Alfajores Recipe

"Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey; I'll never ever let you go"  from Sweets for my Sweet by The Drifters

Hello!  We are still in February, the month of love, the shortest month of the year.  Did you celebrate Valentine's Day?  Do you hate #ValentinesDay?  I've been married for many years now, and there have been times when we just didn't bother celebrating. Maybe we've been married for too long, maybe it fell on a Tuesday...  

This past Valentines Day I read several posts from single friends against this particular celebration of love.  And yes, I know, it's all about the marketing and marking up the price of chocolates and roses.  But I've said it before, there is nothing wrong with buying roses on February 18th, they will still be appreciated.  So why restrict the celebration of love to one day or one type of love.  Life is too short to put restrictions on LOVE!

If you associate love with sweetness like I do, here is a great recipe for Alfajores.  If you've never tried them, they are a South American sandwich cookie filled with caramel.  Oh yeah! That spells L-O-V-E in my dictionary.

Mix the flour, cornstarch and powder sugar in a bowl.  Incorporate the butter until you have an oatmeal-looking mix.  Add cold milk little by little while mixing it in, until your dough comes together.  This should feel like a pie crust dough or sugar cookie dough.  Make a ball with your dough, and cover it with plastic wrap.Let your dough rest in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.  

Then, work in batches.  Take a piece of dough, roll it out and cut circles with a small glass of a round cookie cutter.  Bake the rounds for 12 minutes in a 300 degree oven.  The circles should stay white.  Let them cool.

Take some caramel and spread it on a cicle.  Cover with another cookie, making a sandwich.  If you get creative you can make them in heart shapes as an extra way to show your love.  Last step, but very important one, sprinkle with powder sugar and enjoy!

Arrivederci for now,

Fresh Pasta Recipe

“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”  Julia Child

Whether you are missing Italy, wishing you could be there or just really hungry, do not despair, a  dish of fresh pasta will have you instantly feeling happy or like Italians say: Felice.  This post started with my dissatisfaction with the the local spaghetti found at my grocery story.  After living in Italy for three years and coming back to America, it was hard to even have the courage to try Italian food here and be disappointed.  So, after the all-Italian U.S. Open final (tennis, for those who don't follow the sport) I was ready to celebrate with an Italian dinner, simple but good.

As in many other times, where I wasn't able to find the food I craved in a strange country (read bagels in Sri Lanka or pizza in China), I decided to try to make fresh pasta at home.  If you are interested in eating clean or un-procesing your food give making home-made pasta a try, it's not that difficult.  Here is how to do it:

You can make as much or as little as you want.  For each egg, use 100 grams of flour.

1. Start by pouring the flour on a clean surface and making a volcano.
2. Crack your eggs in the hole of the volcano you just made.  Add the pinch of salt.
3. Take a look at your volcano and strengthen the sides that are too thin.
4. With a fork, start by gently whisking the eggs incorporating the sides of the flour volcano, bit by bit.  There are tons of videos on how to do this.
5.  Once the wet egg/flour mixture starts getting harder to move, drop the fork and start mixing the ingredients with your hands.  Make a ball of the dough and start kneading for 15 mins.

6. Let your ball rest for 30 minutes covered in plastic wrap.
7.  Take you dough and in a floured surface use a rolling pin to start flattening it until you reach a 1/2  millimeter thickness.  Or use a pasta machine to roll your pasta out to the desired thickness (use small chunks of dough, not the whole ball).  Let your final pasta dry for around 20 minutes after sprinkling a little bit of flour on top and covering it with a plastic wrap.

With the sheets of pasta, depending on what you do with them, you can get, lasagna sheets, tagliatelle, fettuccine, ravioli, even bow ties (make a small rectangle and pinch it in the middle).

That day I made baked lasagna and it was over before I could take a picture of it.  I hope you give this recipe a try.  I messed up the first batch letting my eggs escape the volcano too soon, the second time I did better.  Don't give up, the results are super yummy!

