Our peach tree in the mountains

Ripe peaches for breakfast...right off the branch. I cannot express how incredulous this is to me because 1.) Not many gardeners, if any, boast peach trees in their backyard in my home state of Hawaii. And 2.) The fact that we don't use any type of insecticide and are fortunate to reap from a successful, albeit very scant bounty makes me proud to have fruit-bearing trees in our yard. That peach in the front looks like it might have a worm in there but I have nothing against simply cutting it out. A few others are damaged from hail that we had a month ago...they're blemished but still edible. These are supposed to be Poppa di Venere peaches (breast of Venus) due to the slightly pointed "nipple" at the bottom although I don't see any on mine (peaches that is!). The flesh is a creamy color, not deep yellow, and tastes fantastically sweet. I look forward to the day when our tree is capable of yielding a better crop. Some for us, some for the neighbors...gotta share the love sometimes, right? I appreciate all of the responses to the Sagra del Bostrengo and will get to the comments when we return (so glad I took the leap and tried that coratella!). Gone to the sicilian wedding, back in a week, but in the meantime I leave the following sagra report as a tribute to the end of summer.

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Hi Rowena,
I love your blog! I hope you don't mind but I've linked it to mine. I'm a big fan of both Hawaii and Italy so you're blog is near perfect for me. Thank you for the great posts!
Julianne from Luxe Mama | Homepage | 09.04.07 - 8:50 pm

Rowena! Those peaches look awesome. I think it's time to make fresh peach ice cream. I have an incredible recipe if you want it;
I made it a few weeks ago and it was delicious. Have you got an icecream maker handy? Ciao e grazie!
Mia from Nosh | Homepage | 09.03.07 - 6:31 pm

Hooray for homegrown peaches! I would love to be able to boast the same, but alas, I have no fruit trees (at least not yet). Those look like mighty lovely fruit. ~ And, I can't wait to hear what your hubby things of homegrown corn -- he has a wonderful experience ahead of him.
Christina | Homepage | 09.03.07 - 6:27 am

Whoa, I am behind in reading your fab posts! Great stuff! Those peaches are making me hungry... You are so fortunate to have those beauties in your backyard! I always appreciate our neighbors sharing lychees, apple bananas and avocados off their tree, so I can imagine how your neighbors feel. ~ Have a great time at the wedding, looking forward to your updates!
emily | Homepage | 08.29.07 - 10:36 pm

Glorious peaches photo. I just discovered this blog and can see I have lots of splendid reading ahead.
casey | Homepage | 08.29.07 - 12:52 am

Those peaches are beeaautiful! And you're off to a wedding? You so lucky, being able to travel so often! Enjoy your trip!
Kathy | Homepage | 08.29.07 - 12:19 am

I'm just doing "catch-up" with your last posts. Once again, you guys have gone all out to experience the tastes of each region. I see that Maddie was happy with her sampling :-) Lucky guys having peaches in the backyard. We have just cherries, and an old apple & pear trees. When I thought about the Mango tree we used to have in Hawaii....
barbara | Homepage | 08.28.07 - 8:11 am

Hi Rowena, beautiful peaches! I love the name too ;-) all the best things about summer. Happy travels! Loved reading about your adventures.
JMom | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 9:16 pm

How beautiful, your own peach tree, I envy you being able to pick fresh peaches! Such a beautiful picture! Your blog is so interesting!! And wonderful pictures...will be visiting again soon!!
Catherine | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 7:05 pm

Rowena, such interesting reading and beautiful pictures! First off, the peach looks so delectable hanging on the tree like that... I loved the picture of dining by the beach as well, it is like the essence of a summer vacation. Spreadable salami, fig loaves, and grilled chewy corn on the cob - it all sounds so delicious!
sandy | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 5:18 pm

OMG, grilled corn, "breasts", "butts", you are killing me with all these "sensual" foods. :-)
Kat | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 11:55 am

Sagra de lù scartocciu

Collina di Serrapetrona, Macerata (Marche) - We should have guessed that this sagra had something to do with corn from the graphics on the poster. Pretty obvious huh? Scartocciu is most likely dialect for cartoccio, which means foods that are wrapped before cooking — as in corn husks. This is corn-on-the-cob, italian-style, and I may as well say right here that sagras can be such varied affairs, some organized with the intent of simply getting the community together for chitchat and socialization. We had to stop in at a bar for directions because the small locality wasn't even on the map!

Along with the celebrated corn, there were also pasta plates and grilled meats to round out the meal. We did learn something new however as I had no idea that vernaccia in this area is a slightly sparkling RED wine, not white like the famous Vernaccia di San Gimignano in Tuscany. Nothing else worth mentioning in this post except for one minor detail: the corn itself. I leave it to your eyeballs to do the judging. Doesn't look like the sweet, plump, glistening-in-butter BBQ staples that we relish in the states eh? Of course my husband thought it was good (his anyway), never having known what "real" corn-on-the-cob is. I am just smiling to myself because this means I'll have to put mais on the list of things to grow next year. One bite of a perfectly steamed ear just pulled off the stalk and he won't know what hit him.

