Is there a cuckoo bird that is on the italian riviera?

www.flickr.com/photos/francesco_veronesi / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

According to wikipedia, yes. And if sources on the internet are to be relied on, cuckoo birds - cucolo (KOO-koh-loh) in italian - are common in the woods of Monte Beigua that lies between the two comunes of Varazze and Sassello, west of Genova. I also hear them in the chestnut forest but they are very shy to show themselves.

She sells shrimp chips by the shrimp store

How's that for a new take on the tongue twister ‘She sells sea shells by the seashore’. This box of ready-to-cook shrimp chips was one of my discoveries at an ethnic food shop in Milan. God how I love that city, you can find just about any exotic ingredient you might need, or at least think you might need, as in these prawn-flavored crackers. At chinese restaurants over here they're called nuvole/nuvolette di drago (dragon clouds/little dragon clouds) and they usually come served as an app-starter. For the most part, they aren't very good in texture because they seem a little rubbery from probably being fried hours ago and then sitting in some basket. Oh gosh! Kinda like stale fries at a fastfood joint? Blech!

Now before I go on, how many Hawaii people know of these d-i-y shrimp chip kits? Had some distributor imported these from China and sold directly to the public, the chips may have turned into a regular item at luaus, school carnivals, bon dance fairs and even weddings, why not? Pre-frying, the shrimp discs resemble gigantic fish scales, don't you think?

Turning them into light and airy "clouds" is easy. You place a few into very hot oil and POOF! Crispy little wafers quicker than you can say ‘she sells shrimp chips by the shrimp store’. I'm saving the rest for a chinese dinner, but first I need to find chicken feet.

Gif creator

The ingredients say manioc starch, artificial shrimp flavor, sugar and salt. Here, I've saved the last for a photo. It's not like I was trying to offer the Holy Host or anything...

Bloglines is still down 1:30pm (Italy)

At least they aren't playing elevator music on their site. Come on you people! Let's move!

Eat, Play, Laugh...and Pizzelle

Well Julia Roberts' new film got 1 out of the 3 right. If she had only stuck around in Italy, eventually she would have learned that you can do all three - Eat, Pray, Love - on any given day in this country. Where do you think the Pope prays? Gardaland? And as for love, I can't tell you how many displays of affection I've seen out in public. Love is not a secret. Eating of course, comes with the territory, which is where I take my cue to let readers know that we are off on an epic road trip vacation to explore the heel of Italy's boot. I've set the blog on auto-post which will make it seem as if I never left, but I warn you! When we get back there will be a lot to share.

And speaking of sharing, I'd like to mention a blog that I've recently come to discover when the author asked if she could use one of my images. Flavia's Flavors has an appreciation for italian folk tradition as much as I do, so it was a pleasure on my part to be of assistance. In her post on pizzelle, she gives a recipe and also some interesting fact on this wafer cookie. As the pics show, it was a good day for eating, playing and laughing at my kitchen mistakes. The trick is making sure the pizzelle iron is hot enough at first, and to resist filling with too much batter. I made such a mess on the first go.

Rectangular shaped ones.

And the round ones too.

On the batter amount: not too much, not too little, but juuuuuuust right.

Also a meat & bean chili & rice pizzelle bowl (a very small one).

How do you say “I couldn't agree more” in italian?

Non potrei essere piu' d'accordo.

And that there is my good samaritan deed (well somebody wanted to know!) especially after having discovered that I won a lifetime premium subscription at Italianpod101.com. I don't know what I did to deserve this - grazie italian fairy godmother - as I had only purchased six months worth of basic lessons. Maybe she just wanted MotH to have a break? Give la moglie (the wife) more language exercises to do and she won't bug him with questions while he's busy at work. I'm finding that the extra tests in premium are certainly a big plus, and above all, it's the audio feature which ensures that you at least get the pronunciation right. Nothing more embarrassing than mispronouncing anno (year) or penne (a type of pasta). You won't want more than one of the first and you most certainly will not enjoy the second as a meal - italian speakers will know what I'm talking about! Fairy godmother must've figured that I needed some help on that. Beh...non potrei essere più d'accordo.

