Many of us in America have never heard of Pavlova, but it is almost the National Dessert of Australia and New Zealand. It has been hotly debated which country invented this dessert but we do know that it was concocted for the ballet dancer Anna Povlova during her tour of Australia and New Zealand. The dessert is a light base of meringue topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. It is as ethereal as the dancer herself.
I am always so impressed when I see a large Paella pan filled with red rice, succulent pink shrimp, black mussels opened up, sausage and chicken, topped with parsley and lemon wedges. There is something so romantic and festive about cooking this large dish over an open fire in a special pan with a large group of friends.
The Autumn air is crisp, the leaves are falling and the apples are ready for harvest. Its time to pack the family up and take a drive to the apple orchards and partake of the yearly tradition of picking apples.
Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.
My region of Italy is Lazio and it is famous for its Artichokes, in Rome you can enjoy them Roman Style or Jewish Style. Both styles trim the artichoke all the way down to only the edible parts. The Roman Style is then simmered in water and olive oil along with spices until soft. It is then eaten in its entirety, no peeling back leaf by leaf until you reach the heart. Nope, you just dig right in. The Chef did all of the work for you.
Seasons are changing and here in Italy fall is in the air. The mornings have that cool crisp feeling and we are starting our day a little later as even the sun wants to stay in bed longer. This slight change is bridging that gap between two seasons: the waning of Summer and the start of Autumn.
Its the end of summer and those of us who planted those adorable little basil plants in early summer with dreams of fresh pesto and bruschetta now have basil plants the size of trees spilling out of our Italian balconies. But have no fear, a sizable batch of pesto will soon cut those basil trees back down to size.
Summer desserts are all about being cool, refreshing and light. This lemon Tiramisu is light and airy with just the right amount of lemon and sweet. Don’t let the name distract you, this Tiramisu has no coffee or cocoa in it. But it is created in the exact same recipe and style as a true Tiramisu. If you don’t want to distract your guests you may try just calling it a lemon cake or Torta di Limone.
The first thing I had to do when I arrived home to California was cook up some Mexican food! My “go-to” dish was Chili Rellenos with green sauce. You can find my Chili Rellenos recipe in on www.thehomesteadtraveler.com, but here is the recipe for the Salsa Verde!
So I have finally mastered the Risotto and have been enjoying its creamy decadent wonder every week now. Amazing flavors like Pumpkin Risotto, Milanese Risotto, Mushroom Risotto, Radicchio Risotto and Shrimp Risotto. There is the rare occasion when all the risotto does not get eaten up and the bowl licked clean and you find yourself with leftover risotto in the fridge.
