Italian Style Portobello Burgers!

We all get pressed for time and need something we can cook fast every now and then. This is my idea of fast food!! Something I can take out of the frig, it doesn't have to be defrosted, I don't have to mix it with anything, it can all be cooked on the grill, with no pots or pans to clean, and it just takes minutes to cook!

Not only is this super fast, the flavors going on here are so good together, believe me you won't even miss the meat!

I take everything out to my grill on a baking sheet all sliced and ready to go, cut fairly thick slices of the tomato and onion so it stands up to the grill when you flip it. With the portobello's I usually clean the gills out, that's just my personal preference, you don't have to.

Everything is brushed with an herb flavored olive oil which takes a couple seconds to make by mixing some fresh or dry basil, with a clove of crushed fresh garlic into some olive oil with some salt and pepper. You can tell the portobello's are done when they shrink and flatten. Be sure to add your cheese so it has time to melt, here I used provolone.

When everything is done toast up your buns, we like ciabatta rolls so that's what I used, but use whatever you like, just get them a nice and golden color.

To assemble the "burger" :

Spread some leftover warmed marinara or pizza sauce on the grilled bread.

Layer with some arugula

Place portobello, grilled onions, provolone cheese, and the grilled tomatoes on top and serve immediately!

Buon Appetito!

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream ( Daring Bakers)

Filbert genoise, praline paste, praline butter cream frosting, sugar syrup, apricot glaze, and a ganache! Phew!! Those were all the components to this months Daring Baker challenge.

I must say It all got off to a pretty good start, I mean my cake itself (the genoise), came together perfectly, it rose nice and I was able to get 3 layers evenly cut.

I think the problem started here, although it doesn't look that bad, I think I overcooked the sugar which turned into a bitter tasting caramel.

I proceeded to make the praline paste by putting the brittle into my food processor and just letting it go till it turned paste like.

I had no problem with this either, It looks pretty good doesn't it?

Little did I know at the time that the bitterness of the caramel was going to affect the whole flavor of the cake!

Unfortunately that's what happened, the whole cake had a bitter taste to it, even my Hubby who has a enormous sweet tooth couldn't even finish his one piece, believe me, he wanted it to be good!!

So needless to say I was very glad that I halved the recipe. I used a 6x3" pan, and stuck pretty much to the flavorings.

Oh, and my ganache, well that's another story, I definitely need help in that department!

Mine never got thick enough it turned out more like a glaze, I probably should have added more chocolate to it, but I wanted to get it done as I was starting to lose day light.

I tried to cover a multitude of sins with my "fancy scroll work," lol, which I did "Sandra Lee" style, by filling a zip lock bag with the frosting and then snipping the corner like a pastry bag.

Hey, you win some and you lose some! I don't think "fancy cakes" are my forte', but that's what being a Daring Baker is all about, I definitely challenged myself! You should have seen my totaled kitchen, that would have been a great photo! lol

I want to thank our dear host this month Chris, over at Mele Cotte, go over there and you can check out the whole recipe. It was 5 pages long when I printed it out.

And don't forget to check out the other Daring Bakers cakes, I'm sure there are some gorgeous ones out there!!

happy retirement, mama!

My mom retired today. Well, her last day is Thursday, but she left early today, took tomorrow off, and Thursday is their company cruise. (she tries to convince me that she works hard...haha)

And she will be here Saturday. YEAH!

And my friend Kim will be in Italy Saturday, too. But I can't see her for three weeks, because we will be on vaca. Figures.

Kim - can't wait to see you too!

Lo Ammetto

Look to the right of your screen. Can you guess what's different?

That's right, I changed the "location" in my profile. I've been so neglectful of this blog that it didn't even occur to me how confusing this all could seem. Not that I have any new readers, I still (thankfully) see a lot of you from the old days in the old country.

But, I came home in December, so I guess July is the right time for reckoning. There you go, I'm here. The summary will have to stay the same for a while, as will the blog itself.

I'll eventually change it, but for now my state of inertia will continue to masquerade as laziness.

Works for me!

house hunting continues...

I have been visiting houses and apartments this week, still searching for that perfect home. I love our little house, and think it is so cute, but it is just too darn small. No room for guests, no yard or garden, and not enough garage and storage space!

It is really hard to find a single family home, here. Most have been converted to apartments/multi-family units, or are super expensive.

I looked at a split home the other day, that had an amzingly beautiful view, with a huge yard, and it was a big apartment. The drawbacks are that the building is 30 years old, and in need of repair. But the biggest negative was the other home owner. He had about 5 or 6 abandoned cars, full of paint cans, and crap EVERYWHERE on his side of the house. That would drive me CRAZY!

So, we scratched that one off the list. There were just too many things that needed fixed or changed. (Including an artdeco bathroom...)

