Archive for the ‘life in calabria’ Category
The Four Seasons in Calabria
A while back, NYC/Caribbean Ragazza asked about my favorite season in Calabria.
Every time I started to write a response, I kept thinking of reasons why I liked another season, so here is why I love all le quattro stagioni in Calabria (hey, they’re more than just concertos or pizza toppings!):
Primavera
What is not to love about Spring?
The days are getting longer and the sun is shining more, which means perfect conditions for long walks with the dogs (and now with the kid) and just sitting outside, reading, taking photos, and generally enjoying the fresh air.
After all the rain and wind of winter, it’s always so wonderful to get out for long stretches of time, drinking in the sunshine and enjoying the deep blues of the sky and the sea contrasted against the green grass and yellow flowers sprouting up everywhere.
I just love when Spring is springing in Calabria!
L’estate
I’ll admit that the Summer is probably my least favorite of the seasons here because it can (and does) get *so* stinking hot, but it’s still a great time to be in Calabria.
I’m not much of a beach person, but it *is* rather nice to have the option so close.
And I especially appreciate summer evenings when the stars are twinkling bright overhead and the moonlight leads the way.
And since we do live in stone, brick, and tile houses, certain rooms can provide a bit of respite from the most debilitating heat—usually the bedroom as Calabrians were smart to put them on the bottom floors.
L’autunno
I’m a Fall baby, so I’ve always loved the crisp air and changing leaves, but in Calabria, it also brings much needed and desired rain–and I happen to be a huge fan of rain.
Also, since I’ve spent the majority of my years going back to school in the Fall, right around September, I get recharged and remotivated to look back on what I had planned for the year, evaluate how far I’ve come, and decide how much I still have to do.
I also get inspired to get back into the kitchen after the scorching summer months, and that always energizes me (and my stomach) as well.
L’inverno
Some people don’t enjoy Calabria in the Winter because it seems so, well, dead as there are few tourists around compared to the rest of the year. Me?
I *love* the quiet that comes not only from the lack of people but also from the lack of construction in the village.
Can’t work on houses in the rain and wind!
And of course, since it gets dark so early, every evening has a fighting chance to be an intimate one, sitting by the fire with a glass a wine, P, the pooches, and a good movie or book.
I’m a homebody at heart, and Winter gives me the perfect excuse to indulge.
What’s your favorite season where you live and why?
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Dipping Sauce
Today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe is for those of you who think you have to go to a restaurant or buy the pre-packaged frozen version to enjoy fried mozzarella sticks. You don’t!
All you need is some good, fresh mozzarella and the usual items for breading, and you’re good to go.
What I made are actually disks not sticks, but that’s because our mozzarella comes in small balls, so I thought it would be easier just to work with it rather than try to make sticks.
You’re welcome to cut as you wish.
Fried Mozzarella Sticks
- Mozzarella
- Ingredients for breading listed in Breaded Veal Cutlets (see caveat below regarding measurements)
- Olive oil for frying
1. To prepare the mozzarella, cut it into sticks or disks; you can also buy pre-prepared sticks for this.
2. Dredge the mozzarella first in flour before dipping in egg and then the breadcrumb mixture. Unless you’re making a lot of mozzarella, you won’t need as much of the ingredients as listed in the cutlet recipe, so just play around with the measurements a bit until you get the right mix for your taste.
3. Fry breaded mozzarella in hot olive oil or vegetable oil if you like. Put enough oil in the pan so the sticks are about half-submerged. Let them fry for about 15 seconds on each side and then put them on paper towels to drain.
Fried Mozzarella Sticks Dipping Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, cut into a few pieces
- Small can of tomato sauce or canned tomatoes run through grinder
- 1/4 cup of water
- Oregano
- Salt and sugar to taste
1. Heat olive oil in small pan and then add garlic and saute for a minute or two, but don’t let it brown.
2. Add tomato sauce and water.
3. Add oregano, salt, and a pinch of sugar if you like, which can cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
4. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve hot alongside fried mozzarella sticks.
Buon appetito!
Celebrating Easter in Southern Italy
Pasqua, or Easter, is by far the most celebrated holiday in Italy.
Indeed, I’m taking this week off from the blog so I can enjoy some of the festivities, catch up on various work and personal projects, and also continue packing as our move is really picking up steam. Woohoo!
I will be back blogging on Tuesday, but in the meantime if you want to keep up with me, you can always follow me on Twitter @michellefabio or become a fan of Bleeding Espresso on Facebook.
But I’m certainly not leaving you with nothing to do:
- Pasqua in Calabria: A description of Badolato Superiore’s day long procession on Sabato Santo (Holy Saturday) and La Cumprunta, the magical Easter Sunday meeting between the Madonna and Jesus.
- Pasqua in Calabria: The Photos: Photos of the festivities on Sabato Santo and Easter Sunday.
- Still Celebrating: Easter celebrations in Italy continue into Easter Monday, or Pasquetta.
- Calabrian Cuzzupe: Recipe for traditional Calabrian Easter cake.
- Deno’s Easter Eggs: One of my favorite childhood Easter memories–now with an additional comment from the infamous Deno himself! How cool!
