al fresco dining...

One of the things I love about these gorgeous (if a little sweaty) Italian summers, is eating al fresco. Sitting outside in the evening heat, chatting with friends and eating fantastic food- what's not to like about that. On Friday night, myself, my boyfriend and another couple we know went to a charming little pizzeria/ristorante in the nearby town of Apricena. Set on a hill (which meant a lovely fresh breeze..aahh!) overlooking the town, Tenuta Grotta degli Ulivi  is a great place to eat outside, and a great place to eat in general!

For our antipasto we chose bruschetta and grilled vegetables, the latter of which were presented on a massive platter (they were so yummy that we finished them all!)

And then we chose pizza and a plate of mixed cured meat. We couldn't quite finish this course!!

Oh yes, the famous chip pizza. And it was fantastic!

A classic. It was so good that I'd already devoured a bit before I remembered to take a photo!

 We skipped on the dessert, even though the selection looked pretty good, and settled for baileys and limoncello (not together...obviously). It was a lovely evening and the food was delicious. I am enjoying Italian food more and more every day, and eating out needn't be a strain on the purse. We paid about 65 euros for 4 people. You really can't complain about that.

Watch out for more food and (simple!) recipes in the future! (And in the meantime, check out my other food posts under the 'food bits' tab. I challenge you not to be hungry after! :D )

Caprese creations!

What is a 'caprese'? A bit of mozzarella, some tomatoes and some basil arranged nicely on a plate, maybe with a bit of oil drizzled over in an artistic fashion? Well, it can be. Or, it can be a little more interesting than that. I'm all about the simplicity factor when I'm cooking/making a mess in my kitchen, so doing things based on a caprese salad is perfect. Here, I've got two easy ideas for you. Both are light and tasty, and definitely no-fuss.  

• This light lunch couldn't get any more simple if it tried, and it's perfect for a hot day. If you prefer to up the carbs, add some nice crusty bread on the side...

Take your fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, put into a bowl and add some salt, olive oil and basil (fresh or dried works fine, here I've used dried).

 Cook some chicken with a little oil, garlic and salt (don't chop up the garlic, leave it whole, but don't forget to remove it later!), leave to cool, then add to the caprese.

You could try some pesto with it too, to make it a bit more flavoursome.

•  Now these lovelies are way more impressive on the aesthetic front. Perfect for a starter, and too simple for words. So I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

I have recently bought an actual basil plant, so I'm trying to think of interesting ways to use these tasty leaves in my cooking/making a mess in the kitchen. These caprese creations are the perfect way to make use of them. And look how Italian they are, all red, green and white. Dunk these in olive oil or in pesto to make them even more scrummy. But watch out...the tomatoes have a tendency to spurt everywhere when you bite into them. So don't forget your napkins ;)

Buon appetito!

Sunday snapshots...

Doesn't everything just look so much better when it's sunny?

Here are a few snapshots of my little southern town in the gorgeous sunshine...

One of the two elementary schools (apparently built by Garibaldi)

The fountain on one of the main piazzas (have been tempted to jump in a couple of times to cool myself down...)

I absolutely love these beautiful buildings

Ahh shutters...one of the best inventions ever.

Have a fantastic (and hopefully sunny!) Sunday! :)

I know English spelling is tricky, but....

I do have a bit of a chuckle when I see English used incorrectly abroad. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher, or maybe it's because it's just hilarious to know that they simply didn't bother checking before they wrote it.

Or in this case, printed a load of deckchairs with it on.

Have a fantastic Saturday evening! :D

a bit of 'lip service'!

I'm a fan of the real time TV channel. Yes, it's true. I like watching a load of American and British reality shows dubbed into Italian. Gordon Ramsay screaming his head off in the language of love? Definitely. Dr Christian on Embarrassing illnesses explaining about sweaty pits in italiano? Yes please. Watching TV is one of my favourite ways to learn Italian, and when you see shows that you are familiar with, this makes the process much more enjoyable.  But there are also a load of Italian reality shows too, one of my favourites being something along the lines of Trinny and Susanna, but with the campest Italian man ever playing Trinny.

