Big Snow

It almost feels like the arrival of spring with the mountains of white melting away only two days after we were hit with the biggest snowfall that I've ever witnessed since moving here. Snowbunny Mads who is usually the first out the door when there's a fresh blanket of the powdery stuff was actually intimidated by the immensity of it all.

It is also nice to see how alliances are formed when a situation requires strength in numbers. In this case, out of the 4 owners that live on this 10-unit complex, only 3 of us were out shoveling snow early yesterday morning. The fourth, a man whom I've heard isn't too talkative stayed clear until we all headed indoors for a break. Only when one of the neighbors kidded to my husband that we should throw the excess snow onto his car did it occur to me that this is a very small community here. Being part of the social thread not only helps in times of need, it also gets you invited into their homes for coffee!


In the photo below, I finally taught Maddie to 'keep still' if she wanted to observe the wild birds that were out feeding on some crumbs. I figured they would be quite hungry after that big snow and thought it was the perfect time to begin forming a friendship with our avian visitors. Hopefully, if Maddie learns to keep her distance, she'll be able to watch them quietly outside when we put up the birdhouse in the spring. If not, lurking behind window curtains will probably become the next new game around this house.

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Hi Rowena, Wow, that is a lot of snow! I shudder when thinking about last winter, we had tons of snow in the city and the traffic collapsed a couple of times... My neighbours back home had a tiny little Dachshund, who - unlike our own Dachshund - wasn't afraid of snow masses. It was so much fun watching him jump through the snow, you saw flying ears for a second, then he vanished in the snow again...
Nicky | Homepage | 02.02.06 - 8:48 pm

I still can't get use to seeing snow in Italy. I heard that winter has been rough over there this year. I hope Spring comes early for you this year, island girl.

Regarding the macaws, we have lots of parrots and other exotics running wild here because people let them go or they escape. I discovered that the macaws are pets that are allowed outside to play during the day. Our newest resident is the Burmese python, which is settling in very nicely south of here. (One was captured in Ft. Lauderdale recently). I love Florida because beneath the Disney veneer, there are wild things that can eat you. Not that I want to be eaten, but it adds to the drama of daily life.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 02.01.06 - 2:22 pm

Wow - your dump of snow is close to what we endured last winter (this winter's been mild). I was picturing you out there shoveling in flip-flops! ;-) Ouch. Love, love, love Maddie's POV picture. Her ears! They kill me.
Karina | Homepage | 01.31.06 - 5:37 pm

The place I grew up in Japan used to have much more, I can't believe how cold it was then (-20 or something). Keep warm and drive carefully! I love the shot of Maddie, really sweet.
keiko | Homepage | 01.31.06 - 1:05 pm

Wow, you guys sure got a LOT of snow! When I see snow falling in Japan, I get all giddy. But I think I would definitely be in awe, if THAT much snow fell here. I'm glad that you and your neighbors get along, here we don't get a chance to "chat" with our neighbors. Keep warm!
Kat & Satoshi | Homepage | 01.30.06 - 1:06 am

If commuting to work in the snow weren't such a pain, I would be completely in love with the stuff. I remember the first big storm we had after 9/11 - for a change the world felt safe and utterly at peace.
Cathy | Homepage | 01.29.06 - 7:37 pm

Rowena, Thank you so much for that post! It's beautiful to read about where you live and that snowfall! While I am Canadian and I do have a love/hate relationship with winter as it lasts for like 8 months ... there is no question that the part that I love is the snow. There is nothing quite as beautiful as waking up to freshly fallen snow. Then of course you have to outside and start shovelling and then all love is gone and replaced by excessive cursing!