Arrivederci for now,

NYC, The Melting Pot

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”  Stephen R. Covey

Last week I was in New York City, the city that never sleeps.  One of the things I love most about New York is the feeling that the entire world lives there.  You see people of different cultures and hear many languages being spoken.  A true melting pot of cultures  and flavors.

In a crazy cement jungle like Manhattan, any green space is precious.  If you are visiting NYC don't miss strolling through the High Line.  The High Line is an urban park built on and around the elevated tracks of an abandoned train line.  The High Line is now an oasis in the city.  There are several free events happening in the park, so check out their website (here) to see what's on the calendar during your visit.  Simply walking the High Line is a relaxing experience that will offer you a break from the hustling and bustling of the city.  As you exit the High Line on 16th street, you'll find yourself steps from the Chelsea Market, another gem in the meat packing district and a must stop for food lovers like me. 

The one thing I really cherish about Manhattan is that you find countless world cuisines in one city.  And because my time in Italy has deprived me of ethnic food, I decided to lunch on some empanadas from the food market of the High Line.  I love empanadas! They are savory Latin American snacks that have different versions, depending where you try them.   You find fried and baked empanadas, filled with meat, chicken, vegetarian,  ham and cheese... You can fill them with whatever pleases your palate.  And if you were waiting for the perfect recipe, here I'm sharing my Brazilian friend's empanada recipe.  The flaky dough with your filling of choice, make them perfect for breakfast, a snack or even lunch.

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup of water

Mix oil, melted butter and water.  Add all purpose flour to the liquid mixture until it all combines into a ball of dough.  Knead the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for one hour.  After the resting time, knead the dough a little more and roll it into a rectangle.  Cut circles according to the size of empanadas you want.  Put the filling in one half of the circle, fold and pinch both sides together with a fork.  Bake on a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F, until golden brown.

Enjoy the empanadas, adios amigos!

One Capri, Two Perspectives

“We are different because our brain is wired differently. This causes us to perceive the world in different ways and have different values and priorities. Not better or worse - different.” Allan Pease

As my time in Italy is running out, I am going through my list and making sure I've visited the places I wanted to visit and ate the foods I wanted to eat.  So, while checking my Italy bucket list, I realized I had not seen Capri yet!  Anxiety sets in, in no time I'm looking for places to stay and booking train tickets. To get there from Rome, you have take the train to Naples, a taxi to the port and a ferry to Capri (four and a half hours door to door).  You can also get there by boat from the Amalfi coast.

Capri is one of those places that is well-known around the world and that the Italians gracefully leave for the tourists.  They have their own islands they are not marketing to foreigners because they want to keep those to themselves (Ischia, Procida, Sardenia).  Most of of my Italian friends had recommended us to go elsewhere, but how could I possibly leave Italy without seeing this beautiful island?  So I went.

Woman's Perspective:

My friends and the entire world say it's wonderful, I have to see it!

Man's Perpective:

I'm only going because you want to go.

Woman's Perspective:

Wow, look at that nice street lined with luxury brands! Prada, Gucci, Bulgari!

Man's Perpective:

Nothing for me here.

Woman's Perspective:

The Blue Grotto, we have to go, it's such a romantic place!

Man's Perspective:

Tourist trap!  PS. If you are going to do it, you can take the 70 euro private boat from Marina Grande, or the 18 euro sight seeing boat, however, the entrance to the blue grotto is right on the other side of the island, so why not take the 1.80 euro orange bus to the Blue Grotto and then go down the steps to the entrance of the cave?  Seeing the Blue Grotto takes you just a couple of minutes, once you've gone through the entrance of the cave you're there, check out the deep blue reflexion of the light on the water and your time is up.  If you are lucky your boat guy sings.  13 Euro a person to see the Blue Grotto.  More if you took the boats to get there.

