Archive for the ‘contests’ Category
Win a Bag of Café Orzo: The Italian Caffeine-Free Alternative to Coffee
If you’ve been in a bar in Italy, you may have heard someone order “un caffè d’orzo” instead of a plain old un caffè.
What is orzo?
Orzo is roasted barley, naturally caffeine-free, and DEEE-licious. I drink orzo from time to time, although I normally make it with milk into an orzo latte or orzoccino instead of drinking it like coffee — but you can certainly just put it in your coffee or espresso maker (it’s brewed the same way) and drink it “straight” like un caffè.
Where can I find orzo?
If you’re in Italy, it’s sold next to coffee in the grocery store or, of course, at the bar, but if you’re in the United States, you can now find Café Orzo in American coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Café Orzo is made by two leaves and a bud, the award-winning tea company based in Colorado. They were kind enough to send me a sample when I was in the U.S., and it tasted just like what I knew in Italy. That is, YUM.
If you can’t get Café Orzo in your favorite establishment, why not tell the management about it?
What does orzo taste like?
As Café Orzo explains on its Facebook page:
It’s much richer than tea, and while we consider it an alternative to coffee, its flavor is distinctly different. Café Orzo has an earthy, nutty taste, and naturally occurring sugars in the barley impart a slight sweetness.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I personally consider orzo a whole different drink from coffee or tea — something truly in a class all by itself.
You can also follow two leaves and a bud on Facebook, by the way.
Where does Café Orzo come from?
Café Orzo is 100% certified organic roasted barley that grows on small farms in Italy, near the Adriatic Sea and is artisan roasted in small batches. Yes — you’re getting the real thing from the Bel Paese.
Isn’t “orzo” a type of pasta?
Some Americans and others may know orzo as a type of small soup pasta, and indeed there is a pasta by this name, but don’t be fooled when you’re in a bar in Italy, where it’s roasted barley. In other words, if you order orzo here in a bar, you won’t get a cup of rice-like pasta, I promise.
Didn’t you mention a giveaway?
Yes!
Just comment* here with how you would enjoy your Café Orzo if you won a bag (if you’re not sure of the possibilities, check out the recipes) by 11:59 p.m. next Sunday, July 25, 2010, and you will be entered in the random drawing for a bag of Café Orzo direct from the company.
For extra chances to win, be sure to check in over at the Bleeding Espresso page on Facebook!
* Sorry for international readers, but the giveaway is limited to those with United States shipping addresses for shipping/customs reasons. If you comment below but aren’t eligible for the drawing, please specify as such (a quick “international” notation will work).
Best Crostini Recipe Ever + Breaking Bread in L’Aquila
Maria Filice‘s Breaking Bread in L’Aquila is a product of love — love for her late husband Paul Piccone, of his native city L’Aquila in Abruzzo (yes, the same one that was devastated by an earthquake last year), of her own Calabrian heritage (Marie’s parents were born in Cosenza), and of delicious, simply prepared Italian food.
Marie graciously shares this amore with us, and indeed, is donating net proceeds of the book to the continuing relief efforts in Abruzzo and is also appearing in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Abruzzo this Saturday, May 15, if you’re in the neighborhood!
The layout of this hardcover book is gorgeous with the recipes on the left side and full-color photos on the right — for each and every recipe. And the organization is unique as well: recipes are divided into menus that include antipasti (appetizers), primi piatti (usually pasta), secondi piatti (meat), contorni (vegetables), and dolci (desserts) for each day of the week; if you have a special dinner coming up, you can just open up Maria’s book and have a menu all set. Perfetto!
Many of Maria’s 50 or so recipes are classics like aglio olio peperoncino and bruschetta, but there are also some that were new to both Paolo and me. On my first run through, I made a note of at least five different recipes to try immediately with things we already had in the house.
In case you don’t realize, that’s pretty darn impressive for a southern Italian cookbook in a southern Italian house.
