My Bella Vita » Recipes

In Pursuit of the Perfect Parmigiana

Cherrye — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:00:31 +0000

If there is one thing expats in southern Italy can agree on, it’s that we have the. best. food. in the country. Ok, ok, expats in other parts of Italy … back off! Your food rocks, too. But I have that whole southern pride thing going on and nothing makes me prouder than reviewing a cookbook that epitomizes southern Italian cooking-and Mamma Agata: Simple and Genuine does just that.

Oh yes, discerning readers, you’ve heard of Mamma Agata before. Last year my good friend Laura of Ciao Amalfi! reviewed Mamma Agata: Simple and Genuine here on My Bella Vita and she, too, loved the book.

Rather than rehash everything Laura said about how much fun the cookbook is to read, how simple and genuine the recipes are, how much you’ll truly like the author, Chiara and her family, I’m gonna tell you how this cookbook got me over a culinary hump.

You see, one of the first southern Italian dishes I fell in love with was Parmigiana di Melanzane, or eggplant parmesan. My father-in-law makes a great version and I often ask him to make it when friends or family come to visit. But I just couldn’t do it myself.

Oh, I tried.

And I tried.

And I tried some more.

But my parmigiana was always too soggy or too oily or too tasteless.

Until now.

I knew it was fate when I received my review copy of Mamma Agata’s cookbook and flipped it open to the parmigiana recipe. It spans three pages in the cookbook, making it one of the most time-consuming, if not most difficult, recipes in the book. But I was up for the challenge.

I read the recipe from top to bottom … a couple of times … and prepped for the big occasion. About half-way through my husband came in to offer a hand.

“Oh no, you don’t!” I told him.

“This is my dish … all mine. And I want all of the credit for it.”

And Mamma Agata did I deserve some credit!

For the first time in almost a decade of trying to perfect a parmigiana, my dish held tightly together. The layers were distinct and precise. The flavors harmonized and the colors sang.

Ok-maybe that’s a bit dramatic. But suffice it to say, that parmigiana was g-o-o-d.

So good, in fact, that we had it again the next day. I heated mine first … my husband ate it straight from the fridge.

So what are you waiting for? Stop droolin’ over my parmigiana and go make your own. You can get your copy of Mamma Agata: Simple and Genuine here. If you make some of the dishes, please come back and tell me. I’d love to celebrate your culinary successes with you, as well.

Want a private lesson on southern Italian cooking from Mamma Agata? Click here to see how I can incorporate that into your southern Italy itinerary.

Salmon Risotto-Risotto al Salmone

Cherrye — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:54 +0000

As if being married to a cute Italian didn’t already have its advantages-living in a foreign country, learning about a new culture, being able to backtrack if you say something mean by claiming ignorance of his language-my Italian also likes to cook. And he is good at it. Sometimes he’ll see a recipe on TV and want to try it, other times we’ll dine out and he recreates the dish at home, other times, he just gets creative.

Which is how we stumbled upon the most fabulous salmon risotto recipe you’ll ever find. It is perfect for a romantic dinner for two but easy enough to make for a group. Pair it with your favorite Italian white wine and enjoy!

Ingredients:
(Two Servings)

>> 1/2 White onion
>> 1/2 cup Rice for risotto
>> 1/4 cup Butter
>> Smoked Salmon
>> Parsley
>> 5 cups Vegetable broth
>> White pepper

Directions:
1. Heat broth to a boil, then keep it hot while you move on to step #2.

2. Saute white onion in a little butter, then add risotto.

3. Cook the risotto for a few minutes, making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

4. Slowly add the hot vegetable broth, one spoon at a time, as your risotto is cooking. (about 40 minutes; Also see Risotto tips and hints)

5. Just before the risotto is cooked, add chopped salmon and parsley.

6. Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from flame.

7. Stir in the remaining butter, add more parsley and sprinkle a bit of white pepper.

Buon Appetito!

Are you heading to Calabria or southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your itinerary.

As media market shrinks, PR passes up reporters, pitches directly to consumers; Best Buy, MasterCard among those creating their own content.

Advertising Age October 26, 2009 | Bush, Michael Byline: MICHAEL BUSH At a time when earned media is so highly sought after by marketers due to its (relative) low cost and the credibility with consumers, brands that rely on it are faced with the growing challenge of finding news outlets for their messages.

As the body count of magazines and daily newspapers continues to rise and the once-robust news and feature holes of surviving publications shrink along with reporting staffs, some marketers have given up on the traditional path to media coverage: pitching journalists. According to the website Paper Cuts, which tracks layoffs and buyouts at U.S. newspapers, nearly 30,000 reporters have left the industry since the beginning of 2008. So instead of pitching their stories to reporters, a growing number of marketers are directly engaging consumers through original content they and their agencies are creating.

“The traditional one-way media model has definitely had its day, said Sam Lucas, chair of U.S. brand marketing at WPP’s Burson-Marsteller. “So agencies are talking to clients about these engagement models much more.

And while they haven’t completely abandoned traditional media outlets, big-name marketers such as Procter & Gamble, Best Buy, MasterCard and Coldwell Banker are among those who have taken matters into their own hands by creating content and bringing it straight to consumers.

Mark Hass, CEO and partner of MH Group Communications, said one of his automotive clients is using YouTube very aggressively and sees it as a way to get its product messages out directly to consumers.

“They still have the usual car-and-driver folks drive and write about their cars, but that’s becoming much less important than [it] used to be, Mr. Hass said. He said aside from controlling the message the other upside to creating and managing the dissemination of content is the potential to reach a wider and more diverse audience than just newspaper or magazine readers.

“You build a channel on YouTube and you get millions of views, Mr. Hass said. “And these people are coming from all over, and it’s more about their interest in your product, as opposed to the readership and viewership of a particular medium. It’s horizontal. If you wanted to reach that many people using traditional media, you would have to pitch and place in dozens of outlets. website best buy mastercard

Here’s a sampling of what some marketers are doing on their own:

* In May, Coldwell Banker, with the help of its PR shop Cooper Katz, launched a YouTube channel called Coldwell Banker on Location. David Siroty, senior director for PR at Coldwell Banker Real Estate, said the company uses the channel to post educational videos about the housing market and purchase process as well as house listings. web site best buy mastercard

“We can bypass the media and do videos from our CEO, brokers and agents talking about what first-time home buyers should do, Mr. Siroty said. “You have a consumer that needs and wants to be re-educated on the nuances of housing. So we post the videos and drive traffic through social media.

The channel launched with 300 videos and is now at 5,000 with just under 500,000 views.

* Best Buy’s Geek Squad has been creating its own content for a few years now, according to Geek Squad’s Paula Baldwin. Her title is telling: mistress of propaganda. “As a company, we began to get more serious about it roughly two years ago, creating editorial-style videos of our agents on-site at a variety of events, she said. These agent correspondence videos are aimed to bring viewers into the “Geek’s world and provide information and access they otherwise wouldn’t have. Over the last year Geek Squad has begun producing tutorial videos on everything from computer support to iPods in cars to one on the DTV transition called “Two-Minute Miracles.

“For [Geek Squad], the move to create content was partly about filling the void left by the change in the media landscape, Ms. Baldwin said. “But it was also about filling a willingness we perceived in our customers for more access to Geek Squad’s knowledge.

* MasterCard has also taken to the web with video interviews of its executives. Andrew Foote, senior VP in the digital media practice at WPP’s Cohn & Wolfe, MasterCard’s PR agency, said unlike three to five years ago when web content had to be polished and professionally produced, MasterCard has gone the low-production route. It’s taping its executives using Flip video camcorders, editing the video on laptops and uploading them to YouTube.

“They’re realizing they can comment on issues and get the points of view of their experts out there and on the record, Mr. Foote said. Once the videos are up, the company will often tweet the links and follow up with reporters letting them know MasterCard commented on the topic.

“Sometimes those videos end up on the blogs of those publications and [it] leads to building online relationships with reporters, analysts and industry influencers, Mr. Foote said. He said MasterCard isn’t “necessarily becoming less reliant on mainstream media; the company just realizes it’s not the only game in town, and, when speed is of the essence, creating its own content or relying on digital channels is the best approach.

“Sometimes mainstream [media] can’t keep up with the needs of the company to get stuff out, Mr. Foote said.

Some marketers are going further, creating the communities in which they distribute that content. Renee Wilson, managing director, New York, of Publicis Groupe’s MS&L, said her client Procter & Gamble’s Rouge magazine is an example of how to circumvent the reporter. But for clients, including P&G, she said MS&L has been tapping into existing niche communities or creating communities from scratch that marketers can speak to. For Ferrero Rocher chocolates, the agency circulated content about the brand and new products through numerous online properties. “Consumers still get brand information but it’s not filtered by a reporter at a traditional publication, she said. For P&G’s Oral-B Pulsonic, it formed a partnership with Elle/Hachette and created fashion content that was delivered to the consumer by Oral-B Pulsonic and hosted on Elle.com. And for SmartOnes, the agency created an online community for fans to share product info, rather than going the traditional food-media route.

“Everyone is now looking at tapping the right communities or creating them, Ms. Wilson said.

Bush, Michael

World Nutella Day 2011: Nutella and Mandarin S'mores

Cherrye — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 05:00:43 +0000

There’s been a lot on my plate lately, but I figure any event that is five years running deserves a little attention … and honestly, who doesn’t have room on their plate for a little scoop-or three-of Nutella.

However, between cluster feedings, Calabria tours and our bed and breakfast, I wasn’t sure *how* I’d celebrate World Nutella Day 2011 or how I’d fit in finding, creating and perfecting a new recipe.

So, I thought about waxing poetic about all the things I love about this chocolaty-hazelnutty spread.

I considered doing a mini-roundup of my previous Nutella Day recipes.

I almost started a post that included my family’s favorite ways to enjoy Nutella … (think spoon and American white bread).

But then I saw a cooking show with my favorite Tata that inspired a new recipe and voila … Nutella and Mandarin S’mores were born.

I substituted whipped cream for charcoaled marshmallows, pulled a couple of mandarins off of our trees and pulled together this delicious dessert in less than 10 minutes.

Here’s the scoop:

Ingredients:
(Makes six s’mores)

>> Any kind of flat cookie (12)
>> 1/2 cup whipping cream
>> Nutella
>> 2 mandarins

Directions:

1. Whip your cream for a few minutes until it is fluffy.

2. Add the juice from one small mandarin. (This will change the texture of your cream, making it firmer and easier to spread on your s’more)

3. Continue to mix for a minute or two.

4. Spread the top of one cookie with a thin layer of Nutella. This will be your top. (Note: It is easier to “decorate” the top of your s’more before it is filled with Nutella and cream.)

5. Spread another cookie with a generous layer of Nutella, then cover with a layer of cream.

6. Top it with your Nutella-decorated cookie, add a mandarin slice and serve!

Delizioso!

As always, grazie mille to Michelle of Bleeding Espresso and Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy for founding (and hosting) World Nutella Day. Check out their sites on Monday for a full roundup of today’s recipes.

Are you heading to Calabria or southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your itinerary.

iLounge’s Amazing iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide Arrives, Topping Million-Plus-Downloaded Predecessor.(Buyers guide)

Computer Weekly News June 16, 2011 iLounge, the world’s leading independent authority on Apple’s iPad, iPhone, and iPod ecosystems, released the iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide, an amazing 146-page compendium of all things iPad. As the sequel to last year’s million-plus-downloaded iPad Buyers’ Guide, the iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide helps readers quickly select the best of Apple’s increasingly numerous iPad tablets, accessories, and apps.