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Omg! inihaw na mais! I love love love those. It's the only way i'll eat corn-on-the-cob. Boiled/steamed ones are way to messy for me!
Shoppa Holique | Homepage | 09.02.07 - 11:53 am

The corn festival looks like it was a lot of fun. I don't touch stuff and never cook it, I'm afraid, but my wife will be so jealous. She can't get enough of it. Also, I will have to keep an eye open for the Vernaccia. What a wonderful 'Blow the Bank' wine that could be. Apparently, it leads to gluttony. By the way, do you know which sparkling wine you had?
Sean | Homepage | 08.31.07 - 7:36 pm

I've had grilled corn that was out of this world, but that specimen does look a little dried out. Show us more of your garden - please? Have a great time in Sicily - I want to hear all about that too!
Cathy | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 9:59 pm

The grilled corn is very different from ours as well. We leave ours juicier, not so over grilled. This is our season for corn too. I have been known to pick some and eat it right there in the field. No need to boil it for more than 2 minutes to warm it up.
Maryann | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 8:18 pm

I've enjoyed catching up on all of your Marche adventures. We're going to have to nic name you "Iron Rowena" for your courageous culinary tastings. Brava Brava Brava!
Pasticciera | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 4:51 pm

Sagra del Bostrengo

Apecchio, Pesaro-Urbino (Marche) - So what is bostrengo? The woman at the bar described the pudding-like sweet as such: "It used to be a peasant food. And back then they used the blood of the pig to make it but now..." she trails off, "Nobody would want to eat it if made with blood. Bleh!" (And here she emphasized her distaste by making a face).

Bostrengo, it would seem, began as a type of blood pudding, or sanguinaccio, then evolved into a simple sweet treat that headlines a 3-day celebration in the medieval town of Apecchio each year. I marked the event as a sagra "must-do" because of what was listed on the ingredient list: chocolate, boiled rice, dried fruits, sugar and pinenuts. That's it in the image below, and as you might guess, I was a little disappointed since it wasn't what I had envisioned at all. The closest I can come to describing bostrengo is that of a dense bread pudding. It actually tasted fine, simple in form, true to being a farmer's dish. I've also seen it named as bustreng and I'm going to try a recipe later that looks a little more "embellished".

The real surprise to my ever hungry gastronomical knowledge for italian cuisine was, to be very honest here, a dish that I'd be less inclined to try had it been in a restaurant situation. {chuckle} I suppose the spontaneous festive air of sagras just makes for more courageous appetites and below is a dish of coratella, a seasoned mixture of lamb intestines, heart, and lungs! I bet you're thinking, "But Rowena how could you eat THAT?" — Really it was simple. Maddie was hungry, and it was the likeliest dish since her dog food is usually Purina's lamb-flavored kibble! The funny thing is that between my husband and I, we took several bites (he loved it) and in the end there wasn't a whole lot left for the dog. Not wanting to pass on a good thing, the last photo of assorted bruschetta is what we ordered after finishing a plate of pasta with ragu, spiedini (grilled pork kebabs), and the coratella. Maddie got a slice of cheese and prosciutto...lucky dog, no?

Coratella - cooked mixture of lamb intestines, heart, and lungs




Cheese, prosciutto and bruschette: liver and capers, zucchini-eggplant, and tomato

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I sure prefer "chocolate, boiled rice, dried fruits, sugar and pinenuts" rather than blood pudding! Lamb intestines, heart, and lungs? You're a brave girl! I'd have to be there to see if I'd try it or not, though to be honest I'm shaking my head at the moment, soo...
Farfallina...a roam to Rome | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 6:16 am

I'd probably like that bostrengo (the chocolate version, that is) even though plain and dense... the coratella would be a harder sell for me. Was anything else happening at this sagra, or was it all about the eating? We went to one chestnut sagra several years ago - I remember being surprised at how small it was. There was so much traffic and so many people (or at least it appeared so), but basically everyone was gathered in a small terrace behind a building eating chestnuts and a few other things. There were a few crafts being sold in front of the building, but that was about it. Fun though!
Cathy | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 5:44 am

These festivals you are going to sound so fun and lots of new foods to be had too. I don't think I would have tried the bostrengo if it were made with blood, but chocolate...yah!
Kat | Homepage | 08.25.07 - 1:50 am

I love Italy in the summer, so many festivals and so much food!! I've had a similar dish to the meat one a couple of years back in an
agriturismo and it was delicious. I know very few would eat it in Ireland but I think at this stage I'm definitely Italian at heart and in the belly.
Lorraine@italianfoodies | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 8:40 pm

Brava! I would have made myself try the Bostrengo too, although that is easy to say sitting here. I'm not actually sure I could do it. I love hearing about all the Italian Sagras...grazie!
Jeni | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 7:00 pm

Hi Rowena,
I am finally getting round to discovering your blog! Thanks for visiting mine! Hugh and I love Italy and we have been there quite a few times, the last one was in January, when he took me to Venice for my 30th birthday. It was fantastic!