And you're right, being sociable definitely helps to make people feel closer and more tight-knit. I can picture the complex you live in perfectly as my relative in Italy all live in similar complexes. And from my visits there I know that they have become like small communities or families of their own within each complex. It's very different from the monsrosities that are built here in Toronto where there are hundreds if not thousands of units and nobody knows anyone. Anyways ... great post! Ciao!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.29.06 - 4:38 pm

Ten Things You Never Knew About Me

Holy Monte Bianco! The north of Italy is mercilessly being DUMPED with snow and it's nearly a foot and a half up where we're at in the mountains. Doesn't look like it'll let up soon and we're stuck at home, so it's meme time! Karina of Gluten Free Goddess tagged me for this one although discretion is in order here. I have always believed that anything (be it verbal or written) can always come back and bite you in the ass. ;-)

1. I loved to have penpals when I was in grade and high school. Writing letters (in the old days!) to people in foreign lands was my window to the world. Now I blog, go figure.

2. If you want to give me a gift, forget perfume or flowers, although I will take candy. The best gifts would be a food product, be it an item that you think is the greatest or something that was made by your own efforts. I once received a jar of walnuts (already shelled) from my boss as a gift. She had gathered the nuts from her own backyard and cracked them herself. I was on cloud nine.

3. I have little patience for chronic whiners. Get over yourself. Unless the sky is falling, there is no need to bring people down.

4. I love the game Scrabble. The italian version of Scarabeo is great too!

5. Sewing is one of my hobbies and I'm set on getting a machine soon. My neighbor in the islands (who happened to be my high school band teacher) would often enlist my help to sew the costumes for his themed parades. Checkout Princess Leia and the Jawas below. My favorite was the frog from Super Mario Bros. It was for my then 3-yr. old son. He never took that thing off, even when I yelled at him for playing in the kitty litter.


6. When I was attending culinary college in Honolulu, I'd often cut class and take the bus down to Waikiki in hopes of catching a glimpse of Tom Selleck filming for Magnum P.I. If that didn't work out there was always the Circle Island route that took a good part of the day and I could catch a glimpse of surfers at Waimea Bay then snooze all the way home.

7. Maybe not so much now (ask my husband), but I used to do practical jokes all the time. Not mean stuff, just silly nonsense. Got this trait from my dad?

8. At one of my previous pastry jobs, the chef put my name on the menu in hopes of keeping me from looking for work elsewhere. It was highlighted as Rowena's Whim, and as one might guess, it listed whatever it is that I felt inspired to create that day. But you know, all praise and no raise will not pay the bills and in the end I left. Not to work for someone else but because Hurricane Iniki blew into Kauai. Oh well...

9. I worked as a lei greeter at Honolulu International. Kissing the cute guys was never a problem, but when the elderly ones wanted to get fresh and try to french kiss, it was major grossness! Arghghghghggh!

10. Getting myself into absurd situations is the norm. While I was still living in Hawaii, a DJ personality from Radio Monte Carlo in Italy called me at home for a quick chitchat. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was a hit tune in Italy at the time and he wanted to know how to pronounce Iz's name correctly. It was one of the most awkward 5 minutes of my life since my spoken italian was zip. Now I'm thinking of giving that DJ a call and tell him that we should hook up for an ukulele jammin' session. Aloha Brah! I live in Italy now!! When my husband reads this he will roll his eyeballs.

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Rowena, What a great list! I especially loved the point about your boss giving you a jar of walnuts as a gift. So simple yet so beautiful! You sound like a really fun person (like I didn't know that already)! You and your husband stay warm!!!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.28.06 - 2:37 am

Oh, what a marvellous list. Tom Selleck as Magnum, P.I....oooh, yummy!! The lei greeting gig sounded quite glamorous, until I got to the part about the dirty old men. Bleh. I love Scrabble too; I sometimes like to play phonetic Scrabble, wer ewe spel wurdz how they sonde insted of how yor supozd to.
Tania | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 4:50 pm

Rowena, Great list of things we didn't know about you. I had penpals as well in high school and I think it stimulated my interest in languages as well as let me have a glimpse into other cultures. Everyone I met along the way was wonderful. Interesting how your love of the island comes through this list. It realy helped me see what your life must have been like there.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 4:17 pm

