San Diego Food Revolution Day

When you cook it should be an act of love. To put a frozen bag in the microwave for your child is an act of hate. -Raymond Blanc

How was the Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day in San Diego? A huge success! Suzie's Farm had hundreds of visitors picking strawberries, enjoying the live band, eating from the Green Truck and just hanging out being neighborly. I invited everyone I could, I tweeted, pinned, facebooked, talkled to anyone and everyone I could about it and boy did all of it pay off!

Fresh strawberry lemonade from the Green Truck

What was my ulterior motive for all this hoopla? I want families to realize how special it is to have access to farms and fresh foods. We are so lucky to live here where fresh food is grown throughout the year. Fresh foods can be really inexpensive and you don't have to cook most fresh foods -how easy is that?? In my little backyard patch I let seeds go wild and I encourage my budding foodies to taste, smell, and experiment with everything (yes, even the wild purslane).

So what has been my payoff from all this? I've gotten such a thrill from seeing children eat the organic strawberries freshly picked by their little chubby hands. I love knowing that my kids will know what to do with fresh vegetables and they won't be afraid to try even more varieties of vegetables (knock on wood because we all know that they ALL sometimes just say 'NO' to anything new). But, in the long run I think my kids will be healthier, happier and wiser with this type of foodie education.

So in that spirit I'll share with you one of the things we ate last night that the kids LOVED:

Leek & Zucchini (courgette) Frittata

1 leek
2 med size zucchini (or if your English or French courgette)
2 eggs (because I tend not to like it too eggy otherwise do 4)
1tbsp olive oil
5tbsp of herbed feta
salt & pepper to taste

Clean and thinly slice the whites of a leek (make sure you get the dirt and grit out from between the layers). Then saute it until translucent and then add in grated zucchini and let it cook down for 5 minutes on medium low heat -no need to stir. Meanwhile slightly beat teh eggs and feta making sure there are no large chunks of feta. Then add in the egg mixture and cover for 5 minutes under low heat. Now uncover and here is the tricky part: with a large plate over the fry pan flip the frittata onto the plate. Now I like to put it back by sliding it off the plate and back on to pan. You can just forgo all of this and put the fry pan under the broiler for 4 more minutes to finish it.

I served this with a basil & lemon orzo salad and there were no leftovers! :) What is your favorite fresh fast meal in the summer?

Just what I need...

A strong cup of cappuccino and some of these Pumpkin Waffles made by my fabulous friend Mary:

I can almost smell it now! MMMMMmmmmm...

It's a World of Nutella

One of my favorite spreads as a child was Nutella. In honor of World Nutella day I will give you my preferred way of eating it -are you ready for the recipe?? 3 handfuls of fresh fragrant ripe strawberries
and 1 large spoon for the Nutella. Grab the strawberry by the hair and smear a spoon full of room temperature Nutella goodness and enjoy!! There is not a fondue that is bettter or tastier than this mixture. Check out other great drool-worthy recipes from the great Ms. Adventures and Bleeding Espresso.

On a more serious side note: BIG THANKS to my mother-in-law today for taking such good care of my little dog while we're looking for a home. Turns out that my little dog has a pretty bad stone in her bladder and is scheduled for surgery on Thursday -all this while taking care of my father-in-law who just had a heart attack. Pretty special woman wouldn't you say?

Greetings from Moctezuma & clowdy paradise!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm writing to you from not-so-sunny-at-the-moment Mexico where unfortunately Mr. Moctezuma is having his evil way with me. Well a few margarita days of distance have given me new perspective: I'm going through Italy withdrawal symptoms. I imagine it is like getting off of an addiction. All I want is a little pizza and some decent coffee none of which are in my immediate future. There is a place down here that has DOC Mozzarella on their pizzas but to tell you the truth I'm scared that they'll mess it up and at 250 Mexican pesos ($25 US Dollars) that is an expensive risk. But if I start shaking I've instructed my husband to give me a hit.

Speaking of which, I just downloaded my last photos of Italy. Take a look at our last Pasta Fagiol' in Naples -it was bar none -divine!