Goat cheese producer in Val Taleggio

Fresh goat cheese. So fresh, in fact, that the woman said we needed to wait a few minutes as they were still draining in their individual molds and needed to be turned out. When she arrived carrying a small assortment, the cheese were still releasing the last of their liquids onto a thick layer of paper towels. In another tray sat a few rounds of aged caprino with white, soft crusts. You can eat the whole thing, she says. It's like eating brie.

Val Taleggio is fast becoming one of our favorite places to visit and I think you can see why. Goat cheese, cows milk cheese, farm-produced salumi and simple hearty cuisine, all within a lovely environment that is both invigorating and peaceful to body and soul. Azienda Il Pavone is easy to spot right away as they have a prominent sign on the main road. Stop the car!!! I just saw a sign for formaggi di capra! We ended up purchasing just a couple to sample and soon realized that we need to get back there. Fresh goats milk cheese drizzled with olive oil between a warm ciabatta split in half is out of this world. There will definitely be more posts on Val Taleggio coming up.

The azienda also opens for restaurant service on weekends.

Water so pure that you can drink straight from the spigot.

I asked MotH if we could have these miniature goats as pets but he wasn't going for it.

Fregola - pasta dish from Sardegna

The island of Sardegna and its great cuisine is still a big mystery waiting to be organized, traveled and tasted, but until that day comes, I'm content to follow bloggers who prepare the foods that remind them of home. Fregola is a type of pasta made from semolina and water, but unlike the usual ribbon-type or shell-shaped pasta, le fregole are tiny round balls about the size of a whole peppercorn. On the blog Sardegna Ricordi, Ilaria shares her recipe for preparing fregola or fregula as they say in Sardegna, and after scoring fresh mussels for a sweet price (less than 1€/kilo), I finally tried this pasta and look forward to making it again. And again. Her version uses 3 types of seafood, but I imagine that any fish or shellfish works here. It took me approximately 18 minutes altogether (from the moment I added the liquids) to cook the fregole al dente as this is a very hard pasta. For details, please follow the link to her recipe Sa Fregula Sarda my way written in italian and english.


After being cooked and removed from their shells, a kilo of mussels doesn't seem like much, but you just can't beat fresh over frozen. These were plump, moist and so flavorful.

And then there's fideua

I've crossed between food/travel and food/gardening blogs enough to know that greenthumb enthusiasts have a keen flair for commanding the stove. At La cuisine méditerranéenne, author chaiselongue has this incredible dish for fideua that comes prepared in a paella pan over hot coals! You just have to check the images out - it's a beautiful display that makes me think of summer. I don't know if this dish from Spain's Valencia region has remote connections with fregula of Sardegna, but I will be trying fideua using fregola instead. This may call for a BIGGER grill. Oh-oh, is that MotH rolling his eyeballs at me? Pulehu weekends coming soon! Here's adding more fuel to the fire with a little help from Flickr.

Eclipse, originally uploaded by Manel / CC BY-ND 2.0

fent la fideuà, originally uploaded by Baptiste Pons / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Dhani Jones Tackles The Globe - Italy Sneak Peek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72AmmFvRW40

As they say, you learn something new everyday.

I have to come right out and admit that I have never heard of NFL linebacker Dhani Jones until recently, as in just yesterday? Mea culpa. In this country, la vita assume un ritmo tutto suo - life takes on a beat all its own - especially if you live in a chestnut forest. Am I forgiven yet? I sure hope so, because when I was invited to view the season premiere of the italian episode, it took less than a minute to realize that Mr. Jones is one very likable travel show host. From breathingtakingly scenic footage coming at you at an unstoppable pace, to delicious peeks into why Italy is so famous for its lifestyle and cuisine, Dhani Jones reveals to the audience just one more unique facet of the beautiful region of Veneto. Congratulazioni Dhani! Sei proprio in gamba! That is akin to saying, you got game!

Episode Description:
Dhani Tackles the Globe returns on Monday April, 19th at 11 E/P with Dhani tackling a cycling race in Italy. The premiere episode features Dhani's trip to Italy where he attempts one of the hardest things he has ever done. Every year the small city of Bassano Del Grappa hosts a very popular cycling event called the Gran Fondo De Monte Grappa. It is an 80 mile race, which is difficult enough on it's own, but the first 17 miles of the race are a grueling uphill battle.