The best of Capri was the sunset by the lighthouse.  Second best, we got the recipe of Scialatielli, a wonderful fresh pasta, from the restaurant L'Angolo del Gusto in Anacapri.  Since sharing is caring, here is the recipe:

And don't forget to eat a Caprese Salad while you are in Capri!  (Caprese=from Capri).  Had a very nice meal at Ristorante Pizzeria Verginiello, would certainly recommend it.

Arrivederci for now,

From Me To You

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”  Pablo Picasso

Gift giving is something many of us associate with birthdays and Christmas, at least I know I do. But in reality we should not have to wait for a certain date to share a gift with those we love.  And I am really enjoying the trend of "paying it forward", when people do something nice for a complete stranger without expecting anything in return.  The world is so crazy right now, that those on the side of peace, love and tolerance, need to step up our game and give more of us to the world.

There are people who are natural givers, including my sister-in-law and my friends Rosi.  No matter how busy they are and how hard life is at a particular moment, they always find time for others and in my opinion, there is no better gift to give than your time and your presence.

But going back to my recurrent theme of all things Italian, I wanted to share with you how much I appreciate gift giving in Italy, as many people still give culinary presents to each other.  And I'm not talking about a box of chocolates they picked up at the store, I'm talking about jellies and preservers, garlic-flavored olive oil and spicy pepperoncino, all home made.  I can only imagine the amount of time and work it took the cook to peel, cut, process and bottle a preserve.  I don't care if I get onion jelly in a jar that used to hold tomatoes, I don't care if the presentation is not as fancy as the one from the store.  Home-made-with-love is the only label I really care about.  (PS. have you every tried onion jelly? yummo!!)  And all the jars used for these culinary presents are reused and recycled.

A couple of weeks ago, when the season for lemons was in full swing, we received a whole bunch of organic lemons from a friend of ours.  Son#2 made tons of lemonade and I baked my friend Laura's Lemon Cake, but my husband really wanted to try making home-made Limoncello.

So today, from me to you, here is my Hubby's Limoncello recipe:

Peel the lemons making sure you are only taking the yellow part of the peel (leave the white part behind, it will make your limoncello bitter).  Pour the alcohol in a big glass container and add the lemon peel.  Leave the concoction to macerate for 11 to 15 days.  Shake the container every day.  After your long wait, make a syrup with water and sugar (bring the water to a boil, pour the sugar and mix until it dissolves) let it cool completely.  Pour your alcohol mix through a strainer or cheese cloth to get rid of the lemon peel.  Add your alcohol mixture to your cool syrup.  Mix well. Pour your home made Limoncello into glass bottles and keep it in the freezer.  Enjoy a chilled shot glass after dinner.

Arrivederci, and pay it forward whenever you can!

If Life Gives You Lemons....

"A person cooking is a person giving.  Even the simplest of food is a gift" Laurie Colwin

Life has given me lemons...literally!  Lemons are in season at the moment in Italy and I was lucky enough to get a sack of organic lemons from a friend who grows them (click here to read the health benefits of lemons).  After thinking what to do with all those lemons (other than lemonade) I remembered my friend Laura had given me a lemon cake recipe, that has now become part of my collection of recipes from around the world.   The cake was a big hit with my kids and other friends started asking for the recipe.  So here it goes,

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of butter; softened

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of lemon extract

1/3 cups lemon juice

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice.  Pour dry ingredients into wet ones, mixing and blending until smooth.  Add oil and mix a little more.  Pour the batter into a well greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Lemon Icing: 1 cup of powder sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract.  Combine all ingredients and frost the cake after it has cooled.  Let the icing set before slicing the cake.

Enjoy!!

Something else we are thinking of doing with our organic lemons is Limoncello, an after dinner liquor from the Sorrentine Peninsula that is simply amazing.  If all goes well, I will share the recipe in a following post.

Arrivederci for now,

A Light One Before the Food Coma: Veggie Pancakes Recipe

"To lengthen your life, shorten your meals."  Proverb

The holiday season is coming and with it, all the overeating of the get togethers, cookie exchanges and holiday meals.  Yesterday I decided to make some veggie pancakes to lighten up a little before the food-coma of the holidays. 

