. Put water for pasta on to boil.

2. Prepare garlic and pepper.

3. Once the water is boiling, add salt and pasta; remove when al dente.

4. In the meantime, just a few minutes before the pasta will be ready, heat oil on medium and then add the garlic, hot pepper, and salt to taste. Just let the garlic get a little brown, but be careful so it doesn’t burn.

5. Remove the garlic, add the pasta to the pan, and toss well together, leaving it all over the heat for about a minute as you mix.

6. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parsley and/or grated cheese, allowing it to blend together a bit more before removing from heat.

7. Serve hot.

Buon appetito!

You still have until Monday, 28 September 2009 to get your O Food recipes in! Find out all the info on the contest here–which includes the text you need to include in your post to be eligible for prizes.


Angela Moore Jewelry for Ovarian Cancer Awareness

Last year I told you about 5 Ways to Raise Ovarian Cancer Awareness through Jewelry, and one of those ways was by purchasing a bracelet from the Ovarian Cancer Awareness collection of Angela Moore, who by the way you can now find on Facebook.

Well this year I’m letting you know that Angela Moore has *many* more Ovarian Cancer awareness pieces–and 15% of proceeds from their purchase go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund ALL YEAR LONG.

So while it’s great that you show your support for ovarian cancer awareness this month, you can also bookmark the site and head back for holiday and birthday gifts as well.

Here are some of this year’s selections with prices below their images:

Ovarian Cancer Awareness watch by Angela Moore

$67.95

Ovarian Cancer Awareness earrings by Angela Moore

$22.50

Ovarian Cancer Awareness hairtie by Angela Moore

$10.80

Ovarian Cancer Awareness pendant by Angela Moore

$27.00

All Angela Moore creations are hand-painted and one of a kind, so in addition to supporting a great cause, you’re also getting a gorgeous, original piece of jewelry that you’re sure to receive many compliments on–which, of course, offers you a great opportunity to spread the message about ovarian cancer (feel free to memorize the facts from the OCRF in the O Foods Contest announcement)!

I’m loving that pendant. Which is your favorite?

And, ahem, have you made your O Foods recipe yet or posted the announcement?


Love Thursday: Love in the Grilled Pollo

I love grilled food. Any kind of meat, vegetables, even fruit…grilled pineapple anyone?

P and I don’t have a *real* grill quite yet, but our little contraption works just fine, and we’ve been using the heck out of it this summer. P, of course, is the Grill Master, while I prep anything not made over the coals like salad and bread and take care of tasks such as setting the table, keeping the wine glasses filled, etc.

I love the flow of activity on grill nights as we each perform our assigned tasks separately but in perfect concert, each contributing to the finished product little by little until we finally sit down to enjoy the feast.

There’s always such a handsome reward after all that prep, and it’s made all the better when P brings the plate of ali di pollo (chicken wings) to the table and announces:

“Guarda il cuore!”

Chicken heart on Flickr

Look at the heart!

I also love when P implores me to get the camera for a Love Thursday post.

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

P.S. No, this isn’t my official O Food Contest contribution, although it could be since pollo ends in O! What are you making? Remember you have until 28 September to get those recipes in!

And this just in:

Check out the Third Annual Live Webcast on Ovarian Cancer tomorrow, 18 September at 12:30 pm EST. The webcast will be held at the Omni Parker House Hotel (60 School Street) in Boston in the Press Room. Coalition members, survivors and doctors will be answering your questions.

To view the live webcast, visit OvarianCancerAwareness.org and click under the event “Live Webcast” where it states, “click here to watch.” You will then be asked to log in with your name. The live feed will begin at 12:00 pm and the broadcast will start at 12:30 pm.


2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month ContestIt’s finally time for the 2nd Annual O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month here and at Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy!

We were so pleased with the response to last year’s contest, which raised $425 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and rounded up 45 outstanding (ottimo!) “O Food” recipes.

And we need your help to top that this year!

We started the O Foods tradition in honor of our friend, award-winning pastry chef Gina DePalma, author of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen; Gina has been fighting ovarian cancer for the past year and a half, and in addition to physically battling the disease, she has also started the Cowgirl Cure Foundation to raise awareness and money for research as well.

As a special treat, this year Gina will also be picking the grand prize winner of the O Foods Contest! And speaking of prizes, check them out–signed copies of Gina’s book, Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano, and Joseph Bastianich’s Vino Italiano.

Molto cool, no?

Speaking of the contest, just like last year, you can participate either by submitting a recipe or by simply posting the announcement below. Our goal is to spread information about ovarian cancer and its symptoms to as many people as possible, so feel free to tweet, post on Facebook, or whatever you have to do to help us make enough noise to stop this silent killer.

CONTEST RULES

O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and for the second year in a row, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso are hosting the O Foods Contest to raise awareness of this important health issue.

There are TWO WAYS to take part in the O Foods Contest:

ONE: Post a recipe to your blog using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato); include this entire text box in the post; and send your post url along with a photo (100 x 100) to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.

PRIZES for recipe posts:

  • 1st: Signed copy of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, inspired this event, and will be choosing her favorite recipe for this prize;
OR

TWO: If you’re not into the recipe thing, simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word and send your post url to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on Monday, September 28, 2009.

Awareness posts PRIZE:

  • One winner chosen at random will receive a Teal Toes tote bag filled with ovarian cancer awareness goodies that you can spread around amongst your friends and family.

———

From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

  • Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.
  • The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose, but include bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).
  • There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.
  • In spite of this, patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.
  • When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

And remember, you can also always donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at our page through FirstGiving!

Please help spread the word about ovarian cancer.
Together we can make enough noise to kill this silent killer.

Teal Toes Winners and More Ovarian Cancer Awareness Info

OPI Teal the Cows Come HomeCongrats to the winners of OPI Teal the Cows Come Home polish:

(1) Lisa of La Famiglia

(2) City Girl of City Girl Lifestyle

(3) Chrissy

(4) Aimee of Aimee’s Blog

(5) Jen of a2eatwrite

And thanks to Carey of Teal Toes for donating prizes!

And in other ovarian cancer awareness news, check out the gorgeous creations of Diana who blogs at Creative Structures, like this one:

Art for women's health by Diana at Creative Structures

which Diana made and donated to the auction of the Cowgirl Cure Foundation, a new organization “takin’ a stand against ovarian cancer.”

And have you heard of the Text-a-Thon for a Cause?

Kelly ConfidentialElectrolux and Kelly Ripa are again teaming up to raise ovarian cancer awareness. All you have to do is text “KELLY” to 85944 and $5 will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (normal texting rates may apply, and remember this is US -based).

Also if you register at Kelly’s website, every day you log on in September gives you another chance to win a front load washer and dryer in Turquoise Sky, the color inspired by teal, the symbolic color of ovarian cancer awareness.

Now, remember we’re just getting started with our ovarian cancer awareness campaign here. Come back Monday for the official announcement of this year’s O Foods Contest, which you’ll also find at Sara’s Ms Adventures in Italy and which will include even more fabulous prizes than last year.

Then stay tuned for:

Buon weekend a tutti–and start thinking about your O Foods recipes!


Michelle KaminskyMichelle 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

Calabria travel guide by Michelle Fabio

Recipes

 

Homemade apple butter
Green beans, potatoes, and pancetta
Glazed Apple Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
Pasta with snails alla calabrese
Onion, Oregano, and Thyme Focaccia
Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins
Prosciutto wrapped watermelon with bel paese cheese
Fried eggs with red onion and cheese
Calabrian sausage and fava beans
Ricotta Pound Cake