Under the Tuscan Sun

Ciao! We are back from an amazing vacation in Italy where we trekked around Rome and ate and drank our way through Tuscany! We started (and ended) our trip in Rome which is still one of my favorite cities.

I love the way the old (really old) blends in with the new and how the frantic pace of the people is balanced by the calm beauty of the statues and fountains. It is truly a city that has it all. One moment you can be dodging mopeds on a busy street only to turn a corner and find yourself strolling down a peaceful cobblestone alley lined with flower boxes. There is so much to do and see in Rome, I am impressed with how much ground we covered in two days!

Yet we still found time to sit in piazzas and drink wine and enjoy gelato by the Trevi Fountain!

Tuscany

Then we headed to Tuscany where we rented a villa with eight of our friends. We stayed at a villa called Podere Pamaio just outside of Arezzo. To say this place was spectacular is an understatement. I literally had butterflies in my stomach as we drove up the gravel path and saw the villa for the first time. The pictures and website did not do it justice.

The villa is what they call Agritourismo – which basically means vacation on a farm- however, not in the “milk the cow and shovel manure” kind of way! The house is located on a vineyard. The owners grow and sell their own grapes and are planning to make their own wine next year. They are currently in the process of building a “cantina” where they will make the wine and open it for tourists for wine tasting. They also grow olives and make their own olive oil which is delicious. The kitchen in the villa was stocked with the olive oil and we used it a lot!

In addition to the beautiful setting, Monica (one of the owners) would bring us fresh fruit and vegetable boxes straight from the garden. I was in heaven!

We actually cooked at the villa two nights using food “from the land.”

As if we weren’t spoiled enough by the spacious house, infinity pool and breathtaking views- Monica also brought us homemade tortes (her specialty) and homemade biscotti!

Why we would ever leave the villa is a good question- but we did manage to get ourselves out and visit a number of Tuscan towns. We had many adventures including amazing meals and wine. So I will share with you some of the culinary highlights:

The Market at Campo di Fiori in Rome:

(zucchini flowers)

(prosciutto)

Fettuccine Tartufo (black truffle sauce)....

my favorite meal of the trip (I think.... )

Zuchinni Flowers
stuffed with ricotta cheese and sweet pea sauce

Pici with Duck Ragu
(a traditional Tuscan pasta)

Crepe with Black Truffles
with a Pecorino cheese sauce (look at all those shaved truffles!!!)

Scampi Risotto

Our Loot
We brought home A LOT of wine and olive oil (including truffle oil!)

It was an amazing trip!

This way our view each night from the Villa....

Banana Bread

Our family dog Shadow recently passed away. He was 13 years old and lived a great life. However, that doesn't make it any easier. We all loved him and he was a member of our family. So I decided to make a Banana Bread for my parents and mail it up to them. However, my first attempt failed miserably. I used a recipe from Joy of Cooking and it came out terribly. Maybe it was because I used frozen bananas? Either way, my second attempt: I went to my tried and true Martha Stewart for a recipe. This one came out great!

Comforting Banana Bread

from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Blondies

Happy Birthday Regina!

Since I couldn't make it up to NYC for her actual birthday, I decided to send up some baked goods in my place! And what better choice than a dessert from the famous NYC Magnolia Bakery?! I got this recipe from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, who adapted it from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. I made some further adaptations and the result was quite tasty! (I haaaad to sample one :)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (omitted)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate (omitted)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and lightly flour and 8 inch square baking pan.In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the peanut butter and the sugars until smooth about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips (reserve 2 tbs). Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chips evenly over the top and, using a spatula, gently press into the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake! Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

We are back from an amazing vacation in Italy where we trekked around Rome and ate and drank our way through Tuscany! There will be a lot more about the trip to come…

For now, I was in need of a quick and easy (but tasty!) dessert for Family Dinner so I decided to make these Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars. I was in the mood for a cookie/bar type dessert- something everyone could eat out of their hands while we gathered around the TV to look at pictures from our trip! Plus, the marshmallow/chocolate combination made me think of s’mores and therefore an appropriate homage to the final days of summer. I found this recipe on one of my new favorite food blogs Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. The great recipes, witty life musings and gorgeous photographs make this one of my favorite sites (ahem… see new feature to the right- “My Favorite Websites”). I adapted her recipe by using boxed brownie mix (gasp!) since I was in a pinch for time. I couldn’t taste the difference!

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Brownie Ingredients: (I used Betty Crocker Triple Fudge Brownie Mix)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (I used a 9X9 inch pan). Make brownies according to directions on the box… OR…..

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes. While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal, and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3×3-inch bars or 9 large bars!

Happy Anniversary!

