wintry

EATALY

That's right. It happened. This is the closest to a pilgrimage I'll ever get, and it was wonderful. I get dizzy just thinking about it. Imagine fifty different kinds of olive oil, a gelato bar, a counter where you can buy fresh pasta by the kilogram, fifteen different kinds of prosciutto, a wine selection that makes your head spin, and Lidia Bastianich's son in Prada shoes (no really, he was there). Yes, I saw all of these things. And yes, it was glorious. I nearly had a heart attack doing it, but I made it out of there with a loaf of olive bread, some pasta, and a bottle of wine.

If you don't know what EATALY is, then here you go. Also - we are no longer friends.










making pasta

carciofi

weigh and price your own veggies - just like in Italia!

la piazza

All the tomatoes.

l'autunno

There are few things I like more than Autumn. And there are few things I like more than farmer's markets. So when you put the two together - watch out, I might explode from sheer joy.

radishes

regular, red, and yellow swiss chard

red, green, yellow tomatoes

pumpkins and kiddies

Téa eating a fall-themed vegan cupcake (I didn't tell her it was vegan. Muahahahaha)

hahahaha

Thanks you David Leibovitz

fluffernutter cookies

After hostessing during the brunch shift on Saturdays and Sundays all summer, I have now rediscovered the weekend. Saturdays are meant for shopping, excursions to the city, walking in the park/pretending to run, or playing with kitties for hours on end. Sundays are meant for the farmer's market (where I buy provisions for the week, i.e. lots and lots of kale), GRE homework, guitar practice, and baking.
Sundays are my dolce far niente days, an Italian phrase that literally means "sweet doing nothing". It's the joy you find in doing little things, things that to the outside world have absolutely no value and aren't especially noteworthy, but that you find immense joy in. Americans (especially New Yorkers) tend to micromanage every single aspect of their lives, even on days that are meant to be relaxing. So instead of rushing around tryingtodoeverylittlethingyouhavetodoonyourdayoff, have a bath. Enjoy a slice of cake. Spend your day making a huge pot of soup.
One of my favorite parts of baking is sharing. So when my bff Nina decided to throw a housewarming party, inspiration struck. Peanut butter cookies (that I had mastered a few weeks prior to this), meet homemade marshmallow fluff.

eccolavita: the remix

I really do feel bad that I'm not blogging as much as I was. Although I don't have a huge following (hi, friends and family!), it is something I really love doing for myself. After four years of writing nothing but research papers, reports and translations, it feels glorious to be able to write for myself again.
But now, I have a lack of material. As much as I love my new job, I'm not really doing that much with my language skills. Working every day means I don't have the opportunity to seek out new restaurants or bakeries. It also means I don't have as much time to bake. And I'm not in Italy, and won't see that glorious paese until the end of March.
But then I started to think what this blog was really meant to be. I started it in Milano as an attempt to understand the Italian lifestyle through my own American upbringing. I love Italy (as you might have already guessed), but I could never live there indefinitely. There are certain things I can't compromise - diversity, equal rights, and whole grains, to name a few - that for now, just aren't as prevalent there as they are here.
Does this mean this blog is obsolete? I don't think so. Because anyone who knows me knows I love Italy. I talk about it all the time. I am constantly referencing my experiences teaching, studying abroad, and living with my second family, the Richichis. I still need to eat pizza once a week. Even if I'm not currently in practice, being an Italophile is a full-time job.
So rather than defend myself after a month of not blogging, I will attempt to blog more, and ask that you, readers, keep something in mind: the Italian is still in there, it's just not as obvious.

officially a working woman.

I haven't been blogging for two main reasons.

1) I was waiting for something interesting to blog about. I honestly haven't been doing much. And I definitely haven't been doing anything Italian related.

2) I have recently become a vegan. I know! Shocking! But it's going really well, and hey, if there's any place to easily transition to being a vegan, New York is it. When I go back to Italy, it will go out the window (most Italians are still struggling with the concept of "vegetarianism"). But it affects this blog because I haven't been going on as many culinary adventures. However, I have still been baking, so I will try to take more photos of that.

The only dramatic thing that has happened to me recently is the crazy weather we've been having in Brooklyn. First there was the tornado, and on Monday there was a ridiculous hail storm.

And just for kicks, some old-world Italy:

reunion d'amore

I recently met up with my besties from my year abroad in Philadelphia. We had a long overdue weekend together, full of girly bonding (read: mani/pedis and reading aloud from Cosmopolitan magazine - I kid you not), delicious food (of course there are pictures, do you even have to ask?) and lots and lots of vino.

I promise, I have more important things coming. But just to tie you over:

The image of Italian-Americans, glorified by the cast of Jersey Shore once again.

scusa

I know it's been a while, but I have an excuse: I got a job! Teaching, again, but doing perhaps the polar opposite of what I was doing in Italy. This time, I'm teaching pre-school. And since I'm in no way accustomed to a real work schedule, I've been absolutely exhausted. But things are looking up! Fall is arriving, which promises delicious new dishes (butternut squash gnocchi, anyone?) and pretty pictures of Brooklyn (and hopefully other places).

And I am no longer a hostess extraordinaire, so I can spend my weekends doing weekendy things, like shopping at the farmer's market and buying fresh vegetables (like these watermelon radishes) and baking (these peanut butter sandwich cookies, for example). Yes, things are definitely looking up.

The Castello Plan

Ditmas Park is one of those neighborhoods in Brooklyn that to me, defines what makes Brooklyn so special. It doesn't cater to a specific demographic (i.e. the mommy-and-me crowd of Park Slope, or the yuppie crowd of Williamsburg); there are some wonderful, independently owned shops and restaurants which perfectly complement the strong presence of original corner delis and old businesses. Don't get me wrong - I am a proud resident of Park Slope, and I frequent Williamsburg quite regularly. I am not a hypocrite. I just happen to be in love with this neighborhood (did I mention the Victorian houses that look like something straight out of New England?)

I am even more thoroughly convinced that this is where I want to be after having one of the most memorable meals of my life at The Castello Plan, a wine bar that also serves exceptional food, tapas style. For you cheese-lovers, they have happy hour pairings of wine and cheese for $10, and a very conscious selection of cheeses (so I'm told). They boast an extensive and very affordable wine list which is mostly dominated by French wines, but their other selections are top-notch. Last (but never least), the food is amazing. Don't believe me? I have pictures!


the wine list, appealing even before you read the selection





shaved cabbage salad with pickled carrots and sesame oil

cucumber salad with fresh dill



crostini (truffled yam, stewed mushrooms) and salumi (finocchietta, caccaitorini, coppa)

the end of the summer

Before there was Reggio, and Chiara, and granita, and all those other things that have since defined summer for me, there was Cape Cod. My family has been going there ever since I was three years old, and our annual trek north-eastward marks the end of the summer. Here are some snapshots of just a few things that define my time there:













fried clams!



fruit crumble (pre-crumble)

s'mores

lobstah

homemade grahams

As you can see, it's mostly beach and food. Not much different than my summers in Reggio. Except there definitely wasn't a threat of shark attack in Italy, thus prohibiting me from getting in the water.