briciole

cavolo riccio

2012-05-25T08:36:06-07:00

Red Russian kale

Red Russian kale after a spring shower

"Eat more kale" say nuritionists. That's quite easy for us, since kale grows readily in my little vegetable patch. So much so, that's hard for us to keep up with it. Fortunately, our local food bank accepts donations of fresh vegetables from gardens, so I can bring a bagful there. And recently, I found a use for the blossoms, but that is a story for another day.

I noticed that rain droplets make pretty patterns on the textured leaves of my Red Russian kale and yesterday I was able to capture an image that satisfies my aesthetic sense.

The photo above is my contribution to edition #34 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Sra of When My Soup Came Alive.

The photo was shot in color and then converted to black and white.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the current and future editions of the event.

Annuncio: weekend di erbe aromatiche numero 335

2012-05-21T06:43:36-07:00

Announcement: Weekend Herb Blogging #335

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

This week I have once again the honor of hosting Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, and now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once.

I hope you'll join this illustrious event that week after week brings together food bloggers from around the world.

The rules for participating are detailed on this page. You can download the logo on the left to add to your post.

I will be delighted to receive your contribution to the event at simosite AT mac DOT com. Please, specify WHB #335 in the title of the message.

In your email please include the following information:

Your Name
Your Blog Name/URL
Your Post URL
Attach a photo (maximum width 400px)

Sometimes messages get lost in cyberspace, so if you don't receive an acknowledgment of your email or a comment on your post, please contact me again by leaving a comment on this post.

The deadline for submitting your contribution is Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 2 pm PDT (5 pm EDT).

I will publish a roundup of the event on Monday, May 28. Ready? Go!

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whb

Per i lettori italiani

Questa settimana ho l'onore di ospitare anche la versione italiana di Weekend Herb Blogging, evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome.

Spero che decidiate di partecipare a questo evento illustre che ogni settimana raduna food bloggers da tutto il mondo e che ha la sua versione tutta italiana grazie alla superenergetica Brii.

Le regole per partecipare all'evento le trovate su questa pagina. Se volete, potete scaricare e utilizzare il logo qui a sinistra nel vostro post.

Sarò felice di ricevere il vostro contributo all'evento all'indirizzo simosite AT mac DOT com. Per favore, specificate WHB #335 nel titolo del messaggio.

Nel messaggio, includete le seguenti informazioni:

Nome
Nome e URL del blog
URL del post
foto allegata (larghezza massima 400px)

Può succedere che un messaggio si perda nel ciberspazio, quindi se non ricevete una risposta alla vostra email o un mio commento sul vostro post, per favore contattatemi di nuovo lasciando un commento su questo post.

La scadenza per mandarmi il vostro contributo è domenica 27 Maggio alle 22 ora italiana.

Pubblicherò il riepilogo dell'evento e il nome estratto lunedì 28 Maggio. Tenete conto che vivo in California e quindi sono 9 ore indietro rispetto all'Italia. A seconda dell'ora di pubblicazione, per voi potrebbe essere già martedì 29 Maggio.

fantasia di fagioli

2012-05-20T13:29:23-07:00

a fantasia of beans

Paul's Mix

When a customer asks Paul Giuntoli what are his favorite beans among the kinds he sells at the Arcata Farmers' Market, he answers: "Paul's Mix." I interpret this to mean not only that he stands behind his signature bean mix, but also that he loves them all. Paul's Mix includes black, borlotti, calypso, canario, Jacob's cattle, speckled bayo, yellow eye beans — and another one or two varieties I can't remember now. Warren Creek Farms' organic beans are truly outstanding — and photogenic.

The photo above is my contribution to edition #33 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Sarawathi of Sara's Corner.

The photo was shot in color and then converted to sepia.

This post contains the gallery of images submitted to the event.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the current and future editions of the event.

minestra di fave e piselli

2012-05-19T06:48:50-07:00

fava bean and English pea soup

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

a flavorful soup

Fresh fava beans and English peas (a.k.a., garden peas) were among the purchases I made last Sunday, at the Temescal Farmers' Market (Oakland, CA). By the time I had finished my shopping, I had already decided they would be married in a soup. I had to laugh aloud, considering how much I disliked both fava bean soup and pea soup, when my mother prepared them.

It wasn't only that I did not like either legume, but that I also had to shell them, a task hardly enjoyable for a child or teenager. Now, I don't mind doing it and since I don't like the skin of fava beans (which was the reason why I did not like the soup made with them), I also remove that.

