Missing you!

Things just haven't been the same around here.  Greg has been gone a week and we now have 6 more days to go!  I was going to write something cheesy about missing the beat to our song, but 2 weeks is nothing compared to what we have been through in the past.  The bottom line is we miss this guy...

The guy who is greeted at the door with a daughter who squeals "daaadddy!" a son who can't wait to be thrown in the air and involve him in whatever he's playing with, and a wife who loves him more than he will ever know!

Facing the Impossible

They said it couldn't be done, so I had to try.  What is this impossible feat?  Making Ricotta!  Is it an authentic Italian recipe using traditional ingredients and techniques?  No.  Is it delicious and easy?  Yes!  I was watching our day delayed t.v. shows, when lo and behold I see Anne Burrell making a batch talking about how easy it was to make the cheese.  Her recipe can be found here. 

Ok, so first is the cream...



Then add the milk...

Finally the vinegar and salt





Let all of this cook for a couple of minutes and you will see the curds at the top of the pan.  Pour into several layers of cheesecloth (I didn't have cheesecloth, so just used a clean towel.  Next time I'll use the cheesecloth) and let it drain.

Of course, there are many different ways to use ricotta, but for this day, I sliced some bread

Toasted it under the broiler, rubbed a bit of garlic on top, and placed a dollop of the fresh cheese.  Oh boy!  It was SO good!

The next day, I added a bit of orange zest to a small portion of the cheese, and added some Wheaties and banana for breakfast.  Delightful! 

Next week is the official Ricotta Festival here and I have plans to attend.  Perhaps I'll get a glimpse of the traditional way to make the impossible!





I am better than the gnocchi!

Gnocchi is not going to win.  I am better than the gnocchi.  A couple of friends came over to make gnocchi and we threw in Mamma Maria's Ragu sauce to keep it interesting!

Let's get started!

We peeled, diced, and boiled potatoes

then mashed and mashed and mashed

We added the egg and salt, then dumped in flour little bits at a time, occasionally checking with Mamma Maria until she said the dough looked right.

Rolled the dough "like this"

Cut and rolled off the end of a fork so it looks "like this"

Finally, boiled until they float.  Yes!  Success!

For the Ragu...

Saute veggies and ground beef until browned

Pour in a little wine (or whisky), tomato sauce, and...

Olive oil, of course!

Cook for a looooong time

Ta-Da!  Deliciousness!

We had official taste testing by Mamma Maria who gave a high five for the Ragu and a "MMMM, Bravo!" for the dish as a whole.  Rosario and his dad also tasted the final dish and both said it was great!  Rosario's dad asked if I added oil to the gnocchi and immediately I looked at Rosario.  He rolled his eyes and said "For him, oil.  For me, no."  How many ways are there to make gnocchi?!  I'm very proud that we made a true Italian dish!  What shall we tackle next?

*Special thanks to Rebecca for the pictures!

Making Gnocchi

“I can do this.” I told myself as I stared at the 4 ingredients listed on the page.  I began peeling potatoes and taking pictures to document how great this dinner recipe was working out.  Potatoes mashed, flour and egg incorporated, finished off with only 2 pinches of salt, I saw a hot mess.  The verbal directions were to roll the dough into lengths “like this” and then cut into sections “like this,” which was completely impossible with this batch of dough clinging to each of my fingers.  Even rolled on a floured board using floured hands, it was not happening!  Ok, maybe it’s supposed to be like this.  I’ll just try to roll it off the fork like Rosario demonstrated.  Umm, nope, it didn’t roll.  Instead, half of the dough stuck to the fork and the rest dangled from the end of the fork, eventually plopping into the boiling water. 

Juliette ate the first few I gave to her, and then one by one began bringing them back to me.  Brady licked it and decided he would starve instead of eating dinner.  All of my hard work, all the great intentions ended up a mushy mess.  Getting a picture didn’t cross my mind, but I wish I had so I could have had a “nailed it” (Pinterest addicts will understand) moment.  In the end, I cooked some dried pasta and will need some serious help the next time gnocchi graces our menu!

*Sidenote* I explained my gnocchi disaster to Rosario and he said to add more flour until the dough is easy to handle.  His mom said to let the dough rest for an hour before attempting to roll it out, but Rosario said he never lets it rest and it turns out fine.  An argument between the two ensued, leaving me with the directions of let it rest… or not.

Gnocchi!

