Italian Recipes, Recipes, Writers Corner

Homemade Pizza in an outdoor wood fire pizza oven

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Margarita Pizza, simply mozzarella and tomato

Our new house in Italy came equipped with an outdoor pizza oven and a grill, but I have to admit I was a little intimidated by it! The idea is novel and romantic but how, pray tell, does someone actually use an outdoor pizza oven? I grew up with my mom making homemade pizza every week, I shouldn’t be so nervous, but Italians have this affect on me, they always make things seem complicated and make me second guess my cooking abilities. Could an outdoor pizza oven really be that complicated? Is Italian pizza dough really that different then my moms pizza in the electric oven? I was afraid to find out.

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Recipes, Travel

Swiss Fondue

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Swiss Fondue

I was inspired by our trip to Zermatt Switzerland to try my hand at Swiss Fondue. Every where I looked I saw buses advertising Gruyere cheese and fondue pots in every kitchen store. Every menu I opened and every restaurant seemed to beacon me to try the cheesy swiss inspired dip. 

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Travel, Writers Corner

The Italian Alps in February

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Alps skiing

As winter settled in on our first year living in Italy, my husband began to turn his sights on snow boarding in the Italian Alps. Every year as he anticipates the first snow fall he starts to get the itch to strap on his snow board and hit the tree runs. He watches each snow fall with keen interest and studies carefully the snow pack. Having grown up in Northern California he became very good at snow boarding, even working for part of his teenage years at a ski resort in the Sierra Mountains. 

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Italian Recipes, Recipes

Grandma Eleanor’s Beef & Spinach Ravioli

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Ravioli Making

So today is the day that we introduce the newest members of our family to our family tradition of making homemade ravioli. This year my niece AND nephew each got married! What a crazy year for my sister and her husband as their busy household welcomed two new members and experienced the hustle and bustle of dating and marriage. Only to be followed up with the quiet days of being (almost) empty nesters. They still have one lovely teenage daughter at home.

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Italian Recipes

Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca)

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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.

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Italian Recipes, Recipes

Jewish Style Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia)

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Jewish Style Artichokes (Carciofi alla Guidia)

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.

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Italian Recipes, Recipes

Porcini Fettucini

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Porcini Fettucini

There are some things I will really miss about living in Italy, such as the produce I will just not be able to taste again until I return. One is the Porcini. This mushroom is available in the spring and fall and is native to the forests in this part of Europe. It does not have “gills” like the large Portobella we are familiar with in America. But it is similar in size. It is medium golden brown and thicker than a Portobello. The flavor is intense and woodsy but not as intense as a truffle.

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