Continuing the formula of its successful iPod and iPhone guides, iLounge’s latest publication includes several key sections. “All About the iPad 2″ walks through the iPad 2 hardware and software, even offering money-saving buying and selling tips. The “iPad Lifestyle Guide” looks at top iPad apps for use in homes, education, gaming, and popular professions, including noteworthy office, medical, food service, and retail apps. Additionally, the “iPad Accessory Guide” leverages iLounge’s unique expertise as the Consumer Electronics Association’s exclusive partner for Apple-related products, showcasing the most compelling accessories from the world’s leading developers. here ipad 2 apps

“There’s so much to learn about the iPad today – 18 different iPad 2 versions, hundreds of accessories, and tens of thousands of apps,” explained Jeremy Horwitz, Editor of iLounge and its Buyers’ Guides. “Our iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide makes everything simple. We provide the world’s best overview of everything for iPad and iPad 2, so you can choose the right model, the right case to hold it, and the best apps and media to fill it, all in one place. The Guide helps you save money and shows you everything you need.” iLounge’s iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide also includes world-exclusive sneak peeks at never-before-seen accessories from key Apple developers including iSkin, Just Mobile, and XtremeMac. A special feature-length installment of the iDesign series profiles six leading third-party industrial and interface designers. Brief updates on recent and upcoming developments in the iPod, iPhone, and Mac worlds are also included. go to web site ipad 2 apps

“You can get the iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide right now for free,” said Dennis Lloyd, Publisher of iLounge and the Guide. “As with all of our past downloadable publications, it’s in the hassle-free PDF format, readable on PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, and iPods. It looks beautiful on iOS devices using iBooks!” iLounge’s Buyers’ Guides and Books are the world’s most widely read publications devoted to Apple’s iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Last year’s Buyers’ Guides were downloaded millions of times by a global audience of readers, and are part of a family of 16 semi-annual magazine- and book-style publications iLounge has released since 2004. All of these publications are available from iLounge.com/library for free, and are published as a service to the Apple community without any editorial involvement from advertisers or Apple itself. The iPad 2 Buyers’ Guide can be downloaded from iLounge.com/ipad2bg starting today.

First of the Month Recipe: Fagioli e Rape

Cherrye — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:00:13 +0000

When most people think of Calabrian food, they think of fresh, homemade pasta and super-spicy peppers, however, Calabrian foodies know there is more to love than initially meets the fork. Some of my favorite dishes in Calabria are created with hearty meat, rich cheese, freshly-grown vegetables and legumes and its the marriage of those last two that creates today’s recipe.

I can’t remember the first time I had fagioli e rape, or beans and garden greens, but I was apparently underwhelmed. Maybe it was in a restaurant that offered it as part of an already overflowing antipasto or maybe the rape, (pronounced raa-Pay in Italian) wasn’t in season, but it just didn’t do it for me.

A year or so later, I tried it again. This time in a local trattoria when my husband spotted it on the menu and gobbled it as a side dish with his secondo. A couple of months ago, I spotted these bitter greens in the market and ever-so-kindly asked my father-in-law if he had a recipe.

He made them the next day.

And again the next week.

And no … I’m not spoiled.

If you want to take the easy way out you could technically use frozen greens and canned beans. We only half-cheat, using canned beans and fresh greens.

Here’s our recipe.

Fagioli e Rape

Ingredients:

>> 10.5 ounces borlotti beans (Gourmet Sleuth says you can substitute kidney or pinto beans)
>> 2 pounds greens
>> 1/2 onion, finely chopped
>> Olive oil
>> Salt
>> Crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Wash the greens and cook in salted, boiling water for a few minutes (until soft.)

2. In a separate pan, sauté onion using good olive oil and add the beans.

3. Heat thoroughly.

4. Combine the greens and beans and top with crushed red pepper.

This dish is great alone or as a side item and goes well with homemade Italian bread.

Buon appetito!

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Classic ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ strips back for encore

Deseret News (Salt Lake City) September 12, 2005 | Don Fernandez Cox News Service Nearly a decade has passed since the spiky-haired moppet and his stuffed — or was it real? — tiger last greeted countless fans with their morning misadventures and musings.

Now it’s time for reminiscing.

The Deseret Morning News — and more than 300 other newspapers — are reprinting classic “Calvin and Hobbes” strips for a 17-week run that ends on Dec. 31. go to web site art institute of atlanta

The selected material is not a run of “greatest hits” but rather strips that represent the scope of creator Bill Watterson’s work.

“We didn’t try to pick the ‘best of’ because eight different people would have different views,” said Lee Salem, editor of Universal Press Syndicate, which licenses publication of “Calvin and Hobbes” to newspapers. “We tried to pick a cross-section that showed the breadth of the strip.” The strip focused on the relationship between 6-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. Hobbes appeared to be a toy to everyone except the hyper-articulate Calvin, who saw and interacted with Hobbes as a real tiger.

The origin of their monikers was somewhat highbrow. The incorrigible, tactless and jagged-haired Calvin was named after John Calvin, a 16th-century theologian. The pragmatic Hobbes’ namesake was the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes.

Together, the two shared various misadventures and surprisingly stately and satirical conversations that explored subjects including philosophy, politics and art.

The critiques were often stinging. Reality was often questioned, with readers torn, among other things, about whether Hobbes was a live animal or not. artinstituteofatlantanow.com art institute of atlanta

“It had such consistently high standards and crafting,” said Thomas J. Biondolillo, professor of media arts and animation at the Art Institute of Atlanta. “It kept such a nice, neat balance of social commentary. But it was always about the little lives of Calvin and Hobbes. The characters are timeless. The innocence of a child, which everyone relates to. It was a nice balance of nostalgic and contemporary.” Watterson, in many ways, is the J.D. Salinger of cartooning. He does not grant interviews. He turned down countless licensing opportunities for his characters. (Those scandalous Calvin stickers so nobly displayed on the back of pickup trucks? Bootlegs.) The cartoonist often demanded — and received — artistic freedom granted to few comic strip artists. This didn’t endear him to several cartooning contemporaries.

Not that these newspaper reprints are without an agenda. They’re publicizing the release on Oct. 4 of “The Complete Calvin and Hobbes,” a three-volume (23-pound!) hardcover collection of all 3,160 strips. It will retail for $150.

Again, Watterson — ever the iconoclast — is not granting interviews.

The strip, which began on Nov. 18, 1985, officially ended on Dec. 31, 1995. Watterson cited the grind of daily production among the reasons for ending his classic creation. At its peak, “Calvin and Hobbes” was published in nearly 2,500 daily newspapers.

Don Fernandez Cox News Service

Mamma Agata – Simple and Genuine Cookbook Review

Cherrye — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:00:02 +0000

There is no denying English-speakers are falling in love with southern Italian cooking. Those seasonal ingredients, creative seafood dishes, spicy peppers, fresh lemons and world-class olive oil leave a lasting impression on travelers who are often anxious to recreate these plates back home. Today, Laura Thayer of Ciao Amalfi! is offering her review of a southern Italian cookbook that focuses on the unforgettable cuisine of her newly adopted home-The Amalfi Coast.

Welcome, Laura!

***

I fell in love with southern Italian cooking on my first trip to the Amalfi Coast three years ago. The simple and quick pasta sauces, grilled fish served with just a drizzle of olive oil, fresh mozzarella di bufala with sun-ripened tomatoes and basil – everything was down-to-earth and emphasized the individual flavors and fresh ingredients. Since moving to the Amalfi Coast, this love affair has continued as I have learned about and experimented with traditional dishes. I’ve picked up a few tips here and there from cookbooks and, more often, from the kitchens of family and friends.

Yet, the greatest insight I’ve had into the regional cooking of the Amalfi Coast is from the cookbook Mamma Agata – Simple and Genuine Italian Family Recipes. This gorgeous cookbook is by Chiara Lima, the Director of the Mamma Agata Cooking School on the Amalfi Coast. Chiara has gathered not only her mother Agata’s recipes, but also the history of her beautiful family.

This book is a pleasure to read, and along the way you meet Mamma Agata, her husband Salvatore, their daughter Chiara and her husband, Gennaro, and their lovely children Mario and Paola. The beautiful photographs throughout the book exude a warmth and love that carries over into the recipes. Chiara writes, “We believe deeply that cooking is love,” and this passion is evident on each and every page of her cookbook.

The recipes shared in Mamma Agata – Simple and Genuine can truly be called home cooking from the Amalfi Coast. But not just any home cooking – Mamma Agata’s famous home cooking! Opening this cookbook—illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs—feels like you’ve just stepped into the kitchen with Mamma Agata and her delightful daughter Chiara. They walk you through the preparation of each recipe with step by step directions and photographs.

For me to love a cookbook it has to be more than a list of recipes to follow. There has to be passion and a story, and Mamma Agata – Simple and Genuine tells a story of love and one family’s way of life on the Amalfi Coast. It’s a testament to their desire to share the simple and genuine cooking from this beautiful part of Italy with others through their cooking school and this beautiful cookbook. If you love Italian cooking, especially southern Italian, this book is a must for your pantry library.

Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. She is the Amalfi Coast Local Expert for NileGuide and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.

Traveling to southern Italy? Why not get coached on when and where to go by someone who lives there?

Photos: Mamma Agata Cooking School

Scottrade Opens New Office in Bonita Springs

Wireless News October 16, 2010 go to web site bonita springs fllorida

Wireless News 10-16-2010 Scottrade Opens New Office in Bonita Springs Type: News

Scottrade has announced the newest online investing branch office, opening Oct. 25, in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Stock brokers will be available at the branch office to answer questions and give tutorials on Scottrade’s online trading services, the firm reported. Investors can learn about:

-Stocks, ETFs and options

-Selecting from more than 14,500 mutual funds

-Using research to create real-time watch lists

“I show investors how to build their own trading environment with Scottrade’s trading tools,” said Branch Manager Scott Rosati. “Investors can make their own decisions by choosing from real-time stock quotes, top 10 lists, live updates and more. With these tools we can teach investors how to trade with more confidence.”

In a release on Oct. 12, Scottrade noted details of the new office:

Location: 895 Wiggins Pass Rd., in the Gateway Shops at North Bay

Phone Number: 239-596-1980

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday

After-hours Support: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Saturday

Scottrade is the online investing firm with the largest branch network in the country. The firm said it offers a full line of products and market research tools to help self-directed investors make their own financial decisions. Though the firm does not provide advice, investment education is available at branch seminars, live webinars, user summits and an online Knowledge Center. this web site bonita springs fllorida

“Since Scottrade was founded 30 years ago, our commitment to provide local customer service to do-it-yourself investors has set us apart,” said Scottrade Founder and CEO Rodger Riney. “While most of our customers trade online, our branch network of more than 475 local branch offices enables investors to receive personal support to take control of their financial future.”

More Information:

www.scottrade.com

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

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My Calabria Cookbook Review and Giveaway

Cherrye — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:00:43 +0000

It’s eerily intimate to read about the history, stories and legends of your home, to see in print the cities and towns that are in your backyard and to understand the culture that is unfolding before you in black and white. No, I’m not Calabrese, or even Italian, by heritage, but I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of hometown pride as I read through the pages of My Calabria. Yes, it is a cookbook, but for those of us in love with Calabria, it is so, so much more.

I can’t remember how I first met Rosetta Costantino, the Calabrian-born chef responsible for the My Calabria cookbook, but I remember reading about her years before in an article called Calabria from Scratch, written by Janet Fletcher, the acclaimed food writer who would become an important ingredient in Rosetta’s success.

The two joined forces and as of Monday, November 8, you, too, can have a little piece of Calabria in your kitchen. My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South is almost 400 pages of Calabria’s history, customs and culinary traditions intermingled with recipes-and some of the most delicious food photos I’ve ever seen-for homemade, authentic Calabrian cooking.

I received my final copy of the cookbook about a week ago and my husband and father-in-law watched as I flipped through the pages. There was an excited jolt on my right and I looked up to see my husband peering across the table at the book.