This veggie pancake recipe is perfect for those days when you want to use up leftover veggies that have remained in your fridge at the end of the week.  An alternative to making soup with whatever you find in your fridge.  And a great vegetarian alternative to serve with a side of lentils.

Separate your egg whites and yolks,

 and beat the egg whites until they are fluffy and full of air.

  Add the yolks one by one and incorporate to the whites. 

 In a frying pan with a little bit of oil,

 sauté your onions and add your cooked veggies,

 season to taste.  

I used fresh zucchini, added a cup of frozen veggie mix and ended with swiss chard.

  All the veggies will get softer after 5 minutes and the greens (spinach or any fresh greens) will whittle. 

Sprinkle the flour and baking powder to your beaten eggs.

Add your cooked veggies to the mixture and incorporate them gently.

Cook on a griddle like if you were making pancakes,

 make small sizes for parties or regular sizes to eat with a meal.  

Enjoy!!

If you make them, let me know how they came out.  Do you have a good vegetarian recipe to share with me?

Arrivederci,

Eating Real Food, Staying Healthy

"Your body was meant to run on good food: fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and lots of water. Eat good food!” Tom Giaquinto

I just finished watching a documentary called "FedUp" and mamma mia!  how sad it is to see the way people's poor eating habits affect their health and most importantly that of their children.  Let me back up for a second and explain my observations about the American obesity epidemic after living overseas for so long.

We've been living abroad for a while now and every time we went back to the U.S. it was impossible not to notice how America has changed over the last decades.  It was like seeing a child after a few years and noticing how much he has grown.  Our perception of America was heightened by the fact that we were not living in it and seeing it get larger every day.

I noticed our compatriots' growing waist size by realizing that every time I went back to the U.S. and bought a pair of jeans I had to reach for a smaller size even though my body was certainly not getting smaller.  Portions at restaurants were getting so overwhelmingly large, we had a hard time finishing any meal.  I had to order only one plate of the kid's menu and split it between my two boys and even then, I had leftovers to take home.  Soon, I also started splitting meals with my husband.  At the grocery store, choosing fruits and vegetables was always more expensive than buying processed foods.

This is how real food looks like, no wrappers, no brands!

Another simple observation was the super scientific fact that every time I went back to the U.S. I gained weight.  That is a recurrent comment from most visiting foreigners.  They laugh about the super large sizes found in the U.S. and talk about how much they love America's junk food.  Their advantage is that they get to go back home, eat better food and loose the weigh efforlessly.  Americans are in that respect "trapped".  The movie #FedUp opens your eyes on the subject.  I highly recommend it to every person living in America.   Hopefully you'll make better choices when it comes to what you put in your body.

A point that was highlighted at the end of the movie was that cooking home meals from real ingredients was basically the answer, and I couldn't agree more.  So, to be consistent with my wish to eat better in order to be healthy and to teach my kids to eat real food, I try to learn fun recipes and involve my kids in the cooking process.

I learned this recipe from a Japanese friend of mine, and it was approved by my teenagers.  So here it goes:

                                Nikumaki

• Buy thinly sliced meat (you can look for carpaccio meat);
• Cut carrots and string beans into long finger-size strips;
• Steam the veggies;
• Lay the meat flat and season it with salt pepper;
• Place the veggies on one end of the meat and roll;
• Once you finished rolling all your meat, season the outside of your rolls and sprinkle flour on top; 
• Pan fry them, making sure all sides are fully cooked.
• The veggies inside are already cook so you are looking to brown the meat which only takes a minute when it is carpaccio meat (very very thin).

This part is my spin on the recipe:

• Take the rolls out of the pan and set aside.  Add chopped onion or scallions to the hot pan;
• Cook until translucent;
• Season with salt pepper and a splash of soy sauce, stir for a couple of minutes;
• Pour onions over rolls and serve.  You just made Nikumaki!

