More food please!

Good afternoon from wet and windy Puglia! I hope you are all having a nice, relaxing Sunday so far. This blog post is, surprise surprise, a food one, and also provides further evidence of my ongoing culinary development. This week I made some nice little vanilla cupcakes (the icing didn't turn out perfectly, hence a photo senza drippy frosting mess) and, with the help of my incredibly patient man, I assisted in preparing a traditional Pugliese Sunday lunch. I have been told that, even if you are rubbish at preparing other dishes, the Sunday lunch is one that you must perfect. Best get to work then...

I used a recipe from the BBC website for these moist, tasty cupcakes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cupcakes_93722 

 

This is definitely a Southern delicacy: the Pancotto. I tried this one at La Locanda di Hansel in Foggia (Trip Advisor reviews here)

The Pancotto had to be followed by dolce of course. This was the torta Kinder. One word: YUM.

Couldn't have put it better myself....

Yes, all of this went into making a delicious sugo for our Sunday lunch

We also made involtini using beef, parsley, Parmesan, a little garlic and salt.

Sugo in progress

Meaty sugo plus traditional pugliese orecchiette makes one happy Amy.

Buona Domenica!

Monday morning blues? Erm, no.

Well, it's MONDAY again.

One minute you're basking in the glory of Friday evening with too much pizza, some lovely wine and good company. Next thing you know, it's Monday morning and you're making your way, bleary eyed, to work.

But let me tell you, that the individual student I have on a Monday morning, is most definitely what you would call a morning person.

But not in that annoying way, where someone bounds up to you, practically singing about what a glorious day it is and acting as thought they have (annoyingly) just won the lottery.

No. My student calmly transfers his Monday morning cheer to the people around him, leaving good moods and smiles as he goes.

The thing is about Mondays, he says, is that it's the start of a new week. Your batteries are charged, you're full of energy, and you feel ready to tackle anything. Why on earth should you be tired and depressed?

Well, I agree completely. His positive thinking is refreshing. 

He had me laughing 10 minutes into the lesson, and for the whole time, I pretty much didn't stop. Now whoever can manage to do that, is most definitely worth knowing.

Have a great Monday!

Arrivederci Sicilia...

Well, it's our penultimate day in Sicily.

And once you have a look at these photos, you'll know why I'm incredibly reluctant to leave. It has been amazing discovering and exploring all the fantastic things about this place. We've packed in so much this week, so today we're simply going to relax by the beach. Work starts again on Monday, so we'd best make the most of it....

yes, we did eat these for breakfast one morning.

green, gooey, gorgeous: the cassata.

yes, it was somewhat blustery.

(Actually on second thoughts, maybe it's for the best that I'm heading back to Puglia tomorrow. I really have been eating faaaar too much dolce.) Expect more photos (many of them are of dolce, yes) and more info about all things Sicily related upon my return. Until then, have a smashing weekend! :)

Monday treat

So, it's Monday again.

What better way to start the week, than more gorgeous dolce to drool over. So, from the Innelli Pasticceria, I present you with some very, very tasty dolce...

Hope you've had a good start to the week!

The little things...

So yesterday, myself and my boyfriend were talking about the meaning of life.

Well, sort of...

Anyway, he said something that I really agree with.

'Devi essere felice con le piccole cose...'

In other words, it's the small things in life that should make you happy. You should enjoy life's little pleasures.

Do you want to know one small pleasure that I really enjoy?

Breakfast on Saturday morning. Coffee and croissants with the boyfriend. The sun is shining. Everything feels really, really good.

Breakfast in Italy is a sweet affair- nothing savoury in sight. The coffee is incredible, and the sugar rush definitely sets you up for the day...