The soup I made was inspired by this Tuscan recipe for onion soup on the Accademia Italiana della Cucina site (in Italian). In my soup, the balance of ingredients is different, so the result is a spring legume soup where the flavor of the fresh legumes shines brightly.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for minestra di fave e piselli

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb. [570 g] fresh fava beans
1 lb. [450 g] fresh English peas
olive oil
8 oz. [225 g] red onion (cipolla rossa), finely chopped
2 scallions, sliced into thin rounds
1 celery rib (costa di sedano), finely chopped
1 carrot (carota), scrubbed and chopped
1.5 cup [355 ml] homemade light chicken stock or vegetable option
1 cup [240 ml] water
4-5 basil leaves, slivered
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
slices of rye bread (pane di segale), or of other bread of choice
freshly grated fiore sardo

Shell peas and fava beans. Blanch fava beans for one minute, drain them and plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Drain them again and then remove the skin from the beans to bring their bright green core to light. Set aside.

Warm olive oil in a soup pot and add onion and scallions. Stir to coat and let cook for a few minutes. Add carrot and celery, stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and water, cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and gently cook for 20 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the peas and basil, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the fava beans. Cook until the legumes are tender to your liking. Taste after 5-7 minutes and evaluate how much more time is needed. Adjust salt and pepper. When the soup is almost ready, toast the bread and line the bottom of soup bowls. Pour hot soup over the bread and let sit for a minute, then sprinkle cheese on the soup and serve immediately.

This soup is totally worth the effort needed to prepare the legumes.

This is my contribution to edition #334 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Brii of briggishome.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

minestra di fave e piselli

or launch the minestra di fave e piselli audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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soup, fava beans, English peas

Per i lettori italiani

una minestra saporita

Al Temescal Farmers' Market (Oakland, CA) domenica scorsa ho comprato fave e piselli freschi. Non mi ci è voluto molto per decidere che avrei fatto sposare i due legumi in una minestra. Mi è venuto da ridere, considerando quanto detestassi sia la minestra di fave che quella di piselli che preparava mia madre.

Il problema non era solo che non mi piacevano i due legumi, ma che toccava a me sgranarli, un compito non proprio divertente per una ragazzina. Adesso la cosa non mi dispiace affatto e dal momento che non mi piace la buccia delle fave (il motivo per cui non mi piaceva la minestra di fave), tolgo anche quella.

Per la minestra che ho preparato mi sono ispirata a questa ricetta toscana per una minestra di cipolle che ho trovato sul sito dell'Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Nella mia minestra l'equilibrio degli ingredienti è diverso e il risultato è una minestra di legumi primaverile nella quale splende il sapore dei legumi freschi.

Ingredienti:

570 g fave fresche
450 g piselli freschi
olio d'oliva
225 g cipolla rossa, tagliata a pezzetti
2 cipolle verdi, tagliate e rondelle fini
1 costa di sedano, tagliata a pezzetti
1 carota, tagliata a pezzetti
355 ml brodo di pollo leggero fatto in casa, o brodo vegetale
240 ml acqua
4-5 foglie di basilico
sale fino e pepe macinato fresco, q.b.
fettine di pane di segale o di altro pane a scelta
fiore sardo macinato fresco

Sgranare piselli e fave. Sbollentare le fave per un minuto, scolarle e versarle in acqua fredda. Scolarle di nuovo e sbucciarle.

Scaldare dell'olio d'oliva in una pentola e aggiungere i due tipi di cipolla. Mescolare e far cuocere alcuni minuti, poi aggiungere carota e sedano, mescolare e lasciare cuocere per 5-7 minuti. Versare il brodo e l'acqua nella pentola. Coprire, portare ad ebollizione e poi cuocere a fuoco dolce per 20 minuti, fino a quando la cipolla sia tenera.

Aggiungere i piselli e il basilico a pezzetti, e cuocere a fuoco dolce per 5 minuti, poi aggiungere le fave. Cuocere fino a quando i legumi siano teneri in accordo al vostro gusto. Assaggiare dopo 5-7 minuti e valutare quanto tempo sia ancora necessario. Condire con sale e pepe a seconda del gusto. Quando la minestra è quasi pronta, tostare il pane e disporlo sul fondo dei piatti da minestra. Versarci sopra la minestra bollente e lasciar riposare per un minuto, poi spargere del formaggio sulla superficie e servire immediatamente.

Questa minestra ripaga dello sforzo necessario per preparare i legumi.

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 334 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da A.B.C. di Fragoliva.