“Oooh,” he said, “Pitta con Verdura. That’s a good one. We’ll make that one for sure.”

“So, it’s an authentic cookbook, then?” I grinned at him, knowing how proud the Calabresi are of their regional recipes.

“If it has pitta con verdura in it, it is. That was one of my old favorites,” he added, a tad bit wistful and no doubt thinking of the recipes his late mother, a native of San Fili in the province of Cosenza, prepared throughout his childhood.

In addition to the pitta recipe, I’m also eager to try some new antipasto recipes, particularly the eggplant meatballs and crostini with bottarga butter, vegetable dishes, like ricotta-stuffed zucchini and potatoes with artichokes and breadcrumbs and Mamma Mia …. those Christmas desserts, especially chinule, grispelle and the flourless walnut cake.

To complete the book, there is a glossary of pasta shapes, details on stocking a Calabrian pantry and a section on Calabria’s DOC wines.

My Calabria is more than you’d expect of a cookbook and reads as much like a travel guide or (interesting!) history book as a recipe list. As the jacket cover says, “it is a cookbook for our time,” but more than that, the book is a treasured testament to our Calabria.

***

Norton Publishing is offering three My Bella Vita readers a chance to win My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South before they can buy it!

Here are the details.

** Two cookbooks will be given away by random drawing. To be eligible-and to sign up for bonus entries-readers should:

1. Comment on this post by noon (Italian time) on Friday, November 5. (Simple, eh?)

2. For additional entries, “Like” both My Calabria and My Bella Vita on Facebook and leave a separate message in the comments telling me you did.

3. Follow My Calabria and My Bella Vita on Twitter for a third entry (and leave another comment telling us.)

4. All My Bella Vita newsletter subscribers will receive a bonus entry, so if you aren’t receiving either newsletter, you can sign up here.

** The third cookbook will be given away to a My Bella Vita “Liker” on Facebook.

Entries must be received by noon (Italian time) on Friday, November 5. Winners will be notified that day and will be announced on Monday, November 8 (the same day you can buy the cookbook). The contest is open to anyone with an address in North America.

In bocca al lupo!

Want to try Calabrian cuisine in Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

All Photos: Cooking with Rosetta

Real Recipe Wednesday: Lagane e Ceci

Cherrye — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 04:00:52 +0000

Today we are wrapping up the two-month Real Recipe Wednesday series here on My Bella Vita. In case you missed them, you can check out some great recipes like Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino, Bucatini all’ Amatriciana, Orecchiette con Pelati e Ricotta and Merluzzo e Pomodorini, as well as a few regional favorites, like Sicilian Mollica and Napoletano Sfogliatella.

Last week I posted a recipe for homemade lagane pasta and promised to follow up this week with the Calabrian classic Lagane e Ceci, or ribbon pasta with chickpeas.

There are about as many varieties to this dish as there are Calabrians in Calabria and many recipes call for dried chickpeas (which you have to soak overnight prior to cooking.) We are much too last-minute for that, so our recipe uses canned chickpeas, garlic and red pepper and can be made in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
>> One can chickpeas
>> Olive oil
>> Garlic
>> Crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Empty one can of chickpeas (with the broth) into a small pot.

2. Add about a tablespoon of good olive oil, a clove of garlic and crushed red pepper.

3. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add a small amount of water, as needed to create a broth and thoroughly heat the chickpeas.

5. Remove the garlic.

6. Serve with crushed red pepper.

Buon Appetito!

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Real Recipe Wednesday: Calabrese Lagane

Cherrye — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:00:35 +0000

And no, that’s not a typo for “lasagna.” We’ve already done that recipe … remember?

Lagane is a homemade southern Italian pasta that many food historians believe to be the origin of modern-day lasagna. It is traditionally served with chickpeas, but you’ll have to wait until next week for that recipe.

Today, we’re delving into my mother-in-law’s Cosentino past and drudging up one of my husband’s favorite childhood pastas … lagane. This flat, short, fettuccine-like pasta is easy to make and is a fun alternative to traditional homemade pasta.

Here’s the deal.

Ingredients:

>> 2 cups all-purpose flour
>> Dash of salt
>> 1/2 cup of water

Directions:

1. Add a dash of salt to the flour and mix well.

2. Slowly add the water and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. (If you need to, add a tiny bit of water, as necessary, but be careful not to saturate the dough.)

3. Form the dough into a ball, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

4. Roll the dough on a floured surface, using a rolling pin to form a circle about 1/4 inch thick.

5. Continue to roll and thin the pasta. (Cutting the circle in half will make it easier to handle.)

6. Using one side of your dough, pull the end upward and fold the dough to form a long roll.

7. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1/4 inch strips.

8. Unroll the strips and lay them on a clean, flat surface.

9. Cook immediately.

Buon Appetito!

Traveling to southern Italy? See how I can help you create a custom itinerary just for your family or small group.

Real Recipe Wednesday: Merluzzo e Pomodorini Pasta

Cherrye — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:00:53 +0000

Today we are continuing on with the Real Recipe Series with a healthy, delicious dish from the sea … Merluzzo e Pomodorini Pasta. In case you’ve missed them, you can check out the other pasta dishes, Pasta Aglio Olio Peperoncino, Bucatini all’ Amatriciana and Orecchiete with Tomatoes and Ricotta, or read up on Sicilian Mollica and Napoletano Sfogliatella.

But let’s get back to this week.

In our house, this dish is called Merluzzo e Pomodorini Pasta alla Peppe … because he’s the seafood chef around here. Elsewhere, you just drop the alla Peppe, or you can call it by its English name, Cod Fish and Fresh Tomato Pasta.

I have to admit, this dish was an acquired taste for me. Remember, I grew up in southeast Texas and my idea of seafood is fried catfish with a side of shrimp, so this pretty-fancy, if you will, seafood dish took some getting used to.

Still, it is one of the healthiest dishes we make and even though it looks so pretty on the plate, it only takes about half an hour to create. Here are the details.

Merluzzo e Pomodorini Pasta

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)
>> 1/2 pound long pasta, such as linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine
>> 1/2 pound frozen cod fish (defrosted; chopped)
>> 8-10 chopped cherry tomatoes
>> 1 teaspoon seafood bouillon
>> Garlic
>> Olive oil
>> Chopped parsley
>> Crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Lightly saute garlic in olive oil, then add the fish, half of your parsley, bouillon and enough water to cover the fish.

2. Cook for about 10 minutes.

3. When water is starting to get low, add the chopped tomatoes.

4. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, and if needed, add more water.

5. Add generous amounts of parsley and crushed red pepper and mix in the pan with your al dente pasta.

6. Serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip!

LIP BALM OVERUSERS HOOKED ON A FEELING.(LIFE & LEISURE)

Albany Times Union (Albany, NY) March 4, 2003 Byline: RICHARD CHIN Knight Ridder We’re talking to Linda Wiedmaier about whether she could stop cold turkey from using lip balm when she announces that the conversation is starting to make her lips feel uncomfortable.

“They really feel dry,” she says over the telephone from her office in Kansas City, Mo.

You’re going to put on some lip balm now?

“I want to,” she admits. “OK, I’m going to.” We hear an oily metallic rasp — a jar of Carmex being unscrewed.

Ahh, the rush.

Blistex Jones Lip balm addiction: It’s an urban legend, an Internet myth. There’s nothing addictive about lip balm, insist manufacturers and doctors.

And yet there are people like Wiedmaier who smear their lips so compulsively that they — or their friends and family — wonder if they have a Blistex Jones, if they’ve got Suzy Chap Stick on their backs, if they’ve slid down the slippery slope from social balming to Carmex dependency.

“What is supposed to heal cracked lips, lip balm, turns out to be a form of lip crack,” according to Wiedmaier.

The 43-year-old marketing representative estimates that she applies lip balm 20 to 30 times a day. Talking, driving, eating, sleeping. They’re all opportunities to take a hit.

“I put a container of Chap Stick on the table beside my dessert fork,” she says. “I will probably apply it maybe three times in a meal.” She puts it on before she goes to bed and reaches for it again if she wakes up in the middle of the night.

“That’s the absolute most critical time,” agrees Eric Trettel, a native Minnesotan now living in Kearney, Neb. The heavy-duty Carmex user says he can’t go to sleep without a coating of balm. He would rather go to bed without brushing his teeth. “I know I sound like some kind of junkie.” Hard balmers can’t imagine life without lubricated lips. They get edgy if they don’t have a container near them at all times. They’re uneasy when they run low on their favorite brand. They cache balm containers like squirrels hiding nuts. go to site cold sore remedies

“I probably have three kinds in my purse right now. Yes, I do,” says Minneapolis resident Kathryn Selmo.

Tubes everywhere Julia Bohnen, a horticulturalist at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, says she stations Blistex tubes at her work desk, in her wallet, in her living room, in her kitchen, in her bedroom, in her home office, in her car and in her fanny pack.

“I almost can’t have too many of them,” she says. “If there was some world (lip balm) crisis, I might start hoarding it.” Jim Zuleger, a St. Paul law student and recovering balm user, remembers digging into his near-empty Chap Stick with a toothpick to get every bit.

Kevin Crossman admits that he started the Web site in 1995 as a tongue-in-cheek take on the urban legend of lip balm addiction. But he believes there’s truth behind the humor.

“It’s certainly not heroin,” he says. But “to say it’s a nonexistent phenomenon is not true, either.” Crossman says he’s never heard from balm companies. But at least two of them address the issue of supposed addiction in their Web sites.

“There is no such thing as physical addiction to lip balm,” assures Blistex (www.blistex.com) in its FAQ page.

Under the page titled “Myths,” Carmex maker Carma Laboratories (www.carma-labs.com) says its product contains no addictive ingredients, doesn’t cause cancer and doesn’t contain ground-up fiberglass or harmful acid.

Sales rising Such rumors apparently haven’t hurt sales. “We’re experiencing nice growth,” said Paul Woelbing, grandson of Carmex inventor Alfred Woelbing. in our site cold sore remedies

According to one survey of supermarkets, drugstores and discount stores, excluding Wal-Mart, Americans spent $281 million on lip balm and cold sore remedies in the 12 months ending last October. That’s up nearly 8 percent from the previous year.

“I think it’s not an addiction, but it’s a habit,” Dr. Anna Guanche, a University of Minnesota dermatologist. Heavy users get used to having well-moistened lips and may feel uncomfortable unless their lips are coated with something.

But lip skin normally isn’t that moist, according to Brad Rodu, an oral pathologist from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He’s not saying don’t use lip balm. But “don’t get it into your head that (lips) need to be wet all the time,” he says.

Guanche says lip balms can provide valuable protection as a sunscreen, especially for men. She says men have higher rates of squamous cell cancer on their lips than women. That may be because women use lipstick, which often contains sun-blocking zinc oxide.

Some of the ingredients in a lip balm like Carmex — menthol, camphor, phenol and salicylic acid — cause a pleasurable tingling or cooling sensation. But they also can irritate the lips of some people, Guanche says. Once the oily part of the lip balm wears off, the lips feel dry and irritated and users want to reapply.

Into a cycle Guanche also says lip balm may cause people to lick their lips. The saliva washes off the lip balm and the natural oils in the skin, drying it out. That again may lead users to get into a cycle of putting on more lip balm.

In a news release issued by his school, Rodu cautions that, in rare cases, balms and lip licking may create a crust that traps bacteria or fungus.

Something like that apparently happened to Zuleger. He went one smear over the line in the spring of 2001, when his lips started to get irritated and swollen. Switching brands of balm didn’t help. His bad lip trip ended only after he gave up balm cold turkey.

“Now, I pretty much refuse to put anything on my lips,” he says.