Serve with a side of rice and salad.

Enjoy! And don't forget to eat real food, make the time to cook at home and reap the benefits.  Do you have a healthy recipe to share?

L'Aperitivo, the Happy Hour (with recipe!)

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.” Walt Whitman

One of the things you learn when you move to Italy is that in order to get a (mini) cup of coffee, you don't go to a coffee house.  You have your coffee at "The Bar", a place that before living here, my brain only associated with alcohol.  My kids also buy ice-cream and juices at the school's bar.  

Now, the bar after a certain hour does serve alcoholic drinks and then it all makes sense.  L'aperitivo is a break on your busy day, after work, when you stop at "il Bar" for a drink, call it a glass of wine, a beer or the famous Spritz, which has become my personal favorite.  The bars normally provide a few appetizers with your drink, ranging from salted peanuts, pieces of pizza to potato chips.  A nicer bar will provide mini sandwiches, olives and cheeses.  For me, if I had a nice lunch, the apetitivo doubles as a light dinner.  But in reality it just prevents you from starving while you wait for a dinner that does not start until eight o'clock at night, at the earliest.

If you have not heard of this Italian favorite, the Spritz is a mixed drink that is light and summery.  It is a mix of Aperol (an Italian bitter), Prosecco (Italian bubbly) and soda water.  It's not too sweet, it doesn't have added sugars, so let's pretend is low calorie, ok?

Of course enjoying an Aperitivo is part of the Italian's DNA.  Think "La Dolce Vita".  The Aperitivo time is perfect to meet  with your significant other after a long day at the office, to catch up with friends after the summer break or just to enjoy the sights of this beautiful country.  I love  going downtown #Rome for an Aperitivo.  And remember, if you show up at a restaurant at 6:00 pm, you will be way too early for dinner, but the time will be just right for enjoying a Spritz.

On a last note, I already checked and Aperol is available in the U.S.  ;)

Arrivederci,

Artichokes, Get them Before They're Gone (with recipe!)

"Expose them {your kids} to the widest variety of vegetables and fruits, showing them how good things can be in season.  Tasteless fruits and vegetables won't win them over for life."  Mireille Guiliano

Artichokes are in season right now, and the price has dropped significantly since I first spotted them at the supermarkets.  In Rome you normally see them showcased at the Jewish Ghetto served as their famous Carciofi alla Giudia (Artichoke Jewish Style), but now they are all around town.  As a kid I ate them boiled.  It was a fun and messy appetizer, eating the tip of every leave dipped in an olive oil, lemon juice and salt dressing, but the best, the most fun part was arriving to the heart.  

Now, I have tried more sophisticated ways of cooking and serving them to visiting friends, but once in a while I go back to the simple way, for nostalgic reasons.

Yesterday I saw them, staring at me at the supermarket and I decided to try a new recipe.  Here is what I did:

• Fill a bowl with water and add a squirt of lime juice.  Set aside.
• Discard all the thick outer leaves of the artichoke by folding them back (which makes them crack at the bottom leaving the edible part still attached) and pulling.  Once you arrive to the tender more reddish leaves at the center stop ripping them off and just cut the top 1/2 inch. **
• Slice them in half and discard the fuzzy part right at the center of the artichoke.  Peel outer part of stem (see video here).
• Chop them in bite-size pieces and drop them in the bowl with water. This will prevent oxidation.  
• Once you've cleaned all your artichokes cook them in a pan with olive oil, add half an onion (chopped small) and one garlic clove (which you can leave whole and then remove or chop small).  After five minutes add half a cup of white wine and cover until they are soft.
• Make a béchamel sauce with added parmesan cheese to taste. 
• Line a pie dish with phyllo dough (sfoglia).  Add a bit of béchamel, then the artichokes, cooked chicken in bite size pieces, more béchamel and then cover with another sheet to phyllo dough.
• Bake for 35 minutes in a 400ºF oven (200º C). 