I'm not sure I would have tasted the intestine dish though! So thumbs up to you for daring it!
Maylis | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 5:04 pm

Have you considered a cookbook from Maddie's point of view...she must have a wonderful palate...as do you!
Carla | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 4:33 pm

Bustreng..my family's dialect always leaves out the ending vowels like this, leaving me at a loss of what to call things. Maddie is so cute!
Maryann | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 3:56 pm

Unique food finds of the Marche region

I like to think that we scratched the surface on eating well in Marche even if there are no restaurant experiences worth mentioning save one: Da Marcello - on the bay at Portonovo (12 km from Ancona). The location which adjoins a pebbly beach of smooth, sunbleached stones is a gem...but it wasn't the meal that made the evening — it was the 4 euros each that we had to pay for having a table right next to the water. Dogs aren't allowed in the building, but no mention was made of the extra fee when we agreed to be seated out on the beach. Fine by us, although I don't believe Ms. Maddie found the hard stones to be all that comfortable. Touristy indulgences are a delight every so often and it was very sublime to witness the growing dusk give way to a starry night sky while dining on... what was it now?

On with the subject of unique foods, here is where sapa, cicerchia, lonza di fico, and ciauscolo come in. As we were very much interested in buying items particular to the region's traditional cuisine, our host become a font of info at breakfast each morning. He introduced us to sapa, the reduction of grape must (freshly pressed grape juice). It is a strong, sweet syrup that reminds me just a bit of molasses and I was surprised at how many ways there were to enjoy this truly cultural foodstuff: on polenta, panna cotta, pecorino, toast...basically anything that would benefit from an added hint of sweetness. Signor Felice Orazi reminisced, "In the winter, grandparents would drizzle a little of sapa over scoops of snow for the kids." Snowcones in the old days. He did one better by swiping one of the restaurant desserts from the fridge and presented it as a breakfast treat - panna cotta with a thin coating of sapa on the top. It was fantastic! The sapa perfectly complimenting the dense cooked cream quite like caramel flan. I absolutely love this stuff!

The remaining items, cicerchia, lonza di fico, and ciauscolo, can be found at the shop Delizie Alimentari in Moie (a few kilometers east of Serra San Quirico). Sapa can be found at Ristorante Le Copertelle and the macelleria (next to the fountain) up in the medieval old town of Serra San Quirico itself. Here are brief product descriptions:

CICERCHIA - Translated almost verbatim from my resources, [la cicerchia is a legume and comes from a plant similiar to that of chickpeas. Ancient origins hold Greek ties who called it lathiros, while with the Romans it was cicercula. Diverse varieties exist, not all of them pleasing to the palate.] — I haven't yet found any recipes using this, but will start with anything requiring chickpeas. Falafel!

LONZA di FICO (or lonzino di fichi) - If there can be such a thing as chocolate salame then why not one made with dried figs? A ground mixture of figs plus finely chopped walnuts and almonds make up the main part of this traditional product which is wrapped in fig leaves. We were served thin slices of these daily. That's what you call getting in some fiber at breakfast. Way better than fig newtons.

CIAUSCOLO - Another staple each morning. This is a soft, spreadable salame which has a consistency that of coarse pate. Made with pork, lard, garlic and spices. Great on toasted slices of rustic bread.

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You're going to have to travel with a little cushion for Maddie! :-)

I love the sounds of that sapa - particularly served overtop some panna cotta. Yum! I was looking around and looks like it is sometimes called saba. I wonder if the product from Le Marche is much different from others?
Cathy | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 2:52 am

Rowena, I can't believe I haven't seen your blog before this! It won't be my last visit. Great reporting and writing on Le Marche. My husband is Marchegiano, yet I have learned many things through your Marche posts that I never learned through him. Hmmmph! (I'll let him know.) The pictures are lovely and inviting...especially of the beach and the salumi. :-)
Jeni | Homepage | 08.24.07 - 2:37 am

Dining by the sea...that's so Shirley Valentine! About your cicerchia, my grandfather used to call my grandma "chi chi". Do you think he was calling her a little bean? hehe
Maryann | Homepage | 08.23.07 - 6:14 pm

Hi Rowena,
As it is with some foods, you just have to try. If they are this "out of the world" in taste, I could readily forgive their strange shapes! You have a nice day.
barbara | Homepage | 08.23.07 - 2:39 pm

Calcioni

In the Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (J. Mariani), these bright pastries translate to {ahem} "butts". I know, I know... I should have confirmed, or at least clarified this with the woman at the counter, but when I asked what were these unusual-looking treats, she simply replied "agrodolce" (sweet-sour) and began to rattle off a list of ingredients: ricotta, aged pecorino, lemon zest, and sugar. I'm certain it pertained solely to the filling which was, as she had stated, sweet-sour, but excuse me for saying that these remind me of those creepy eggs in the movie Aliens. It's the opened crosscut tops that spawned the idea even if in no way does calcioni come close to resembling the gross, slimy incubators of those wretched spider-like offspring. What imagination.

