I'm Back!

Well, I've been back since July 15th.

And man have I been busy (a slight change from my usual "do nothing all day" thing in Italy).

First things first: reacquaint myself with my kitties. Cookie took hold of my computer immediately (that's my excuse for not blogging recently).

He's intent on not letting me use technology.

Next, find a way to have Italian coffee at home. Cue the espresso maker I bought in Modena.

And my adorable espresso cups.

Attempt to hug our kitchen cabinet and end up just staring at it in awe. So much snack food.

And make a trip to Wegmans. This is a real cereal aisle, Italy. (And this is only half of it).

Finally, lots of baking.

A bundt for my brother's breakfast every morning.

I replaced half the lemon zest with orange because I didn't have enough, and it worked out just fine.

Two loaves of bread: one sourdough boule and one whole wheat. YUM. My all-carb diet isn't going anywhere.

This morning, I finally found this baby in the basement.

Get ready for fresh pasta everybody.

-Meri

My Mommy and Daddy Are Here!

And so are my aunt Donna, family friend Toni, and her friend, Janet.

Just a quick side note on Donna: every year for Easter, she gives me, my brother, my sister, and my cousin an Easter Egg from Aunt Charlotte's, the greatest chocolate store in the world.

And guess what! She brought me one all the way from New Jersey!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was beyond excited.

Anyways, for our first meal, we headed to Stallo del Pomodoro for lunch--a restaurant that used to be a horse stable.

We got some salumi and prosciutto to start of course.

I got cheese tortelli with cinghiali ragu--more of that wild boar meat!

The next morning, we headed to one of my favorite cafes for a late breakfast.

Tiny espresso cups!

I LOVE the pastries at this place. This croissant is filled with a lemon cream and topped with fruits of the forrest.

Then I took my parents to Mercato Albinelli. They are in love.

They got to meet my salami guy (who first thought we were from England, and then, when I said we were American, thought we were from Minnesota. Interesting).

We got a bunch of food and had a delicious lunch of cheese, meat, and bread.

That night we went out for aperitivo. The sky was looking pretty cool.

Yesterday, we went to Genova.

Mostly because I wanted pesto.

Alright, we went there for the sole reason of getting me some pesto.

We had a fabulous lunch with prosciutto and melon...

and pasta with PESTO! It was incredible. Definitely worth the four-hour train ride.

However, if you can tell from this picture, it was pouring for a majority of the five hours we were there.

Luckily, we found an Eataly to pass the time in.

I could live in this place and never get bored.

An hour before we had to leave it finally stopped raining.

And now I really want to go back to Genova because it's a really cool town.

I just have to convince someone to go with me...

So I picked out four kinds of pesto while at Eataly. I find it much easier to get things when my parents are paying.

One is traditional Genovese pesto (basil and pine nuts), another is sun-dried tomato, another is pistachio, and the last is fennel.

Of course I got the giant jar of the Genovese and realized this morning that it has to be consumed within three days after opening.

This will be an interesting challenge.

-Meri

Mmmmmmmm bread. And other food.

I love to cook (duh).



Sometimes, my friends benefit from that love.



Tonight was one of those times.



When my mommy last came to visit, she brought yeast so that I could make focaccia. But, she gave me three packets of yeast when the focaccia recipe only called for one.

So, I obviously had to make some more bread.

And, since I was making bread anyway, I figured I'd make dinner for my super-awesome friends as well.



I had a bunch of different palettes going on and my worst nightmare is making a meal that someone doesn't like, so I naturally chose to go with Italian food-it never disappoints.

On the menu was a salad, pasta, and of course homemade bread. People seem to think that making homemade bread is simply impossible in a dorm. It's not.



Some recipes I wouldn't go near (sourdough, etc.) because I don't have the time, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. I love this recipe because it's fast, simple, and forgiving. I altered some measurements (I was probably short 2 teaspoons of yeast) and it still turned out amazing. If you're a wary bread-maker, definitely try this recipe. It's college-kid approved and practically fool-proof.



If you look really close you can see the flecks of salt on top. I got a little fancy here and put the balsamic sea salt my mommy got me on top. Yum.

The rest of the dinner was equally easy and rewarding. The salad consisted of romaine lettuce, chopped red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and chopped cucumber with champagne dressing from Whole Foods (good and not ridiculously expensive!).



The pasta was super simple: 3 garlic cloves minced and sautéed for about 45 seconds in 2 tablespoons of olive oil with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Then add a 6 oz can of tomato paste and a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Add a teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes (you can add more seasoning after it simmers if necessary). For the pasta, I cooked angel hair for 2 minutes in salted water, drained it and combined it with the tomato sauce. Easy and delicious. (And I forgot to take a picture. Just imagine a bowl of comfort and happiness and that'll be enough).

All in all, a very successful dinner.



Tomorrow, Samoa brownies. I can't wait.

-Meri