Three years ago (wow! THREE!) Tony and I got married on August 5, 2005. It was a spectacular day filled with amazing family, friends, dancing and food! followed by an even better marriage :) Our anniversary fell on a Tuesday this year- not the most exciting day of the week. So we decided to have a quiet dinner at home and get LOBSTERS! This has sort of become a tradition... encouraged by the really fun lobster tools and gadgets we were smart enough to register for and received as gifts! So our delicious anniversary menu included:

Champagne (Prosseco)

Steamed Lobster

Baked Potatoes with Chives and Sour Cream

Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Juice

Molten Chocolate Babycakes

Since we had to make dinner after both coming home from work that night, we kept the menu quite simple. The only recipe I used was for the Molten Chocolate Babycakes (I made these in exchange for Tony going to pick up the lobsters on his way home from work!). I was originally just going to get some strawberries and chocolate for dessert (keeping with the low maintenance menu) but I was at my friend Stephanie's house the night before and she was planning to make these cakes for her new boyfriend. She promised me they were simple to make and delicious and she even gave me two ramekins to make them in. With Tony standing there drooling as she described them, how could I say no?

Well.... I probably should have! The actual batter was very easy to prepare. The only problem was the execution. They took longer than I thought to bake and then these bad boys did NOT want to come out of the ramekins, resulting in a heaping pile of chocolate mess on the plate instead of a cute, dainty, individual cake. They were DELICIOUS! But definitely not pretty, and we certainly did not look pretty eating them! (hence the lack of photographic evidence). Anyway, here is the recipe, dare I ever try to make these again!:

Molten Chocolate Babycakes
(adapted from Nigella Lawson: How To Be A Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking)

Ingredients

(Serves 6, but I cut the recipe in half and made only 2)

¼ cup soft, unsalted butter (plus more for greasing)
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° putting in a baking sheet at the same time
2. Trace custard cup on baking parchment, cut out 6 disks and press them into the base of the custard cups
3. Melt chocolate and let it cool slightly
4. Cream together the butter and sugar and gradually beat in the eggs, salt and then vanilla
5. Add the flour and when all is smoothly combined, scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter
6. Divide the batter between the 6 custard cups
7. Take baking sheet out of the oven, arrange the custard cups and replace it in oven
8. Cook for 10 (if you make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it, bake for 12 minutes) (Cooking time for 2 was more like 15-20 minutes)
9. Tip the babycake onto a small plate or shallow bowl as soon as you take them out of the oven (GOOD LUCK!)
10. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche, custard or ice cream

Lemon Spaghetti

(adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian)

This was a really easy weeknight dinner that looked and tasted great! Very light- perfect for a summer evening. I followed Giada's recipe but added a few ingredients I had in the fridge- steamed broccoli, artichokes and arugula. That's it!

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used arugula instead)

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Classic Summertime Dinner

I hosted our book club meeting this month. We read I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It was a fun book to read for the summer and made for some interesting discussions. The author is our age (29) and the book is a collection of humorous essays about a number of topics we could all relate to including childhood, first job, moving, college experiences and family drama. For dinner I prepared a light and summery meal:

Lemonade
Watermelon and Feta Salad
Pressed Panini Sandwiches
Strawberry Shortcake

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Ingredients

1 small seedless watermelon, cut into small cubes
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Mixed lettuce (I used red leaf and arugula)
4 ounces feta cheese
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper to create the dressing. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, onion, watermelon and feta. Toss with dressing to taste.

Pressed Panini Sandwiches

Using my Cuisinart Griddler, I made an assortment of pressed panini sandwiches:

Grilled eggplant, mozzarella and tomato

Grilled zucchini, yellow squash and mozzarella

Prosciutto, arugula and mozzarella

Directions

First, heat up the Griddler and prepare the vegetables for grilling. Cut the eggplant and tomato into thin rounds. Slice the zucchini and squash lengthwise into thin strips. Drizzle with olive oil and grill the vegetables until soft and tender. In the meantime, begin to slice Italian bread to make as many individual sandwiches as you need. I used a baguette for the prosciutto sandwiches (cut lengthwise and then across) and extra large Italian rolls for the grilled vegetable sandwiches (cut lengthwise and then in half).

Next, in a small bowl whisk together a generous amount of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Using a grill brush, sweep the olive oil mixture over each half of the bread, creating a base coat. Once the breads are prepared, begin to layer the assorted grilled vegetables and sliced mozzarella onto your breads (careful not to stuff them too full). Place the completed sandwiches in the Griddler and press in batches until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp.

For the prosciutto sandwiches, I brushed the baguette with olive oil, salt and pepper and layered thin slices of prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula. I then heated the individual sandwiches in the toaster over at 350 degrees until the bread is just lightly toasted and the cheese is soft.