Calcioni, from what I've learned, was originally an Easter sweet which ended up becoming a year-round bakery item. In the town of Serra San Quirico there were two calcioni bakeries (both of them holding the last name of Mattiacci). The egg-glazed pastry has a tender yet firm crust which keeps the filling intact. Perhaps it's the impression of supposedly being sweet (heck, it IS a cute, fat ravioli-like thing), but the combination of sharp pecorino, ricotta, sugar, and citrus does a weird number on my palate. I wasn't sure which beverage would do it justice - wine, coffee, milk, or fruit juice?

More food posts are forthcoming but I have no intention of trying to replicate these at home. Better to savor them when we're in the area on another visit.

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Wow that's a combination of flavours!! Sounds good though! Rowena you are so good to email people personally after they comment on your blog! It would brighten one's day :-)
Lorraine@italianfoodies | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 11:34 pm

Rowena, these ARE weird looking :-)
I'm not familiar with them. Sounds like an Easter pie filling with pecorino cheese added. Thanks for posting about them. Hope I come across them so I can have a taste.
Maryann | Homepage | 08.23.07 - 3:13 am

Hee! First the boob cookies and now the butts! I love your blog!
myra | Homepage | 08.23.07 - 4:32 am

Hmmm, not sure how to read you on this one. Was that a thumbs up or a thumbs down? It does sound like an odd combination, but if it comes from a bakery it's got to be good, right?
Cathy | Homepage | 08.23.07 - 5:25 am

Cathy, I am sitting on the fence with this one. Love the fact that it's something only found in Le Marche, but that agrodolce thing... My husband on the other hand LOVES it!
~rowena~ | 08.23.07 - 8:35 am

Le Marche in mid-August

Blue dragonfly (out of many!) under the roman bridge at St. Vittore Terme (Genga)

...was HOT. At least in the opinion of our host in Serra San Querico, the high temps were exceptional, and the first sure sign could be felt as early as 8 in the morning while taking the dog out for a walk. Exposed to the sun's rays, an almost prickly, burning sensation became immediately apparent on bare skin. There wasn't any need to see the mercury in order to realize that it meant bad news for hiking (we tried once and did an about-face after only 30 minutes) and resigned ourselves to the fact that much of Marche would be experienced within the confines of an airconditioned vehicle. This actually worked out in our favor as it enabled us to do a lot of "drive by" touring through each of the five provinces: Pesaro-Urbino, Ancona, Fermo, Macerata, and Ascoli Piceno. All in all it was a great getaway even if the bathroom scale proves that frequent indulgences at the gelaterie and reduced physical activity does NOT do the waistline good.

Panoramic view as seen from the main piazza at Sirolo

If I were pressed to describe Marche in a few words, I'd say that it has a quiet, if not gentle sort of grace. From what I read somewhere - it's the "new Tuscany". We found the landscape of this region to be surprisingly varied, from the Adriatic shores to the Sibillini mountains, north and south of this slice of Italy, were endless expanses of hills - "undulating hills" as they are so described - with fields (many were already harvested with the soil turned over) bearing corn, olive trees, and grapes that make up the regional wines. Minutes from home base of Serra San Quirico emerged yet another dramatic feature owed to mother nature - Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi - an impressive gorge which houses the subterranean caves of the Frasassi Grottoes. Medieval villages pop up all over the countryside, one in particular - Pierosara - named after a fated young lass and her betrothed. The people we came across were open and friendly, but I'm sure most of this could be attributed to Maddie who is always one to seek attention from anyone. I haven't had so many buongiornos and buona seras from complete strangers within a week!

The only other thing to mention here of course, is the food. But I must point out that August, especially during the week of Ferragosto, is a period when many businesses close shop for holiday. Often 1 - 2 weeks, or even more. This applies to all of Italy, so it was no surprise that a couple of noteworthy restaurants were chiuso per ferie. It only means that we'll return another time of the year. In any case, even if there were no worthwhile trattorie to speak of on this visit, we had more than our fair share of tasting the local cured meats, cheeses, snacks, and sagra eats. I'm going to venture out in saying that the marchigiana cuisine is not terribly vegetarian-friendly. Meat and cheese in some form or another for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Obviously, seafood and fish on the coast. Not that we ever complained, but I'm sure that our cholesterol levels were on red alert by mid-week. It'll take time to set my system straight on fruit and veggies before attempting to replicate a few of those very delicious and interesting dishes.

