COMFORT FOOD ITALIAN STYLE!

If you're in the states, chances are pretty good that you've experienced some snow this winter.  Many of you might have experienced snow to the extreme, and there have been some pretty frigid temperatures to go along with that snow.  Here in Umbria it's been pretty darn cold, with temps dipping into the teens a couple of times, and it's not unusual for us to dip below freezing.  All in all our winter hasn't been as rough as it is in other parts of the world, but still the gray gloomy days of winter make me want to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

We've also been enjoying some good ole comfort food - a big pot of chili,  macaroni and cheese, a nice pork roast and potatoes in the oven to warm not only the soul but also the kitchen - and make the house smell great in the process.  Today we had some comfort food Italian style:  risotto.  Risotto at it's best is creamy and filling, and this recipe is also the perfect one pot meal.  Add a salad if you like, and lunch is served!






Risotto with Pancetta and Pumpkin

1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta, cut into ¼” strips

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb pumpkin (or butternut squash) cut into 1 ½” by ¼” sticks

8 sage leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

¾ cup white wine

5 1/2 cups chicken stock

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 ½ cups arborio rice

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving


In a large skillet, cook the pancetta over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a medium bowl. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the fat in the skillet. Add the pumpkin and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the sage, salt and pepper, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the pumpkin to the bowl with the pancetta. (Make ahead tip: The pancetta and pumpkin can be refrigerated overnight. Return to room temperature before using.)

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Continue adding the stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring constantly until it is nearly absorbed before adding more. The risotto is done when the rice is just tender but still has a bit of a 'bite' and the liquid is creamy, about 20 minutes.

Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the 1/2 cup of Parmesan into the risotto. Gently fold in the pumpkin and pancetta. Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.


Next time I'll probably try substituting sausage for the pancetta, just to compare, but this version was delicious - and very comforting.

OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - Day 4 - BARCELONA 4

Last but not least, our day in Barcelona included a ramble down las Ramblas, the tree-lined pedestrian mall. Just off las Ramblas is the Gothic Quarter, with many buildings dating back to the 15th century.



There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - Day 4 - BARCELONA 3

La Bogueria - Barcelona's food market - wow! Here's a slideshow of all the photos I took at la Boqueria - no need for words:



There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - Day 4 - BARCELONA 2

Here’s Rick Steves’ take on Gaudi’s Barcelona:



and two short videos I took inside la Sagrada Familia -







There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - Day 4 - BARCELONA 1

Barcelona – I’d heard it was a great city, but really knew nothing about it. Kind of embarrassing, but our transatlantic cruise gave me the opportunity to read about Barcelona and try to make good use of the limited time we’d have there.

Barcelona is full of museums and galleries: a Picasso museum, National Museum of Catalan Art, a gallery featuring works by Miro – with whom I AM familiar, since Louisville has a couple of Miro sculptures – plus the Olympic stadium, used for the 1992 Olympics, but originally built for the Great Exhibition of 1929. Then there’s the Gothic Quarter, which originated during the Roman period, and has many buildings from the 13th to 15th centuries. And last, but certainly not least, are the many buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi. The largest, most elaborate and most amazing of these buildings is, at least in my opinion, the church of La Sagrada Familia.


La Sagrada Familia was first proposed in 1874, and construction began in 1882. Gaudi devoted 43 years of his life to this project, but it certainly wasn’t his only accomplishment. While reading about the various Gaudi buildings in Barcelona, my first impression was that he was just weird! His buildings are very bizarre, curving and odd-shaped, yet once I saw and read information about the building of La Sagrada Familia, my opinion changed completely. This guy was truly a genius, and waaay ahead of his time. His application of geometry allowed him to create designs so radical that he once wondered if his designs were really possible – he said that if they were, wouldn’t someone else have thought of them before?

After studying various tourist information sites about Barcelona and checking both a city map and a Metro (Barcelona’s underground transit system) map, we came up with a plan. We wanted to see as much as we could without feeling rushed, so this was our plan: once we arrived at the foot of Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s long, tree-lined pedestrian mall, we’d take the Metro to La Sagrada Familia. This required that we change trains once, but we were pretty sure we were up to the challenge. We would then spend as much time at La Sagrada Familia as we needed before heading back to the far end of Las Ramblas (the end closest to La Sagrada Familia), then we’d stroll down Las Ramblas, taking slight detours to visit the ancient Gothic quarter as well as the famous food market, La Bogueria.

Because we were so blown away by La Sagrada Familia, I’m going to post some photos today; tomorrow you’re likely to see even more pics of La Sagrada Familia – it was really, really interesting. Oh, and did I mention that it’s not scheduled to be finished until (hopefully) 2026? That would make the total build time 144 years!























There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE - Day 3 - VILLEFRANCHE

Just a few pictures of Villefranche, and a short video…













Here's another Rick Steve's video highlighting Villefranche:



There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

WORLD NUTELLA DAY - FEBRUARY 5

Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Expresso
team up every year to promote World Nutella Day.  Although Nutella is readily available in the states, I didn’t discover it until we started coming to Italy, but better late than never, right? Everyone who knows me knows that I lovelovelove chocolate of any kind.  For those of you who don’t know, Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread that has sooooooo many uses – eat it with a spoon, spread it on bread or a crepe, top ice cream with it, or, as many of us have done, incorporate it into a recipe! Here’s my contribution for this year’s World Nutella Day:


Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake, courtesy of Lauren Chattman, from her new cookbook, “Cake Keeper Cakes”


1 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
One 13 oz jar Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly grease and flour a 9” x 5” loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 ½ cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter Swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

Make ahead The pound cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Here's the cake - before and after...











In the comment section, Rosemary wrote about her Cockeyed Cake, and someone else requested that recipe, so here it is, and here's the link to that post on Bob and Rosemary's blog: LIVE CHEAP MAKE ART


Rosemary's COCKEYED CAKE

Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Grease and flour a 9” cake pan

Mix dry ingredients together:
1-1/2 cups flour
3 TBSP cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Add:
5 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP apple vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Then add 1 cup cold water

Stir it all together till smooth. Bake for about a half hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Top with chocolate frosting if desired. Here in Italy, I used Nutella!