“Lei fa ricotta?” was apparently one of the most nonsense questions I could have asked.  I found myself in the midst of a bustling lunchtime scene at our local Salumeria.  Only there to buy a rotisserie chicken and a basket of french fries (because they have the BEST chicken and fries), the mother of the Salumeria’s owner appeared by my side.  She is a lovely woman and I imagine a true free spirit in her day.  I usually catch every other word she says, but we normally figure out how to understand each other.  In the back and forth of our conversation surrounded by loud Italian chatter, I asked her if she made ricotta cheese.  She began telling me to add sugar and eggs and it became apparent she didn’t understand what I meant.  I asked again, “No, Lei (Lei is a formal way to say you) fa ricotta?”  Of course repeating the question the same way, only inserting “no” would help her understand what I was saying ~ and I wasn’t even sure I was saying it correctly!  At this point, Rosario (the Salumeria’s owner and a friend of ours) stepped in along with 3 or 4 other customers trying to understand my question.  After a very animated conversation and a possibly not quite sober man working his way into the middle of our conversation circle to shake my hand and ask where I was from, they informed me it was impossible for me to make ricotta.  After all, why would I make ricotta when I can buy it for 2 euro?  I was told it would be possible to make pasta and gnocchi, but never ricotta.

Later that evening on a stroll to the panificio to buy cookies, we stopped in the Salumeria to get the kids a lollypop (ok, sometimes they’re spoiled!).  Rosario grabbed a scratch piece of paper and wrote out a recipe to make gnocchi, reminding me once again “gnocchi, ok, ricotta, no!”  My very first real life Italian recipe and I felt like I was holding gold!  There is a great sense of pride in Italian cooking and it’s almost as if you can taste the warmth and spirit of past generations who have used the recipe.    Food is held in high regard and there is a true understanding of the importance of using only the best and freshest ingredients.  Gnocchi… not ricotta… it’s what’s for dinner!

ABC 123

School here in Italy has been exhilarating and a challenge.  I was enrolled in an Italian language class and attended several times a week from October until the middle of March.  It has been a joy learning the Italian language (I still have a very long way to go!) and feeling more comfortable in conversations. 
Juliette attends a fantastic small preschool.  The teachers don’t speak any English, so thank goodness I’ve taken some Italian!  Juliette gets excited when she sees their welcoming smiles meeting her at the door.    

In September Brady started attending the local public school.  We felt confident he would adjust and eventually integrate well into the class.  There were 3 instructors in his particular class and one of them spoke some English.  At first this seemed to be a great plan.  He was going to make friends, learn Italian, and have some structure to his day.  After a couple of months he started crying every morning not wanting to go to school.  He complained that the teacher hit her desk, making a loud noise.  With a class full of 4 year olds, she had to get their attention somehow!  The problem is that Brady hates loud sounds.  This was his main complaint for quite some time.  We continued to make him go because he needed to learn how to deal with situations he didn’t like.  He would talk about playing with a friend and would say he had a “great” day every time I picked him up.  Slowly his behavior began to change.  He was angry and defiant.  He would be very rude and disrespectful to anyone he came in contact with.  His complaints changed from the “loud sound” to “my friends don’t want to play with me.”  When I dropped him off in the morning, at least one student would run to meet him and help him take his backpack off, so I wasn’t convinced he was telling me the whole story.  Finally, at the beginning of February, when I asked what he did at school he would say “I just wait for you to come back to get me.”  My heart broke!   After considering it for several days, we decided not to send him back to school.    

To be honest, I was very conflicted.  I enjoyed my “me” time and was pretty jealous of it.  I also didn’t want Brady to think just because he cried about something, he didn’t have to do it.  I believe it’s our job as parents to teach him coping skills and not always giving him an easy way out.  In the end, it was the best decision we could make. 

I was tired of hearing him cry every morning about going to school, dragging him out of bed, and the morning generally being a disaster.  I was tired of his bad behavior and was convinced it was frustration from school manifesting itself.  So, I found myself in the midst of homeschooling a preschooler.  This has been an adjustment, but a covering of God’s grace has filled every corner of our home.  Our days are now filled with joy and peace.  I have my sweet and caring little boy back!  His behavior change is truly remarkable.    

I enjoy our days together and there have only been a few where the clock moved at a snail’s pace.  He is now officially registered for kindergarten, so I’m really glad we get to spend this time together!

It’s Spring!  I am excited for the cold rainy days to be a distant memory.  Ask me in the middle of summer and I’ll probably wish we were having some cold rain, but for now I’m looking forward to clear skies and warmer temperatures.  What is the best way to welcome in the spring?  By planting a garden of course!  This is Greg’s thing as I don’t do plants, but he’s got a good thing going! 

We live on top of a clothing store, which means we have no lawn, so thankfully our terrace is lined with large planter boxes. 

With lemon, orange, fig, and olive trees, plus carrots, squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers currently in the works, I’m looking forward to enjoying our homegrown goodness!