Courgette Capers

Remember the giant courgette?

Well, if you don't (shame on you), just take a quick peek here to become well and truly informed about said giant courgette.

Anyway, I was a little unsure what culinary treats I could whip up using this larger than usual vegetable. So, I did the following:

First, some simple grilled slices of courgette with olive oil, salt, mint and garlic. Served cold, of course.

Then, I whipped up (I say whipped up, that gives the false impression of culinary expertise which I most certainly do not have) a pasta dish, creating a sauce from chopped/blended courgette, salt and pepper, olive oil and garlic. I then cooked some spaghetti, added it to the pan of courgette for a few minutes, before chucking in some chopped walnuts and roughly chopped mozzarella. This was a massive experiment and although it was tasty, I would try a slightly stronger tasting cheese such as Parmesan next time.

It was great to eat such delicious, fresh produce, but I think I give courgette a miss for a week or so- I may have reached my limit! :D

Have a great day!

Friends and Veggies

Hello folks!

One of the things I least like about being in Italy is the fact that I'm not near to my friends and my family. I can't just pop round to my see my mum and dad for a cup of tea and several (hundred) biccies. Nor can I just jump on a train and see my lovely London friends for a night of several (not hundred) cocktails. So when one of my friends comes to visit me here in Italy, it doesn't half put a big smile on my face. Despite the fact that there is the added pressure of making sure that they are well fed/comfortable/not bored/not being harassed by Italian men, I love having people to stay, and now I've got my new place with an extra bed and wonderful roof terrace, it's so much more fun!

My first official guest (Anika) came to stay this last week, and it was great having her around. We stayed up until ridiculously early hours of the morning, just chatting and drinking wine and generally relaxing. I also took her to the beach, for some seriously good ice cream/pizza/other delicious foods and of course, made sure she met all of my Italian friends here. They loved her, she loved them, and she wants to come back really soon. Here's hoping!

So now onto the weather. I am British you know, so it's mandatory that we discuss the weather every now and then! I've been hearing that in the UK the summer has well and truly arrived- yay! Normally my decision to spend the summer in Italy (even though I don't work in the summer months) is well and truly reinforced by the fact that British summers are usually dismal anyway, so I'm not missing out on much. But when it's actually hot and sunny there, I do get a longing for picnics in the park, outdoor pub lunches and countryside walks. I'm heading back to the UK in August, so let's hope the weather stays sunny until then!

And finally, this would not be a sunshine and tomatoes post without some reference to food. I've included a couple of photos of some of the delicious cibo that I have been tucking into lately, so if you're prone to food envy, look away now. Also, check out this whopper of a courgette (!) that my boyfriend's uncle gave to me. Will keep you posted on subsequent courgette recipes! (After all, I think it'll last about a week...)

Home made parmigiana

Can't even begin to describe how good this was (Thanks Antonio!)

With fresh buffalo mozzarella...mmmm

The giant courgette.

Happy Monday!

Home sweet home...

My week and a half of vegging out at home in the UK is officially over. I went, I saw, I ate pork pies, I watched repeats of Lewis on TV (love that show). But now, after a much less turbulent flight than my previous one, I am back in southern Italy and enjoying the sunshine. Oh no, wait a moment, I'm not. The sun is officially nowhere to be found. Today is decidedly grey and yucky, and the Italians who have 'braved' the streets are pretty grey and yucky too. Italians and bad weather? Let's just say that their grumbling starts to rival that of us Brits. Here's hoping that it perks up soon, as I am seriously in need of some beach time; that's what Italian summers are all about! (Well, that and the excuse to eat as much gelato as humanly possible.)

You will have seen in my last post that I moved house. Well, I am now officially settled in my new flat and have arranged all of my (bags and bags and bags of) stuff accordingly; photos on the wall, bottles of San Pellegrino Cocktail in the fridge, Union Jack biscuit tin on the table and little 'witty' signs like this all over the place:

I'm feeling at home already.

Buona giornata! 

Back to good old Blighty...

Hello everyone! Once again, my sincere apologies for not posting any sooner. I have a brilliant excuse though- honest! Firstly, last week I moved house. Now, I've heard that moving can be one of the most stressful things you'll ever do. And to be honest, it was rather stressful. Me and the Italian one exchanged more than a few biting remarks as we carried stuff down three flights of stairs/loaded a bookcase that was far too big into the back of his Fiat/marvelled at how much stuff I actually HAVE. And we did all of this in 34 degrees of horrid, sweaty heat. Now don't get me wrong, I am a massive fan of hot weather, but when you have to do heavy lifting in said hot weather? Erm, no thanks.

And as well as the heavy lifting with a generous side of bickering and copious amounts of sweating, I have also made my way back to good old Blighty. It's raining as I write this, by the way. After experiencing a rather turbulent flight which included someone vomiting on the floor (eww), I had the most fantastic time EVER with some friends in London. I went here there and everywhere, squealing at the sheer amount of PEOPLE (I'd been in a small, rural town for a good 6 months until that point) and meeting friends I hadn't seen for years, as well as the regular crowd. We had overpriced cocktails, danced to northern soul and Motown hits, got absolutely drenched in the rain and enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast...it was simply lovely. Then I made my way back to my home county of Worcestershire and ever since, I have been relaxing, watching terrible British TV, eating pub lunches, going on nice walks, raiding Primark and of course, getting a nice bit of TLC from my mum. 