Do you have a good artichoke recipe?  Would love to learn some new ways of eating this great veggie.  Buon Appetito!! 

** TIP: When cleaning the Artichokes use plastic gloves.  For some reason they will dirt your fingernails and you'll look like a kid who has been playing with dirt all day.  That was me yesterday :(  I'm wearing gloves next time...

Eating Healthy: Thai Beef Salad

“Tout est question d'équilibre” (It's all a matter of balance) Mireille Guiliano

I just made this recipe for a get together with friends.  I had a little bit left over and gave it to my teenage son, who loved it! And that is the toughest test a recipe can pass.  It came out so yummy I had to share the recipe here, with you!  I used ingredients that were easy to find in Rome (if you live here, you know how hard it can be to find international ingredients).

I started with regular salad greens and vegetables.  In order to make it Thai, I added mint from my terrace planter and chopped up peanuts.  I had to mention that the mint is from a pot on my terrace because I am terrible with plants and to be able to have a healthy growing herb under my care is something to celebrate (and brag about).

I then pan-fried two veal steaks seasoned with salt, pepper, minced garlic and minced ginger. Once the steaks had cooled down I chopped them in bite size pieces and added them to the salad.

DRESSING:

one table spoons of soy sauce

two table spoons of lemon juice

two teaspoons of sugar

a couple of drops or hot peperoncini oil

And that was all, a perfect salad for the warmer weather and with enough protein to hold you until your next meal.  Enjoy!

What to See While in Rome: Piazza Navona

"I came, I saw, I conquered" Julius Caesar

In my own humble way I also came, saw and conquered #PiazzaNavona and in the lines to follow I will do my best to let you know why you should come too.  While other city attractions may be more renown, Piazza Navona has a unique charm that has captivated Romans and visitors alike for centuries.  

The first thing Piazza Navona has to offer is its vast size.  For a bustling city of narrow streets and crazy traffic, this pedestrian-only square is a relaxing but still vibrant part of town.  It is great to spend some time admiring the three fountains that adorn it; and if traveling with kids, it's a great place to let them run around a little bit and enjoy, as Romans do, this beautiful public square.

In the center of Piazza Navona you'll find the Fountain of the Four Rivers, sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (you can read all about its history by clicking here).  It represents the Gods of the four great rivers as recognized in the #Renaissance world.  On the southern end of the piazza you'll find the Fountain of the Moor and the northern end of the square is adorned by the Fountain of Neptune, my personal favorite one. 

There are several restaurants surrounding the piazza offering al fresco dinning and the colors and magnificence of the buildings make it a postcard perfect setting.  During Christmas season an open market operates in the piazza and offers all imaginable pieces for a Nativity set and many other decorations. During the rest of the year there are always artists selling paintings, photographs and souvenirs.  On weekends it's a popular and family-friendly destination.  At night time it is a happening part of town.

The drinking fountains around Rome, called "Nasone (big nose)" by the locals, provide potable water to all.  Just cover the flowing water with you hand and a spout will shoot water up towards you, the best way to quench your thirst in Rome.  There is one drinking fountain in the north end of piazza Navona, and 2000 others around town.

When hunger strikes I normally walk a couple of blocks away from the piazzas where most restaurants gear towards tourist and find more local venues.  A couple of blocks from Piazza Navona I found Pizzeria Ristorante La Focaccia (Via della Pace 11).  I sat on the outdoor tables and enjoyed their brick oven pizza and local cuisine for an affordable price.  Another fun venue around the area is Bar del Fico at Piazza del Fico 26-28 (their website shows a fully naked lady so I won't link it, just is case: www.bardelfico.com).   Their grilled steak is very nice.  And since we are talking about food, here is the recipe for a typical Roman dish:

 

400 grams of Spaghetti

200 grams of bacon cut in small bite size pieces (or guanciale: a bacon of pigs cheeks)

250 grams of Pecorino cheese 

2 egg yolks and 1 1/2 egg whites

Salt and Pepper to taste

*This dish is almost a religion in Rome!