So why is this post about lips? Well, because I now have super soft lips. Thanks to Clio. Another Italian show on real time that I like is called 'Clio Make Up', and yes, it is what you think. A woman called Clio does people's make up. Personally, I think she herself wears too much of the stuff, but I do rather like her tips. There's one particular section of the show where she moves over to her little kitchen and tells you what different fruit/veg/other edible substances that you can slop on your face to make you look healthier/younger/fresher. Unfortunately she doesn't slap it all over her own face, which would undoubtedly be more interesting.

Recently, she mentioned a lip scrub, and this got my attention. I have very dry lips, which get worse when it's really cold or really hot, the latter of which it most definitely is now. I thought I'd give it a go, seeing as it really was ridiculously simple. So here it is!

Take some sugar and some lip balm- something like vaseline or another petroleum jelly based balm works best.

Mix the two together and there you have it! A sugary sweet scrub!

Not only was the scrub so sweet that I actually wanted to eat it (I didn't), but it worked really well. Give it a go! :D

iced tea anyone?

I tend to go on (and on) about how fantastic the fresh fruit and veg is here, and I'm sure I will continue going on (and on) about it in the future. But there's also some not so 'fresh', (yet still super tasty) food and drink that I have discovered here in Italy. I thought I'd share some of my finds with you.

Paprika crisps. OK, everyone loves crisps, but a flavour that Europeans seem to go mad over is paprika, and I have done the same. (These are probably also available in the UK but unfortunately I'm definitely not clued up on anything currently going on at home, particularly the savoury snack market.) Paprika flavour of any potato snack is a winner with me.

Water. Boring? Absolutely not. During these ridiculously hot days, lots of water is a must. The mineral water that is most raved about in these parts is Levissima. Everyone drinks mineral water here, and although tap water is safe, people prefer the bottled stuff. Lots of people prefer sparkling water but if you're like me and aren't really a fan of fizzy, don't worry because still is always available. And Levissima is the best. Because of this however, it's a little pricey. In my opinion, totally worth it though.

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Almost anything from Lidl. I've gone on about Lidl before- I loved it when I was in Germany and I love it here too. Supporting local shops is important, but when some specific things (for example cereal) are quite overpriced in these Italian supermarkets, you can always depend on Lidl. My Lidl favourites are croissants, chocolate spread, juice and sausages. There are often lots of offers on too.

All hail Lidl!

Estathe'. Italians 'do' coffee. As you know, they are extremely good at it (more about this in the future). They don't really do tea however. Hot tea that is. Cold on the other hand, they are pretty clued up on. This is a fantastic iced tea that's sold everywhere. My favourite is the peach one (see a pic here!), although they do lemon and green tea too. It's more refreshing than juice and it hasn't got many calories- definitely a plus! Tip- don't drink it with ice, as it gets far too watery and loses its taste somewhat.

Taralli. Like crackers, but so much better. You can get these in all food shops (including Lidl!) and they are incredibly good (especially the pizza ones, but give fennel a go to). I like to dip them in fresh pesto (or mayonnaise when I'm feeling particularly gluttonous..)

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sbs.com.au

Biscuits. Ringo, Grisbi and anything from Mulino Bianco. The Ringo ice cream is also terrific (but can be a little messy.Or maybe it's just me who spills it all down my chin...?)

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Watch out for more of my finds in the future! :D

definitely dodgy driving...

Personally, driving in Italy is not something I'm a fan of.

I've done it before, and I'll do it again I'm sure, but it's not up there with 'stuff Amy likes doing'. Of course, not only do I have to drive on the 'other side' and steer on the 'other side', I also have to SURVIVE.

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Driving in Italy is so very questionable. I remember driving down to Lecce with some friends last summer, and I was literally covering my eyes I was that afraid. And not because the driver was bad. Oh no. Everyone else was bad. And dangerous.