Dhani knows that it is him vs. the mountain, and he doesn't have high hopes. He calls it "the first athletic contest I've entered that I thought I couldn't win." Though the race is a monumental challenge, Dhani meets a few new friends to help him along the way.

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Dhani_Jones

Nousecc

La prego di scusarmi se questo piatto è fatto male. Volevo solo sperimentare con una ricetta basata sugli ingredienti citati.

I learned of this dish while researching traditional foods and local products north of Bergamo in Valle Brembana, but if this recipe for nousecc turns out to be entirely wrong, I may have to hit delete and start over. Nousecc - pronounced noo-ZETCH (I think that's how you say it) - caught my attention when I read its description: foglia di verza con farcia di parmigiano reggiano, bologna, pane grattuggiato e prezzemolo. Cabbage leaf with a stuffing of parmigiano cheese, bologna (mortadella), bread crumbs and parsley, which in my mind, says YUMMY! Other cabbage recipes that I've seen require the step of simmering in tomato sauce, but this one makes no mention of it. I made this as an appetizer when we prepared Easter lunch for my inlaws earlier this month, and I have to say that my father-in-law was practically licking his plate clean. He even asked for the leftovers.

Nousecc is described as being an ancient recipe, so I hope that this one comes close enough to the original. As you can see below, mortadella does not present itself in a small round package like bologna does in the states. Usually there are precut wedges all wrapped and ready to purchase, but sometimes, at least in the smaller shops, they'll carve a slice off of a gigantic mortadella. We just specify how much we want by the space between thumb and forefinger.

www.flickr.com/photos/su-lin / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Recipe

8 ounces mortadella, cut into smaller chunks
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmigiano
1/3 cup chopped parsley
6-8 savoy cabbage leaves, hard bottom ribs removed, blanched briefly in hot water to soften
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/2 glass white wine

I'm sure back then they did all this by hand but I'm opting for the food processor. Process the first 4 ingredients until the texture looks like crumbs. Add a handful of mixture, pressing lightly to hold together, and place at the bottom of the cabbage leaf. Fold up the bottom end, then both sides, then continue rolling until completed. Place seam side down. Heat a little olive oil in a covered cooking pot. Place cabbage rolls, seams side down, in a single layer; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the 1/2 glass of wine, cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes on a low flame. Check periodically to make sure that the liquid hasn't completely evaporated, adding wine as needed. Serve immediately.

Smile and say Spaaaam!

Earlier this morning it had been nothing but a game of hide-and-seek with my wet laundry and the sun. As soon as I hung everything out, it started to drizzle. And then when it stopped and I pushed the tall tower thingy full of clothes back out to dry, it drizzles again. Laundry out, laundry in, laundry out, laundry in. I know that I could've taken the easy way out and used the electric dryer, but that is for emergencies only as my american-ness sees fit. I actually do prefer the more environment-friendly method of solar.

Anyway, after all of that nonsense and the rest of the mundane chores, I needed a snack and what did I have? Spam, baby! To be precise, spam and rice in a neat little package called musubi. Thank god for internet and international delivery, and for ultra cool people with the goodness of mind and a generous soul to present me with a gift that is Crazy Tasty and comfort food in all respects. I was so eager to bust into a blue can that my hands were shaking...seriously, how deprived can a person be over processed meat? Uhm...is the image below enough proof? Because I thought to take a photo of the spam musubi only until I was almost quite done scarfing it down. Fabio & Sonia - spam party and Duff is in your future!

"Boots" the Ranger

Monday's are always busy in the chestnut forest. This morning the neighbor's hunting dogs chased a lame crow (it looked like one of its wings was broken) onto our property and before you know it, my own two canine munkeys were ready for the chase. The poor crow hopped into a little nook on one side of the complex and that seemed to end all interest...for the time being. Much later when Mr. Crow dared to venture out, Mister B immediately took note and gave chase. I honestly think he had the intentions of only playing with it, because he didn't bark, bare teeth or even try to bite (that is reserved only for cats). Fortunately the crow (man is that thing UGLY), crawled under the gate and I had to cut the video then and there to grab Mister's tail before he crawled under as well. All in a day's work for Mr "Boots" Bentley the Ranger.