Rowena ~ Thank you for participating in the Ten Things meme. I loved reading more about you. Very fun! Mahalo!
Karina | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 2:33 pm

The answers to this Meme was great! Found myself smiling as I was reading it. I'm so jealous, you write so well. ;-)
Kat & Satoshi | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 12:49 pm

You are a woman of many talents! If only you were around, I could then learn to sow! :-) Liked the note about pen friends, I was the same!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 01.27.06 - 12:07 pm

La più grande pescheria d'Italia

Making the claim of being the greatest fish shop in Italy is a mighty bold statement, and seemingly more so when it is being declared from a gigantic billboard off of the highway. How is it possible, or even conceivable for a small, unheard of, inland town miles away from the sea to want to even attempt such a daring enterprise? There are probably several accountable answers to this question, but I can come up with one simple reason: They fully expected voracious fish gourmets like myself and others to take the bait and be lured in. Who could possibly resist a good catch? (Sorry, I just can not write this without puns.) ;-)

On any given day one might be lucky to find Tartufo di mare (pl. tartufi) as shown below, sea urchins, mussels, several types of cephalopods, granseole (spider crabs) from Veneto, John Dories, both mediterranean and pacific tuna (expensive!), turbot, conger eels, scorpion fish aka rascasse rouge in french, sea bass, sea bream, and jumbo scampi from the isle of Lipari (Sicily), just to name a few. And this does not include the frozen section!

I'm crossing my fingers here and hope that what brought this fish shop to the top of their game (the ability to offer a mixed variety of common and uncommon seafood from the Mediterranean and elsewhere) will continue to be a profitable business. An excellent book that I own, Il Mare in Pentola, is a wealth of information regarding comestibles caught in these waters. Some of the recipes that I'd like to try... it makes me almost wish that I married a fisherman instead. Will just have to wait and see what the next catch brings in.

Tartufo di Mare aka Warty Venus

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ITTICA BRIANZA
via Carlo Porta, 18 (industrial zone)
23861 Cesana Brianza (Lecco)

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In English, these are apparently called smooth or brown venus clams. In Italy, their "fishing" (commercial, I imagine) is regulated by law.
Margaret Murata | 07.05.07 - 8:21 pm

Rowena, first of all, thanks for the tip about the virtual contest, I'm already excited about what memory to share and what dish to recreate! As for fish, that photo is beautiful! The goodness of that fish is almost palpable! I can't wait to see what you share with us from Il Mare in Pentola! Ciao!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.25.06 - 2:16 pm

I can almost smell the briny sea from your photo of "warty Venus" {oh my, what a name!} The seafood shop sounds like a treasure trove; enjoy its bounty, and please do write about whatever you cook from there!
Tania | Homepage | 01.24.06 - 4:26 pm

Look at this shellfish! I am jealous! Your pic looks terrific, as always! I look forward to seeing what you will do with this magnificent fish supplier, the best of Italy, ah! At least they don't say Europe! ;-) What did you do with Tartufo di Mare?? Loved your post!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 01.24.06 - 4:07 pm

Hmm, believe it or not Sarasota, which is ON the Gulf of Mexico has only one fish market and NOT ONE decent seafood restaurant. However there are lots of steak houses. Fishermen, real ones, have gone the way of the cowboy. I think it has to do with the fact that the majority of newcomers that arrive are from the cattle rich mid-west. They loves their beef and fish is just too smelly and weird.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 01.24.06 - 3:24 pm

Great post, rowena! Tough job being a fisherman...more die per year than policemen and firemen, but the pay is worth the risk to many.
Barry | Homepage | 01.24.06 - 2:50 pm

Osteria Sali e Tabacchi

Signs like the one at left are found everywhere throughout Italy and any reliable travel guide will tell you that these "T" shops are the places in which to purchase phone cards, bus passes, and cigarettes among other necessities. Those operating on a higher level enable italians to pay their annual car taxes, buy postage stamps and parking cards. One can also pick up a lottery ticket if feeling lucky, but finding a restaurant?