Selection of sliced meats and cheese

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Hi Rowena,
It's great reading your travelog of Le Marche. Beautiful photos. You said heat? It's been quite the opposite in most of France. Rain & grey skies.. like today! Sorry to hear about the all the good restaurants were closed. It's the same in France.
barbara | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 1:29 pm

The pictures are wonderful. It must have been a lot of fun :-)
piccola | 08.22.07 - 11:06 am

Welcome back! It looks beautiful - that photo of the sea is just gorgeous! How wonderful to have Maddie to break the ice wherever you go - who can resist that happy face? Now, are you off to Sicily soon?
Cathy | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 4:15 am

Aaa, leave it to Maddie to get all the attention! Sounds like a wonderful place (even if you did have to tour a lot on the airconditioned car).
farfallina @ a roam to Rome | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 2:42 am

We have red dragonflies and blue dragonflies here. They usually come out in force when a storm is approaching. I hear you on the prickly heat, ours is prickly with a thick layer of humidity! Happy that you were able to eat lots of gelato.
Kat | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 12:57 am

Happy to see you back :-) The dragonfly and blue ocean photos are beautiful. Thank you for a nice description of the area.
Maryann | Homepage | 08.22.07 - 12:49 am

Welcome back Rowena! I can already feel the heat from Le Marche just by your descriptions...but am glad all the gelato made up for it, hehe. Cheers for another make-you-oh-so-happy picture of Maddie! =)
Kathy | Homepage | 08.21.07 - 11:12 pm

We're off to Le Marche...

So what does the CAT have to do with it? Ahhh yes, that's just the way my mind works in putting things together where you wouldn't likely see a connection at all. I should have displayed a tantalizing image of those famous stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno, but rather instead, post this intrepid kitten who wanted to play "let's stalk the stupid white dog with the pointy ears that's tied next to the hiking gear." We really did come across this curious young feline on one of our hikes, and it sent us into hysterics to witness the way in which it addressed the canine intruder -- Maddie. Hssssssss!

That kitten's audacity is what I aim to emulate when it comes to food, drink, and sagre around Le Marche. I'm talking unusual-sounding dishes that go beyond pasta and ragu; snackfood, streetfood and sweets that have yet to make a grand appearance on the food scene, so please send me some super mojo in order that all of these eateries and foodie events that I've got marked for scoping out are not bits of misinformation! As usual, I'm not telling what or where we intend to visit lest it jinxes plans (and who needs that when you're checking out the best place for buying olive all'ascolana -- a shop where they not only make the traditional meat-stuffed olives, but vegetarian and seafood-filled ones too! Eh, well I gave that one away....)

Upon our return I'll only have a few days to reorganize, repack and maybe do a couple of posts before flying off to attend "the Sicilian wedding" — therefore... until I'm ready and able to get back into blogging mode, have a great end of summer!

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Have a safe trip & eat well - Le Marche and Sicily, I can only imagine how exciting that would be! ...I wish I could see the look on Maddie's face if she turned to see the cat, lol!
Kathy | Homepage | 08.13.07 - 9:52 am

I can't wait to read about your adventures upon your return. Have a great rest of your summer!
Christina | Homepage | 08.13.07 - 12:58 am

Hi Rowena,
I don't know if you have a copy of the Blue Guide to Le Marche but they list a whole host of small villages that make unusual items not yet found outside of the region - mostly cheeses and some fortified drinks (vino cotto, etc) but would be worth trying. The area covered was
roughly from Amandola down to Ascoli Piceno.

Enjoy Le Marche - if you have the chance, there is a great little restaurant in Sarnano called La Marchigiana - worth detouring for - their artichoke lasagne is an experience not to be missed.
Robert | Homepage | 08.12.07 - 10:47 am

Hey Rowena,
Lucky girl! Le Marche and then the island of my heritage, beautiful Sicily. Sicilian weddings are the best! What part of Sicily? Looking forward to your next post!
Mia | Homepage | 08.11.07 - 10:09 am

Have a fabulous time filled with new adventures and good food! (And don't let any cats pick on Maddie too much...)
emily | Homepage | 08.11.07 - 1:38 am

Wow! Travels, food, wedding, enjoy!
Kat | Homepage | 08.11.07 - 12:20 am

Aha - Le Marche... but THEN Sicily! Have a wonderful time!!
Cathy | Homepage | 08.10.07 - 5:59 pm

What a fierce little cutie, no tail? Shouldn't it be puffed up like a brush cleaner? Can't wait to read about your exciting travels, sounds so fun!
Sandy | Homepage | 08.10.07 - 5:44 pm

Rowena,
Have a safe and enjoyable trip and bring us back all the food scoop! I'm looking forward to reading about your adventures. Bless.
Maryann | Homepage | 08.10.07 - 4:10 pm

Maddie and her new raincoat

So it's raining but the dog approaches you anyway at the usual hour for her daily exercise. Come rain or snow, Maddie never fails to let me know when it's time to "go for a walk". Whether I'm feeling sick or not never enters into the equation; she'll keep bugging me (by swatting me on the legs with her paw) until I get the message. Sometimes, she'll even get vocal and bark. I think in another life she could've been a drill sergeant.