Today I saw a big apartment, with tons of storage space, but a tiny yard, and it was in a big multi-unit building.

Tomorrow we are going to visit a home, that has a great view, and a huge yard. It has potential. Of course, all that could change, once you get inside.... hahaha

I am so addicted to the shows on HGTV, ALL of them. I want to get a house and fix it up, and apply all those fancy techniques I have learned. ahaha The main thing i have learned is how to stage a home to sell it, and the people in Italy HAVE not learned that technique. One couple followed me all around the house, smoking... *ewe*.

I guess with good properties being so hard to come by, they don't feel the need to *stage*. But this house has been on the market for a while, and they can't sell it. (Perhaps I should become a stager here....)

I really wish that HGTV would come to Italy, and help me find a house, and show me it's potential, and help me fix it up. Is that too much to ask? haha

My mom will be here in one week!!! :OD And then off to the French Riviera we go!
Hope all is well!
(don't forget to visit my other blog!)

to all my friends and family...

yes, this made me cry. Click here if the video doesn't load. Youtube seems to be down at the moment.

BURRATA!

If You're lucky enough to come across some Burrata cheese, please don't hesitate to pick some up. Yes, it's a little pricey, but worth every single penny! It's a food experience you're not likely to forget. I happen to be at the right place, at the right time, the other day when I saw a special display of Burrata set up over at Whole Foods.

Imported from Italy, this artisanal cheese has a very short shelf life of about 2 weeks because it is fresh and not aged at all. This is not something that Whole Foods has in stock all the time, they try to get it in on all the holidays though. Even they were surprised when they got this shipment in. They tell me when it does come in it sells out so fast, so that's why I said I was there at the right time. Lucky me there was 3 left!

Don't you just love the packaging!!

The best way to describe Burrata is think fresh mozzarella kicked up a couple hundred notches, with a luscious creamy-like center that's filled with a mixture of heavy cream and stracciatella (little rags) or curds of mozzarella. When you burst open the center everything oozes out!

This must be eaten at room temperature for maximum flavor and creaminess.

I roasted some Campari tomatoes with olive oil and purchased some spicy olives to go along with it, and of course some warm crusty bread!

I can't think of a better way to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon, sipping on some cool crisp white wine to go along with our Burrata treat, al fresco style!

You can also cook with Burrata, you can put it on pizza or any number of things.

But Me... I prefer it in it's purest form, just like this!! I urge you to seek out this cheese if you've never tried it, and savor every bite!!

BUON APPETITO!

Porco Mio

I know we are in pien'estate (full-on Summer) but I tailored my dinner to the wine that I wanted to drink. For me, this, or the reverse, is a regular occurrence. (Rarely do I go willy-nilly and not consider the interaction of the two (non-living) things I love the most.)

So I braised some pork chops (winter fare)! You must understand that the Chinon was staring at me--glaring, in that French sort of way that says, "Dare not consume me with a Summery salad."

Being easily intimidated by glaring inanimate objects, I lit my burners in a hurry.

Note to all: Smothered pork chops + Chinon = Sweet, sweet dreams

Buonanotte!

dinner in a vineyard

One of the things I love about Italy is all the beautiful locations there are for dinner. The other night we went to an agriturismo in the middle of a wine vineyard. They are famous for their Moscato di Scanzo. The agriturismo is called Celinate, and the restaurant sits in an old farmhouse. We ate outside, underneath the stars, surrounded by vineyards.

The food is delicious, and the location is spectacular. We had a very good time. The group consisted of Ricki, and Mauro, Donatella and Omar, Chiara, Fabio and after dinner Marco and Sofia came by. (I am not in the pics - I was behind the camera.)

(Foto: Fabio, Ricki, Omar, Marco, Mauro - Franco did not come out that night. He was still feeling under the weather.)

I think the funniest part of the night, though, was when the check came. All that is written is 240,00 euro.

(don't forget to stop by my new site - american puma in italy and to update your links if you want!)

Danza a Ravenna

RICOTTA FRITTERS With Grand Marnier and Mini Chocolate Chips!

I'm really not a big fan of frying, but for these I had to make the sacrifice, and I just so happen to have exactly 1 lb. of ricotta sitting in my frig. The key is make sure you're not alone, and have company over so you can share these while they are still warm. Timing is everything so make sure you have the coffee brewing!

Surprisingly, you don't use a lot of oil at all and because they cook up so fast, they don't have a heavy taste at all, in fact they're crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.

I happen to love the flavor of chocolate and orange together, so that's what I used, but you can get creative with the kind of liqueur flavor you want. Most recipes call for brandy and lemon zest, but you could also use rum. I didn't measure my mini chocolate chips either, I just sprinkled some in the batter. I didn't want to over power the ricotta.

