Game Day

The stadium on game day!

Today Cagliari's team pulled out an amazing tie against Juventus. It set the whole neighborhood off celebrating. Not in a rowdy way, but in a glad way. Poor Gus, a true-blue Juve fan, watched the match in our favorite local bar. I stopped in with him a few hours later and everyone was grinning, "Forza Cagliari!" They sent beer after beer, Sardinian Ichnusa of course. I always drink Ichnusa, which is rare because I hate beer, but this is different. It is impossible to refuse generosity here. The first time I was offered Ichnusa I said, well at least I think I said, "Oh no, no thank you! I don't like beer." As Gino filled my glass he said, "Yes, but you like Ichnusa." Gino was right, I do like drinking Ichnusa and sitting with new friends in the cozy bar. I adore the family who owns the bar, they've just saved us with food and friendship. I could watch the men in the bar shout at each other and the TV all day long. I do miss one thing though, something so completely American and delicious. Bar food. Game day bar food. 

I am thinking a lot about America today, especially Baltimore. I guess I am always thinking of America, but today I am thinking of our football. I just heard that the Ravens did it, they won! I called my favorite Baltimore boy (my big brother) and he was grilling. He does game day right. So I thought why not share the recipes I'm thinking of. They'll be hard to replicate here, but I hope they'll find their way into some Superbowl celebrations... the Ravens too!

Baltimore, hon!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

A personal favorite, especially before I knew what was in it.

• 1 pound of chicken shredded
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing
• 3/4 to 1 cup Hot Sauce (as to your preference)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. Toss chicken and hot sauce in a large pan on the stove. When chicken is well coated, add cream cheese. Mix well.

2. Add dressing. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese.

3. Transfer from pan into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Add remaining cheese for ten more minutes. Serve with tortilla chips!

Pepperjack Stuffed Pretzels

These are my take on a Charleston favorite of Gus' served at the Kickin' Chicken. I found the recipe for soft pretzels here. I've adapted the recipe to stuff them with Pepperjack!

Prepare the dough, separating into 7-9 pieces instead of twelve. Roll into thicker pencils with your hands and flatten with a rolling pin (length-wise!)

Sprinkle P.J. cheese on flattened dough and close seam, rolling with your palms to seal. 

Fold into shape. Boil, sprinkle pepperjack on top and bake. Enjoy!

Chi-Chi's Crab Dip

With her permission.

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of sour cream

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon Old Bay

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch mace

1 pound lump crab meat

1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Remove any shells from crab meat and set aside.

2. Mix together mayo, sour cream and W. sauce.

3. Add spices (mustard, garlic, mace).

4. Gently mix in crab meat.

5. Transfer to baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

6. Top with cheese during dish's last ten minutes in oven!

Serve with French bread or crackers! 

sweet dreams and small blessings

One of the things I miss the most about home is the way we celebrate. The holidays were hard, Christmas of course, Halloween and Thanksgiving too. I have big love for Halloween, because I have a big love for anything sweet. But also the magic of Halloween, costumes, pumpkins and everything coming to life at night. It would have been wrong to dress up as the Dukes of Hazard and hit downtown Cagliari.  I didn't particularly want to be right though. We had a couple of trick-or-treaters move quietly through the building and that was Halloween.

Thanksgiving promised to be even worse. When I woke up that morning, it was as if everyone simply forgot. I had to work, go to the market and think all the while of MomMom's gravy. I offered to bring "stuffing" in for my students and by chance ran into one of those students at the market. San Benedetto Market is indoor, with stalls pressed close to each other. There are baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade sausages and cheeses, baked breads and butcher stalls. It buzzes, with voices and people moving with purpose. I moved slow and just tried to take it all in, the smells and the food, that's when my student found me. He walked through the market with us and took us from stall to stall. He introduced us to friends who wished us a happy day, he got us samples of sausages and cheese and made us fresh pomegranate juice. I felt like an actual pilgrim being shown the way, especially on my way out when he handed me a fresh fruit basket saying, "For class and for you."

I've never known generosity like that of the Sardinian people. The fruit basket was the catalyst in a big discovery. I decided to use the apples to make an apple pie and found this recipe for pie crust. I loved the crust enough that a few days later, with the left over fruit, I made pear pastries. We ate them hot out of the oven. I love making the dough, especially how the flour feels when it comes out of the freezer. The whole apartment smells warm when they're baking too. I made dough last night so we could have pastries this morning. I woke up thinking of them!