What's for lunch in Napoli today

Cavolfiore e pasta! I say cavolfiore first because there was a lot more of that than pasta (you can tell pasta prices are up). Then the next course my Italian Anna prepared a locally caught trout in "acqua pazza" crazy water. 'What in the world is crazy water?' you may be asking well it is more than just water from the tap. It is water, garlic, a few small tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil and parsley. Pretty yummy stuff!

I've been Meme'd in a Culinary Way

Thank you Lewis from Table Bread for meme'ing me. As he says, "it is the equivalent of a blogger chain letter or questionnaire" ment to let the reader know a little about you. So, I’ve answered all of the questions and I’ve realized that it is very personal and I didn’t think it would be. I’m a little shy about this but here it is...

What were you cooking/baking ten years ago?

I was in grad school back then and definitely on the Ramen Noodle diet. Here is how I ate it: add frozen chopped broccoli (or any other veg cut up very small) and 1tbsp of peanut butter to the boiling water (let it cook) then add noodles etc. as directed. Top with chopped scallions or the growing part of the onion.  It is pretty good!

What were you cooking/baking one year ago?

I was teaching a friend how to make pasta from scratch. I was also making a lot of Tuscan bean & cereal soups on the hot coals of the fireplace.

Five snacks you enjoy:

1. tortilla chips
2. anything with dark chocolate
3. popcorn with either chile & lime or with yeast flakes
4. fresh fruit
5. English biscuits (I prefer shortbreads)

Five recipes you know by heart:

Most recipes I know by heart because I cook with my heart.

1. Dal (Indian style lentils)
2. Macadamia Nut Pesto
3. Pancakes
4. Chocolate Mousse (vegan)
5. Vegetarian Chili that has knocked the socks off of meat eaters forever.

Five culinary luxuries you would indulge in if you were a millionaire:

1. a staff of chefs with me all the time
2. grow my own organic heritage vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains
3. I would pay to feed all the children (and anyone whose in need of company or food) in my community a healthy, organic, delicious hot vegetarian homemade meal anytime they wanted -no strings attached (I would probably need a pretty big table and a house)
4. I would set up a free school to teach the importance of good nutrition and how to cook as self defense
5. I think the above answers would probably suck up all of my budget so I’ll leave this one empty.

Five foods you love to cook/bake:

1. vegetarian chili
2. coffee
3. Mexican mole (love working with chocolate)
4. lasagna
5. Moussaka

Five things you cannot/will not eat:

1. I can’t eat meat
2. mushrooms or pearl onions in a jar
3. badly cooked okra
4. any veg that has been canned and then boiled
5. Durian (I only eat it if I can’t smell it)

Five favorite culinary toys:

1. pressure cooker
2. cherry de-pitter that i use for olives too
3. mandolin (the Vslicer is WONDERFUL)
4. salad spinner
5. my french paella pan

Five dishes on your “last meal” menu:

Since all bets are off and I can have anything:
1. Taramosalata
2. A lot of champagne
3. Lots of cheeses (French, Greek, Dutch & Italian)
4. Enmoladas (Mexican enchiladas in a mole sauce)
5. CHOCOLATE

Name five happy food memories:

1. When my 2 year old Little Man helped me make pumpkin pie a few weeks ago. It was his first time helping me. He had the most careful coordination in stirring and pouring. He was involved in every step and honestly it was the best tasting pie I’ve ever made.

2. My mother was a fantastic cook and could make anything delicious in no time and with barely anything in the cupboards. I was most impressed when she taught me how to make tortillas from scratch (we were literally grinding the corn).

3. First time my husband’s grandmother sent me a batch of komish bread -I felt so special.

4. Making lasagna for my G-d daughter and seeing the expression on her face at the first taste. She has NEVER forgotten that moment (she was 3!) and she’s always asking me to make it for her.

5. Ok, this one isn’t my happiest food memory it is my husband’s (and it is too sweet not to mention): the first time I made pancakes for him. It was of course from scratch. He was so impressed that I didn’t need a recipe or a mix. He tells me that that was the day he knew I was for him.

So now I meme you! What do you think -what are some of your specialties??

What I'll miss about my Italian life

The tomatoes here! There are no words to describe how good tomatoes are over here -the volcanic soil adds a taste that is pure heaven. Here is a photo of some "sun kissed" (slightly dried) tomatoes.