In the south, or in my area at least, driving is incredibly dodgy. No one wears a seatbelt, kids are sat in the front seat without seatbelts, people talk on their phones, no one indicates (seriously...no one...ever) and pulling out in front of an oncoming car is normal. Parking is downright comical. People stop in the middle of the road for no reason. And nobody seems to have any patience. For a country that is pretty laid back and chilled out, when it comes to travelling by car, haste and impatience is key. As the light goes green on the traffic light, give it about a millisecond before someone (or 5 people) honk their horn. Oh and talking of traffic lights...

spotted!! in Foggia

I'm pretty sure that's a red light. But who knows.

And mopeds. Let's talk about mopeds. Firstly, I want one. A nice vespa. A red one. They're so cool. And secondly, the people who drive them are even more irresponsible than those in cars. Youngsters without helmets swerve between cars and don't look where they're going. Recently there have been a couple of accidents near my little town (involving cars and mopeds), and teenagers have actually died. Dangerous mopeds and dangerous cars. All we need is a constant stream of cyclists to add to the mix. Luckily there aren't too many of those (could be to do with the fact that my town is on a big hill).

You'd think, therefore, that being a pedestrian is really taking a walk on the wild side. Well, strangely enough, it isn't. In the town centre pedestrians seem to be given precedence. (This is small town Italy though...I'm pretty sure the same thing doesn't apply in Rome..) Cars will slow down for you. They will let you cross. They won't indicate to show you which way they are turning, rendering you confused and a bit annoyed (or maybe that's just me?) but they will wait for you. Many people I know see a car coming and take this a signal to go. I've started to do this too, which makes for a very worried mum when I'm back in the UK.

So is there anything else positive about Italian drivers, other than their patience with pedestrians? Well, not really. Although if it's any consolation (which it isn't really, but hear me out), everyone drives like this. And if you drive carefully or sensibly, people think you're mad. Why on earth did she just stop at the red light? Why on earth did she indicate? Good grief- she's wearing a seatbelt!! What on earth is this 'hands free' thingy?? So if your parking is a bit wonky, or you pull out in front of someone cutting it a bit fine...don't worry. By all means, don't start driving like they do, but if you do accidentally do a bit of dodgy manouevering, it's ok. The person next to you will have done much worse. And the person next to him. And the person next to him...

For some more info on driving in Italy (such as types of road, speed limits and parking rules, have a look here.

sweaty betty!

I love hot weather. I love Italy because during the summer, the weather is gorgeous and definitely hot. So surely, during this sunny July, I shouldn't be complaining about it being too hot, right? Errrm.....

In case you haven't heard on the news recently, we are currently smack bang in the middle of some seriously hot weather.

The anti-cyclone 'Charon' is the reason for this intense heat. Hot air is making its way from Algeria and Tunisia, and settling quite happily all over Italy. According to sources online and national newspapers, there are 15 cities on 'red alert'. In other words, it's damn hot.

In my town over the past few days, we've seen temperatures of about 34 to 39 degrees C. In Foggia, the nearest big city however, they have experienced over 40.Going outside, especially between the hours of 12 and 5, is like stepping into a sauna. And travelling by car is rather hellish. The streets are dessert ed at this time of day, because people here, even though they are used to high temperatures, are inside trying to avoid the heat. 

The shops are selling fans for the home and women are carrying little hand held ones. Those without air conditioning look positively knackered, because during the night it's near impossible to sleep. Those who are lucky enough to have air conditioning (myself included, and I am eternally grateful) have it on full blast and aren't budging from their cool houses. Needless to say my boyfriend (who is sans air conditioning) is spending rather a lot of time at my flat recently.