Real Recipe Wednesday: Orecchiette con Pelati e Ricotta

Cherrye — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:00:06 +0000

Last month was delizioso at My Bella Vita and through the Real Recipe Series we discovered a couple of great primi plates-Pasta Aglio Olio Peperoncino and Bucatini all’ Amatriciana, a fun alternative to sprinkled cheese with Sicilian Mollica and Sfogliatella, a sweet, flaky Napoletano dessert.

It was so delectable that I decided to extend it one more month and feature authentic Italian recipes each Wednesday in October. (If we haven’t covered your favorite authentic Italian recipe, feel free to either request it or submit it, using this form!)

Today’s dish comes from our Pugliese neighbors and has everything you’d expect in a traditional southern Italian plate. There’s spicy pepper, there’s smoked ricotta … there is even some ear-shaped pasta … and best of all. It’s simple, fresh and delicious.

Orecchiette con Pelati e Ricotta

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)
>> 1/2 pound orecchiette pasta
>> 1 can whole tomatoes
>> Garlic
>> Olive oil
>> 1/2 chopped onion
>> Crushed red pepper
>> 3-4 basil leaves
>> Freshly grated smoked ricotta (hard ricotta)

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta al dente in salted, boiling water.

2. Lightly saute your onions and garlic in olive oil.

3. Use your hands to pull apart the whole tomatoes and add to the olive oil, garlic and onions.

4. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

5. When the sauce is almost ready, add red pepper and basil, cook another minute or so.

6. Serve into dishes and sprinkled with freshly grated smoked ricotta and more red pepper, if needed.

Buon Appetito!

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip!

Thumbnail photo: Il Forno

this machine charges just $2 for a category 1 ‘Hurricane’.(Daily Break)

The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) September 13, 2010 Pembroke Mall was unnaturally quiet.

The carpet muffled the sounds of walkers in fluorescent-white tennis shoes. The salespeople in kiosks checked their cell phones. Three shoppers lounged in green chairs, the kind of seats bored men take when their wives are browsing.

Everyday, glass-half-empty drones might spot malaise in this scene, but businessmen from O 80 Studios in Tampa, Fla., sees opportunity. The company looked at nearly identical situations and said, “These people need a little something extra in their lives. They need a better mall experience. They need a hurricane!” So now, in five malls across Hampton Roads, seven in Katrina-ravaged Louisiana and 400 nationwide, everyday shoppers in everyday malls can swipe their debit cards and experience a simulated Category 1 hurricane. site category 1 hurricane

What people want from their mall is not a pretzel or new top for this weekend’s party. They want adventure.

Simulated.

Forget that a study earlier this year claimed that, if a Category 5 hurricane struck various cities, Virginia Beach would be among the most damaged and most vulnerable in the country.

Forget that residents only two weeks ago spent hours preparing for Hurricane Earl, moving their cars, hoarding bottled water and gassing up generators, all for a light sprinkle. Hurricanes – even the threat of them – can scar the psyche.

Shoppers want to survive, to prove their mettle, to show they can handle anything Mother Nature throws at them.

So last Tuesday at Pembroke Mall, in front of Sears and a few stores down from the specialty Halloween shop, the task was clear: I must survive the hurricane simulator. go to web site category 1 hurricane

It’s about the size of two Coke machines, just 18 square feet, and costs $2. It accommodates up to four people at a time. Shoppers stared at the capsule anytime anyone walked too close.

I got in and closed the transparent sliding door.

But before I say what happened, a note about what this simulator does not do: It does not ask you to stock up on beer, or bottled water, or gas. It does not tell you that you are about to lose power. It does not force you to grill everything in your freezer. It does not say the 15-minute trip home from work is going to take 90 minutes because of tidal flooding. It does not fill with dirty water. It is, after all, a simulator.

The experience starts nonchalantly. The wind whisks in from a black fan on top of the box. The display screen reads 10 miles an hour, then 15.

I can feel the people in the cell-phone shop looking at me. I can only guess that they are admiring the pure guts required to subject myself to this artificial and furious breeze.

In my best weathered seaman’s voice, I think to myself, “It’s really coming in now.” Forty-five.

My sunglasses fall off. I don’t pick them up. It is getting harder to take a full, deep breath.

Fifty. Fifty-five. Sixty. It feels like a kiddie ride. I want more. Finally, it speeds all the way up to 78 miles an hour.

And that’s it.

Within a minute, it is over. Not so different from the real thing.

It was a spectacle. (Again, not so different from the real thing.) I stepped out, rearranged my hair, patted down my shirt, put on my sunglasses.

Did it cause scars like hurricanes past? No. Did it scare me about Category 1 storms in the future? No. Did I want a “I survived the Hurricane Simulator” T-shirt? Of course.

Mike Gruss, (757) 446-2277, mike.gruss@pilotonline.com

Real Recipe Wednesday: Bucatini all’amatriciana

Cherrye — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:00:59 +0000

It’s been a delicious month here at My Bella Vita with recipes ranging from Pasta Aglio Olio Peperoncino to Sicilian mollica and Naple’s own delectably sweet sfogliatella. The Real Recipe Wednesday series continues today with one of my personal favorites, Bucatini all’amatriciana, from Mary of Flavors of Abruzzo.

Welcome, Mary!

Bucatini all’amatriciana is named after the town of Amatrice which is now in Lazio, but up until 1923 was part of the Province of Aquila … so this is really an Abruzzese dish-and one that is a local favorite around the region.

This sauce is served best with bucatini, a tubular spaghetti-like pasta that goes well with thick sauces. Many people make this dish with pancetta, even though the original recipe calls for guanciale. (Guanciale is very similar to pancetta, however it is made with the cheek of the pig instead of the belly; belly in Italian is pancia, hence pancetta while cheek is guancia, hence guanciale. )

If you can’t find guanciale, this dish is still good when it’s made with pancetta. If you can’t find pancetta, then look for something called salt pork, which is available in supermarkets in the US. The recipe won’t be quite the same, but it will still be good. Please don’t use bacon though. It’s smoked and will completely change the flavor of the dish.

As you can see from the photo at the top, my guanciale already has some hot pepper on top. However, even though the meat is already spicy, I add more hot pepper to the dish. To be honest, I never really liked spicy dishes before, but since living here I’ve gotten used to it and this dish is best when it’s nice and piccante.

Hot pepper is a staple here in Abruzzo. Whenever pasta is served, a fresh hot pepper is usually passed around with the grated cheese. Each person uses a small pair of scissors or a sharp knife to add slivers of it to their plate, mixing it in with the pasta. However, if you do this, every once in a while you get a bite that explodes with hot pepper. Even though this recipe has pepper already added in, I’ve seen people add even more. If you like a really spicy dish, feel free to add more pepper once the dish is on the table.

I also often see onions used in this recipe; I’ve never used onions or eaten this dish when it was made with onions, so I haven’t included them here.

So, let’s get cooking.

Side Note: Pease, don’t add black pepper to this recipe. It’s one of my pet peeves that every recipe in America calls for black pepper as if it’s a staple of life, even when the original recipe doesn’t use it at all. Honestly, it doesn’t seem to be used very often here at all. I most often see it in sopressata and certain other cured meat and salami or in the dish Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Ahem.

But, back to today’s recipe …

For 500 grams of Pasta you will need:

>> 200 grams guanciale (about 7 ounces)
>> 1 large can chopped tomatoes
>> extra-virgin olive oil
>> 1/2 glass of white wine
>> 1 tsp+ ground hot pepper or hot pepper flakes
>> salt
>> grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese

Directions:

1. Start your water boiling for your pasta and add salt. This sauce does not take long to cook. In fact, it’s best when it’s chunky, so you don’t want to cook your tomatoes for too long. The pasta will take about nine minutes to cook, so start making your sauce a few minutes before throwing your pasta in the water.

2. Cut the guanciale or pancetta into small cubes and place in a large frying pan with high sides along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over high heat for a few minutes until it has started to change color and the fat has mostly melted, but don’t let it get crispy.

3. Add the wine to the pan, stir and then add your tomatoes, hot pepper and salt to the pan, bringing to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook for a few minutes more. Taste it for salt and hot pepper, adding more according to your preferences. At this point, if your pasta is not yet done, turn the burner off and cover with a lid to keep the heat inside.

4. Once your pasta is cooked, strain it, add it to the pan with the sauce, toss it all together, pass the grated cheese and enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

Traveling to Calabria? Then check out my Calabria travel tips e-guide “Don’t Get Caught with Dirty Drawers.”

Photos: Mary of Flavors of AbruzzoMa

HARVARD VANGUARD CEO SET TO DEPART PAULUS WILL LEAD HOSPITAL NETWORK IN MINNESOTA

The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) September 2, 2005 | Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff The Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates chief executive who engineered its merger with four other physician group practices is leaving to head a large hospital network in Minnesota.

Kenneth Paulus, 46, will actually vacate two posts chief executive of Harvard Vanguard and chief executive of HealthOne Care System.

HealthOne is the nonprofit network of physician groups Paulus helped create in 2004 through the merger of Harvard Vanguard which has about 500 doctors with Dedham Medical Associates, South Shore Medical Center, and Southboro Medical Group. here south shore medical center

The resulting organization has more than 700 doctors who care for 500,000 patients, making it the second-largest physicians group in the state and giving it considerable bargaining clout with insurance companies.

Plans are underway for an $8.5 million expansion of Harvard Vanguard’s electronic medical records system into HealthOne’s smaller physician groups, and a branding and marketing campaign aimed at Massachusetts residents. The network also is geared for further growth. Another physicians practice, Granite Medical Group, joined HealthOne this year and executives are in discussions with other prospective members.

“HealthOne was Ken’s vision. It exists because of his dogged determination,” said Eugene Wallace, Harvard Vanguard’s chief financial officer, who will serve as acting chief executive while a search for a permanent replacement is conducted.

When Paulus arrived at Harvard Vanguard in 2000, the group was facing a potential crisis. Two years earlier, it had severed a link with its former HMO affiliate, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. But 93 percent of the group’s patients were still insured by Harvard Pilgrim, which had slipped into state receivership because of financial problems. see here south shore medical center

“When he first came in, our first priority was staying in business,” said Dr. Gene Lindsey, a cardiologist and chairman of the Harvard Vanguard board.

Paulus was well-positioned to lead the group. He had deep connections in the Boston healthcare market from his previous job as chief executive of Partners Community HealthCare Inc., the state’s largest physician group with about 1,000 internists and 3,500 specialists.

“He made Harvard Vanguard a very high-performing group, with high member satisfaction, good outcomes, and great levels of efficiency,” said his former boss, former Partners Community HealthCare chief executive Ellen Zane, who is now chief executive at Tufts-New England Medical Center. His departure, she said, “is a loss for Boston.” Paulus has accepted a job as chief operating officer of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, a nonprofit network of 11 hospitals, and more than 50 clinics operating throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Christopher Rowland can be reached at crowland@globe.com.

Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff

A Guide to Calabrian Breakfast

Cherrye — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:00:27 +0000

While the food of Calabria ranges from super spicy peppers, to fresh fruit and vegetables to meat, seafood and pasta, the breakfast food is sweet and simple. While it is true Italians eat pancetta-and they love a good frittata-they’ll probably scoff if you offer them for breakfast.

In fact, one of my young neighbors asked me once about a typical American breakfast.

“Bacon?” She exclaimed! “… and eggs?!? Non! Non ho capito … cosa mangiate?!?”

She was slightly disgusted by the thought of meat and eggs in the morning-until she tried it on vacation in Berlin, but that’s another story, I suppose-and couldn’t understand why anyone would want such heavy food for breakfast.

So, if you are heading to Calabria, here’s the what, when and where of eating a Calabrian breakfast.