Mmm... smell of the season

This is a little shout out to my friend, at Table Bread ,who has done a fab article on baking with ginger (scones, cookies and cakes oh my). Now if only he would send me some...

What's for lunch in Paris

At my favorite cafe in Paris we had Quiche with goat cheese and Épinard (spinach) and a veg lasagna --mmm so good. It also helps that the ambiance is so lovely!

Napoli Fast Food

Ok, just one more post before I go. So I've got 24 hours between trips and you might wonder what the heck do I do for fresh wholesome food?
Pizza. One of my favorite pizzerias is out in the country and it is called Bella Napoli. For 3 Euro I can get a full round of Pizza Margherita (tomato sauce and mozzarella) . Great price for something that is made from scratch and baked right in front of you. We usually also walk out with a bag full of fries -don't ask me why it is just tradition.

Here's a general hint on how to find a good pizzeria: look at the counter to see that all is fresh and check out the Pizzaiolo (professional pizza maker) to make sure they are plump (don't trust one that is skinny -I don't know why it is just tradition).

What's for lunch in Napoli today

Ok, so you've seen what my Italian Anna prepares now I think it is time you see what I'm cooking up. Today we are feasting on Sri Lankan style Dal (split peas) with curried mixed veggie rice. Also on the plate is roasted Capsicum (peppers) and potatoes with onion and curry.

Eating Italian food is wonderful, healthy and tasty. However, on a day to day basis it gets very tiresome. I've traveled and lived too many places to ever be satisfied with just one cuisine -I suppose this is the downside of seeing the world. So if you don't mind every now and then I will surprise you with a little world cuisine. In a few months I'll no longer be here in Italy so until then I will try and squeeze out as many purely Italian foods as possible after that I'll be giving you some interesting cuisine. A presto!

What's for lunch in Napoli today

It is a strange day in Napoli -started cold and humid and now it is overcast and nippy. Perfect weather for a little warm up from Anna's kitchen! Today we have a traditional Pasta e Fagioli (the beans are in season!).

Some Cheesy Love from France

Okay okay, just one more food love post (for today). So I'm still trying to make it through the wonderful cheese that my BFF (best French friend) brought me from Paris. I have to make a confession, I have NEVER liked blue cheese (aka Roquefort) until now.

It turns out that good Roquefort is moist not dry and crumbly like they sell in other countries. What a taste revelation! Spread some Roquefort on toast with toasted walnuts and you have a savory sandwich that will be begging to be eaten! While strong it isn't overwhelming (like blue cheese is).

Mmm... and the other cheeses..... well spread the love on some bread and I'm in nirvana! Such a lucky girl and even Little Man loves the cheeses!

What's for lunch in Napoli today

I was carefully considering what to post today when the door bell rang. God love her, it was my neighbor Anna. She is the epitome of a good Italian housewife. She does the following:

• makes the beds
  
• sweeps the floors 3 times
• washes the floor twice (the whole house)
• vacuums the floor (every chance she gets)
• dusts all items from the walls to the flowers
• washes all the windows and the shutters and the window sill
• cleans the stove top 3 times
• cleans up the sinks 10 times
• bathrooms get cleaned three times (top to
  
• bedrooms thrice as well
• cooks from scratch lunch and dinner (and any other snack her man child should want)
• cleans off all the glass top tables 4 times (at least)
• washes 3 loads of laundry then hangs it out to dry
• irons ALL laundry items (including the rags used to clean "so that they sit well folded in the drawer")
• goes grocery shopping (at the dry goods store, at the veggie man, at the butchers, at the fish mongers and at the cleaning supply store)
• picks up the children and drops them off at least 3 times

ALL this in just ONE day! You can't hire help that is that good! She is really amazing. Oh yes, and today for lunch she cooked up Risotto a la Verza. In English that would be rice and savoy cabbage which is now in season. I'm not the biggest fan of the cabbage family but when it is made this way it is kind of tasty especially if it is made for you! This time on my photo I didn't finish it all first (thought you might like to see it first!) ;-) So would you like to see what else she sends down?