So how does one cope with such high temperatures? Particularly a Brit, or someone from a much cooler country (because yes, I am fully aware that there are any countries much hotter than this one...and I definitely couldn't live in them! :D ) could try the following (or at least, this is what works for me!):

• Drink a ridiculous amount of water. Yes, it means way more bathroom trips but it's worth it!!
• Cool showers, especially to cool down before you go to bed. I did this when I was in Kenya.
• If you have air conditioning, of course use it. But not during the night, as you may wake up feeling a bit groggy. 
• Go to the beach if you can. And plonk yourself in the sea. The sea breeze will help as well.
• Use a decent amount of suncream, obviously. Heatstroke, or even sunburn, isn't pleasant.
• Don't go out between 12 and 4 in the afternoon. Do your shopping/chores early in the morning or in the evening. 
• Eat lots of cool, fresh fruit. I particularly like pineapple, and my boyfriend loves watermelon.
• And finally, eat ice cream or ice lollies. I can't get enough of Callipos!

This heat is meant to continue for the next week or so. If you're also in Italy, or an expat in a similar situation, I hope you get some slightly more pleasant temperatures soon! 

football fever part 5...the (big) loss...

Well. What can I say? You all know the score from last night. I won't dwell on that part too much. But, as a (dedicated) blogger, I am going to divulge what I saw and heard, during and after the match. Being the only person in the town who wasn't actually completely gutted after/directly affected by the loss means I can give a neutral account. Ish. Possibly. Anyway, read on for some of my observations...

Poor Balotelli.(lubbockonline.com)

Before the game started, the flags came out and the big screens were set up everywhere, even in a little town like mine. And the horn beeping started about an hour before. 

Some personal linguistic highlights were 'vai caccare!!' (go sh*t), 'bastardi!!' (well, I'm sure you can guess that one) and towards the end, simply 'meeeehhhhhhh!!'

One of my friends had to go outside for a ciggy after the first goal was scored. Needless to say, he had a few more as the game went on. 

Everyone had taken to calling Balotelli simply 'Mario'. Unfortunately he wasn't so super this time. 

'Busquets' sounds like biscuits. This  may have made me smile. 

Did anyone else see the near shorts-pulling-down moment? I did. Don't ask me who it was between (as, clearly, I only remember names which are mildly amusing to me) but as it happened, I may have let out a little 'woooo'. Needless to say, nobody else joined me on this one. 

And I may have 'wooooo'ed again after Balotelli gave us another glimpse of that washboard stomach just before half time. Again, I was alone on this one (although I was mostly with guys).

I did feel a genuine sense of dismay when the 3rd and 4th goals were scored. I must really be getting attached to this place.

What happened when the going got tough? The tough....got pizza. Yes, there was a half time pizza dash.

Cassano's hair looked a bit hedgehog-y. 

I'm not an expert on football (well, duh), but I think I'm right in saying that the Spaniards were running...and the Italians were taking a bit of stroll. I know the Italians are laid back people, and this is something I love about them, but in the Euro 2012 final?!

Buffon, although stuck with a rather ridiculous name, actually looks like a really decent chap.

Needless to say, when the match had finished, any sense of joy was somewhat lacking. The Italians were understandably absolutely gutted. But they still went out, and despite the absence of hooting car horns and banner waving, they put on a brave face and went for beer and ice cream. I still heard a couple of digs at England (eeek how long will I have to deal with that?!) but the Italians had just lost the final, of course they were annoyed. I took the high road and didn't point out the fact that they had just lost too.

This time, it was my turn to buy the boyfriend some dolce. Gelato may not make up for a loss in the final, but it does taste bloody good. 

Roast dinner? Erm, not quite...

What does your Sunday lunch consist of? The typical British 'Roast dinner' looks a bit like this:

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It Italy however, it's just a little different. Here's a very tasty (I know because I ate it) example of a typical Sunday lunch in Southern Italy:

Pasta in a rich and tasty tomato and meat sauce. The sauce simmers away for at least two hours to ensure it's really flavoursome (and it is!)

Beautiful roast turkey...

...accompanied by courgettes (boiled and then their flavour enhanced by mint, oil and vinegar- served chilled)

Fruit, as always. Fresh and tasty

Followed by....?!

...dolce, of course!

Ricotta and chocolate tart, forest fruit torte, tiramisu..all calorific and all incredibly good.

So there's only one thing left to do after a Sunday lunch in southern Italy. Take a nice, long nap....zzzzz