Forgive Me, But

Sorry that I've been absent for a LONG, LONG time, but I have good excuses!  Does anyone want to hear them?  No one!??  How about some amazing news then!!?  We've put our gorgeous home on the market (picture me a little weepy) and are hoping to buy a place with a little more land!  One of us (pointing to myself) would be thrilled if we could grow grapes and produce enough wine for us and Amore's family.  After all, they supply us with olive oil and fresh eggs year round as well as some amazing produce from the enormous family vegetable garden.  I'd like to be able to give a little something back.

Below is a little slideshow video I made.  If you want to view it larger here is the link to the video on Youtube.  Be sure to "like" it if you visit there! Also, here is a link to the realtor's site with all the info and more photos.  Please keep in mind that I was not aware the realtor was going to be taking photos so the house was not prepared for a photo shoot, yipes.  Look away from the mess and instead notice how utterly fabulous this place is and, oh --  please feel free to share these links with anyone and everyone!  

More Pasta Please

 In any supermarket anywhere in all of Italy you will find several varieties and brands of pasta.

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 Rows and rows of boxes and bags of pasta.  Pasta with eggs, without eggs, pasta made with spinach 

and pasta with whole wheat!  Spiral pasta, pasta shells, pasta shaped liked little hats and church bells.

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But the one thing you won't find is wide egg noodles to make chicken soup.

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I considered smashing up some pappardelle but decided to give these pantacce a try.  

Looks like someone smashed up some lasagna noodles.

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Mushroom Hunting

I went mushroom hunting with Amore!  But on one stipulation, that it was more of a leisurely walk than a death march through brambles along goat paths (like the first time I was foolish enough to have accepted an invitation!)

 

Oh, there were brambles.  But I didn't have to go anywhere near them.

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 Amore offered to let me cut and gather the mushrooms myself, but I was more content to just point them out.

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As much as I enjoyed the day and the fun of finding funghi, the freezer and I pray the season is coming to an end.  

Shhh.... someone still has the fever.

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Tis the Season

I know it must seem that I'm overly obsessed with mushrooms or funghi lately, but tis the season!  Everyone has funghi fever this time of year -- including Amore.  We have a freezer full of frozen funghi.  Say that three times fast!  

He has now taken to drying them on the radiator.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  I love funghi.  We enjoy a simple pasta with fungi and fresh olive oil, deep-fried battered funghi, a very rich pasta with funghi, sausage and cream, and I put fungi in my ragu while it's cooking because it adds an earthy richness.

But my favorite way to enjoy funghi is on bruschetta.  A thick slice of rustic bread toasted over wood coals and then heaped with a generous portion of chopped fungi that has been simmering for hours in the family's fresh olive oil with a clove or two of garlic and a pinch of salt.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

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Funghi Families

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On My Walk Today

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Raise Your Hand

 I'm taking a poll.  Who knew that the above mushroom

 

turns into this mushroom?  Be honest.

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