lunedì 24 giugno 2013
venerdì 21 giugno 2013
Back to Italy... absolute Mozzarella
Rome is so wonderful in every season, but during summer, it becomes more and more fascinating and enchanting. The light is golden at the sunset and even the heat, sometimes very high, is sweet and nice, because it talks about vacations, enjoying life, taking easy and relaxing.
There's no need to say that every single corner of that city tells a story, shows a piece of humanity, reminds that we all have a deep past behind us, a path that gets streight to us.
We are part of this long (Hi)story. Sometimes I feel tenderness and gratitude for those who lived before me, because they made their part of the road that goes up to me and now, maybe, I am what I am also thanks to them.
I must say that Rome is also my father's hometown and it means much to me.
Sometimes I imagine him, as a young man, charming and light-hearted (but in the sametime always very profound), driving his Vespa through the streets of Rome. He had to be really "cool", during the 60's!... Right, daddy?
By the way, if you want to visit Rome, I would like to give you just some little advices:
- Flow with italian rythm, do not make resistance...
- Stop being a tourist and become a Roman.
- Eat what you love! You'll get simply crazy.
- If you can, take off your shoes and feel the History under your feet.
- Walk, walk, walk...
I chose for you what I consider one of the most succulent roman recipe:
Mozzarella in carrozza (literally Mozzarella in carriage)
Ingredients for two:
8 slices of sandwich bread
2 eggs
Some flour (you can use also wholemeal flour if you prefer)
1/2 mozzarella
3 T.S. of milk
5 T.S. of extravergin olive oil
1 pinch of grated lemon peel
1 pinch of salt
Cut the bread crusts from the four sides of the bread slices.
In the meantime, beat in a bowl the egg with the milk, a pinch of salt and the grated lemon peel.
Cut the mozzarella into slices. They have to be not too big.
Now, let's prepare a sort of sandwich: one slice of bread + one slice of mozzarella (put it only in the middle) + another slice of bread.
Heat the oil in a big pan. It must be pretty hot.
At this point, dip the "sandwich" in the beaten egg, then in the flour and then in the egg again.
BE CAREFUL: Press well the edges of the bread so that it will not open during the frying.
And with a agile gesture.... let's fry! It will become golden and crispy in 3 minutes. Just delicious!
Please, do not wait. Just eat it as soon as possible. It must be hot: the mozzarella will be melted and it will create joyous and irresistible filaments. Ready to be eaten!
Setting the table:
Do you have some wrapping paper? Yes, the brown one! Use it as a plate. It works perfectly if you want to walk-and-eat and it's also ideal to absorb the oiliness... Just amazing!
The music:
I love this song! It says: "Rome, don't be fool tonight, help me to get her to say yes..."
And Lando Fiorini (the singer) is a real legend in Italy!
Just close your eyes, imagine a beautiful terrace with a breathtaking view...
The movie:
What can I say?
Audrey and Gregory on a Vespa bike...
The movie #2:
This is what happens when Rome embraces us...:
martedì 11 giugno 2013
mercoledì 5 giugno 2013
Zuppa di tortilla sotto le Piramidi
Qualche anno fa abbiamo deciso di visitare il Messico: il nostro percorso è partito dalla "Ciudad", Città del Messico, fino ad arrivare a Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas, Palenque, Chichen Itza, Merida, Isla Mujeres, Tulum... tutto ovviamente in autobus!
Un vero paradiso, forse solo un "attimino" caldo e umido, ma davvero eccezionale: le rovine Maya, le foreste tropicali, l'Oceano Caraibico, le spiagge bianche e setose, i Cenote e, ovviamente, il cibo messicano!
Ricordo ancora quella notte in cui ci siamo fermati a Chichen Itza, stanchi e affamati, sotto un acquazzone incredibile, dopo un lunghissimo viaggio di 12 ore. Volevamo solo mangiare qualcosa e trovare un posto dove dormire...
E proprio lì, sotto le priamidi, ho scoperto questa ricetta stupenda... l'ho solo trasformata in una versione vegetariana!
Ingredienti per due:
1/2 L di brodo vegetale
1/2 avocado maturo
il succo di 1 lime
1 ciuffo di coriandolo
1/2 peperoncino piccante fresco
2 manciate di tortilla di mais
sale
Preparazione:
Tagliate l'avocado e il peperoncino a striscioline o a quadratini e aggiungeteli al brodo, insieme al succo di lime. Cuocete ancora per 10 minuti. Servite in due ciotole capienti, aggiungendo le chips di mais e una manciata di coriandolo tritato finemente. Lasciate che la zuppa si riposi un po' e poi godetevela!