I definitely recommend leaving the dough in the freezer overnight. Make sure to use the baking soda or rising agent, instead of doubling the salt. Sometimes I brush them with egg or melted butter and sprinkle sugar. I fill with chocolate usually, but the pear filling was my favorite! Pears diced in a simple syrup with just a little cinnamon!

I love them. There is nothing like being home for the holidays, but thank goodness for small blessings!

no bread left behind

Homemade Croutons

day-old bread cubed, one clove of garlic, butter, salt

Using the flat side of a knife crush the garlic clove. Mince.

Heat butter in a pan over low-medium heat. Saute garlic.

Remove garlic from pan being careful to leave butter. Add more butter if necessary.

Add bread and toss to coat. Allow it to toast.

Sprinkle with salt.

Remove from heat when croutons are toasted. Let cool.

tuscany

We returned early this morning from Pisa, where we began and ended our tour of Tuscany. We climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, wandered through the outdoor markets and art museums in Florence and finally ended up in Lucca, strolling the ancient brick walls. I love the feeling of being amazed and for five days, we were amazed over and over!

The Leaning Tower!

Pizza in Pisa (Trattoria Pizzeria) 

The thick dough was a welcome surprise!

Florence from the Tower

Window shopping for Gelato in Florence

Leaving Lucca, Gus' favorite city on our trip

Claudia's Pasticcerria in Lucca (Via Concordia) 

Made in the shop by kind Claudia herself.

In each city we climbed a tower. It wasn't our plan, outside of climbing the Leaning Tower. In Florence we decided to climb the Bell Tower by the Cathedral and in Lucca Gus noticed the Torre Guinigi while we walked the walls. Lucca has been wonderfully preserved and just being there we felt worlds away. The Tower Guinigi is a perfect symbol of Lucca. It is ancient, built of rising red brick and on top there is a grove. Seven live Oak trees grow and we stood on top of the city shaded by their branches. The Tower marks the corner of an ancient palace. There were four towers, but only one survives. We loved coming through the trees at the top of the stairs. Gus even stopped in the gift shop to read more, which is rare. He usually about jogs through them. He found out that trees have been replanted since the fourteenth century! I took my golden chance to browse a gift shop and found two cookbooks- translated from Italian to English. They're traditional Tuscan recipes, printed in Lucca and just wonderful. They were four euro each! I bought two and have loved reading the translated recipes. They're simple, precise and valuable! 

I'm excited to share the wealth! The first recipe comes from "Dreaming of the Tuscany Table" by Carla Geri Camporesi. I can't wait to try it! I've added it here verbatim.

Apple Tart (Torta di Mele)

From "Dreaming of the Tuscany Table" by Carla Geri Camporesi

5 apples peeled and cored, cut into thin slices, 12oz sugar, 4 oz butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 glass milk, 2 level tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder

I have to say in advance that for me the amount of sugar given in the recipe is too much. However, I have to admit that the quantity indicated gives the tart a very special caramel flavour which is lost if less sugar is used. I suggest you to try out once the recipe as it stands and then possibly adjust it later according to your own taste. This recipe has quite an unusual history. The restaurant where the tart is offered is very possessive of the recipe and it was never possible to obtain. One day we had invited a friend who is a very distinguished and popular Italian film actor and when he asked for the recipe they did not know how to refuse him. It is a simple recipe but it was not easy to imagine what the ingredients were. You will notice this immediately.

Proceed by slicing the five apples very thinly (the quality is not important). Separately, blend the eggs, milk and sugar. Mix them together a bit, and then add the flour, melted butter, raising agent and the apples. Put it all in the buttered baking dish, and cook for one hour at 320-350 F. It does not matter much if it burns a little. Serve hot after letting it rest for some minutes.

I call it my jolly tart. Everyone likes it very much. I prepare it at the last minute and it never disappoints.

Camporesi, Carla. "Dreaming of the Tuscany Table." Maria Pacini Fazzi Editore. Lucca, Italy 2002.

Mucco Pisano

We spent the first of the year in Pisa. The small city has such charm. As soon as we walked within sight of that famous tower I was taken. Of course, it is leaning and I mean really leaning. We were able to climb to the top- gravity pitching us side to side throughout the ascent. The top is slanted enough that I found myself walking tiptoe. I just loved it. I left this morning planning to return. Not just for the things we saw but for the things we tasted too, particularly Mucco Pisano. It is a traditional Pisan steak and in many ways an art. There are multiple rounds of crossbreeding and ancient recipes. The taste is incredible, especially in tortelli- handmade and filled pasta. In Pisa off the Arno River there is a Spaghetteria in Piazza Carioli- Spaghetteria Tegame. Go.