Listed in the Slow Food guide as a modern osteria, the locale once served as a vecchio forno, an old bakery. Nowadays, not only is it possible to stop in for a nicotine habit, but patrons can sit down to housemade pastas, fish, and seasonal specialties. The decor is basic osteria-trattoria style: dark woodwork in contrast with crisp, clean tablecloths. I absolutely love this place. When we arrived at 8:30 on a Friday night, it was already buzzing with business — obviously a popular gathering spot with locals both young and old alike for a glass of wine and conversation.


Tagliolini pasta and missoltini
Since I've made it a goal to focus on one particular plate when eating out and attempting to recreate it at home, a recipe for tagliolini with missoltini will be in the works. Missoltini in it's unadulterated state is known as agone; freshwater shad fished from the waters of Lake Como. Only after it has been gutted, salted, hung to air-dry, and packed snugly into cans does it become missoltini. The word is a derivative from missoltit, the barrels which were used (and perhaps still are) to store the fish before more conventional means became available. A documentary on television some time ago did a fine job of depicting the old traditions of agone fishermen in this area. If Trattoria Santo Stefano hasn't touched the decor on their walls, the making of missoltini is illustrated by several photographs in the outdoor dining room. It reminds me a lot of the drying of akule (bigeye scad) in the hot hawaiian sun which was then greatly appreciated with that island staple of staples, poi.

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Osteria Sali e Tabacchi — Mandello del Lario (frazione Maggiana)
Piazza San Rocco, 3
Open: Lunch and dinner
Closed: Monday evenings and Tuesday
Tel. 0341 733715
9 km north of Lecco
Note: The menu was recited to us rather than being handed as a printout.

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Additional commentary: Sali e Tabacchi (plurals of salt and tobacco) has a bit of history as one might have guessed. These two items were state monopolized years ago but after the distribution of salt became a free enterprise, the signs were never changed to reflect the sale of tobacco products only.
rowena | 01.25.06

"A clean well lighted place," Hemingway wrote. We have a few eating spots like the one you mentioned. There's just something about the ambience that contributes to wonderful food and conversation. A great pleasure compared to the feeding troughs of "all you can get" garbage that dominate the American landscape.

I often wonder how it is that chain restaurants with all their resources and expertise seem to leave serving excellent food out of the equation. Do the bean counters always have to prevail? There is something wonderful about a place that serves great food made from pure ingredients in a delightful surrounding.

I continue to envy your experiences and am grateful for your posts.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 01.20.06 - 7:11 pm

Great post on the Tabacchi! It brings back memories of my summers in Italy when my aunt would send me to the Tabaccheria across the street for stamps or bus tickets. Wonderful memories!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.20.06 - 8:25 am

Oh, I feel I could be in Italy now sitting at this trattoria! GodFather! ;-) This fish, MY! I love fish like this. Don't they look amazing?? Your pic, as usual, is marvellous! Btw, did I ever tell you I already went to Hawai and loved it? Also went to Tahiti...les iles!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 01.20.06 - 1:37 am

Akule in the sun... brings back memories. My uncle used to dry fish under the rear window of his car while he went to work — the car wouldn't smell too cool afterwards but the fish was ono!!
Kat | Homepage | 01.20.06 - 1:07 am

i love those tiny, hidden gem "secret" places that have been around for generations and always try to find them in france. i hope they stay around for you in italy because in france, well, little shops and family bistros are slowly disappearing... i might have to move to italy!
ptinfrance | Homepage | 01.19.06 - 7:52 pm

A Taste of Artichokes from Sardegna

!@%#%?! Ok, so cursing at vegetables is not something that I normally do, but the carciofi spinosi, the thorny artichokes pictured below, were so tricky to handle that effin' buzzards came flying out of my mouth left and right. Not only were the outer leaves, le bràttee, armed with very sharp tips, but splinter-like thorns protruded along the stem where smaller branches had once annexed. Anyway what the heck, I'm a sucker for fresh produce in wooden crates and when the lady asked "Dieci va bene?" (10 is ok?), I could easily have told her to double the amount and then go on to fill this entire post with censored *bleeps*.