This was a good time as any to try out her new raincoat and I just gotta say that my dog LUVS wearing clothes. She just...does. And it's something that I can't explain unless you've got your own canine fashionista in the household. As you can see it isn't an outfit that would prevent her from getting wet by any practical means, but when has style ever been pragmatic? Either you got it or you don't, but I highly doubt that the two golden Labs next door give a hoo-ha on what THEY are going to wear when it rains!

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That's a lovely raincoat you've got there ~ Maddie. Yea, I do agree that it won't really help much if it really rains heavily. But i guess it might help with snow :-)
piccola | 08.09.07 - 6:23 pm

Now that's what I need to find - a blueberry festival! I'll admit the color is a little odd, but the dishes sound amazing. -- Love Maddie's new raincoat too! She's adorable in it and it looks as though she's ready for some fall hiking.
Cathy | Homepage | 08.09.07 - 5:04 pm

My dog Benny isn't exactly fond of fashion. If I put clothes on him, he won't move. He just stands there looking peeved. :-D -- Maddie seems a lot more cooperative. She's just so trendy!
Mia | Homepage | 08.09.07 - 11:45 am

hehe, I agree with Kat! Rubber boots & a kimono...now that would be too cute for words!!! I love her little bear - they look like the best of friends, hehe =)
HOORAY for Maddie posts!
Kathy | Homepage | 08.09.07 - 9:36 am

Oooh! Maddie is the cutest. Love her little bear too. My chihuahua used to love wearing clothes, unfortunately none of them were as stylish as Maddies raincoat, just silly shirts with "fire hydrant inspector" written on them.
myra | Homepage | 08.09.07 - 12:45 am

haha, she's working it in that second picture! I haven't really dressed my dog, Poki, in anything, yet, because it's so warm here in general. But I've been wanting to try. However, if the way she acts about her collar is in any way indicative of her attitude towards clothes, I'll have to wrestle them onto her.
They love their w-a-l-ks don't they? She already knows the word, so we avoid saying it out loud if at all possible.
emily | Homepage | 08.08.07 - 11:42 pm

She is cute! Looks just like my 8 month old Westie, Bailey.
Richard Michelli | Homepage | 08.08.07 - 5:16 pm

Awww!!! Look at her! Maddie looks so cute! I hope I can get a little doggie soon... I'm a dog person :-)
farfallina - Roam to Rome | Homepage | 08.08.07 - 4:12 pm

OMG, you gotta get her a pair of rubber boots, I've seen 'um around here. Ooh, and a yukata (summer kimono), seen those around here too. (I think this is another reason why Satoshi won't let me get a dog...)
Kat | Homepage | 08.08.07 - 4:02 pm

Sagra del Mirtillo

Rasura - Mellarolo, Sondrio (Lombardia) - Sometimes the smallest morsels of fruity goodness makes for a BIG celebration in a WEE LITTLE TOWN. In the locality of Foppa (pop. 342) where the Sagra del Mirtillo took place this past weekend, it was all in the name of bilberries (aka myrtle blueberry). Mirtilli cooked, baked, paired, prepared, and poured in every way imagineable, I got a peek into the kitchen as a flurry of cooks feverishly put together the plates that would feed the masses. Ravioli, risotto, polenta with venison, goat cheese, cakes, dessert, gelato and even grappa (a potent distillate enjoyed at the end of a meal to help digest it all!). Sunday's mecca of mirtillo madness attracted a sizable crowd (doggies too!) with horse rides for the kids and free blueberry tastings. This has got to be one of the best sagre yet, and if you click on the image to the right, it'll link to the scheduled program of events.

But you might be wondering, how WAS the food? Well, despite the purplish hues, everything tasted great. The hexagon-shaped ravioli had a sort of ricotta/berry filling, warm and wonderfully delicious with melted butter. I was amazed with the risotto -- a little bit sweet and perfectly balanced with chicken broth. As for the polenta and venison, the cubes of meat were tender to the bite with just a hint of the honored fruit. I would've liked if they had thrown on extra berries for good measure. Still, the most interesting had to be the fresh goat cheese which came drowning in a pool of bilberry sauce so dark that it bordered on black. Tangy and sweet all in one mouthful, scooped onto chunks of bread, it was so incredible that I don't recall any leftover sauce(!). Desserts were simple affairs and one not pictured here was something called spultiscia: a bowl of wild berries crushed with sugar, all of it crowned with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Easy, no-fuss feasting in an awesome part of Italy.

