Still cooking, still eating, still loving it

I've been away from the blog for a while, but not from food, or from sharing my passion with others, which is what I love to do. As a matter of fact "this" has become my full time job for the past 4 years. I have managed the Cooking Demo department of a beautiful Grocery Store in town and have loved it passionately. It sure has kept me busy, though, having consequently to slow down with all of my other activities, to include my private cooking classes, which I have limited to those upon request of my regulars, versus offering group classes at my house like I used to. I still cook and I still love it. One of the things I have recently rediscovered is bread. I used to bake bread a lot, when I was younger, but I somehow had lost it along the way. It's not difficult, but it does take time, which has become a luxury for me, lately. I am very pleased with the result of this going back to my first love, though. The one you see up there and down here is a nice Ciabatta that I have baked in the house. Love my crusty bread! Now life is taking me away from Texas and therefore from my job. I have mixed feelings about it. I know for a fact I am going to miss San Antonio and all the possibilities it has offered me, but at the same time I am welcoming the excitement of a new turn in my life, and, at least for a while, the gift of time, to use for my family and my food. And possibly to come back to this blog a little more often and share my mood through my food with you.

Picky Eaters? Take Action: It's Never Too Soon!

More on the subject of cooking with children.

I am presently working on some "Mommy and Me" cooking classes.
I have always been a strong believer that when you allow your child to participate to the cooking process for the family meals, chances are you lower your risk of raising a picky eater, with great benefits for everybody involved. It does require a little investment in patience and paper towels, but it pays back big time in so many ways!

Among the many basic concepts that I think my son got out of spending a lot of time in the kitchen with me, is that single ingredients might not be so appealing on their own but they become yummy when combined with something else. So you get a lot less of those "...but I dont' like (this or that)", or "is there any (this or that) in here?" when a plate is presented in front of them.
Like, for instance, onions are not exactly candies, right? But you love the tomato sauce on your spaghetti, which would not be as sweet and tasty without them. Look what we did with spinach, chicken, cheese and eggs the other day! Turned them into this lovely savory pie that we made from scratch, crust included!




I have to say that being able to "create" something with their own hands plays a big role too. My son in particular has always been the "builder". He loves seeing the result of his hours spent with Legos and similar. So give him some labor and let him see the outcome and he'll be as happy as he could be.



At this point pride comes on the scene too: could they ever admit that their creation taste anything less than amazing? There you go..."I made it, I'm eating it, it's the best ever!".
Now change ingredients and recipes as often as possible, and you have a child that has been exposed to a variety of foods and that is not afraid to try new things. Priceless, trust me!

In a Spanish mood

I know, I know...people expect to read about Italian food on here, but what can I do? Summertime makes me think of all the summer vacations I spent in Spain and I loved it every time!

Food over there, needless to say, is very similar to our traditions (they don't call Italians and Spanish "the cousins" for nothing): lots of seafood, lots of bite-size apetizers, lots of vegetables and...lots of time spent at the table enjoying good dishes and good drinks.

So here is an example of a classic, super-simple Spanish-inspired dinner at my house:

We start out with some sort of tapas, such as marinated grilled veggies and olive and almonds pate', both spreaded over slices of crusty bread





Could it ever be a Spanish dinner without a made from scratch Paella? Uh-uh, I don't think so. Here we go:





Yeah, I'm full now and already start to think the world is a better place, but still...how about some dessert? Vanilla ice-cream and berries marinated in a watermelon vinaigrette, maybe?




Just imagine all of the above and a glass of chilled homemade Sangria (don't you even touch one of those pre-made mix in a bottle).

Yeah, there are ways to make the sun shine even if it's late at night or it's cloudy out there...

Fingerlicking Good!

Back to the subject of cooking with your children!

It still amazes me how much I accomplished with my son in terms of being receptive with different food, just by letting him be a part of the cooking process. It's that simple: if he makes it, he eats it!

Yes, there is a price to pay in cleaning up afterwards and spending more time than you would like in the kitchen, but it's priceless to hear your child to actually ASK you for the "Super-salad" for dinner (baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, olives and tuna or chicken)! And yes, it takes some creativity with names too, which I must say I lack ;-)

Nicholas recently even came to me with his own, handwritten recipe for a fruit salad!
Stay tuned: if I find it I'll scan it and post it and it will be the very first recipe published on Cucinamore! :-)

Belated Bigoi

Bigoi (or Bigoli) in Salsa are a very old, north Italian dish that we traditionally eat for Christmas Eve, when it's supposed to obey the Catholic rule of fasting and abstinence, since there is no meat in it.

I must confess that I always felt a little guilty about this, though, because to me it's always been a treat big time! So much for the act of penance! I used to anticipate Christmas Eve, mostly because my mom cooked Bigoi in Salsa every year.

Oh, how I love this rustic, heavy, quite impossible to digest plate of pasta!
Picture this: lots and lots of onions, slowly cooked in olive oil and a little wine. Anchovies. Lots of those too. Patiently dissolved in the already sinful sauce. Black pepper. No cheese for me, thank you. Can it get less of a punishment for my sins than that?

Anyway, with my parents visiting for the holidays I just realized the other day that I had not had my plate of Bigoi in years, so I placed a request and my mother cooked them for me, only... in January.

Still taste, I am sorry, like Heaven!

Tiramisu'

“Several sources (…) claim that Tiramisu’ was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant” -Wikipedia-

Treviso is the city where I was born and raised. Need I say more? ;-)


Let me show you how to make one among the most traditional Italian family-style desserts, in its very original version and in a more contemporary fashion.

A simple, classic, delicious treat that will delight your family and friends in every occasion!






Wednesday November 3rd at 6pm

Scaloppine Mon Amour

Home-style fast food. That's what scaloppine are. Thin sliced meat that cooks in no time. Flavor from a good wine, or lemon juice, or fresh herbs, or a good cheese...sky is the limit! 5 minutes cooking and you are done. And it does not have to be expensive veal at any cost! Chicken works. Pork does the trick. Beef too. Quick and easy. Just like we like it!

(In the pic: Scaloppine Limone e Salvia - Lemon and Sage Scaloppine)