L'apparecchiatura:
Potete utilizzare tantissimi colori sgargianti per la vostra tavola! Ho comprato a San Cristobal delle bellissime tovagliette: sono piene di fiori e sono così tipiche! Se però non avete nulla del genere a casa, beh, allora potete semplicemente indossare un enorme sombrero...
La musica:
Immaginate una spiaggia bianca e un'immensa luna piena. Una cena squisita sulla sabbia e poi un bagno spettacolare in un incredibile, incantevole, caldissimo Oceano...
L'aria è dolce e fragrante di fiori. Immaginate due anime che "vivono il momento" e un calmo, avvolgente mare del colore dell'argento. Pochi vestiti, nessun rumore, nessun pensiero, nessuno attorno, nessun impegno o appuntamento importante.
Solo Natura, dentro e fuori di noi.
E da lontano, una musica lounge, piena di atmosfera e di suoni morbidi, fluisce nell'aria.
Qualcosa di questo genere...
La musica #2:
Non posso dimenticare la mia nonna, la mia abuelita, mentre suona questa canzone messicana al pianoforte. Se l'ascolto, una lacrima scende quasi sempre...
Il film:
Come forse avrete capito, adoro i film di Gabriele Salvatores. Amo questo film che parla di un viaggio, di un'amicizia e, naturalmente, del Messico: Puerto Escondido.
Una spiaggia, un'amaca, un succo di cocco fresco e la persona che amiamo accanto. Cos'altro serve?
Tortillas soup under the Pyramids
Some years ago we were travelling throughout Mexico: we started our journey from "the Ciudad" crossing all the Country, by bus, and visiting Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas, Palenque, Chichen Itza, Merida, Isla Mujeres, Tulum....
It was simply paradise, may be just a little bit hot and humid (!) but definitely amazing: the Maya ruins, the Forest, the Carribean Ocean, the beaches so white and smooth, the Cenotes and, of course, Mexican FOOD!
I still remember that night when we stopped in Chichen Itza, tired and hungry, under a rain shower, after a long bus journey and we just wanted to find a place where we could sleep and eat something...
And there I found this wonderful recipe... I just converted it in a vegetarian version...!
Ingredients for two:
1/2 L of vegetables broth
1/2 mature avocado
juice of 1 lime
1 sprig of cilantro
1/2 fresh red hot pepper
2 handful of corn tortillas chips
salt
Preparation:
Prepare the vegetable broth (just boiling for 30 minutes some chopped onions, celery, carrots, zucchini... in 1/2 Liter of water). Add salt as you like. Then take away from the liquid all the vegetables.
Cut the avocado and the red hot pepper in little pieces, then add them to the broth, squeezing in it also the lime juice. Cook for other 10 minutes.
Serve the soup in two capacious cups, adding the corn tortillas directly into the broth and some chopped fresh cilantro.Let the soup relax for a while, just for few minutes...and enjoy it!
Setting the table:
You can use wonderful colors for your table! I bought in San Cristobal some hand made placemats: they are full of flowers and they are so typical! If you don't have anything similiar, just put on your head a big sombrero...
The music:
Ok, just imagine a white beach and a huge-full-moon night. An exquisite dinner on the sand and then a spectacular bath in an unexpected, enchanting, incredible warm Ocean...
The air is sweet and fragrant of flowers. Imagine two souls "living the moment" and a calm, embracing, colored of silver, sea. No clothes, no noises, no worries, no thoughts, no people, no schedules or other.
Just Nature, outside and inside.
And from afar, some lounge music, full of atmosphere and beautiful sounds, flows in the air.
Something like this...
The music #2:
I can't forget my beloved grandma, my abuelita, playing at the piano this mexican song. Tears of tenderness fall from my eyes everytime I listen to it:
"Porque cantando se alegran "... she lived all her life in this way.
The movie:
As you maybe know I really love Gabriele Salvatores' movies. I like this film about travelling, about friendship and, of course, about Mexico: Puerto Escondido.
A beach, an amaca, a fresh coconut juice and my loved one. What else?
I send you lot of LOVE.
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