WHAT'S FOR DINNER???
Much as I love to cook, sometimes deciding what to cook can be a problem. The last few days I’ve been relatively unadventurous, but somehow the simple dishes I’ve prepared have hit the spot.
I wrote previously about our two decadent dinners featuring cheddar cheese in American dishes, but for the next few days I had fresh veggies that needed to be eaten, so this is what happened to the peppers and eggplant we bought at the market.
Spaghetti alla Norma sounded like a winner for lunch the other day, so I checked with my recipes for some guidelines. This is one of those dishes you really don’t need a recipe for once you know the basics. I laughed out loud when I looked at the  recipe I have on file though…….the first thing called for is “6 medium-sized eggplants, about a pound (500 g)”, and I thought "Wait a minute! It takes SIX eggplants to make a pound???” That sure didn’t sound right, so I pulled out my electronic kitchen scale and weighed each of the two eggplants. Not surprisingly, EACH eggplant weighed in at a pound each, and I’d say these were ‘average’ sized eggplants….well, average size for Italy anyway.
I remember when we were in Louisville and I was looking for fennel at Kroger. Man, those were the saddest, most pathetic looking fennel I’ve ever seen. I realize that we live in the ‘green heart of Italy’ where much of this wonderful produce is grown, but I think I’m just spoiled, not just for choice, but also for quality and size! Of course this sometimes mean we do without something when it’s not in season (like broccoli!), but in the end it’s a fair trade. So, back to lunch……
I peeled one of the zucchini and chopped it into small pieces, then threw it onto the griddle with some olive oil. While I had a few cloves of garlic simmering in oil in a deep skillet, I opened a large can of plum tomatoes and drained the juice, then chopped the whole tomatoes and threw them into the skillet, along with a little of the juice. I added some salt, pepper, just a pinch of red pepper flakes, the turned the skillet down to a simmer.
After all the eggplant was nicely browned, I put it all into a bowl, then started boiling a pot of water for the spaghetti. For a pound of eggplant you can use anywhere from 10 to 16 ounces of spaghetti. While the spaghetti was cooking I threw some chopped basil into the tomato sauce, simmered it for a few minutes more, then added the zucchini.
Once the spaghetti was al dente I drained it, making sure to reserve some of the water!, then added the spaghetti to the skillet with the tomato sauce and eggplant. Everything was mixed well, and I added a little of the cooking water to help everything bind together.
Each plate of pasta was topped with some roughly grated pecorino, but of course you can also use parmesan if you prefer.
We usually eat a bigger meal at lunch, then a smaller meal in the evening. I’d saved the rest of the tomato juice from lunch, since I hate to waste anything, and decided that I could put that juice to good use for dinner. I added some tomato paste to thicken it up a bit, threw in some salt, pepper and oregano, and voila! I had pizza sauce.
I mixed the dough for pizza and stuck it into the oven to rise for a bit while I chopped up some of the peppers and an onion. I took the casing off two pork sausages, grated some parmesan and sliced up the rest of the mozzarella that was left in the frig.
Although green peppers are common on pizzas in the states, here in Italy I don’t think I’ve ever seen peppers (which are called pepperoni in Italian) on a pizza! Maybe it was the novelty of having peppers on our pizza, or maybe it was a taste from the past, but wow! that pizza was really, really good!
Today I still had peppers left, plus more sausage. I thought about stuffed peppers, but decided to go simpler. Here’s where more American ingredients (more thanks to Jill and Larry for bringing this stuff!) come in. And of course I need to back up to explain……
When Marguerite and her family were here this summer we had dinner at their house….they cooked MEXICAN, so you know how happy we were!!! Anyway, Marguerite made some Spanish rice and I asked her how she’d made it. She told me here secret…..taco seasoning mix!!! One tablespoon added to each cup of rice while it cooked, then a bit of salsa mixed in at the end and once again, voila!....Spanish rice! Problem was, I didn’t have any taco seasoning mix, and the chances of finding any in Italy are slim to none. (Or possibly very, VERY expensive if I happened to find it at some expat/international food store)
Later in August when Jill wrote to ask if there was anything we’d like for them to bring to Italy, I knew that taco seasoning mix wouldn’t take up much room or  endanger their weight allowance. Last week we had lunch with Jill while Larry drove to Rome to pick up their guests, and ever since then I’d been itching to try to make Spanish rice. Grilled peppers, onions and sausage on a bed of Spanish rice sounded yummy, so that’s what we had for lunch today.