For those of you who have been around the blog a while, you’ve probably already seen those links…but not these videos, newly uploaded to Flickr. They are of La Cumprunta in 2007; I tried unsuccessfully to upload others from Sabato Santo and even Good Friday. I *will* keep trying, so do check back for updates. Enjoy!
Buona Pasqua!
Going Green: Start a Garden, Support Local Farmers and/or Join a Community Garden
Welcome to the third installment of Going Green!
Previous Going Green posts include:
Now, just in time for Spring, we’re talking about some literal greens—in gardens.
By growing your own food, supporting local farmers, and/or joining a community garden, you’ll not only be getting the freshest, healthiest, and most delicious food available, you’ll also help save the planet from some nasty carbon emissions.
What carbon emissions, you ask?
Did you know that in America, grocery store produce often covers around 1,500 miles before landing on the dinner table?And that’s only the stuff actually produced in America–imagine how much traveling imported fruits and veggies do!
All that transportation adds up to a whole bunch of extra *blech* in the air—completely unnecessary as you can grow your own food, participate in a community garden, or simply buy from local farmers’ markets.
Popularity of Home Gardens in America
Home gardens are increasingly popular, not only for the fresh fruits and vegetables but also because they are a great way to save money. The National Gardening Association estimates that about 20% more American households than last year will plant gardens, and many are doing so to pinch pennies.
Hey, even the President Obama and First Lady Michelle are gardening these days! It’s the coolest!
Home Gardens on the Homefront, i.e., Calabria, Italy
Here in rural Calabria, it’s rather common for people to keep an “orto” full of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You may remember my mentioning our “giardino” here on the blog in the past, but unfortunately as it doesn’t get much sun, we could never plant much; we had peppers, parsley, basil, and that’s about it.
But, through a great stroke of luck since Pasqualina came to stay with us, P and I have secured a plot of land very close to the house we’re slowly moving into as it’s remodeled…and it’s gardening time!
This piece of land gets sun all the live long day, which is perfect for all kinds of fruits and veggies. The “orto” already had lemon, orange, fig, and peach trees, and (after spending *many* hours cleaning up the essentially abandoned land) we have added onions, garlic, lettuce, artichokes, basil, and parsley.
Soon we’ll also plant eggplants, peppers, and, of course, tomatoes! Whee!
Now, some resources to get you started on becoming more green:
How to start a garden:
- About.com Guide to Gardening by Marie Iannotti
- Eat Healthy and Save Money with a Vegetable Garden (ABC.com)
- Planning a Vegetable Garden (National Gardening Association)
- Teach Your Kids How to Start a Garden (Better Homes and Gardens)
- Tomato Casual especially for tomato lovers
- Urban Garden Casual for city dwellers and those who think they have no space for a garden
All about community gardens:
- American Community Gardening Association
- Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
- Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (UK)
- National Garden Association (US)
Find local farmers to support:
- Australian Farmers’ Market Association
- BigBarn – The Virtual Farmer’s Market (UK)
- LocalHarvest.org (US)
- SustainableTable.org (US)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Market Map
If you know of more helpful sites on gardening, etc., (especially international ones), please share in the comments!
Are you gardening this year? Do you normally garden?
Buon weekend!
P.S. For those wondering what has happened to Cherrye’s My Bella Vita, there are some technical details that she’s working furiously on–don’t worry, she’ll be back as soon as possible!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Calabrian Scrambled Eggs
This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is an old *and* new family favorite. My grandmother used to make it all the time, and now P and I make it quite often as well.
Calabrian Scrambled Eggs are definitely one of my all-time fast and filling dishes–and it can also be great for using up leftovers. This is a fab dish for singletons as well as you can easily make just enough for one person.
Now you may be asking yourself: Self, what exactly makes these scrambled eggs Calabrian?
It’s the supressata*, silly:
You can, of course, substitute with any kind of meat you like from sausage to ham to mortadella (bologna), and it will be just as tasty. Only a bit less Calabrian is all.
And in case you don’t already, I hope you think of scrambled eggs in the same way as you would an omelet…anything goes. That is, if you like it and think it will go nicely with eggs, have at it!
Calabrian Scrambled Eggs
Uova strapazzate alla Calabrese
(serves two)
- Two tablespoons olive oil
- One small onion, sliced
- About a handful of cubed supressata (probably about 100 g)
- 4 eggs
- Splash of milk
- Two pinches of salt
- One slice of meltable cheese (Sottilette in Italy)
1. Heat oil over medium in a nonstick pan and add onion and supressata. Let them fry for a few minutes until the onions soften and the meat starts to release its juices.
2. In the meantime, break eggs into a bowl, add milk and salt, and beat together well.
3. Pour egg mixture into pan and add cheese in small pieces.
4. Move eggs around as they cook to get that patented scrambled look; they’re ready when they’ve set and are no longer runny.
5. Serve hot, and if you’re like us, with crusty Italian bread and a nice tomato salad. Yum!
Buon appetito!
*Alternatively known as sopressata, soppressata, suppressata, and “soupies” back in the Anthracite Coal Region.
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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