It's back to Italy next week and I shall try my best to resume regular blogging activities, but until then, I shall leave you with a few snapshots of the Brit week so far... 

For some reason I really wanted hummus when I arrived in the UK.  And Wensleydale cheese. 

British cappuccino. Not too bad actually.

Neeeeew shooooooes

I found this *wonderful* Italian film for an absolutely ridiculous price at my local market. Needless to say I snapped it up! 

That's all for now! :D 

Summer Coffee...

Italians will have a coffee at almost any given moment during the day. There's the morning ritual of a cappuccino, possibly followed by a mid-morning espresso. Then of course there's the afternoon coffee or 3, and some Italians can still be seen enjoying a caffeine hit at about 8pm. Even in the summer months, when it's genuinely sweltering outside, a hot coffee still hits the spot.

Despite the fact that I'm still a fan of a hot, hearty meal during these months (see previous post), when it comes to coffee, I prefer something a little more suited to the hot weather; namely iced coffee. And I don't mean the coffee that's made up, left to cool and then has ice added to it. Yuck. No, I'm talking about the creamy, coffee-ice cream-like 'beverage' that I simply can't get enough of when June and July come around. My favourite cafe has recently 'upgraded' their crema di caffe, much to my delight:

Now who doesn't love a cup that you can eat! It does mean you make rather a large mess though. (Or maybe that's just me...ahem..)

And continuing on the subject of coffee, here's another thing I like about popping into my favourite bar:

Loose translation: Toothbrush: 'I can't work like this anymore, seeing such faces...!' Loo roll: 'Tell me about it!'

 Sugar packets with jokes on them. What better way to accompany a hit of caffeine than a good giggle?

Buona giornata!

Che buono!

Summer may be on its way (or so it seems, she says with her fingers crossed), but before the hot weather really sets in and I start gorging on ice lollies and caprese salads, I still feel the need to indulge in a nice, heart meal every now and then. Today's treat?A typical Puglia dish, namely the Pancotto. Potatoes, bread and fresh veggies, all with a generous drizzle of olive oil... che buono!

Talking of summer being on its way, I for one literally can't wait. As all of you fellow teachers know, the last few weeks of school are totally hectic, what with exams, final lessons and people running around like headless chickens. This teacher and blogger is very much looking forward to a great big rest. And a lot more blogging of course.

Buon weekend! :D

 

 

Can you really say that?!

Hi folks!

I hope the month of May is bringing you everything you wanted and more. Unfortunately, May has brought a lot of rubbish weather to the south of Italy, and last night, it seemed like we had gone back to February. Today, we seem to be once again safely located in May. Here's hoping it continues because this Brit definitely doesn't want to have to retrieve her winter coat from the back of the wardrobe again!!

Today's post is one that I've been putting together for a while. As you all probably know, southern Italians are very  warm, friendly people, who are often prone to outbursts of intense emotion and major hand gesturing. These qualities are all good. And often funny. But southern Italians do seem to have another interesting quality: they say what they think. Now, everybody says honesty is the best policy and I agree, but in some particular situations, is the truth really the best thing to say?!

1. How old are you?
Now, they don't always come right out with it. Often, you'll hear, 'what year were you born?', which seems slightly less direct but let's face it, it's the same question in disguise. Funnily enough, men seem to ask this question much more frequently than women.

2. Is that a cold sore on your face?
No, it's just a painful, red lip blister that I am trying desperately to forget about. Thanks for reminding me though! I have to add however, that anyone who has pointed this out to me has gone on to describe their bad cold sore experiences, and has offered rather large amounts of sympathy. So I guess it's OK. Sort of. They will also point out scratches, spots or any other facial 'disturbances' you may have.

3. I liked the other colour better.
Yes, I'm talking about hair colour; colour that you can't change so easily. A conversation I had with a student regarding my recent hair colour change (to blonde) went something like this:

 Amy, but what has happened to your hair?
Well, I fancied a change really! What do you think?
Yes...well....I don't know. I think you'd look better with black hair.
Black? No, I don't think that'd suit me really.
I do. Did you know that southern Italian women all have dark hair, so..
Yes but I'm not Italian.
The most beautiful women have dark hair, not blonde...
 (sigh)

4. Have you lost/put on weight?
Now this one is definitely a double edged sword. Women like to hear that they are looking trimmer, but the other thing? Now we don't really mention that do we. Oh, wait, in Italy we do! The first time this was said to me I have to say I was a little offended, but I have come to realise that a) comments like these can also be positive, in that you look 'healthy' (yes, I'm still a bit sceptical about that one), and b) Italians simply speak their mind. I was actually asked the other day how much I weighed. 