I chopped up the peppers and more onion and threw them into a hot skillet. After a few minutes I added more of the pork sausage, again removed from the casing. 
The sausages I buy at the grocery here are simply ground pork…no 
seasoning added like in the states. And yes, it WAS yummy!
Now I just have to figure out what to do with that one last eggplant……
WATCH OUR FRIENDS ON TV TONIGHT!
Our friends Bob and Rosemary, who recently returned to the states after living in Italy for two years, are going to be on television tonight! You can read all about it, and about their 'new' life in Delaware on their blog LIVE CHEAP MAKE ART USA .
The show will be broadcast on a Delaware television station WHYY. If you miss the show tonight, or aren't in the area, you can click HERE, then click on "Experience Delaware" to watch the show. I'm hoping that WHYY allows us to receive this broadcast, since quite often we're refused viewing rights because we're overseas.
Both Bob and Rosemary are talented artists in addition to being warm, sweet, funny people, and we're hoping this show will open some new doors for them, help them to promote their art or perhaps share their story with even more people. Hey! We can say we knew them before they were famous!
FRIENDS...AND A DOG
Last week we received a frantic phone call from Belinda. She’s left for London to rendezvous with her parents and sister for a week or so, and Giacomo had left the same day to lead a two week bus tour. Kyra, the dog they’ve adopted, (they’re taking care of her more or less permanently since Kyra’s owner sort of ‘outgrew’ her…sad but true) had been left with a friend. The friend also had a dog, and Giacomo had taken Kyra for a few visits just to make sure the dogs got along. Everything was set….until the ‘friend’ called Belinda in the middle of her vacation to say she just couldn’t watch Kyra anymore. Heaven protect us from friends like this!
Luckily Art and I were home when Belinda called, so we were able to drive to Orvieto to pick up Kyra and bring her back home. She’s a German Shepherd, and of course she’s just a big baby. She was so well behaved in the car, and we could tell she was happy to be back in her own home. We feed her, played with her..well, we tried, but Kyra’s not the most active dog, so all she really wanted to do was chill out on the back terrace. Belinda and her parents arrived home last night, so now Kyra is really happy!
This morning we met Belinda’s parents, Margaret and Bronte, and it was wonderful to have not one but THREE Australian accents filling our house! Giacomo will arrive home tomorrow (after the ‘tour from hell’, according to early reports!) and I’m sure we’ll have dinner with all of them soon.
Our friend from Florida arrives on Friday for a few days in Umbria. Although she flies in and out of Italy fairly often, this visit will be for a full week, rather than just one long day. I guess it’s been almost a year since we’ve seen her, and we’re excited about her visit. While she’s here we’ll try to figure out our itinerary for our December trip to the states….after two Christmas’s here, I really want to be with family for the holidays. The bonus is that we’ll also get to be with our lil’ red headed granddaughter for her 6th birthday!
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Take a look at expat message boards frequented by Americans living in Italy and chances are you'll see a request, more like a plea, for cheddar cheese. Some of us were prepared for the fact that there'd be no cheddar in Italy, but it's still painful at times. Pity the poor expat who didn't have a clue! No macaroni and cheese on a cold winter's night. No grated cheese for tacos...assuming of course that you brought the fixins for taco with you..... No cheese cheddar for so many things.....
 But here in San Venanzo, we're practically swimming in cheddar cheese thanks to friends from England and the U.S. Janet and Stephen brought us not one but FOUR.....yes, FOUR, packages of cheddar from England two weeks ago, and last week Jill and Larry brought us a nice big package of sharp cheddar, so.....
Yesterday we had some unbelievably yummy omelets....ham, onion, tomatoes, and yes, you guessed it, CHEDDAR CHEESE! WOW! I didn't remember that an omelet could taste sooooo good!
Today Art open the frig and realized that the broccoli we'd bought the other day really needed to be cooked now!, 
so I cooked some rice, browned some onions, opened another all-American standby, cream of mushroom soup, then mixed in an egg, some broccoli and a cup of grated cheddar. Thirty minutes later we had a lunch that was filling and delicious! Simple pleasures indeed!
ANOTHER HORSE SHOW
The weekend after the San Venanzo horse show we decided to drive up to Citta di Castello to see the annual horse show there. We invited Shelly to go with us, and called ahead to reserve some fresh mozzarella cheese for us and several friends. We also planned to stop by the art exhibition of Giampaolo, an artist we met through our friend Judith. Giampaolo had told us that several artists had joined together for this show, whose theme was “The Seven Deadly Sins”. We had no idea what type of work Giampaolo or the others produced, but thought it would be an interesting exhibit to see.