The texture on the inside is a little like the inside of a souffle, one bite and you'll be smitten!

The recipe makes about 35 2" fritters.

I highly recommend you invite some friends over, you might not be able to stop at just a few!!

Here's the recipe!

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbl. sugar

1 lb. ricotta

1 cup flour

4 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 Tbl. Grand Marnier

Zest of 1 orange

Mini chocolate chips

Pinch of salt

Vegetable or Canola oil

Confectioners sugar

Combine eggs, sugar, ricotta, flour, baking powder, Grand Marnier, zest and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pour oil into a wide but shallow saucepan, a couple inches deep, and heat over medium-high heat. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter into hot oil and fry, a few at a time, until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, dust with powdered sugar, and serve!

lago di garda

This has been the summer of Lake Garda! We went to San Vigilio one day, and discovered the most beautiful little beach. It is a private beach, admission is 10 euro per person, and it was well worth it. It was very serene and beautiful. I am dying to stay at the hotel that is situated on the point.

After a day at the beach, we drove to Malcesine for dinner. It is a very cute little town, reminds me a little of Bellagio on Lago di Como. There is a castle there, and I had the most delicious pasta ever! It was pasta with shrimp and ginger. YUMMY! I want to try and recreate it. (These 3 photos are from online - they were better then the few we took.)

Our next trip, a couple of days later, we headed back to Lago di Garda, this time going up to the very top of the lake, to Riva del Garda. This was another absolutely lovely spot. We stayed at Hotel Mirage and were very happy with the hotel. Our rooms had great lake views, and the hotel rents bikes out for free.

The beaches are on the windy side, it is a geat spot for wind surfing and sailing. The lake was full of boats and boards. There are also lessons. But the set up for kids is perfect. The docks are made out of big plastic containers (think plastic gas can type thingys) and it is the most brilliant dock idea I have ever seen. You can't get splinters, you can't get hurt if you fall (they are hollow) and they are all secured together. In the middle of the huge docks, they even built pools, with a bottom, with free flowing lake water. And they have slides coming off of them. The water is super clean. There is also a great walking/biking path all along the river. Can't recommend it enough! I do love a vacation at the ocean shore, but lakes are so easy! And you don't find a pound of sand in your swimming suit at the end of the day.

We had a screaming good time. (well, someone got a wee bit cranky on the last day, and was having his own scream session, but overall, it was very, very nice and fun!)

We also went to Gardaland another day, which is located very near Lake Garda.It is similar to Disney Land. Good times had by all! It is very well done, although the animitronics are looking a little hagered. They have lots of water rides, which are most welcome on these hot days. And instead of tons of hot dogs, cotton candy (which they do have) and all kinds of other crap food typically found in the states at amusement parks, you can find lots of fresh fruit. (although, I must say, I would have loved to find a corn dog! ahah)

new site - all politics, all the time

Ciao!

I decided to create a new blog, purely for political purposes. I have received a few comments lately on this blog from regulars who are missing my expat/italy stories and tired of my politics. So, I decided to have two blogs.

I will continue/restart to post about Italy here, and I will keep the posts about the presidential race and politics on the new site - american puma in italy.

I hope I can do it.... haha

I tried to transfer all of my relevant posts over to the new site, but they are still on this site as well. I hope you come visit my new site! And if you have my site linked on your political/puma/just say no deal blog, you might want to change the link to the new site.

come on over for a looky - american puma in italy

(puma - party unity my ass)

PRIMAVERA PASTA PIE

Have any leftover spaghetti? Some veggies that need to be used up before they go bad? Then consider making this pasta pie. I always have a few different veggies left over that I didn't use in other things, it could be one zucchini, or half of a red pepper, a little broccoli, whatever! It doesn't matter what kind you have, just put them all on a roasting pan drizzle with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees.

Make sure you season and flavor your veggies good, I have a Tuscan dry seasoning I used along with some garlic, fresh basil, salt and pepper. The veggies I had on hand were, eggplant, red pepper, red onion, broccoli, and a few frozen peas I had left in a bag.

Take your leftover spaghetti, mine had a light marinara sauce already on it, but it doesn't have to have sauce on it at all. If you don't have leftover spaghetti you can just cook up 1/2 lb. Drain it, and while it's still warm, add 1 beaten egg, some grated cheese, salt and pepper, then mix this up with your spaghetti. Place everything into your buttered 10" pie plate, you might not have to use all the pasta just make sure it covers the pie plate, because that will be your "crust".

Place your roasted veggies on top of your pasta "crust". In a bowl whisk 3 eggs, grated Romano, and about 1/2 cup of half and half cream, and pour this all over your pie. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle with a little more cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you slice it up. Cut into wedges.

All you need to top this off is a nice salad on the side and your meal is complete!

This is so good, and the best part is nothing went to waste! And in this economy, that's a good thing!