Carciofo Spinoso Sardo

Up until now, the usual methods for preparing artichokes (that I was aware of) were either deep-fried, simmered in water, stuffed and baked, preserved in oil, or as pizza topping. In other words, cooked. Yet the info that I found on this particular carciofo revealed that it is best eaten raw, like in a salad. The flavor is milder and less astringent than what generally characterizes artichokes. Often they come without the bothersome inner choke.

So the question is, how do raw artichokes taste? Pretty much how I figured raw artichokes should taste. Dressed lightly in good olive oil, lemon juice, thin shavings of pecorino, salt and pepper, it made for a refreshing salad which preceded a plate of pasta. The only added touch was a single 'rose' made of sweet San Daniele prosciutto for contrast and flavor — easy doing, and I didn't have to deal with any thorns. ;-)

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I worked 5 years in the interior of Sardinia doing archaeological work, and I can tell you, there isn't a plant on that island that hasn't survived the hunger of the sheep by evolving ultra sharp spines. That's my thoery and I'm sticking to it. This brought back some real memories...

Nice blog. Great photography.
james | Homepage | 05.16.06 - 11:48 pm

Additional commentary: Italy produces and exports roughly 1/3 of the artichokes sold in the world with the bulk of the crop grown in Sicily, Sardinia, Lazio, Tuscany, and Puglia. The season begins in October and extends up until June. Several types hold the IGP title, Indicazione Geografica Protteta to indicate the area of origin.
rowena | 01.24.06

i've never seen artichokes like that before but they look delish. ouch, though! that's how i feel about chestnuts. they *&^%$^* hurt! :-)
ptinfrance | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 5:24 pm

Looks like we both have had the same cravings lately. Except that the ones that I bought were already trimmed and so I did not have to deal with the thorns.
Gia | Homepage | 01.17.06 - 4:12 pm

Ciao, Rowena! What you need is rubber covered gardener's gloves for handling those artichikes and nettles, too. You hold the artichoke in one hand that is gloved, and use scissors to snip off the mean stuff on the leaves, and then use a veg parer to remove stem prickles. These are good also slivered thinly and quickly sauteed for throwing over a compatible pasta or risotto. Or maybe a bruschetta? They aren't very available in smaller cities. In Morocco I ate them like an apple, once convinced by Moroccans that it wouldn't kill me. Lovely.
Judith in Umbria | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 10:08 am

Hi Rowena, that recipe looks incredible!!! I wouldn't be able to find artichokes like that here in Toronto but I wish I could. And the prosciutto ... what a great touch! You are obviously a very talented cook!!!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.14.06 - 5:05 am

Hi Rowena, I wish I could find such artichokes here! Your pictures are fabulous and really makes me want to "touch" this artichoke. Do you know whether I could find those imported in the US?? Lovely!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 1:58 pm

That artichoke looks very prickly and kind of reminded me of a protea. With all the trouble you had to go through, I'm glad it tasted great.
Kat | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 11:16 am

Fresh new food blogs and Yan Can Cook

First off, a big MAHALO to all who appreciated the sea urchin post, especially to the folks back in Hawaii that were moved to send emails because I KNOW that YOU know exactly what I'm talking about when it comes to wana. Who hasn't been told to "Watch out for the wana!" in those 'young kid days' when low tides made it irresistible to go reefwalking? My dad made a point for each of us 3 rascals to have our own thick-soled tabis so as to avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room. Even the toughest of barefoot walkers weren't impervious to those nasty, needle-sharp spines.

As the post-header implies, there are some new food blogs that deserve mention and a warm welcome into the foodblogging community. Benvenuti a:
Cream Puffs in Venice, La Tartine Gourmande, and Our Adventures in Japan. Not only do they post appetizing photos and recipes, but they also have a unique quality in their writing style which always leaves me with a smile on my face. (And I'm not joking, but if my husband sees me smiling in front of the pc, the first thought he'll have is that I've come across something to do with food!)