Questo post contiene la raccolta dell'evento.

mercoledì in bianco e nero: la galleria di foto

2012-05-16T12:16:56-07:00

Black and White Wednesday: the photo gallery

When photographing, we try to capture light, to tell a story using light. The stories below are connected to food, so they speak a universal language. Many thanks to all who illuminated my week by contributing their images to edition #32 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. And a big thank you to Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook who created the event.

In my announcement post, I mentioned a surprise as a way to celebrate briciole's five years of life. I am asking you to wait a little longer before finding out the details. First, enjoy the show!

Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook: Al Fresco Eatery

Hema of Hema's Adugemane: Banana Lassi

Suzanne of La Belle Aurore: Maroc

Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu:
An Assortment of Demitasse Spoons, Espresso and Cappuccino Cups and Saucers

Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu:
My Favorite Shallow Bowled Plates with Antler Cutlery From Pitlochry, Scotland

Alessandra Zecchini: So hard to peel kumara!

Pushpa of Taste as you Cook: Yummy Munchies with Jaggery

Fragoliva: Thinking about Umbria — Wild Boar Stew

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations: Baharat Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations: Coconut Puto

Cinzia of Cindystar: Kids' Carousel Pasta

Cinzia of Cindystar: Ice Fusion Exotic Jams

Francesca of Burro e zucchero: Brisé caskets

Guinevere of Jasper Farm Iowa: Barley with Bacon, Olives, & Parmesan

Sharmila of The Yellow Turmeric: The circle of spice

Rajani of My Kitchen Trials: Chutney in cute cups

Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums: Gorged With Sun

Brii of briggishome: Moka

Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz: Horseradish

homemade canestrato

Simona of briciole: Surprise

elegant draping of the cloth

Simona of briciole: Elegance

The small surprise is a journal for which I created a cute cloth cover. The random number I got was 5 and the fifth person in my list is Pushpa of Taste as you Cook: congratulations!

As of today, Sarawathi of Sara's Corner is accepting submissions for edition #33 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event.

You can send her your contribution at simplysara07 AT gmail DOT com.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the event.

I do hope I have not left anybody out of the roundup. If you find that, notwithstanding my best intentions, I actually have omitted a post, please send me a note.

Arrivederci a presto

visita a Yosemite

2012-05-13T07:20:45-07:00

visit to Yosemite

Half Dome and a portion of Yosemite Valley

Every day is Earth Day (la Giornata della Terra). Yet, spending the day in Yosemite National Park made for a special celebration this year. Yosemite is one of the most famous parks in the US and rightly so.

California's oldest saloon (says the sign)

We spent the night before and the night after our visit to Yosemite at the Hotel Charlotte in Groveland, across the street from the saloon above.

Groveland was originally a gold rush town and then became a sleepy farming community until the San Francisco Hetch Hetchy water project made it their headquarters and built a railroad yard and hospital for the work crews (both now gone). From 1915 till 1935 Groveland was a boom town supporting seven hotels, 10,000 residents and much activity. [source]

Reading a few signs in Groveland made me realized that a number of Italian immigrants settled there: Laveroni, Cassaretto, DeFerrari.

The week prior to our visit, it had snowed, but we had perfect weather, a bit too warm, if anything. There were a lot of people in the Valley, especially around the Visitor Center, but it was not difficult to escape the crowd, since the vast majority of people don't hike on the trails.

Lower Yosemite Fall

Yosemite in the spring means its waterfalls (cascate) are full and offer an amazing show (spettacolo). The three sections of Yosemite Falls — upper, middle and lower — combine to form the tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet. A one-mile loop trail (sentiero) leads to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall (photo above).

Upper Yosemite Fall

You can hike all the way to the top of the Falls (it's an all-day hike). We started on that trail and turned around after reaching the view point where I took the photo above. Seeing Yosemite Falls in its powerful spring beauty, it is difficult to imagine that it goes dry in the summer. (The video on this page shows also what happens to the fall during the winter.)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

visita a Yosemite

or launch the visita a Yosemite audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

Yosemite, travel

eleganza

2012-05-11T14:25:34-07:00

elegance

elegant draping of the cloth

In this photo I took during the cheese-making workshop I attended recently, you see the Bel Paese cheese we made on day 2 early in the draining period. The cheese has been flipped once, as evidenced by the surface, and will be flipped several more times before being brined. The linen cloth's folds fall in elegant folds over the mold. I ♥ this photo.

This is my second contribution to edition #32 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Simona of briciole. Details regarding the event are in this post.

The photo was shot in color and then converted to black and white.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the current and future editions of the event.