In the eyes of a ranger,
The unsuspected stranger
Had better know the truth of wrong from right,
'Cause the eyes of a ranger are upon you,
Any wrong you do he's gonna see,
When you're in Texas look behind you,
'Cause that's where the rangers are gonna be

Val Taleggio and la Sagra dello Strachitunt

When are we gonna have smell-o-vision? Three modest wedges on a cheese board simply does not do justice on what you can source out north of Bergamo. The selection above - Taleggio, Salva, Strachitunt, in that order - were part of a tasting plate (except Salva) that we had at a restaurant in the village of Olda. Naturally, this love for artisanal cheese led to finding Cooperativa Agricola San Antonio in Val Taleggio, the land where cheese rules supreme with a good dose of crust and mold.

A few words on Val Taleggio - it is one of those places that needs to be experienced for full effect. The deep gorge that you encounter soon after turning off of San Giovanni Bianco is something else. During spring's snowmelt, an abundance of splashing waterfalls cascade down steep surfaces, making for a visually stunning and exciting drive along the bottom of the gorge. The view then opens up to quiet lanes and well-kept dwellings, surely a really pretty area in all seasons. It was after a little bit of extra digging on local events that I found Sagra dello Strachitunt, so this is something to look forward to in October. Ricca grigliata accompagnata con polenta e formaggi tipici - loads of grilled, meaty goodness with polenta and local cheeses - now that has my name written all over it.

I know it may seem odd for someone like myself to become so enthused over these sort of things while everybody and everybody else's mother is queuing at the Uffizi in Firenze, so I must've been born a traveling storyteller in another life. This video was taken at the sagra in 2008. I have no idea what they're singing but it looks like a lot of fun!

Wild asparagus festival

Asparagus acutifolius, originally uploaded by Manuel M. Ramos.

If you like foraging, and if you like your greens, then you will love the sublime flavor of wild asparagus without having to compete with those who will be, or already are, combing the fields enmasse. I've written about them before, in fact around this time of year last spring, when I found a lone bundle at the grocer's. And then the year before that in 2008 we had the best time at a wild asparagus sagra not far from Gubbio (Umbria). I needn't tell you how much I wish we could grow our own.

This year I wasn't sure if asparagi selvatici or asparagina would cross our sagra-searching path, but hold on there....I came across this GREAT post on an asparagus festival not far from lovely Verona and it will be happening this month! Read about La Festa della Sparasina (english with a scrumptious opening photo) or you can take a look at the program website: http://www.sparasina.com/

I have it marked on the calender but since our schedules are very tight for this month, I may or may not report on this. From what I've read on the site, food booths will be open on April 18th and 25th, and May 1st and 2nd at 12 noon. Where is it exactly? In the town of Pigozzo, 10 kilometers northeast of Verona. Be there or be asparag-less.

Hold on to your hats

Every time we drive past this it makes me laugh, because I know that where I come from, this road sign would probably be fair game for target practice or a furtively acquired souvenir. What can I say? Sometimes it gets boring living on an island in the middle of the Pacific. For that reason alone is why roundabouts wouldn't work. Teenaged/teenage-headed drivers would turn it into a circus.

I have a whole lot of posts that need to be dealt with so stay tuned. Upcoming sagre, another fantastic place to purchase local cheese from da source!, and a would-be 9-inch wide baloney sandwich turned cabbage roll that even my father-in-law raved about. Don't ask, just hold on to your hats...

The best way to learn italian

Textbooks, cd lessons, study guides, audio files, flashcards, quizzes, a personal tutor - the searches continue to go on for the best and quickest way to learn the language. Whichever (method) might work for one person may not be the same for the next, and you still must take into consideration the impossible task to master all of the little nuances within any particular tongue unless you hear it spoken in a non-classroom type of setting. There are expressions and phrases which simply cannot be conveyed in a structured format, requiring different ways to say them in order to get your point across. Today's post focuses on just that, and if you haven't already guessed, the word is WAY. These are just a few examples.

