Shout Out to the Daddies of the World
Just wanted to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, especially mine!
And to my grandfather, Pap Pap, wherever he may be:
To my mom’s father, also wherever he may be (sadly no photo here with me).
And to all the rest of my grandfathers back into family history–especially to:
(1) My great-grandfather Aniello D’Isabella, who I never got to meet but whose lack of desire to get American citizenship after leaving his southern Italian village allowed me to reclaim his Italian citizenship many years later and live here happily ever after without bureaucratic hassle; and
(2) My great-great-grandfather Giuseppe Bressi whose village I now call home.
Auguri to all you daddies out there!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Green Beans, Pancetta, and Potatoes
This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe screams summer because of the gorgeous fresh fagiolini (green beans) that star in the dish; a more hearty version of this basic combo can be found at my recipe for Pork, Green Beans, and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce.
Now, before we get started, if you think you don’t like green beans, please find some fresh ones. Trust me, they have nothing to do with canned green beans (to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of those either). As with any beans, they take a little prep work (washing, snapping off the ends, and blanching), but they are *so* worth it.
We didn’t grow our own fagiolini this year, but we will definitely give it a go next year. The beans used in this recipe, of course, are locally grown though. And if you’re curious as to what *is* going on in our garden, check out our:
Lettuce/lattuga:
Onions/cipolle:
The cucumbers and tomatoes are ripening as I type! Yay!
OK, the recipe. Traditionally instead of the pancetta, the Badolatese would use “carne salata,” spicy, salty lard particular to here; (luckily) we didn’t have any, so we substituted pancetta, and it worked great. You can use cubed ham if you’re short on pancetta.
Green Beans, Pancetta, and Potatoes
Fagiolini con pancetta e patate
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Half kilo (about a pound) of fresh green beans
- One medium onion, diced
- 100 grams (about 1/4 pound) of pancetta, cubed
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks or cubed (your choice)
- Salt to taste
1. Wash beans and snap (or snip) off ends.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, then drop in beans for about 3-5 minutes until they are bright green but still rather al dente. Many say to then drop them into a waiting bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, but I never do–they’re always fine, and I save myself another dish to wash. You just have to get used to when to take them out, that’s all.
3. Put about five tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium. When the oil is hot, add the onions and let saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add pancetta to pan, again letting it saute for a couple minutes, then add potatoes and mix together.
5. The potatoes will take the longest to cook, of course, so let this mixture cook for about 15-25 minutes–depends on how large your potato chunks are.
6. Add the green beans and some salt and mix everything together. Let cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring and adding water if it gets a bit dry. The dish is ready when the potatoes and beans are cooked to your satisfaction. Be sure to adjust for salt.
7. Serve hot with bread–or eat leftover cold the next day as a salad. YUM!
Buon appetito!
Love Thursday: Just Me and the Kids
Yes, I know the blog has been heavy on books and reviews lately, but that’s certainly not all we do around here. We also, for example, admire our baby goats.
Yes, the girls have been showing more sisterly love:
But there’s just nothing like a Mamma’s love is there?
Happy Love Thursday from our pen to yours!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Ricotta Fresca
Ricotta fresca (fresh ricotta) is one of my most favorite foods in the whole world.
Our kids Pasqualina and Margherita aren’t old enough to breed and make milk yet, but I’m really looking forward to the day when we can make our own ricotta…because I’m pretty sure the only thing better than fresh ricotta is fresh ricotta made by your own two hands. I’ll keep you posted!
One great way to enjoy fresh ricotta is spread on bread–especially if both are warm–and for this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday, I’m sharing three of my other favorite ways to enjoy fresh ricotta:
*Breakfast of Campioni*
Ricotta, Strawberries, Bananas, and Honey
This is definitely one of my favorite spring treats. Feel free to use kiwi and other favorite fruits if you got ‘em!
*Fast, Easy, Delicious Lunch or Dinner*
Spaghetti with Ricotta
Sometimes also called Pasta alla Pastora (Shepherd’s Style), all we do is toss cooked, salted pasta with fresh ricotta. You can add grated cheese, parsley, and hot pepper, but trust me, this is fabulous with just the ricotta.
*Scrumptious Dessert*
Gina DePalma’s Ricotta Pound Cake
Remember when I made this a couple years ago? It’s still one of my favorite cakes, and you can find the recipe here. Yum!
Have you had fresh ricotta?
What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?
Love Thursday: Celebrating an Anniversary
Last week, P and I celebrated four years together.
Lots of people on both sides of the Atlantic ask us about marriage and when we’ll make it “official.”
We may get around to doing that (and I’ll be sure to let you know!) but for now, we’re just fine with the way things are, so no announcements are forthcoming–not today at least. Every day is an adventure, though, so who knows what tomorrow will bring?
In any event, I refer to P as my marito (husband) in conversations with others, and he calls me his moglie (wife)–or more often, his mugliere in Badolatese. And as far as everyone is concerned, his parents are already my suocera and suocero; I also have lots of cognati e cognate (brothers- and sisters-in-law).
Also, this is what my left hand looks like each and every day:
P gave me the white gold band when we had been together for about a month or so way back in 2005, and the diamond engagement ring is just that–but it was my grandmother’s, given to her by my grandfather in the early 1940s. She gave it to me several years before she passed away, making sure that I would be the one to have it.
No, the two rings don’t remotely match, but that seems rather perfect for P and me, who are, in many ways, polar opposites. We’re alike in some important ways too, and just like P and me, the two rings meet somewhere in the middle–I love how the silverish tones shine together–and somehow just work.
And that works for us, too.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
P.S. I have already contacted the 5 La Bella Lingua winners:
Paola of Always Italianissima
Kazbell
Peter Leonard
ann-marie
Syrahsuzie
Congratulations!
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