What to Eat
Like other places in Italy, a Calabrian breakfast is usually little more than a cornetto with caffè or cappuccino … but that by no means, makes it boring. There are dozens of varieties of cornetti, or croissants, that vary from plain to those filled with cream, Nutella, hazelnut and even an assortment of fruit flavors, such as peach, apple or pear. There are also light pastries that are filled with lemon cream, apples or my personal favorite, black cherries, as well as the brioche, a type of sweet bread.

Contrary to what some might think, Calabrians don’t typically eat fruit for breakfast. However, one of my favorite summer breakfast meals is figs and homemade bread, which is apparently an exception … at least in Catanzaro.

Sometimes Calabrians will also have fruit juice, usually pear, peach or apricot. They very rarely drink that good ‘ole American fruit beverage of choice … OJ.

Where To Eat It
I know some Calabrians who have breakfast at the bar every single morning. Others prefer to take their morning coffee at home and either munch on light cookies or store-bought croissants.

If you are traveling to Calabria for vacation, your hotel or B&B will likely include breakfast in your nightly rate-and if you are staying at a resort hotel, they might even throw in those bacon and eggs. However, I suggest you skip breakfast at your hotel at least once and head into a local bar for a real Calabrian breakfast experience.

How To Eat It
Some of my favorite bars around Catanzaro have little or no indoor seating and in fact, it was one of the first things I noticed when I visited southern Italy. However, if you do break away from your B&B one morning, you’ll understand that bars don’t have many tables, because Calabrians don’t sit. They order their coffee and cornetto and eat it while standing at the bar, usually taking no more than a few minutes for their whole meal.

Depending on the type of cornetto or brioche they ordered, they might also dip it into their cappuccino … so dip at leisure.

A few hours later, typically after 10:00 AM or so, most Calabrians will have a mid-morning snack, usually a panino or in some cases, especially for those old-timers back in the historical center of Catanzaro … morzello and pitta bread.

What is your favorite part of an Italian breakfast? What kind of pastry do you prefer?

Traveling to southern Italy? Why not sign up for my newsletter to get even more inside information on living and traveling in Italy.

Photo: AnimalVegetable via Flickr

Real Recipe Wednesday: Sfogliatella

Cherrye — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 04:00:10 +0000

All this month we are featuring real Italian recipes and Mamma Mia have we had some goodies. We’ve gone from classic Pasta Aglio Olio Peperoncino to Sicilian modica and today, my sweet-toothed friends, we are in Naples, enjoying sfogliatella, straight from the Amalfi Coast’s own, Laura Thayer of Ciao Amalfi!

The first time I traveled to Naples, I had “EAT A SFOGLIATELLA” written in big letters on my Must See and Do list. If your travels haven’t taken you to Naples or the Campania region in southern Italy, then you’re in for a sweet treat when you arrive. In Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, she came to Naples to eat the town’s world famous pizza. When I read the book, I hoped she got also got a sfogliatella while she was there. This wonderful pastry is worth the trip alone!

So, how was my first sfogliatella? Well, it wasn’t love at first bite. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) This little pastry turned out to be quite the challenge to eat. I’ve even caught a few Neapolitans making a powdered sugar mess of themselves without seeming to notice. And it’s oh so worth it! Unless you were blessed with an unusual amount of grace, you can expect a little white shower as you bite into the crunchy pastry shell dusted lightly with powdered sugar. The reward, however, is the first taste of the luscious, cinnamon scented ricotta cheese filling dotted with tiny bits of candied fruit.

While each recipe varies slightly, my favorite sfogliatelle have the perfect balance of spices and the scent of orange, and must not be too crunchy on the outside. It’s a delicate balance. It wasn’t a pretty sight the first time I tried a sfogliatella. The crunchy outer shell poked the top of my mouth when I bit in and, unfortunately, I was wearing black that day. The second time around I began to notice the subtlety of the flavors. And it wasn’t long before the sfogliatella became my favorite Neapolitan dessert!

My top choice for sfogliatelle in Naples is the historic Gran Caffè Gambrinus located right off the Piazza Plebiscito in the center of the city. I always stop by there for a sfogliatella and one of theirdelicious espressos with hazelnut cream when I’m in Naples. But you don’t have to visit Naples to find great sfogliatella. You’ll also find them at cafés and the local pasticcerie (pastry shops)
throughout the region of Campania. Where I live in Amalfi, my favorite spots for enjoying this special treat are the small and welcoming Pasticceria Leone or at the elegant Pasticceria Pansa located right in Amalfi’s main piazza.

While the sfogliatella is considered a signature Neapolitan pastry, the birthplace of this tasty treat was in Conca dei Marini, a tiny village located in the mountains of the Amalfi Coast. In the 1600s the precursor to today’s sfogliatella was created by nuns at the Monastery of Santa Rosa. You’ll still find this variety of sfogliatella, called santarosa after the monastery, in pasticcerie throughout the region. It differs in that it’s filled with a crema pasticcera instead of ricotta and is topped with a dab of crema di amarene (sour black cherry).

While I prefer the traditional Neapolitan variety, you’ll have to do some taste testing during your travels to find your favorite spot for enjoying the best sfogliatelle. That’s your Campania travel challenge, should you choose to accept!

Gran Caffè Gambrinus
Via Chiaia, 1/2
(Piazza Trieste e Trento)
Naples 80132
Tel. 081 417582 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 081 417582 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 081 417582 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Pasticceria and Bar Leone
Via Lorenzo d’Amalfi, 47
Amalfi 84011
Tel. 089 871127

Pasticceria Pansa
Piazza Duomo, 40
Amalfi 84011
Tel. 089 871065

Prefer to make your own? Check out this recipe for Sfogliatella from Mangia Bene Pasta or watch the video demonstration below.

Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy.
She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.

Traveling to Calabria? Then check out my Calabria travel tips e-guide “Don’t Get Caught with Dirty Drawers.”

Photos: MSWine and Ciao Amalfi!. YouTube video: LucianaDTT

READERS SHARE WORTHWHILE SITES.(Living)(Site-seeing)

The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH) June 8, 2005 Byline: Jan Perry Next, I want to pass along a hello from David Jenkins at www.hub-uk.com, an incredible site that elevates the art of food preparation, fine dining and gourmet eating. His site was included in this column last year, but it has gotten bigger and better. David wrote to say thank you for the mention and to let us know the site just celebrated five-years on the Web. go to web site how to report a scam

Several more I’d like to suggest are:

* www.cns.ufl.edu/spam — You’ll find wonderful explanations and free fixes. I know there’s a lot here, but if you want to be safe without being annoyed by all the unsolicited stuff, this is a truly remarkable site to help you.

* www.cio.com/online/techtact_071403.html — Just click on the Consumer Reports link near the bottom to call up good advice from folks who are known and trusted.

Dee Adams created this clever site — www.minniepauz.com — to help women cope with menopause (and men cope with women coping with menopause) more than eight years ago. She, wrote to invite column readers to take a look at the lighter side of the situation following the May 25 column on this usually serious topic.

Robb Perry, information manager for the American Theatre Wing, wrote to let me know that when the URL for the Tony site was moved to the electronic version of The Post, an ill-placed hyphen rendered the address unusable. (The address broke over two lines in the printed Post, thus the errant hyphen.) The correct address is www.TonyAwards.com — and if you missed the show, don’t miss the site. go to web site how to report a scam

Finally, there was this, which came in reference to the grilling column that ran on Monday. “Puny Human Jan, Hulk find out you like his Hulk Drop Martini. Hulk says good, but Puny Humans should consume in moderation.

Hulk suggests maybe write article about Celiac Disease. Hulk’s two little buddies have this — see: www.komar.org/faq/celiac_disease — Hulk thinks good to raise awareness of this.

Happy SMASHING, Hulkster.” Jan Perry is a Kentucky-based freelance writer for The Post. She welcomes your comments and suggestions and invites you to become a contributor for a future “reader wrap up” column by sending your topic or site ideas to SiteSeer2K(AT_SIGN)aol.com.

Real Recipe Wednesday: Mollica di Pane

Cherrye — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:00:04 +0000

We kicked off this month’s Real Recipe Wednesday series with a classic Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino dish that had many people, including yours truly, heading into the kitchen. This week, guest blogger, Lisa Fantino of Wanderlust Women’s Travel is taking us to Sicily for an authentic tale and recipe for Italian breadcrumbs.

It’s often strange to see how customs evolve, morph or change when traveling from Italy to the United States. Growing up in a mostly Sicilian household, with a touch of Calabrese tossed in for good measure, many of our superstitions, customs and delicacies were right off the boat. However, where we differ from the natives is the history behind them. As you can tell, it’s a bit like playing the childhood game of telephone to see how far off the mark a recipe, tradition, or holiday custom will deviate, as I explained here for my family’s version of the voostedda.

So, when I asked Nana about mollica (or modica, pronounced moo-deeg-yuh in Sicilian dialect), of course I got her creative story – Italians didn’t have a lot of money and when they couldn’t afford to buy grated cheese, they fried up bread crumbs to sprinkle on their pasta. That was Nana’s version. When I researched a bit more, I discovered another story – that being that Italians don’t sprinkle cheese on pasta dishes with fish in them (i.e. pasta finocchi sarde, or con le alici or con i calamari) so they created mollica as an alternative.

By now you must be saying “yuck” or “yum,” depending on your palate but Sicilians take their mollica seriously. Papa even had his own stash, which was mixed with crushed red pepper and the malocchio was bestowed upon anyone who left that jar empty.

Now, you can live large and use both grated cheese and mollica and forget that cholesterol may be an issue. The salty taste of the cheese and the crunchy taste of the mollica are true perfection for lopping up the extra sauce/gravy on your plate. And that whole “sauce v. gravy” argument is worthy of an article in itself (BTW – I have never, ever heard any Italian-American call it ragu!)

Mollica Recipe

Ingredients:
(amounts vary depending on how much leftover bread you have, but here is an idea)

>> Leftover bread
>> Dash of Salt
>> 2 tablespoons, Parsley flakes
>> 1 teaspoon, Garlic powder
>> 1 teaspoon, Oregano

Directions:

1. Bake the bread in the oven at 250° F for about 15 minutes, or until dried and crisp.
2. Crush it either in a food processor or blender and add seasoning.
3. Store in an airtight container.

Buon Appetito!

Thanks, Lisa. I love the idea of adding crushed red pepper flakes, a la Lisa’s nonno. Have you ever made mollica and if so, what do you add to your recipe?

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the Italy travel consultant and creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the recently launched Amalfi destination wedding site, Wanderlust Weddings. Her love of Amalfi has also inspired her to gather sterling silver jewelry and gifts inspired by the blues of the region at Amalfi Blu. She also writes travel features for MNUI travel insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.

Traveling to southern Italy? Why not subscribe to my newsletter to get more information on the area?

Photos: Lisa Fantino and Fiordilatte via Flickr

Real Recipe Wednesday: Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Cherrye — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:43 +0000

If I had to point out one thing I just hate about living in Italy it is this … the food is so damn addictive. It also ruins your taste for Italian-American food-food you used to love, like Fettuccine Alfredo or Chicken Primavera … things you thought were really Italian. So, all this month we’re featuring classic authentic Italian pasta recipes that you can easily recreate at home.

To add a splash of diversity to the Calabrian-specific recipes I usually talk about, I’ve asked some of my Italophile friends from around the world for their favorites. (And if you’d like to submit your favorite authentic Italian pasta recipe, let me know and we’ll get your recipe in the lineup!)

Today’s Florence-based foodie is Katie, from Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino and she’s taking us back to when she first met and fell in love with one of her favorite standby dishes-Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

***

From a chocolate-filled brioche in the morning to spaghetti alle vongole on the seaside, it is tough for me to choose just one favorite dish from the Italian cucina. But I’ll try. One of my favorite things about Italian cooking is the simple, fresh ingredients they use to create their masterpieces. So, with that in mind, I’ve done the impossible and chosen a favorite.

Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

My friend Giulio introduced me to this dish back in 2005. I had never heard of aglio, olio e peperoncino (garlic, olive oil and pepper) pasta and prior to that day and wasn’t quite sure how I felt about spicy red pepper adorning my plate. After I saw how easy it was to recreate and how it is filling, yet light, I was hooked.

I watched Giulio finely chop the aglio and then warm the olio until it was just hot enough to add the garlic. Cooking the spaghetti until it was al dente, he added it to the garlic and olive oil mixture. He tossed the spaghetti until it was coated with the garlic-infused olive oil and added a generous dash of red pepper flakes for good measure.

Since that day, this dish has become a staple in my house and I’ve altered it many times over, depending on my mood. Here is a basic recipe for pasta aglio, olio e peperonicino. There are no exact quantities, so add as much or as little as each ingredient as you want to suit your taste.

Ingredients:
>> Spaghetti
>> Extra virgin olive oil
>> 1 or 2 cloves of garlic ( I am a garlic addict)
>> Peperoncino
>> Salt
>> Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta al dente in salted water. Keep about a cup of the hot, salted water to use later.

2. Crush the garlic with the heal of your hand (to keep the flavor).

3. In a saucepan, cook the garlic and olive oil on low heat.

4. When the pasta is ready, add it to the olive oil and garlic mixture.

5. Toss with crushed red pepper flakes-as much as you can handle-and add the salted water you kept from the pasta.

6. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Buon Appetito!

* Tip: If fresh garlic and red pepper flakes aren’t staples in your kitchen, then check your dry spice aisle for a pepper/garlic mix.

Katie Greenaway is a freelance travel writer and is the Local Expert of Florence for Nile Guide where she also provides the secrets of Florence on her blog. She writes about her life in Florence on her personal blog Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino and contributes to MNUI Travel Insurance with travel articles.

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Antonio and Godzillante via Flickr

Winter Sun: Are we there yet? TAKE A TIP FROM ME, YOU CAN SURVIVE A LONG-HAUL FLIGHT

The Independent on Sunday (London, England) November 27, 2005 | Holidays with children by Katy Holland Fleeing the British winter for warm and distant shores may sound like a good idea, but there’s one drawback if you’ve got small children: the rather scary matter of sitting cooped up with them on a long-haul flight.

In our hearts, we parents know there’s only one way to fly, and that’s without kids. Travelling with a baby is hard enough, but once your little treasure has a mind ” and legs ” of his own, it’s a whole new ball game.

Kids are notoriously unpopular flying companions, but the real reason adults get so irritated is that they’re secretly rather envious. How come they get to do all the fun stuff?

Imagine the satisfaction of relieving your boredom by hurling yoghurt at your neighbour, or crying inconsolably for 40 minutes because you don’t like the ‘brown bits’ on your in-flight chicken nuggets. And ” be honest ” who wouldn’t jump up and down on their seat chanting the tune from Batman given half the chance? It certainly beats sitting still in a cramped space doing nothing. go to site best nintendo ds games

At 11 months, my younger son chose the precise moment we took off on a nine-hour flight to learn to walk. He swaggered up and down the aircraft for the entire duration ” he tells pals he walked all the way to Florida ” and guess who had to hold his hand all the way? Keeping kids occupied and quiet is one of the hardest jobs on long flights.

But there is hope. As the number of children taking to the skies increases ” a 5 per cent rise in the past year, according to British Airways ” airlines are coming round to the idea that making mini- flyers happy may be the key to preserving sanity all round.

Carriers that won’t treat you as though you have a contagious disease just because you’ve got kids include Virgin Atlantic (0870 3802007; virgin- atlantic.com), and British Airways (0870- 850 9850; ba.com). Seatback TVs, with their vast array of children’s channels, are a godsend, as are the 35 Nintendo games Virgin offers, and the rucksacks full of puzzles and crayons. And the stakes are now being raised in the battle for child- friendliness. This year saw Gulf Air’s introduction of ‘Sky Nannies’, trained to cater to your tot’s every whim (0870 7771717; gulfairco.com). Your own Mary Poppins will even baby-sit while you take a loo break; the only problem is that you have to leave her behind at the end of the flight But all the flying nannies and Nintendo games in the world won’t prevent the odd mid-air tantrum. If your little darling behaves badly on board, the best thing to do, according to a stewardess I spoke to, is apologise to anyone within earshot. According to her, the biggest complaint about children is the seeming indifference of their parents toward the discomfort of other passengers. bestnintendodsgamesnow.com best nintendo ds games

If you say sorry, at least you’ll get some sympathy ” if only from fellow parents who’ve been there, done that and bought the yoghurt- stained t- shirt.

k.holland@independent .co.uk KATY’S TOP TIP n Think carefully before booking a bulkhead seat. Although they offer more legroom, there’s less storage space and they often have fixed armrests, making it impossible for your child to spread out on your lap for a snooze.

Katy Holland is deputy editor of ‘Mother and Baby’ and motherand babymagazine.com. She has written several books on childcare.

Holidays with children by Katy Holland

Italian Coffee Terms Explained

Cherrye — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:03 +0000

With the recent influx of English-speaking guests visiting our B&B, it has come to my attention everyone might not get Italian coffee. Sure, Starbucks taught us the words “Cappuccino,” “Macchiato,” even “Grande,” … for its worth, but if you want a true Italian coffee experience, there are a few things you should know.

I’ve been collecting notes on Italian coffee and had even scribbled in a publication date on My Bella Vita’s editorial calendar, but avid traveler and coffeeholic Cecil Lee of Travel Feeder beat me to the punch. Below, you’ll find his description of what he has learned about Italian coffee, along with some of my notes tossed in … ’cause I can’t help myself!

***

Like many of my globetrotting colleagues, I’m addicted to coffee and depend on that hot, steamy cup of mud to get me through my day. I also thrive on taste-testing different varieties of coffee and trying-and comparing-them in each country I visit. And who, you ask, is the hands down winner in my book for best coffee?

Why, Italy, of course.

On my recent trip through the country, I found myself visiting Italian bars … more often than I should, and besides learning to inhale my coffee at the bar-like the locals do!-I picked up a few new coffee terms to add to my Italian-language repertoire.

The most common varieties of Italian coffee you will see on the menu are “Cappuccino,” “Americano,” and “Caffè.” But for those of you who’d like to try something different, here are some, possibly new, Italian coffee terms to help you along the way.

- Caffè: In other parts of the world it is called “espresso,” but in Italy, it is simply called “Caffè.” Expect it to be served in a small cup and order “caffè” – not espresso.

- Americano: One or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water

- Cappuccino: Espresso topped with frothed milk (Cherrye’s note: An Italian cappuccino is sometimes sprinkled with cocoa powder and is my preferred morning drink here in Italy. In fact, I’ve been known to sulk like a little girl if they forget to add my cocoa.)

- Corretto: One shot of espresso mixed or “corrected” with a shot of liquor, normally Grappa or Brandy

- Caffè Shakerato: A shot of espresso that is mixed with sugar and ice and then shaken until it is frothy. (Cherrye’s note: In many bars in Calabria, a caffè shakerato is made with cold milk or hazelnut gelato … . Yowsers, talk about delicious!)

- Caffelatte: Not to be confused with “latte,” the Italian word for milk, a caffelatte is just a mix of espresso and milk and is my personal favorite

- Caffè Doppio: We call it a double espresso in Malaysia, and in Italy it is just two shots of regular ole Italian espresso

- Macchiato: A shot of espresso topped with a dollop of frothed milk (Cherrye’s note: If you are looking for something a bit sweeter, why not ask for a Caffè Bacio, a macchiato that is drizzled with warm melted chocolate … like the sweet chocolaty “kiss” it is.)

- Caffè D’Orzo: A coffee substitute that is brewed with roasted barley

- Caffè con Panna: A shot of espresso that is topped with thick whipped cream

(Cherrye’s note: Similar to a caffè con panna, a Caffè alla Nocciola (hazelnut coffee) is a shot of espresso that is served with hazelnut and topped with slivers of fresh hazelnuts. In some bars it is served with the hazelnut paste they use in their pastries, while other bars serve it with hazelnut gelato. Recipes vary, but the result is usually the same … and I bet you know what I mean. Delizioso!)

Thanks, Cecil. If you’d like to know more about ordering an Italian coffee in Italy, you can read up on that over at Ms. Adventures in Italy, pick up more Italian coffee terms with Jessica at Why Go Italy or create your own caffè shakerato like I do … my recipe is right here.

So, Cecil and I shared our favorite Italian coffee drinks with you-won’t you do the same? What is your Italian coffee of choice in or out of the bel paese?

Cecil Lee is a passionate travel blogger and photographer living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and on his own travel photo blog, Travel Feeder.

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Cecil Lee

If You are What You Eat, What Does That Say About Sicily's Milza?

Cherrye — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:00:16 +0000

Earlier this week I wrote a guest post for Mangia Monday, a weekly column over at Wanderlust Women Travel. The site’s owner, Lisa Fantino was interested in how Sicilians are taking a bite out of crime and it reminded her of some of her favorite culinary memories as a child.

Welcome, Lisa.

“You are what you eat, takes on new meaning with Sicilian comfort food!”

Some people eat to live and others live to eat…………….as someone with Sicilian blood coursing through her veins, I can tell you that Italians clearly live to eat. They have a love affair with food that begins the moment they cut their first molar to and doesn’t end even when old age has taken their teeth. All of this comes with good reason – because Italian food is fantastico. OK, I may be biased here but isn’t all comfort food the food we’ve eaten since birth? Well, for me that meant voosteddi on special occasions.

“Holy cannoli what is a voosteddi,” you must be saying. I had no idea but I knew it was a treat. My Papa Cicio would venture to New York’s Little Italy weekly and on some of those return trips home I would be lucky enough to get voosteddi. It was like a special snack because the whole experience was made special.

It would start with a call from Papa to Nana saying he was on his way home……..she in turn would find me and tell me voosteddi were on the way. I would wait with tummy growling, anxious for Papa to walk through that door carrying a brown bag loaded with greasy sandwiches from the heavens.

It was a ritual. Papa, Zio Vincenzo and I would gather around the kitchen table sucking down these divine bits of culinary pleasure, often joined by my cousin if he happened to be around, as Italian sons usually show up when it’s time to eat! The paper thin slices of what looked like beef were layered on the softest bread with just a dollop of ricotta and maybe some grated cheese. That was it. They went down so smoothly and I knew they had to be special because even Nana didn’t dare make these in her kitchen and she cooked EVERYTHING…..even capozzelli (Lamb’s head right down to the eyeballs)

No one would tell me where these voostedi came from – it was top secret and reportedly happened down a back alley at a door which required a special knock. I kid you not. You can’t make this stuff up and maybe you just have to be Sicilian to appreciate it.

When I was about 18 or 19, maybe even 20, I dared to ask Papa what was in a voosteddi, just in case I wanted to make one. He wouldn’t tell me. “You like it, then mangia,” he would say, twisting his knuckle into the side of his cheek with a smile on his face. That was the Sicilian hand gesture, and everything has one, that meant delizioso.

Well, I happened to be the straight chick to my Zio and cousin’s twisted sense of humor. My Zio figured he would tell me straight, “It’s bull’s balls.”

“Ew, that’s disgusting. It is not.”

“You asked and then you don’t like the answer, so just eat it, you’ve been eating it all these years.”

So I begin dissecting the sandwich, peeking between the slices of bread as if I would know what a bull’s testicle would look like when it was cooked. My cousin agrees with Zio and I do not trust this Goombah Johnny routine. Something smells like bull, if you pardon the pun.

I now finish the voosteddi, not knowing if I should waft down another or be sick to my stomach on one of the delicacies which has sustained me since I could chew.

OK, Nana would never, ever lie to me, not me. I was her #1.

“Nana, what’s in a voosteddi?”