Shelly drove to San Venanzo from Massa Martana so we could all ride together. The people at the mozzarella place had asked if we could be there before one, and of course we’d said yes. We planned to pick up the mozzarella and keep in cool in the cooler, just because the car would be sitting in the sun. Fresh mozzarella like this doesn’t get refrigerated until the third day….assuming there’s any left! A nice caprese salad…flavorful tomatoes, delicious milky mozzarella, some torn basil leaves and plenty of Umbrian olive oil….I think we could eat that every day of the week!
 We arrived at the horse show just in time for lunch…and the fact that it was lunchtime also explains how we found a parking spot I’m sure. We called Judith, who directed us to the large hall where the food was, and we all enjoyed lunch. Judith and her friend had ordered from the buffet restaurant that was set up in the large hall, but Art, Shelly and I decided to walk back to the exhibition hall for porchetta sandwiches….an Umbrian specialty I think I could also eat on a very regular basis.
After lunch we tried to figure out the program and the locations of the various performances. Judith told us she loved to watch the cowboys of the Meremma in Tuscany perform, so we just wandered around until then watching various performances and looking at all the beautiful horses. Once the competition started, I was surprised to see that these Italian cowboys looked more like proper English gentlemen with their white shirts, brown vests and (almost) bowler hats.
 Although I love horses, I did find the competition rather monotonous as each horse and rider went through the obstacle course, trying for the fastest time. I would have preferred an exhibition of their skills, or just the chance to admire the horses up close. Maybe next year we can go earlier and stay later.
We said goodbye to Judith and her friend and headed to the centro of Citta di Castello. If you don’t know this city, it’s an interesting place, with lots to offer. There’s always something going on, and I think living in the centro would be a lot of fun. We found Giampaolo, and he told us the palazzo where the art was exhibited would reopen in about an hour, so we found a sidewalk café, had a coffee and watched the Sunday afternoon passeggiata.
The semi-restored palazzo for the art show was an interesting building, one that made you squint your eyes and imagine what it must have looked like in it’s prime. A bank is house in part of the building, and the art show was in a section that was half restored….and still in need of some TLC.
The artwork on display was modern, funky, and sometimes downright bizarre. Some of it I merely appreciated for the creativity involved, some of it was weird, and some of it was quite unique. I wondered how artists like this make a living….I mean, do people really wander into a show like this and say, “Yes! I must have this strange creation that looks like a giant spider but is made out of hundreds of CD’s”? Sorry, but I don't have any pictures of the artworks to share.
SAY A PRAYER, LIGHT A CANDLE,
 make a novena, cross your fingers, whatever it is you do for good luck and best wishes, do it now.......someone is interested in our house! Yes, I realize it's a little early, and I hope I'm not jinxing things by writing about it, but I sure could use the power of prayer or the karma of good wishes regarding our house for sale in Umbria!
Labels: house for sale, Italy, PROPERTY, Umbria
WHAT’S UP IN UMBRIA!
You might be wondering what we’ve been up to lately, since I haven’t posted much…..a few quick and easy links to YouTube don’t really count do they? We have been fairly busy, at least by our standards, but for some reason writing about everything, editing the pictures, resizing the pictures, posting the pictures….it all just seems like waaaay too much trouble. I don’t know if I’m just lazy, or maybe burnt out, or maybe even fighting off a bout of depression as I watch the dollar sink to all time lows. So now here I am, trying to make myself sit down and write. The picture stuff will be another story…..
So let’s see, where did we last leave our happy couple? Oh yes, blissfully whiling away the hours in the beautiful Umbrian hilltown, sharing their beautiful home (sadly, now for sale) with an assortment of friends. We’ve also visited a few area events, including not one but TWO horse shows!
The best thing recently has been the weather. We had a brief scare at the beginning of September when the temperatures took a sudden dip. We were afraid we’d gone from summer to winter with no stop for autumn at all, but thankfully, those few cold days were just a fluke, and now the weather is perfect once again…warm sunny days and cool crisp nights.
 As usually I’m missing the lack of sugar maples in Italy! Yes, we have a few trees that turn yellow, and yes, some of the grape leaves will take on a reddish cast, but for the most part, fall isn’t the wonderful display of reds, golds and oranges we’re used to seeing in the states. Even paradise has a few details that could be improved upon!