Another site that's chock-full of interesting tidbits and photos, Why Travel To France is not about food (which is my objective when traveling to France), but rather about french news, culture, food, and everything in between. Talk about range, in one week I read up on post subjects such as La galette du roi and Toxic oily beaches in Bretagne. There is something for everyone within the long list of categories to the left. You'll need to register in order to post a comment, but don't let that be a deterrent, it takes just a few seconds.

Lastly, there is Martin Yan. Or atleast there is Celeste of Chopstick Cinema who had the honor of meeting Yan in the flesh. Lucky gal! Reading of her encounter with the culinary star was almost, if not as much fun, as gazing at the photo that she sent of them posing together. Celeste does a quick synopsis of the movie Rice Rhapsody in which Yan plays a major role. For all Yan Can Cook fans out there, check out what she has to say!

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Well aren't you sweet to mention my charmed moment with Martin Yan! I was walking on a cloud all afternoon, so no wonder I looked like a Cheshire Cat in that photo of me standing next to him. BTW, your blog's looking pretty stylish with the new format.
Celeste | Homepage | 01.13.06 - 8:31 pm

Hi Rowena, Happy New Year! Loved visiting your recommended blogs, especially the meeting with Martin Yan, love him too. Been trying to emulate his chopping skills for years. Luckily, I still have all my fingers :-) - Chopstick Cinema is a find!
JMom | Homepage | 01.11.06 - 6:10 pm

Hi Rowena, thanks so much for mentioning our blog. I'm glad we're spreading some Aloha around the world!! We love your blog too. You have great posts and photos!!
Kat & Satoshi | Homepage | 01.11.06 - 2:24 pm

Thanks for the tip about "Why Travel to France". I'm actually considering going to France in the Spring although it may not happen as I've not been to Italy for a couple of years and my family is growing impatient (BTW my family is from Le Marche on my father's side and Calabria on my mother's side, but we usually go to Le Marche as my mother's side is all here in Canada)!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.11.06 - 5:38 am

I love Yan Can Cook, I grew up with him on TV and loved it when he said "If Yan can than you can too." Brings back memories.
Gia | Homepage | 01.10.06 - 5:49 pm

hi rowena, i know you're in italy but when i read your blog i first wanna go to hawaii!!! i spent every summer in hawaii as a kid with family so i'm not hawaiian but i LOVE the islands and have a special place in my heart for hawaii. we'd consider moving there but i don't want my dog lulu to wait in quarantine. your blog also makes me hope i'll get a chance to explore more of italy soon. mahalo for sharing your blog and for the kind mention of mine.
ptinfrance | Homepage | 01.10.06 - 4:31 pm

Hi Rowena, very sweet of you to mention my blog. I'm very pleased to hear I can make you smile. I agree with you, the other blogs mentioned, such as Cream Puffs in Venice and Our Adventures in Japan are really worth the detour! I lived in New Zealand for a while, and altho' it is not Hawai, there is definitely an island feel that is surely fully you. Keep this dream alive. The post on Sea Urchins made me "smell" the ocean.
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 01.10.06 - 3:56 pm

Cooking for a Commissioner - Sea Urchins

Bulk folder: 2367 messages

Criminal Justice Training	You can be a cop.
Become A Police Officer	Enroll today for police training.
Criminal Justice Careers	Crime doesn’t pay, but a career in criminal justice..
Police Academy (meal div.)	Take a bite out of crime - catch street sea urchins.

Good grief, some of the ridiculous spam that I get — the ones announcing a career in law enforcement struck me as rather funny and subsequently I came up with my own mock header. Cooking for a cop is doable, making like Dirty Harry is not.
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I've been wanting to try a particular recipe from a site which features the meals penned by an italian author of fictional crime stories. The main character, Commissario Montalbano, is a sicilian police commissioner who is {in my husband's exact words} molto goloso or very greedy in terms of having a keen appreciation for food. This in itself is enough to grab my interest although the text is written in a sort of sicilian dialect which is tricky to understand. Still, for italophiles curious about Andrea Camilleri's works, Ronald of Via Ritiro N.7 does a neat summarization.

