Italian Feast

While in Italy we had some amazing food and I've been wanting to recreate some of our favorite meals and share them with friends. We even brought home some spices and pesto that I've been dying to try. And seriously, how could you not miss drinking Fanta? It's either that, wine, or sparkling water, which left us without much options. They also look at you funny when you ask for tap water. Go figure.
I love how meals are an event in Italy so I wanted to experience it the same way, dining al fresco of course.

The menu

Bevande: Orange Fanta

Antipasti: Bruschetta

1st Course: Spaghettie Carbonara

2nd Course: Grilled chicken with pesto

Dolci: Tiramisu

The meal was good, but I think the only thing worth noting was the tiramisu. For the recipe go here. When we were in Rome we had the best strawberry Tiramisu ever, which is why I replaced the raspberries with strawberries. I also ran out of time and couldn't get to the liquor store for the orange liqueur, so instead I squeezed the juice from two oranges and about 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and simmered over medium heat to infuse the flavors (it worked out quite well).

The best part really was the company! Thanks Dave, Brittany and Madeline for joining us.

Tomato Season

I had this for lunch today:

And it made me think of this:

One of the first things I had once I arived in Italy was Capreses Salad. We started winding the streets of Venice and found a little restaurant tucked in a street with beautiful outdoor dining and an accordian player. It was everything I had pictured when I thought of Italy.

So, since tomatoes are finally in season, I've been dying to have caprese salad again. I picked up some fresh mozzarella at Costco for just under $7 for 5 pounds last night and it's so good. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella up and add fresh basil, salt and pepper, and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegarette. Enjoy!

Keep it Simple

You want to know what the problem is when you eat Italian food in the States? Way too many ingredients. Seriously, the Italians know how to do it. They keep it simple.

Dinner typically starts at around 8:00pm and you first start off with appetizers, which for us was either caprese or bruschetta. Then you move on to the first course, which is pasta. The pasta consists of noodles and a sauce (no meat, extra veggies, or cheeses). Then you move on to the second course, meat. Typically fish, but sometimes you'll see a red meat or chicken. Then dessert, always dessert. And lastly, a cappuccino or coffee (and if you decline they look at you funny). In between each course they talk and smoke and hang out. It turns into quite the event, lasting at least 2 hours.

While in Rome we found a tiny restaurant tucked away in a little street, where I had the best pasta of my life. It was Spaghetti Carbonara, pictured above, which consists of bacon, eggs, and cheese. That's it. Anyone have a great recipe? I'm dying to test it!

Lunch pretty much consisted of caprese sandwiches. Tomato, mozzarella (the freshest I've ever had), and basil on a roll. That's it. Soooo good!

This may not seem to surprising to those of you who know me, but my favorite place also happened to have the best food. Vernazza, Italy - check it out (the picture speaks for itself).

Pike's Place Market

So I'm all about food that doesn't require a recipe. I was in Seattle's Pike Place Market and they had this amazing cheese shop (the sight of cheese makes me drool a little) called Beecher's, so I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and homemade macaroni and cheese. I hate to admit it, but it was so good that it's probably what I'll remember most about my trip. The first thing I did when I got home was recreate the grilled cheese masterpiece.
Assembly:
Sourdough bread (or an italian bread)
A red pesto sauce (I concocted my own - don't ask)
Havarti cheese
Fresh basil
Tomatoes
Cracked pepper

Grill and enjoy!

Tish