On September 1st San Venanzo once again hosted the horse show from Spain, featuring beautiful horses and flamenco dancers.
The flamenco dancers put on a special show during the dinner break, but also danced in the arena while the horses were performing. And yes, there was a break for dinner! The show began at 6:30...well, okay, it didn't exactly start on time, but once it did, the performance stopped between 7:30 and 8 o'clock so that everyone could go home and have dinner! I guess the second part of the show started around 9:30 or so. For those of us close enough to walk home for dinner, that's just what we did. For the others, food was available at the arena, also known as the old soccer stadium.
BROWNIE OVERLOAD....WAIT! IS THAT POSSIBLE???
Over at ONCE UPON A TART, a yummy, yummy blog, Myriam has declared the winner of her Browniebabe competion, and believe me, we're ALL winners! Brownie recipes abound, each accompanied by pictures that will make you want to lick your computer screen. You can almost smell the chocolate!
My suggestion is to bake up several different recipes, invite a few friends over, break open a few bottles of red wine and let the fun begin! Labels: brownies, chocolate
HERE'S A THOUGHT....
Simon, a Swiss guy who writes a BLOG, had the video in the next post on his site, and I thought it was worth sharing. Now if only someone would fire Donald's barber!
PAVAROTTI
Greatly admired....sadly missed....
Bravo maestro....arrivederci....
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN
Now that school is back in session, it's time for that good ole tradition of ordering stuff you don't really want or need to help support your kid's school...or the school of the neighbors kids, or maybe the school where your coworkers kids go....regardless , you know you'll be hit up sooner or later, and prbably buy something, just to keep peace. Occasionally I've even found something I really did want (not counting chocolate), so who knows? Anyway, after that wind up, here comes the pitch:
My granddaughter's preschool (yes PREschool!) is having just such a sale, and the school will receive 50% of all proceeds. If you decide to order anything, you'll need to include the seller number of 140233 so the credit goes to the right school. CLICK HERE to see what the company, SALLY FOSTER, has to offer.
I know it's a long shot that anyone reading this will want to buy something, especially when you all have kids, or neighbors and coworkers with kids, but on the off-chance that you might like to support a great preschool, HERE'S your chance! Remember to include the seller number 140233. Oh, and shipping is free for orders over $60 (in the U.S. only, of course), just in case you find lots of stuff you can't live without, or you could combine your order with a friend or two. Thanks for reading this!
WAITING FOR INSPIRATION!
It’s not that I’ve been lazy, more like uninspired, thus no recent blog entries. I’d been trying to post more frequently because I want the “House For Sale” information to be out on the internet as much as possible, but sometimes it’s hard, even for me!, to find something interesting to write about.
We had two families, both English, look at the house last week. No feedback yet, but we certainly took a long time in between our first look and our offer. And these people might not be the right people for our house anyway. We realize that not everyone is looking for Italian immersion, that some might prefer to be surrounded by other English speakers, or maybe just some place that’s set up to deal with tourists and expats, with foreign language newspapers and menus in several languages. We’re not worried about selling our house, but we are doing all we can to help the right people find out about it. Piano, piano!
We met up with a couple we’ve ‘met’ on the Slow Travel message board, Kat and Peter. We spent the morning at the Marsciano market, then drove back up to San Venanzo to enjoy or porchetta sandwiches and some of the peach mostarda I’d made from Judith’s recipe.
Tonight will be the big horse show, so I’m sure there will be pictures, hopefully even some video, of that to be posted later. From now we’re just enjoying the last days of summer, and as expected, it has indeed turned cooler. You can really start to imagine that fall is just around the corner…..
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recipe I have on file though…….the first thing called for is “6 medium-sized eggplants, about a pound (500 g)”, and I thought "Wait a minute! It takes SIX eggplants to make a pound???” That sure didn’t sound right, so I pulled out my electronic kitchen scale and weighed each of the two eggplants. Not surprisingly, EACH eggplant weighed in at a pound each, and I’d say these were ‘average’ sized eggplants….well, average size for Italy anyway.
endanger their weight allowance. Last week we had lunch with Jill while Larry drove to Rome to pick up their guests, and ever since then I’d been itching to try to make Spanish rice. Grilled peppers, onions and sausage on a bed of Spanish rice sounded yummy, so that’s what we had for lunch today.
Spina Bifida