5. Sorry I'm late, I was having a pedicure. 
Told to me by a man. Enough said.

6. Are you having women's problems?
Again, asked by a man.

7. How much do you earn?
Granted, I don't hear this very often at all, but I still get somewhat prickly when confronted with it. How do you answer? With appropriate adverbs, a ball park figure or even the actual amount? I think I changed the subject. And definitely didn't reciprocate the question. (Even though I was curious...ahem!)

So, what can we conclude from all of this? Firstly, Italians are very different from Brits (you think?!). Our ideas of what courtesy and politeness mean are oh-so-different, therefore making a comparison rather tricky. What I can say though, is despite the occasional offense taken from certain questions, or the inability to deal with the 'too much information!' factor, I kind of respect their honesty. Sometimes it's just exhausting beating around the bush so much, as we Brits often do. If you've got something to say, why not just say it? I like the fact that I have acquired a thicker skin since coming here. And I don't worry so much about offending people either; they just take things with a pinch of salt. And I quite like that mentality.

Although I definitely draw the line at the following, said to me not long ago by a certain student of mine: 'What's wrong with your skin? It looks ruined'. Now that, my friends, is not acceptable! ;)

Happy truth telling! :D
 

Sweet treats and naughty pets...

Hi folks!

It's been a little while since I posted a hunger-inducing pic of some sweet treats. Actually that's not true at all; my most recent post definitely included some cake photos. Several of them. And to be honest that's probably the topic I blog about most...Anyway, who cares, everyone loves dolce! So here's a snapshot of my most recent indulgence, provided by my boyfriend's zia, who happens to be UNBELIEVABLY good at making dolce. And antipasto. And pasta. And...well, you get the picture...

Coconut cake, some yummy fruity thing and of course, tiramisu...

Moving away from sugary treats, I also have a little terrapin update. Remember Tim and Jennifer? My cheeky little pet terrapins? Well, one of them recently made a bit for freedom. As they were temporarily and 'safely' (ahem) housed in a slightly smaller container as I cleaned out their regular home, a certain male terrapin somehow made his way out of the container and had a wander around the dining room. When I returned, he was there to greet me. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I may have also said the following:

TIM!! What on earth are you doing on the floor?! 

Yes, I do talk to my terrapins. Occasionally. Only when they've behaved badly. Ahem. I concluded that he must have clambered on top of Jennifer (again, ahem) and toppled his way over the side of the small container. Maybe he and Jennifer had had a falling out. Or maybe he just wanted to have a mooch around. I guess we'll never know...

That's all for now, have a great day! :D

Food glorious food...

I'm sure you're all aware of my 'Italian family'. You know, the ones who, if they had their way, would continuously feed me 24/7 and even then would declare that I'd 'barely eaten a thing'? Yes, I'm talking about THAT amazing family.

Well, I recently had another encounter with the whole clan, as it was my boyfriend's nephew's third birthday. So naturally, this called for balloons, lots of family photos and of course, FOOD. Mountains of the stuff. The 'first course' was literally a table full of carbs. There was no second course, as this was an evening meal, and one always eats 'lighter' at dinnertime. Ha! We then had some of the most delicious strawberries I think I have ever eaten, followed by what can only be described as an ONSLAUGHT of desserts. I felt like I was putting on the kilos just by LOOKING at the table of goodies. Tiramisu, pear and ricotta tart, a big green sugary birthday cake...oh my. All homemade, and all INCREDIBLE. Needless to say, once I had been 'forced' (ahem) to sample these sweet delights, I may have been shaking ever so slightly from a sugar overdose. I may have also literally grabbed hold of my boyfriend's sister-in-law and, with moist eyes, told her that she had made me so incredibly happy. And because this kind of food-induced emotion is not uncommon in these parts of Italy, she didn't think I was weird. At least, I hope not...

May 1st Celebrations

There are lots of reasons why I love Italy. Most of them are, of course, dolce based reasons. But another reason why I love Italy, is that fact that public holidays can happen on a Wednesday, so you get a nice (often much needed) day off in the middle of the week. Result! So, as yesterday happened to be May 1st, this meant no work... and all play!

The southern Italians definition of play almost always involves food. So, we packed a car full of meat, bread and beer, and headed for the beach. What ensued over the next 6 or 7 hours was: 17 Italians and and English girl munching their way through burgers, sausages and torcinelli ('sausages' made of innards...they're definitely an acquired taste!), all washed down with beer and a whole lot of conversation and shenanigans. Needless to say it was a thoroughly enjoyable day, aside from the fact that I got sun burnt on one (yes,just one) shoulder! It was so enjoyable in fact, that I totally forgot to take any photos. Woops! So I will leave you with the following images, which pretty much demonstrate how I would sum up the day:

OK, so the barbecue wasn't exactly set up like this, but I swear the amount of meat was the same!

There was definitely a LOT of sitting around doing nothing. It was AWESOME.

Clearly a necessity for any Italian barbecue.

Hope you all had a great May 1st! :D