Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day–probably because up until last year, I was always single on February 14th. Anyway, surprise surprise, not much has changed just because I’m part of a couple.
I truly hope no one out there is sad or depressed about being alone on today or any other day, because you’re not alone. Really.
And besides, it could be worse:
Seriously though, that’s all kinds of cute, isn’t it? Thanks to John for pointing it out.
Happy Valentine’s Day one and all!
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[tags]valentine’s day, valentine’s day greetings, skeletons, skeletons embracing[/tags]
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Best Chocolate Cake Ever
A little over a month ago, P and I went to his sister’s house to celebrate the Epiphany. I took my most favorite chocolate cake of all time–the one that I *always* requested from my mom for my birthday. P’s sister had, coincidentally, made a chocolate cake that day too. I was shocked since most Italians do not usually have a dessert prepared, but lucky me, I had competition.
And I won.
The other day, P’s sister called me and asked me to make this moist, delicious treat for her daughter’s birthday party, which is today, Valentine’s Day. I didn’t have time to run out and get anything really special for the cake, so I worked with what I had, and this is what I came up with:
My mom had sent me those gummy hearts for Valentine’s Day, so they were the perfect addition, I think.
Also, P’s sister has asked me for the recipe; I haven’t yet translated it into all Italian measurements and ingredients, but if any of you in Italy have questions, please feel free to email me.
Now for this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday:
Mary K’s Most Moistest Chocolate Cake in the World
3 cups flour
1 cup powdered baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups hot strong coffee
2 tsp baking soda
Pay special attention to the way the ingredients are grouped as these go together.
First put the coffee on to brew.
Then sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder and mix together well in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and put aside.
Beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. The large bowl is important, because this will eventually be the home of your entire batter.
When the coffee is done, add the baking soda; it should bubble if your baking soda is working. I use a pourable measuring container for the coffee.
Now, to the egg mixture, alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures. I do all of this by hand now with a whisk, but I used to use an electric mixer. Makes no difference as far as I can tell. The batter is moderately runny, definitely not thick.
This recipe is for a 13 x 9 pan, which should be greased and floured. The cake is so moist that it *will* stick if you don’t do this well.
Bake at 350° F (177° C) for 35-45 minutes. You can also make lovely cupcakes, as my mom did when I was still taking treats to school, just reduce the baking time.
When the cake springs up from your touch, it’s done even if it’s slightly gooey inside. It’ll still cook when outside the oven.
FYI, the recipe I used for the icing can be found here, although I added a bit more milk. I should also add that I normally wouldn’t even ice this cake as it makes it own nice soft, icing-like top after it sits for a while, but for the sake of the Birthday Girl, I went all out.
Buon appetito and Buon San Valentino!
Buon World Nutella Day!
***Be sure to check out NutellaDay.com for the most up-to-date info!***
It’s finally here…World Nutella Day! For those of you who don’t know, Sara at Ms Adventures in Italy and Shelley of At Home in Rome have taken matters into their own hands and created the first holiday celebrating the chocolate and hazelnut spread that has become a household staple.
Now, I’m not going to dishonor Nutella by exaggerating my love for this special Italian treat. I do like Nutella a lot, especially when it’s inside a cornetto, but I’m not addicted by any means. I think this is probably because I’m not Italian-crazy about hazelnuts (a minor sin here), even though, don’t get me wrong–I’m a nutty gal. No comments from the Peanut Gallery please.
That said, like any good Italian, I always have a little jar of it in the house; I love that you can reuse the containers as drinking glasses. Sure, sometimes, there are weird cartoon characters on them, but then there are the plain ones, which can actually look mildly classy–especially next to all the other stuff I have. And then there were the World Cup-themed ones.
So, um, yeah, we end up going through a good bit of Nutella.
In honor of Nutella Day, I am sharing with you one of my favorite ways to enjoy the chocolate/hazelnut mixture. It’s nothing fancy like this, but when I need a little something in the morning, it does the trick:
There it is. Nutella spread on a cracker, topped with a slice of banana, and sprinkled with nutmeg. I usually eat this while drinking a big mug of tea, but feel free to play with the recipe.
I’ve also been known to add a rather American touch by putting a dollop of peanut butter (if I have any stashed away) and/or marshmallow/fluff in the mix. These are great for kids and for adults like me who sometimes like to eat like children.
Now go check out the Nutella Day Flickr pool for some more ideas.
Happy World Nutella Day everyone!
My Birthday Gifts Have Arrived!
Here’s the postmark:
Today is January 18.
My birthday is October 18.
At least the number of the day is right.
Thank you Poste Italiane (and Jenn)!
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[tags]italian postal service, poste italiane, post office, life in italy[/tags]
honoring mlk, jr.
Recently on the Expats in Italy Forum, Joanna, a fellow American living in Italy posted a link through which we can keep track of what our senators and representatives are up to in Washington. Quite coincidentally, I came across this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
It’s easy for those of us in Italy to forget that today back in the States is MLK, Jr. Day. I hope everyone will take a moment and remember all that Dr. King did and dreamed for our country and for the world; I believe that one of the best ways we can honor his memory is to let our politicians know when they’re not listening to us.
What are your senators and representatives doing?
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