Scramble the eggs in a bowl and add a third of the cheese and a bit of pepper, let the mix rest for 5 minutes.  On a frying pan fry the bacon until crisp without any extra oil.  Get rid of half the bacon oil after the bacon is crisp.  In the mean time, boil your pasta "al dente" which means until you can still bite into it (always save some pasta water, it is almost always used in the sauces).  Transfer it to the bowl with the egg mixture and mix well.  Add the hot bacon to the seasoned pasta.    Mix well until creamy, away from the stove.  In order to get a creamy consistency you can add pasta water if necessary.  Sprinkle the rest of the Pecorino cheese before serving.

Enjoy!!!

*Image from www.unacenaconenrica.com

 

Eating and Living Like Italians Do

“Sorry, there´s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.”  Morgan Spurlock

When I learned I was moving to #Italy, my initial reaction of joy was followed by worried  thoughts of the amount of weight I was going to gain after my three year assignment.  I worried all the #pasta and #bread were going to be impossible to resist.  I dreamed of Pasta al Pesto Genovese in Genova, Tagliatelle al Ragu in Bologna, Spaghetti Vongole in Amalfi, Tiramisu... I also had nightmares about stepping on a scale.

Being worried about gaining all that weight I started thinking why, generally speaking, Italians are not overweight?  And on top of it, they live long lives, especially women!  My friend is traveling next month to see her grandmother for her 100th birthday; how many of us can say that?

Good looking Italians on a regular day.

Not being an expert on the matter, I can only talk about my observations:

#Italians care about they way they look.  Some more obsessively than others, but both men and women care about looking presentable when going out.  You will never see them running errands wearing baggy sweatpants and flip flops.  Now, if you have to wear your nice clothes all the time, you make sure to fit in them!

People walk a lot more than in other countries.  Since parking is a big nightmare, as I've discussed previously, many people take public transpo, which involves getting to bus stops, metro stops and train stations...walking.  If you are downtown, it's a lot easier to walk places than it is to drive there.  No need for pedometers, walking is just part of life.

Food is fresher, and everyone cares about buying nothing but the best: the freshest, the purest, simply the best you can buy.  They have the mentality that if it's Italan it's the best, and that makes for eating food that comes from nearby places, not from the other corner of the world.  Eating "farm to table" is not a trend, just the way they've been doing it for centuries.

In the supermarkets you will only find produce in season, so if you want artichokes in the summer time you won't find them, they are in season now (January).  If you want peaches in the winter you just won't find them, you have to wait until they are at their best, in summer time.  As a result, restaurants serve seasonal dishes and it's all fresh, it's all good.

Their food industry is regulated is such a way that many products sold in the U.S. and other parts of the world are forbidden here.  And if they are to be sold, they have to come with a warning label stating the effects of the dubious ingredients (normally chemicals and additives).  For example, American Mac and Cheese, comes with a big label saying that certain ingredients alter children's behavior.  My youngest loves Mac and Cheese, but how can you buy the product knowing its possible effects?  I actually stopped buying it and now make Mac and Cheese from scratch, every time we want to have it.  

I have talked to many #Italian friends and they say that at home they normally don't eat pasta at dinner time.  They might if they go out to a restaurant, where, by the way, I've never been offered unlimited amounts of bread, the basket of bread is fairly small and costs a couple of euros. 

All and all, I haven't gain weight, maybe only for the holidays but that is true no matter where I live.  After a year in Italy I have given myself permission to savor it all, but in moderation.

1/2 pounds elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon powder mustard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1 egg

12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1 teaspoon of salt

fresh black pepper

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.  In a large pot boil the pasta in salted water until it's "al dente".  While pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, mustard and keep moving for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the milk little by little making sure no lumps are formed.  Add the onion, bay leaf and paprika.  Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.  Temper in the egg.  Stir in 3/4 of the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour it nto a casserole dish.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Toss breadcrumbs on top and bake for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!