A modo mio | My way

I did it my way.
L'ho fatto a modo mio.

Which is the best way to learn italian?
Qual è il modo migliore per imparare l'italiano?

In more ways than one (for example: there is more than one way to obtain money)
In più di un modo.

I like your way of thinking / I like the way you think.
Mi piace il tuo modo di pensare / Mi piace il modo in cui tu pensi.
Much easier to say “Mi piace come pensi.” - literally: to me it pleases how you think. The word come (KOH-meh) is used quite often in everyday language.

These are like...way different!

Way back when I was young. [Not that I'm ancient or anything.]
Tanti anni fa quando ero giovane. Literally: many years ago when I was young.

Way to go pal!
Hai fatto bene, bravo! (you did good) or even a simple congratulazioni! works.

Move out of my way!
Spostati!
From the reflexive form of the verb spostare meaning to move, to shift. And only one word to get the message across, yeah! Please note that this is an imperative expression in the 2nd person singular. Sposta (move) + ti (yourself). In 2nd person plural it would be Spostatevi!

Last but not least

We were at a fork (bivio) in the path, and MrB looked up as if to say: “So...this way or that way?” - literally, “to there or to there”. Là and lì both mean the same thing and in this case “di” (which performs multiple tasks as an adjective, preposition and conjugation) takes the translation of “to”. You could also say quale strada? - which road? - but in dogspeak, the shorter the word, the better? In truth, all he said was “Woof!”

Rocky the Flying Squirrel

Rocky the Flying Squirrel, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

No bunnies, no chicks, no ducklings and no cute little lambs, but a Happy Easter nonetheless. Buona Pasqua!

How to make flying saucers

If you came here looking for specs on how to build your own shiny getaway spaceship before doomsday 2012, I am sorry to disappoint. Blame google, not me. But if you're looking for an easy snack that will please kids, and also the child within you, then read on.

I was feeling a little Kauai-nostalgic for a food item that is extremely popular at food fairs and bakeries. Flying saucers or UFOs as they're called, can mean one of either two things: a meaty ragu baked within yeast dough, or hamburger sauce tucked between 2 slices of bread and formed into a disk with a Toas-tite pie iron. Remember those? I've been keeping my eye on a few listed in ebay, but what with the iffy postal delivery...ehhh...I'd hate for my pie iron to suffer any damage during transit.

These circular hot pockets are made easier with the use of bottled spaghetti sauce added to cooked ground beef. I use a sweet dough recipe as it contrasts nicely with the rich, savory filling of the ragu. The type of cheese you decide to use is your call - back on Kauai it was the plastic orange "cheese" slices. Now that I'm in Italy, it's fresh mozzarella or bust.

Flying saucer recipe

1 pound ground beef
small bottle of pre-made spaghetti sauce
cheese as you prefer it
2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon dried yeast
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Make the filling. Brown the beef in a pot and drain excess fat. Stir in just enough spaghetti sauce to make a thick filling. Check for seasoning, salting if necessary. Allow to cool and place in the refrigerator until well chilled. This helps to avoid a sloppy mess during shaping.

Mixing the dough. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the center and add the milk; sprinkle yeast on top and let dissolve. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and butter. Stir until the ingredients come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 8 minutes. This is a soft, rich dough that can get quite sticky in humid weather. Add additional flour only if necessary. Place in an oiled container, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled; about 1-1½ hours.

Shaping the final product. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a 6-inch circle. Take a scoop of meat ragu and place it slightly off to the side of the dough circle. Top with a slice of cheese. Brush one half of the circle with egg wash; fold over and press to seal. Now bring the two points together to form a circle. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rest for 30-45 minutes until slightly risen and poofy. Preheat oven to 375°F. Gently brush the flying saucers with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Getting to play tug-o-war with the cheese was the fun part.

UFO sighting in Italy

It's April Fool's Day, what else did you expect? Flying saucers are actually hot sellers on Kauai (not sure about the other hawaiian islands), and make a quick bite for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack. Hot pockets, Toas-tite, they're all related. Recipe to follow on how to make a pretty damn tasty UFO.