Now what comes to mind when I think of food and cops or cops and food, or however one wants to put it, is this: hot dog stands, donut shops, and umpteen cups of coffee had in a 24-hour surveillance period for some shmuck that happens to be the crime suspect. How a sicilian writer could possibly conceive the idea of fabricating tantalizing meals in between chasing down criminals is a mystery to me. But then I am not italian, although I'm lucky that my husband is for it was his enthusiasm towards Camilleri which urged me to try the following sea urchin recipe for our new year's eve dinner. Of course, this is a dish that appeals to the more adventurous(?) of palates and not easy to duplicate unless processed, or better yet, FRESH sea urchins are readily available. At the time of purchase, they were selling at 16.25€/kilo.

Most hawaiian* species of sea urchin are generally known as wana (pronounced VAH-na) although it's the purplish, shingle-spined, hä‘uke‘uke that I grew up relishing. The flavor is sweet, yet delicately briny and with a distinct sea aroma that took me straight back to the islands when we were breaking them open. Riccio di mare is what they're called in Italy, and I swear, the succulent, orange-colored roe are exquisite! Sono buoni da morire!!


Spaghetti with sea urchin roe (adapted from A. Camilleri)
Serves 4
[Opening sea urchins is a messy, messy job as there will be fragments of broken spines everywhere. It helps if you have a large sink/area to work in.]

Ingredients:
4 lbs.(about 40 or so) fresh sea urchin or 2-3 cans of processed roe
1 lb. spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
ground white pepper
italian parsley, minced
lobster oil (optional)

Split the sea urchins horizontally in two by securely grasping them with a pair of tongs, setting them upright on their sides, and cleaving with a heavy knife. Carefully extract the orange roe into a glass dish and set aside.

Lightly sauté the garlic in olive oil just until golden in color and remove from heat source. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water, drain well, and add to the garlic-infused oil. Toss to coat evenly and season with white pepper. Divide pasta into serving bowls and evenly distribute the urchin roe among them. Drizzle with a scant amount of lobster oil and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

*Link to HAWAIIAN SEA URCHINS and PHOTOS.

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Hi Rowena! I like the changes to your website. It looks nice, and that sea urchin looks fantastic! I found out my step-daughter will be going to Italy this summer! Her godmother promised her and her sister a trip to ANYWHERE in the world when they become teenagers (that brat). I'll keep you posted as to where they go. Alas, I'll be here, landlocked and chained to my pc while she's touring Rome, etc. I'm off to Guatemala in 2 weeks though, Ciao!
Barry | Homepage | 01.11.06 - 10:23 pm

Hi Rowena, I loved your post! And the sea urchin, wow! I've never tried it but now I'm tempted to do so. Hope life in Italy is treating you very well, can't wait for your next post!
Ivonne | Homepage | 01.08.06 - 5:39 pm

Rowena, I can see you had a lovely christmas and new year. I'm so jealous that you can get 'that fresh' sea urchins, they make me drool! Looking forward to reading more of your gorgeous posts this year, thanks again for sharing. Give Maddie lots of hugs from me.
keiko | Homepage | 01.07.06 - 6:58 pm

Rowena, Happy New Year! One of the only foods I cannot eat, and I have tried many times is sea urchin, maybe cooked I will like. Say "hi" to Dario for me.
Gia | Homepage | 01.06.06 - 11:16 am

Beautiful picture! This looks delicious. I remember picking sea urchins in France when I was a kid, and then it became forbidden unless specially authorized ;-( I have never seen them here in Boston, I wish! Good note on the typical food for cops too - yeah the donuts!
Bea | Homepage | 01.04.06 - 12:58 pm