I am sorry for all of the other cakes in the world, but German Chocolate Cake is my favorite. It has been for a long time. I love the creamy carmel taste of the frosting with coconut and nuts. I think it is supposed to be with pecans but I always make it with walnuts.
I adore Italy and it’s beautiful cuisine but after several days of eating Italian, I’m ready for a change of cuisine. That’s the American in me, spoiled by the abundance of foreign foods available. But we Americans aren’t alone, our Australian cousins and British parents also love ethnic foods. We all tend to agree that Mexican, Thai, Chinese and Indian are among our favorites.
I am constantly amazed at the connection Italy and it’s people have for the nature around them. They can identify the plants that grow in the woods around their homes and in their yards. They know what each plant is used for and relish using plants that grow naturally.
I am a fourth generation Italian living in America but we have done a pretty good job of holding on to our Italian traditions after so many years in America. Bagna Cauda, Raviolis and Biscotti seem to be the recipes we have clung to. You can read my past posts on Bagna Cauda (a hot Fondue made of butter, garlic and anchovies, typical of the North of Italy) and our family tradition of making homemade Beef and Spinach Raviolis by clicking the links.
Keeping with the theme of “Summers Bounty” and trying to keep up with all of the zucchini’s pouring out of the garden this time of the year, I offer you this classic recipe for Zucchini Bread.
I love this Curry, its full of Indian spices like Gram Marsala, Tumeric, Ginger, garlic and chili. If you can’t find fresh pumpkin where you live you can omit it and it will still be delicious. The coconut milk adds a nice creamy consistency to the lentils and chickpeas. This is a vegetarian recipe that is hearty and filling and gluten and dairy free too! You can stock up your pantry with these dry ingredients and be ready to make this dish even if you are in desperate need of going to the grocery store. Best of all it’s ready in under 30 minutes, so get your rice started and you will be sitting at the table in front of a steaming bowl of curry in no time.
We are finally back “home” in Italy after two days of traveling and three days of jet lag. It’s been a whirlwind of getting our cell phones running, updating our Permesso di Sorggiono (Permission to stay in Italy filed at the local commune) and checking on my Citizenship documents. We have eaten the pizza, sipped the cappuccino’s, devoured the Cornetto (breakfast pastries) and slurped the gelatos. We reunited with friends over apperetivo and pasta.
The last night before flying back to Italy after our three month stay in California we enjoyed a family dinner with Jeff’s parents. Family dinners are a favorite pastime on both sides of the family, both mine and Jeff’s. We love gathering around the table over a delicious meal and talking the evening away. My father in law came up with a new recipe to try and us girls got busy in the kitchen to bring it to life.
I mentioned Huevos Rancheros in a previous post when I made Posole and I was describing all the wonderful things you could make with Enchilada sauce. I decided that I should write a post on how to make Huevos Rancheros since it is one of my favorite breakfast or brunch recipes.
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.