I only wished that they were selling the wild mountain berries. You can see the obvious difference between the wild bilberries and cultivated blueberries in the cake photo. Indigo grins and stains on your shirt -- remember that scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where Violet Beauregarde turns into a big blueberry? I'd say that we literally ate til we were blue in the face but I'll spare everyone the teeth and tongue-sticking-out images. Hawaii folks, try imagining a festival on choke plums. Auwe!!

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Saved comment(s)

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This is one of the many festivals I never attended. You make me wish I had taken the time.
David | Homepage | 08.19.07 - 5:15 pm

I would be in heaven at the Sagra del Mirtillo festival. I LOVE blueberries. They're my favorite fruit.
Christa | Homepage | 08.10.07 - 3:41 pm

I'm a big fan of berries in general and I think it is so fabulous to devote a whole festival to one little berry. I remember seeing a tourist film about a village in germany whose festival revolved around white asparagus. Is it very common to have these produce-centered celebrations in your neck-of-the-Italian-woods? How great is that?
emily | Homepage | 08.08.07 - 3:19 am

Hi Rowena,
That once again sounds great. You have to admit that the cooks had a lot of talent & know-how to make these blueberry inspired dishes. I have never seen a goat cheese with blueberry sauce... Already, I love goat cheese, so I think that I would have given it a try :-)
barbara | Homepage | 08.07.07 - 8:22 pm

Sigh. I want to go to food-related celebrations in small towns... I just love that about Italy. It looks like so much fun!

Besides that, I love blueberries! Did you snag any recipes? I went blueberry picking and have a few pounds waiting patiently in the freezer. That blueberry/fresh goat cheese dish - wow! I can get pretty good, local goat's cheese at the Viktualienmarkt... do you remember the type, texture, did it have any coating? (Sorry for all the questions but your post and pics make me want this stuff!)
Mia | Homepage | 08.07.07 - 9:58 am

oh my gosh, I cannot even begin to imagine how delicious it all was, especially the goat cheese and blueberry!! I was at Safeway the other day, and they were selling 5.6 oz containers for $4.99 - can you imagine! And I bet they were no way near as sweet or fantastic as those...I'm droooolling! Makes me think that if Italy can have blueberry festivals, Hawaii should have mango festivals!
Kathy | Homepage | 08.07.07 - 7:55 am

Everything sounds delicious! We have wild berries here but you have to watch for the bears while you gather..they love them too! Why not the pics of the blue and purple tongues? That's the fun part! haha... Glad you had a great time.
Maryann | Homepage | 08.06.07 - 2:58 pm

That is a LOT of blueberries! Your eye sight is now better for the next month :-)
Kat | Homepage | 08.06.07 - 1:09 pm

When he cooks for you on the first date

"...now I don't mean to brag, but I make a MEAN weedrat stew!"

Or it doesn't even have to be the first date, let alone "a date" for that matter. It could also be an initial encounter, at a friend of a friend, or as in the case of lovely Princess Fiona in the scene above, the day before she was to be wedded to the shortest man in the kingdom. The only thing that really counts here is that it was HE that did the cooking. A meal so impressively good so as never to be forgotten. Of these I remember three.

Funny how foods always evoke a particular memory. I was about to begin the process of canning a surplus of garden tomatoes given us by my husband's colleague when it brought to mind a long ago dinner of tomato relish on grilled swordfish steaks. Just to be clear, it was not dear husband that made this dish (he wowed me with spaghetti alla carbonara instead), but it did get me wondering if anyone ever remembers these sorts of things or is it just me? First meals? Anyone? Of course I write the following with tongue in cheek but please leave the whipped cream and cherries out. {wink} This site is rated PG-13.

Free tomatoes. The perks of life when your husband's coworkers find out that you like to cook.

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Saved comment(s)

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My wife still tells people about the first meal I made for her: a simple pasta primavera and salad followed by warm apple pie. There's no way I would remember this, except that she brings it up whenever we see pasta primavera on a menu.
alan | Homepage | 08.13.07 - 3:47 am

My best food memory though comes from the first time I prepared lamb for my then girlfriend, now wife of 9 years. We were students and I knew that lamb was her favourite. (Growing up in the US, lamb was rarely, if ever, on the menu; in the UK, were I live now, it's everywhere. To imagine, I thought there were only shepherds in North Africa and the Middle East.) Anyway, I chanced upon a cooking programme on the television and paid attention to every detail to ensure that I got it right.