“Bull’s balls,” she says without skipping a beat!

Nooooooooo – help me. This is the Italian kid’s versions of sliders and they were destroying me.

It wasn’t until years later, long after Papa Cicio and Nana were gone that I researched voosteddi only to learn that the mystery meat is really a cow’s spleen. Sounds kind of disgusting but oh so yummy and oh how I long for those days in Nana’s kitchen again!

NOTE: Cherrye has referred to these Sicilian treats as milza. I have seen them spelled vastedda. It’s all about dialect in Italy and with DNA from Palermo and Corleone, is anyone gonna mess with me on pronunciation?

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the Italy travel consultant behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the Italian destination wedding site Wanderlust Weddings. She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.

Interested in reading more about Sicily?

Check out my post today at Bleeding Espresso’s Gita Italiana-we’re talking about getting to Sicily’s Aeolian Islands from various points in Calabria or click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Papero Giallo and Eating in Translation via Flickr.

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MESSAGE ON POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

US Fed News Service, Including US State News April 8, 2011 WASHINGTON, April 7 — The U.

S. Navy issued the following press release:

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III sent a message on April 7 to the Deprtment of Defense workforce on a potential government shutdown.

“The department remains hopeful that a government shutdown will be averted. The President has made it clear that he does not want a government shutdown, and the administration is working to find a solution with which all sides can agree. However, prudent management requires that we plan for an orderly shutdown should Congress be unable to pass a funding bill before our current funding expires on April 8.

The President and the secretary know that the uncertainty of the current situation puts federal employees in a difficult position, and are very much aware that a shutdown would impose hardships on our military and civilian personnel as well as our military families. As we approach the expiration of the current continuing resolution, we will provide you with updated information as soon as it becomes available. For now, I want to provide you with information on how the potential shutdown – should it occur – will impact our military and civilian personnel.

Department of Defense (DoD) Operations During a Shutdown Operations and activities that are essential to safety, protection of human life, and protection of our national security, are ‘excepted’ from shutting down. The DoD will continue to conduct activities in support of our national security, including operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Japan; Libya-related support operations; and other operations and activities essential to the security of our nation. The department must also continue to provide for the safety of human life and protection of property.

Other excepted activities will include inpatient and essential outpatient care in DoD medical treatment facilities; emergency dental care; non-appropriated funds activities such as mess halls and child care activities; certain legal activities to support ongoing litigation and legal assistance for deployed DoD personnel; contracting and logistics operations that are in support of excepted activities; certain education and training activities to include the DoD education activity schools; and financial management activities necessary to ensure the control and accountability of funds.

In the absence of appropriations, non-excepted activities that have not already been fully funded will need to be shut down in an orderly fashion. In accordance with existing laws and regulations, I will issue more detailed guidance to the department regarding specific activities that are considered excepted or non-excepted. However, the secretary and I understand that the military departments and defense agencies and individual commanders must tailor this guidance to many different situations around the world. Therefore, should there be a government shutdown, DoD personnel will be informed through their chain of command about how a shutdown may affect them personally. go to website government shutdown military pay

Duty Status Military personnel are not subject to furlough and will report for duty as normal during the shutdown. Reserve component personnel should refer to the DoD Contingency Guidance document and to their chain of command for more specific information.

Civilian personnel deemed to be performing excepted activities will continue to work during the period of a shutdown.

If there is a government shutdown beginning on Saturday, April 9, all DoD personnel should still report to work on their next scheduled duty day, beginning at their normal duty hours to receive additional instructions.

Civilians will be briefed by their supervisors by Friday, April 8, as to whether their work and responsibilities fall into excepted or non-excepted status, as defined by applicable laws and regulations. Excepted status categories are outlined in the DoD Contingency Guidance document, which is being distributed through the chain of command. If their work and responsibilities are non-excepted, or if they are not needed to carry out excepted work and responsibilities, employees will be furloughed in a non-pay status. Furloughed employees may not telework or volunteer to work.

Generally, contractors performing work on contracts funded prior to a shutdown, whether supporting excepted activities or not, may continue working and will be paid out of the obligated funds, subject to further direction from the contracting officer. New contracts, or increases in funding of existing contracts, needed to support excepted activities may be entered into during the period of a shutdown, but payments under such contracts cannot be made until Congress provides additional funding. Contract personnel should also report to work on Monday, April 11, to be briefed on their status. site government shutdown military pay

Military, Civilian, and Retiree Pay If the government shuts down due to the absence of funding, the DoD will have no funds to pay military members or civilian employees for the days during which the government is shut down. However, both military and civilian personnel will receive pay for the period worked prior to the shutdown. Military personnel, and civilians occupying excepted status positions and required to work, are entitled to be paid for work performed during the shutdown, and will be paid retroactively once the department receives additional funding. Congress would have to provide authority in order for the department to retroactively pay non-excepted employees for the furloughed period.

Military retirees and annuitants are not paid from annually appropriated funds, and therefore their benefits should continue without interruption.

Additional Resources The department’s leadership will do our very best to provide clear information about the status of events as the week progresses. Additional information regarding military and DoD civilian pay, leave, and other DoD policies applicable to a potential shutdown will be posted on the department’s main website as soon as it becomes available.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of all of you, the Department of Defense provides critical services to the American public. Your contributions touch people’s lives in so many significant ways, and I want you to know how deeply I appreciate your dedication and your expertise. Our decisions concerning which functions are excepted or not excepted are based on government-wide legal, regulatory, and policy guidance as well as our best judgment on how to reconcile our national security requirements with the limitations imposed by a government shutdown. The fact that certain functions are not excepted or that certain personnel may be subject to furlough should not be taken as a statement that the secretary or I or the department do not value those functions or employees. Thank you for your continued service to the department and the nation.” For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Restaurant Review: Villa Marinella in La Sila National Park

Cherrye — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:00:31 +0000

There are many places you can go when you are traveling in Calabria near Catanzaro … you could see Le Castella, visit the ruins in Roccelletta or spend a morning driving through Sila Piccola in La Sila National Park.

And that, my friends, is what I want to talk about today.

If you’ve spent much time on this site, you know one of my favorite destinations in Calabria is La Sila. Maybe it is because I grew up in flat-land, Texas and love the idea of driving through winding mountain roads. Maybe it is the clean, fresh air-99.9% pure, or so they say … or maybe it is the view, from every little corner, of a glistening lake, a canopy of pine trees or a village, with bright Italian roofs dotting the landscape.

Or maybe it is because *the best restaurant I’ve been to in Italy* is located there.

Yes, I said it. The best restaurant in Italy.

… or at least, the best one I’ve been to … Villa Marinella.

Last fall my husband and I accidentally discovered this place when our old-faithful Silan restaurant of choice was booked. We drove the kilometer or so to Villaggio Racise and pulled in front of Villa Marinella.

They were busy-hustling and bustling, serving diners, smiling at each other, ensuring a positive pranzo experience for everyone they saw … even us.

“Do you have a reservation?” They asked.

Blushing, we looked down at the floor … “No, we don’t.”

“That’s ok!” The handsome, if I can say so, server told us. “We’ll find something for you. Just give us a few minutes.”

And they did.

I can’t remember all of the details, only dish after dish (after dish after dish after dish) being plopped in front of us-grilled eggplant and zucchini, stuffed eggplant, homemade sausage, cheese and prosciutto, five-count ‘em … five!-different samples of primi plates, including porcini crepes and spinach cannoloni … and homemade wine-direct from their personal vineyard near Lamezia-all for, get this, €18 a person.

We’ve returned to Villa Marinella several times since that day, usually for special occasions-like my birthday in January or a beautiful spring day in May and we love to take our friends there when they are visiting.

Just last week, we went again. This time, the restaurant was bare-just one other family in the corner and Luigi, the same cute, friendly server, grinning at the door.

“Is it too late?” We asked, since it was well after 2:00 and we knew the family-only staff might want to rest before the dinner rush.

“No,” he insisted. “Not at all. Choose your seat.”

We did and he immediately came over to offer suggestions.

“Our friend is here from Spain,” my husband told him. “So let’s just do a small antipasto-only with homemade stuff.”

“It’s all ours,” Luigi told us. “How about some prosciutto, salami, cheese and a mixed hot antipasto plate to share?”

“Ok,” my husband said. “But not too much and really, only bring the stuff you make yourselves.”

“But we make it all ourselves,” Luigi repeated proudly. “Even the prosciutto, it is ours, too.”

We ok’d the antipasto order and moved on to first and second plates.

“We have gnocchi alla crema di zucca,” he said, and listed a few other pasta dishes made with mushrooms and meat.

Luckily for me, I misunderstood “all zucca,” thought he said “alla zucchine” and ordered a sampler primi plate with half of the gnocchi dish and half pasta with pancetta and mushrooms.

And it was the best lingual mistake I’ve ever made.

Luigi and one of his cousins brought out the primi plates and both boys dove head first into my plate of gnocchi.

“They are fabulous.”
“Delicious.”
“Best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“His mom made them,” his cousin said, as she dropped off a few more plates and bounced back to the kitchen.

“Your mom?” I asked Luigi. “Mamma mia-che brava!”

“Yes,” he nodded, the same proud, patience smile fixed on us. “She makes all of the primi plates.

“My aunt makes all of the second dishes, my uncle and cousins do the cold antipasto, my sister does the hot antipasto and together my uncle and sister make desserts and “command” the kitchen. My dad organizes the main dining room and works the bar and my brother and I seat people, serve them their meals and work at the register.”

His eyes twinkled. “We all work here together. From the time we are about seven we start carrying water to people, offering them coffee, talking to our guests. We are so lucky.”

He turned toward the kitchen.

“Oh, by the way,” he told the boys, as he turned back to look at us. “The sausage you are eating is from our final pig last winter.”

He pointed out the window, “We have all of our gardens over there-and when we aren’t here, we are all together over there working in the land.”

He let out a long, happy sigh. “There is always something to do.”

He smiled, shrugged and walked away.

I continued to work on my gnocchi mountain, my head spinning in a drunken stupor, as the soft potato dumplings and light cream sauce danced on my tongue. The boys, already digging into their sausage and Silan potatoes, were quiet. There was nothing else to be said.

We all felt we had been let in on a family secret-a little slice of the Bianco family’s life-a tale that made us love them-and their homemade everything-even more.

Villa Marinella
88050 Villaggio Racise
Taverna (CZ)

I think the pillars of a great restaurant are fresh ingredients, consistency and service-and Villa Marinella has all three. What do you think is the most important thing to look for in a restaurant?

Traveling south? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

At a moss: Watch your steps

Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, PA) October 7, 2004 | Robert Stiffler Q Our walkway is paved with bricks and is slowly being covered with moss. Needless to say, they have become charming yet slippery. Short of regularly pouring bleach on the bricks, is there something better we could use to keep the moss under control? Someone suggested pool chemicals, but I am not familiar with those materials. – COLLEEN IN CONESTOGA A. The sure way to get rid of moss is to reduce the shade and improve air circulation in the area by pruning. Improving soil drainage, although that may not be possible in your situation, will help. site how to get rid of pimples overnight

Moss thrives in damp, shady situations. Anything you can do to improve that will help eliminate the moss. The product used most often to control moss is Roundup. However, the moss will come back if favorable growing conditions exist. I’d use Roundup now to get rid of it but then do some pruning and make other changes to get more sun and less moisture in the area.

A. Last week’s column gave detailed instructions on what you should do to your lawn this fall. Be aware that three weeks without rain in late August-early September made many lawns brown. It sounds like you may have grubs, and that requires a special treatment. A sure sign of grubs is if you can pick up the grass like a carpet. That often means grubs have eaten off the roots. Another sign is if you see a lot of birds pecking away in the grass. That means they’re finding and eating grubs.