Buon Appetito!!

Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions, and a HUGE, HUGE Thanks!!

Before I get on to these cute little cipollini's, I have to share some good news with all of you.



Last week I was contacted by a wonderful woman from the Chicago Tribune, saying that they wanted to feature me as "Blogger of the Week" on their "Chicago's Best Blogs" website, and would I be interested!! Are you kidding me! Did you say, THE Chicago Tribune?? Needless to say I was in complete shock, I must have read the email 10 times before I responded, called every family member I have in a matter of 10 minutes, and I've been buzzing ever since.



I just want to say "Thank You" to the Chicago Tribune, I'm truly honored, and proud to display my badge!



And now on to these little gems!


Cipollini onions, pronounced "Cheep-oh-lee-nee" originated from Italy,but now you can find them all over the states. I've seen them in regular and specialty stores, and of course always at my Italian markets around here. Although they can be a little expensive at times, they're worth the special treat. They have an intense sweet flavor that especially comes out when you roast them. Which is my favorite way to eat them.


Their flat and saucer shaped with a thin, paper like skin, just remove the skin and trim the ends.

When you roast these with balsamic, it becomes a rich, syrupy glaze that flavors and caramelizes the entire onion The taste is phenomenal!!

Place them in a hot oven around 400 degree's, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh thyme and a good balsamic vinegar, roast them till tender and caramelized, if the glaze seems to be cooking down to fast, just lower the oven to 350.

Picture a nice grilled steak with these on the side, or some grilled chicken, chops, or even a roast. Either way, I'm sure you're gonna love them!



Buon Appetito!!

Ingrid Betancourt libera

Il Dubbio

That means doubt. I've been so happy to be back, but after a few weeks of 100+ temps and no beach in sight, I'm questioning the sanity in trading one South for another.

Is there any way to have it all? I'm SO open to suggestions.

Signed,
Tempted in Texas

http://www.ischiaonline.it/ischia.php?pag=WCAS04&sez=WEBCAM&langiol=EN&mysty=blue

Fireworks, and Fire Up! (your grill that is!)

Barbecue season will be in full swing this weekend as the 4Th of July is quickly approaching. Many are planning a relaxing summer day with family and friends and there will be cook outs everywhere. The smell of ribs, steaks, burgers and hot dogs will permeate the air!

I thought I'd share with you a few things we like to grill ,and a couple of sides.

Pork tenderloin is great on the grill, it doesn't take long. the meat is always tender, and if you just slice it open like a book, it can be marinated and stuffed with just about anything. In this case I made an olive tapenade, mixed it with a little Dijon mustard, spread it all over, and then rolled and tied it. Mighty Good!!

Beer Can chicken, if you've never tried it, please do! It may not look the most attractive, but the taste is phenomenal, crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside. Just remember to plug the top so all the moisture of the beer stays inside. As far as your choice of spice, the sky's the limit!! Here I used, paprika, thyme, cayenne, granulated garlic, dry mustard, salt and pepper, cumin, sometimes a little brown sugar too. Mix it all up together and after coating your chicken with olive oil, slather it on.

Pasta salad is always a favorite with my family, you can make it a million different ways, this is an old stand by recipe, I just changed it up with some Cavatappi pasta. Olives, broccoli, shredded carrots, red onions, fresh basil and parsley, granulated garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and tons of Romano cheese. This is always a request by my daughter!

Who doesn't like corn on the cob? Keep the heat out of your house and cook it on the grill. I like to cut the cobs smaller, it's easier to fit on your plate.

Sometimes I like to spice it up a bit, for a change of pace.

Just melt some butter, have your spices ready, in this case I just mixed some paprika, cumin, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Dip your corn in the butter, sprinkle with the spice, and grill!

Mmmm, it's so good!

Cannellini Bean Salad, this is a great side that can be made ahead of time, in fact, it tastes even better as it sits. Canned beans, rinsed and drained, diced tomatoes, red and green peppers diced, a little jalapeno for some heat, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, basil, tossed in a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing.

And last but not least, I can't take credit for this Blueberry Tart, I actually found it by way of Mile Fiori Favoriti, a blog I visit often. What appealed to me was how she made it sound and the ease of making it, go over and check her out, she has the link to the recipe. I made it last Sunday and it was a real hit!!! I WILL be making this again. Thanks Pat!!

Blueberries, almond flavor, and in my case, ( shhhh, don't tell anyone) I used a store bought pie pastry dough, you know, the kind that's already rolled out. Again I'm plugging Trader Joe's, check it out in their freezer case, it taste's outstanding.

I hope I've given you some inspiration for some good eats ,and good grilling, I would love to know some of your favorites for the summer and the grill.

Wishing you all lot's of fun and food for the 4TH!!!