It worked; and I've been cooking just about every meal for her since.

Most recent food memory: Banana & Bacon pizza. Brilliant.
Sean Sellers | Homepage | 08.04.07 - 11:27 pm

Jonas and i shared simple pastas and huge salad bowls of diced tomato, red onion and fetta. It was simple and cheap (we were students) but it did the trick because we're married now.
Anna | Homepage | 08.04.07 - 3:49 am

It was 1963, the year JFK was assassinated. I got my first job in New York and used to eat at a tiny restaurant where the waitress had a heart of gold and made me feel like family. They served a cubed steak and fried potatoes that seemed like a real luxury once a week, since I lived on rice and soup the other 6 days. These days, I eat very well and each meal is memorable.
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 7:17 pm

I love reading your site and I was glad to find it. Not only because your name is Rowena, but all of the information shared is great. I love the bunny on the mountain and I will send it to everyone I know. Also, I love Italy. I was there in the late 70's. Your writings about the food brings back wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing!
Rowena Tank | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 2:05 pm

Hi Rowena. I think my first (so long ago I can hardly remember) was just a simple pasta dish with tomato sauce, nothing beats it. Those tomatoes look so good! Unfortunately in Ireland we're not blessed with great tomatoes and especially with the weather we're having at the mo. Big Shrek fan by the way, must have seen the first 1 a thousand times :-)
Lorraine@italianfoodies | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 12:54 pm

No husband yet, hehe. no boyfriend cooking on a first date yet either :-( but when I do find one that cooks for me on the first date...then I'll know he's a keeper! =)
Kathy | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 11:25 am

I recall that he baked a wonderful focaccia bread. My husband is a very good cook and consequently I remind him that I was a younger skinnier woman when we first married.
Carla | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 7:09 am

Ciao Rowena! My dh once made me instant saimin. Does that count??? He's simply not a cook but has taken me to many wonderful places for some really fantastic meals. Almost as good, right?? Probably not! LOL
Those are some really pretty tomatoes, especially the ones with the ridges on top. Can't wait to see what fantastic meals you'll be creating with them. Aloha,
Lettie | 08.03.07 - 6:51 am

Food accompanies most memories, doesn't it? My English bloke had his mother teach him how to make steak diane so he could cook for me when he first came to the USA. (awwwwwwww) So cute! And it was out of this world. It has become "my" dish. Other than that he doesnt do that well in the kitchen, but he makes a mean "beans on toast!"
Maryann | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 3:47 am

Oh yes... though I actually don't remember the meal - I think it might have been steak, salad and baked potato. I do remember that he and I had different ideas about spring onions - he used the green tops and threw out the white onion part and I had always done the reverse. Anyway... what I really remember is the invitation. He was a recent law school graduate and actually mailed me an invitation - I believe it was written in the form of a summons with lots of legal mumbo jumbo and other big words (I remember having to look up the words potable and comestible). I think I still have it somewhere!
Cathy | Homepage | 08.03.07 - 3:06 am

That's true about food evoking memories. On my first date with my husband, he made some delicious breaded chicken with some kind a sauce... really good. But what really sticks out in my memory is the dessert. We were good friends for a while before dating so he knew that I loved chocolate. So he made chocolate truffles (not those delicious fungi you folks have), the memorable part was that they were almost the size of my fist! haha...
emily | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 11:41 pm

You are certainly right about the power of guys cooking! I remember the first meal my husband cooked for me...he was visiting me in Amsterdam (I was working there and he wasn't my husband yet) and he insisted on cooking us sinigang (Filipino sour soup). He even went to market for it and everything. He is an absolute jock and does not do domestic very often so I thought it was beyond adorable :-) Nevermind that the beef was hard as rocks, heehee ;-) -- I still keep a picture of him washing the veggies for that sinigang...always puts a smile on my face. I was absolutely "hook-line-and-sinker'd". Since then he has acutally learned to make a proper sinigang and my friends and family all love it to bits! ~ Wow! That was one big slice of great reminiscing there. Thank you for provoking it!
joey | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 5:08 pm

You know Italians - it's not possible to forget a meal! One "first" that sticks out in my mind is when I met my best friend Caroline. My (now ex) boyfriend was friends with her (now ex) boyfriend, and he brought her over to meet me when she moved to town. I remember I made a pasta dish for them and it didn't come out exactly as planned but she insisted she couldn't tell anything had gone wrong. She was already acting like a true friend. :-)

By the way, those are some gorgeous tomatoes. I'm sure they taste so much better than these water-bombs I bought yesterday. I miss Italian tomatoes!
Mia | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 4:52 pm

hmmm, my first meal with Satoshi was at Ryan's Bar & Grill. He had a steak and I had their pea salad. The first thing he cooked for me was soba (the noodles were already pre-bought).
Kat | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 4:33 pm