Cannoli Siciliani

Cannoli, is my second favorite dessert, right behind the cream puffs that M makes. Eh.Si. Recently while on my commute home from work, I made a quick hop off the tram and stepped into my favorite pasticceria (pastry shop) Clivati. I was on a mission to select a dessert to surprise M with and it was no easy task. Who am I kidding? The choices are endless and you absolutely cannot go wrong with any choice. As I tried to some what contain my excitement, I quickly stepped up the counter, ordered the cannoli and was on my way. One of the most lovely things I enjoy about living in Italy is how they are so proud of their presentation of cuisine, especially desserts! They wrapped up the cannoli in a beautiful package and I was on my way home!

Cannoli siciliani are a speciality originating in Sicily. They can be found fresh in almost any pasticceria anywhere in Italy. A fried pastry dough tube filled with ricotta, mascarpone, chocolate pieces & candied orange zest. Mmmm.

Cinnamon Apple Pie with a layer of marmalade by Michele

breakfast sweets?

When I first moved to Italy, I realized that breakfast is well, simple. Typically, a coffee. Sometimes a sweet brioche, or cookies. That is it. Where's the yogurt, granola, fruit or omelet? Surely you can find, make those, however those are not typical "go to" breakfast options that most Italians would choose. I know, very hard to imagine that I would pass up a chocolate or marmalade filled croissant. Yummmm! Instead M has now learned that we always have plain yogurt in the fridge. Always. That's why I was laughing as I saw a bowl of leftover praline cream and a baguette on the table for breakfast on a recent Sunday. The coffee was on the way... 

Only in Europe is it perfectly acceptable to eat sweet leftover praline cream on a soft baguette and call it breakfast! It's a bit like eating birthday cake for breakfast the day after your birthday. It seems so wrong, but taste so good! I know it may be hard to difficult to imagine me (the biggest sweet tooth) to almost resist a sweet for breakfast and opt for the plain boring yogurt with a bit of granola. However there was leftover praline cream and well...it was so gooood! 

Barchette Verdura

A new vegetable barchette* has docked in our kitchen!

Puff pastry dough, chunky tomato sauce, ricotta & herbs all wrapped in a slice of zucchini 

*barchette: small boat inspired appetizer first introduced here 

Homemade Ravioli

filled with pumpkin & speck

sprinkled with parmigiano reggiano

Paris Brest

Choux Pastry dough filled with Praline Cream

Made by Michele 

for his parents 50th Wedding Anniversary dessert

We first enjoyed Paris Brest in France in 2009. See previous post with history of Paris Brest here

Herring & Zucchini blossom fritters

Michele whipped up some zucchini blossom fritters and herring for dinner the other night. Paired with garlic buttered baguette. Zucchini blossoms fried in beer batter are quite common in Michele's family and across Italy. This was my first time and I cannot wait to have them again. Yummm!

Buon Compleanno Michele!

This year's birthday called for the Swedish "Carl-Gustav Cake" also known as the "King's cake." Sponge cake layered with cream, chocolate, meringue center, covered in a layer of marzipan and sprinkled with cocoa. We could not find the king's cake last year, so he chose the princess cake*. Poor guy. This year...he was pretty excited to have found the king's cake. Paired with a magnum of Prosecco of course. Oh so good!

ps. He's enjoying his new Canon 70d birthday gift :)

*The princess cake is slightly different, layered with a jam instead of meringue and green marzipan instead of yellow. Both are delicious!

Norrfallsviken & Storsand beach

Recently, we had lunch with some friends at a local restaurant in Norrfallsviken and then spent the afternoon in the sun, sand and enjoying the views. Mozy enjoyed his first trip to the beach, racing up and down the water's edge enjoying every second of it.

 Herring, mashed potatoes & lingonberry sauce

Smoked salmon, potatoes & salad

 Storsand

The first photo I tried to capture. This dog is just too fast!

Currants

Red, White and Black currants all grown in our yard. Michele made marmalade with all three types as well as gooseberry! Perfect for toast and atop pancakes in the autumn and winter months. Mmm!

Gooseberries

Supermarket Surprise!

It's not every day that a quick trip to the supermarket to buy milk or bread ends with a find like Ben & Jerry's!!! I am not sure who was more excited when Michele returned to the car. He was giddy and could hardly wait to tell me that he found it. Likewise, I squealed with excitement because, I have not seen Ben & Jerry's in more than a year. We laughed like two young kids buying candy at the supermarket without a parent's permission. Ha! I know I know, Italy has some pretty fantastic gelato. However, a little taste of Americana now and then is really nice!

Moose Roast

Moose Roast & Potatoes

The other night we made moose roast for the first time. Michele had never tasted wild game before, so this was a new experience for him. He was beyond excited to try it. Although I have tasted deer and elk before, this was a slightly different taste. Roasted in a onion soup, apple juice style broth and a few spices.

Fiore di Zucchini

Fiore di Zucchini 
Best enjoyed fried, stuffed with cheese and baked, in a quiche etc.

Gnocchi

By far, the best gnocchi I have tasted in Italy thus far! Imagine potato dumplings with a creamy gorgonzola cheese and a kick of hot peperoncino! Buonissimi!!!

Gnocchi gorgonzola & peperoncino!

More info about gnocchi here

breakfast for dinner?

Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner once in a while? 

Pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips, maple syrup and a side of bacon! 

Thanks Aunt Vickie for the pumpkin pancake mix, chocolate chips 

& Joanna & Mike for the maple syrup!!!

Driver

Don't worry, not only do I have my passport now...I know exactly where we're going! 

ps. 

I'm pretty sure someone told me that there would be a special salame on this 5 hour tour! 

The views, the motorbikes racing through the countryside and my face pressed up against the cracked window (oh that fresh mountain air) was worth it...even if I only got a sniff of the salame! 

-Mozy

 View from the top of the Passo Penice mountains

A regional salame from Monte Penice, Lombardia

Olio & Aceto

Recently while out and about, I decided to check out a little shop that I've walked past a number of times. Imagine a shop that you can choose from a variety of olive oils, balsamic vinegars, liquors, spiced salts and tapenades! As I walked in, I explained in my best Italian that I was looking for a gift to be best paired with meats for a BBQ! You choose the size and shape of bottle you desire, then the type of "olio" extra virgin olive oil or "aceto balsamico" balsamic vinegar. They bottle it right there while you wait and handwrite the type on the bottle. The highlight was definitely the "taste test" of multiple types before deciding on a pure extra virgin olive oil infused with rosemary, a second with garlic and a balsamic vinegar with black currant. On the way out the door, I received a few samples of the pear balsamic and oil with lemon to try!

More Info at: http://vomfass.it/

Pasqua 2011 / Easter

Let's begin with dessert!

Chocolate coated, marzipan filled eggs from Sweden!

 Pastiera Napoletana

(prior to bake)

A traditional Italian dessert made with ricotta, eggs, wheat, milk, candied citron fruits, orange zest.

Click here for more about Pastiera

 p.s. Enjoyed with Prosecco of course!

Dinner

pork steaks

grilled zucchini, eggplant & sweet onions

bread, 

olives 

marinated onions

frittata di risotto con la seppia*

Birra Menabrea...Molto buona!!! 

*seppia: a type of cuttlefish, similar to squid with ink!

sweet onions & salami

Castagnaccio

by Michele

A dense cake made with chestnut "castagna" flour to give the rich flavor and color. The crackle effect and density is similar to that of a brownie. However, the chestnut flour, pinenuts, rosemary and raisins give it a very unique flavor that can only be described once tasted!