Lancaster County extension agent Tim Elkner says to treat your lawn with a product specifically for grubs and carefully follow the directions. You can find these products in any garden center. I would treat the lawn for grubs at once and then follow the suggestions in last week’s column (to purchase a copy of the Sept. 30 Magazine section, call 291-8610) for the remainder of your lawn rejuvenation this fall.

Q. I want to find Preen but am unable to do so. I live in Lititz. – LITITZ LAWN-OWNER A. At www.lebsea.com, the manufacturers of Preen list these outlets near you: Bomberger’s Store, Route 501, Lititz; Esbenshades, Route 322, Lititz; Paul B. Zimmerman, 50 Woodcorner Road, Lititz; Stauffers of Kissel Hill, 1050 Lititz Pike, Lititz.

Q. I have so many thistles. I’d like to know how to get rid of them. I pull them up, but they come back again. Thanks. – ETHEL DEEMER, LITITZ A. In a garden or a flower bed of any kind, Roundup is the best control for thistles. They must be up and growing, and the air temperature should be above 65 degrees for Roundup to work. More than one spraying may be required. Never spray on a windy day, or other plants could be damaged.

In lawns, 2,4-D is the recommended product. I would try to find a product with the Trimec formula. It contains two other weed killers in addition to 2,4-D. More than one spray may be required. Be very careful with such formulations over the roots of trees or shrubs, for the product could damage them. see here how to get rid of pimples overnight

Q. What is the best spray to get rid of bagworms on pine trees? When is the best time to use the spray? – FRAN STOKES, MILLERSVILLE A. Best control for bagworms is picking them off and burning them or putting them in a sealed plastic bag in the garbage. Do this regularly. I know that is not always possible, but spraying sometimes does not eliminate them, because they hide inside the bag and sprays may not penetrate it. Do not toss the bags onto the ground, for eggs inside the bag will hatch and cause further problems.

Products to spray with include Orthene and Sevin. If you prefer an organic, use Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis. All of these are available in garden centers. The time to spray is mid-to-late June.

Garden cuttings Most herbs lose much of their flavor when dried. If you want fresh herbs for winter, pick their foliage before a frost, toss in a freezer bag and store in your freezer until needed. Some cooks freeze them in a cube of water.

Be sure to bring plants that have been outdoors for summer inside before a heavy frost. Some, such as Christmas cactus, should be left outdoors until a freeze is predicted, for that will help them set buds. Before bringing in any houseplant, examine it carefully for insects or their eggs. Either can create problems in a warm room. Wash in soapy water or use an insecticide outdoors, if necessary. If roots are extending outside the pot, the plant probably needs repotting.

Longwood Gardens is offering a series of environmentally friendly composting courses this fall. All are on Saturdays, starting Oct. 16. Topics include home composting, compost tea and worm composting in the house. Courses vary in cost from $39 to $59. For information, call 610-388-1000 ext. 516.

You can keep geraniums for years by bringing them indoors before a hard frost and putting them in a sunny southern window. Water a couple of times during the winter. In early May, clear out the old leaves, snip off long shoots, fertilize them with Osmocote, water and put them back outdoors to enjoy all summer. The long shoots should be allowed to lie in a warm, dry spot for a day or more so the cut ends can sear over and seal. Otherwise, the soft ends will rot if planted immediately after cutting. Don’t worry if they are allowed to sear even a week or so. Use the cuttings to fill in blank spots in the pots or plant in the garden to root and provide summer bloom. I took mine out of their pots and put them in a window box filled with sand in a sunny window in a garage that did not freeze. The secret is you must have a sunny window for wintering over.

Bob Stiffler is a freelance columnist.

Robert Stiffler

A Few Things to Love About Southern Italy

Cherrye — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:53 +0000

Last week my friend and expat-in-southern-Italy counterpart, Tina of Tina Tangos wrote about three things to love about living in Italy.

And yes, it is all about the food.

The thing is, Tina and I are both lucky not only to live in Italy, but to live in southern Italy, where the food is apparently that much better. So in addition to Tina’s three things to love, I’d like to add a few of my own.

1. Say Cheese

My husband got quite offended earlier this week when I was near tears at the local Lidl’s British Week when I discovered there was no more Cheddar Cheese.

“You are in Calabria, Cherrye,” he told me. “We have the best cheese in the world.”

Well, since I am yet to sample all of the world’s cheeses and have a few French friends who’d defriend me if I agreed, I’ll just say that yes, Calabria has great cheese.

In fact, Calabrian cheese, especially Provola di Sila and Pecorino Calabrese are some of my favorite things about Calabria, so if you see them when you are out and about, be sure to give them a try.

2. Peperoncino, Per Favore

Oh, I’ve written of my passion for the peperoncino many times over the years, still it is one of my favorite things about southern Italy and thus, merits another mention.

I love how Calabrians use the ever-popular pepper in most of their plates, then offer it freely for those (of us) who’d like to add a little more power to our pranzo. I love how they don’t look at you strangely if you add it to your pasta and how oftentimes you get your choice-fresh, dried or oil-for your pizza.

3. Melanzane Mania

Even in Texas I loved to top my dishes with a pretty pepper or a chunk of cheese, but it is the mighty melanzane-or eggplant, if you please, that has taken me by surprise. This pretty purple produce is great sliced and grilled, fried, rolled into a ball or baked. Unfortunately, perfection has alluded me and most of the time my melanzane ends up either old-soaked or dry. However, my father-in-law is the melanzane master, so luckily for me, I can still get my fill on this Calabrian specialty.

Ok, if you had to choose-what ONE food-related item do you love most about southern Italy?

This post was written on behalf of Affordable Calling Cards.net, the company that sells-you guessed it-affordable calling cards to Italy. You can either check out their calling cards or read posts written by other expats in the ACC community.

Traveling south? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Academia Barilla, Gusti di Calabria, Netturbe, Dolci e Non Solo (also a great source of Italian-language recipes).

Lucky Lady: At 95, Nettie Johnson still doesn’t give retirement much thought

The Billings Gazette (Billings, MT) July 30, 2007 | Benzel, Lance Some people look forward to retiring at 65. Nettie Johnson doesn’t see the point.

The 95-year-old Billings woman punches in at Won 800 Casino & Sports Pub in the Rimrock Mall six days a week, three hours a day. She’s been working at that location since December of 1979, back when it was a Papa John’s Restaurant, and she’s stirred the same taco salad recipe ever since. see here taco salad recipe

“I guess I just had a good start and kept on going,” she said.

Mayor Ron Tossing turned up for Johnson’s birthday celebration in June, and plaques from Gov. Brian Schwietzer and Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger were among her gifts that day. The adulation is nice and all, but Johnson doesn’t much see the point in that, either.

“I don’t do a whole lot around there anymore,” she said. “I’m a very private person, and I could live without all the fuss. But they’ve made a deal about it ever since I turned 90.” Johnson, who lives alone, likes her solitude. When she’s not working at Won 800 Casino, she reads mystery novels and historical fiction and watches baseball on television. She likes following individual players rather than teams; several of her favorites happen to play for the Atlanta Braves.

Her family, including two grown daughters in Billings, provides her all the company she needs.

She’s not sure what to credit for her continued good health. She rides a stationary bike in the mornings, working out as much as she can stand, and sticks to a few other rules.

“I never smoke,” she said. “And drinking, that’s another never.” Johnson, who was born 60 miles south of Kansas City, Mo., moved to Montana with her late husband Dean Johnson back in 1972. The couple opened a concrete lawn ornament store between Joliet and Fort Rockvale that remains open today under different ownership.

She was 67 when she started working at the restaurant, and was part of the acquisition when it was bought out by Won 800 Casino in 1991. She just went on preparing the taco salad, now available for $4.95. Johnson’s also responsible for preparing the vegetable soup, at $2.25 a cup and $3.25 a bowl. website taco salad recipe

Johnson won’t say a peep about the sauce in the taco salad, which she says sets it apart from other taco salads. But she’s glad to disclose one tip that keeps her going every day.

“I don’t take much sassin’ from anyone,” she said. “I just don’t pay much attention to it.” The same goes for all the attention. She doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea: Workers at Won 800 Casino are like her second family, she says, but she’d just prefer to keep things simple.

“I didn’t ask for all of this, and I didn’t think I needed it,” she said.

Benzel, Lance

A Tale of Calabria, Bergamot Oranges and a Tea Lover in Italy, by Laura Thayer

Cherrye — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:00:05 +0000

Last month I wrote an overview on Calabrian food and mentioned that, among other things, we boast the beautiful bergamot orange.

And this caught my friend’s attention.

Laura, an avid tea drinker and fellow expat in southern Italy was interested-and I do believe a tad jealous-and wanted to explore the bella bergamot.

So, let’s welcome her, shall we?

—

Those of you who have traveled to Italy will understand when I say that Italy is a coffee country. The morning traditionally starts with a cappuccino and the rest of the day punctuated with short, strong shots of espresso often served standing up at a bar. While this is a fine way to stay caffeinated, I’ve always preferred a nice cup of tea.

Yet, ordering a cup of tea in Italy makes me feel, well, like a tourist. And since enjoying a cup of tea also requires much more time than the average 30 seconds an Italian needs to enjoy a cup of espresso, I usually keep my tea preferences between myself and my large stockpile of tea at home.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered recently that bergamot, the distinctive scent that flavors Earl Grey tea (one of my favorites!), comes from bergamot oranges. And where, you might ask, are bergamot oranges grown? Just down south! South, that is, from where I live on the Amalfi Coast in Campania. I’ve never associated tea and Italy in any way, but, as it turns out, Calabria is the only place in the world where the climate is just right for bergamot oranges to grow naturally.

You’ll find groves of bergamot oranges growing along a stretch of the Calabrian coastline from Villa San Giovanni to Gioiosa Ionica, wrapping around the toe of Italy’s boot from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian Seas. These very particular citrus trees sure have a good taste when it comes to location!

But before you go peeling and biting into a bergamot orange, you should know that these pear-shaped, yellow fruits are thought to be a natural cross between a lime and a sour orange. This makes them quite sour to eat fresh. The juice and zest of the skin are often used in candies, liqueurs and pastries. The essential oil extracted from the skin of the bergamot is also used for perfumes, cosmetics and, of course, Earl Grey tea!

Calabria is a region of Italy I’ve longed to travel to and discover since I moved to Italy, and now I have just one more reason to lure me south. Next time as I sip my cup of Earl Grey tea, instead of feeling out of place in Italy’s coffee culture, I’ll be wondering instead if the bergamot in my cup of tea came from the beautiful coastline of Calabria.

Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.

***
Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photo: Laura Padgett and Jen Maiser

My Bella Vita » Recipes

In Pursuit of the Perfect Parmigiana

Salmon Risotto-Risotto al Salmone

World Nutella Day 2011: Nutella and Mandarin S'mores

First of the Month Recipe: Fagioli e Rape

Mamma Agata – Simple and Genuine Cookbook Review

My Calabria Cookbook Review ***and Giveaway***

Real Recipe Wednesday: Lagane e Ceci

Real Recipe Wednesday: Calabrese Lagane

Real Recipe Wednesday: Merluzzo e Pomodorini Pasta

Real Recipe Wednesday: Orecchiette con Pelati e Ricotta

Real Recipe Wednesday: Bucatini all’amatriciana

A Guide to Calabrian Breakfast

Real Recipe Wednesday: Sfogliatella

Real Recipe Wednesday: Mollica di Pane

Real Recipe Wednesday: Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Italian Coffee Terms Explained

If You are What You Eat, What Does That Say About Sicily's Milza?

Restaurant Review: Villa Marinella in La Sila National Park

A Few Things to Love About Southern Italy

A Tale of Calabria, Bergamot Oranges and a Tea Lover in Italy, by Laura Thayer

My Calabria Cookbook Review and Giveaway