Speaking of items we had on hand, Maria also includes the “Pantry Page” with a checklist of things you should always keep handy. That stocked pantry is one of the most important parts of true Italian cooking, i.e., deciding what’s for dinner based on what you have on hand, and even better, having it on the table within about an hour. *That* is an Italian art form, and Maria has captured its essence wonderfully.
Breaking Bread in L’Aquila would be an excellent addition to any cookbook collection as it is not only full of great recipes, it’s simply a gorgeous book. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll enjoy the photos! And if you need a gift, particularly for someone with an interest in Italian and/or southern Italian cuisine, this is perfect.
I give this cookbook five extremely full espresso cups out of five; I couldn’t recommend it more.
**THIS CONTEST IS OVER**
Maria is offering up a copy of Breaking Bread in L’Aquila to one lucky Bleeding Espresso reader. Just comment on this post by May 20, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (CET) to enter.
Now, without further ado, Maria’s recipe for Crostini with my slight adaptations; I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve made these at least once a week since I received Maria’s book (on Paolo’s specific request). We’ve had them as afternoon snacks and as dinner. They are so, so, so good — especially with a nice glass of red wine.
Crostini from Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice
(as adapted by me)
(serves 2)
- 6 slices of Italian bread, about 1/4 inch thick
- 2 small to medium-sized balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- Handful of capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Oregano and salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a small bowl, mix together tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Let stand while you arrange the rest.
3. Arrange slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Place a slice or two of mozzarella on the bread so that you cover most of it.
5. Put an anchovy fillet on each slice of bread (more if you like anchovies like we do!).
6. Add some capers to each slice (I put three or four on each slice — we like capers too).
7. Cover the slices with the tomato mixture. I’ve found a fork actually works better than a spoon for this; you don’t want a whole lot of liquid making it onto the crostini as it’ll make the bread soggy.
8. Sprinkle with more oregano.
9. Bake in the oven for about 7 or 8 minutes, or until cheese melts.
10. Serve immediately, preferably with a glass of red wine.
Buon appetito!
Three Red Poppies Swaying in the Wind
Have you heard about the She Who Blogs 3rd Anniversary Photo Contest in which you can win a $33 Amazon gift certificate?
The contest ends May 8th, so get moving! Post a photo on your blog of your take on the theme “THREE,” and head over to the contest page to enter it.
Here’s my Bleeding Espresso entry:
Tre papaveri rossi that happen to be located just behind the little house on the piece of land P and I are in the process of acquiring…yes, more details forthcoming on our new campagna assuming all goes well. Fingers crossed!
P.S. I also put up a “Three” photo over at Goat Berries…couldn’t resist!
Buona Festa della Liberazione!
Today is La Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day) in Italy, celebrating the country’s liberation from fascism thanks to Allied troops at the end of World War II.
Check out my previous Liberation Day post for more info on this uniquely Italian holiday, and remember today is the last day for the Bleeding Espresso Facebook fan contest…get those entries in!
I recently added a new incentive to spread the word about the contest, so do click over to Facebook and see what’s happening over there.
Contest for Bleeding Espresso Facebook Fans
Hey are you a fan of Bleeding Espresso on Facebook yet? We’re over 800 strong, so grazie mille to all of you who have followed the blog over there!
But if you’re still not convinced as to why you should become a fan on Facebook, let me assure you that things go on over there that never hit the blog.
For instance, in addition to seeing whenever new blog posts are up, you’ll also find:
- Links to contests around the Internet that I think BE readers would like
- Links to blogs, articles, and other websites you might find useful
- Comments, recommendations, and other chit chat among fellow BE readers
And, starting today:
Special contests, offers, and promotions available *only* to Facebook fans!
So let’s kick this off with a rather generous giveaway…
Here’s a hint before you click over.
*Something* to do with Dianne Hales, author of La Bella Lingua…hmm…..
Can Bleeding Espresso reach 1,000 FB fans by the end of the month?!
Feel free to spread the word, of course!
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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