Pizza Night Friday is Here!

One of the first things I realized when I began living in Italy is that I had never actually eaten an actual "Italian Pizza". I remember I was taken aback when I was first served my first pizza in Italy, it certainly was far from the "traditional" Italian pizza I thought I had eaten in New York.

For one thing the dough is completely different, it is actually very thin! No Pan Pizza or Tombstone pizza here!

Some of the most common selections one will find are:

-"Margherita"- which is basically the tomato sauce (Pomodoro), Mozzarella, and origano.
-"Prosciutto e Funghi"- contains pomodoro, mozzarella, cooked ham (prosciutto cotto), and mushroom (funghi).

My favorites are:
- "Tonno e Cipolle"- which contains pomodoro, mozzarella, tuna (tonno), and onion (cipolle)
- "Mezza Luna"- pomodoro, mozzarella, ricotta, prosciutto cotto, pomodorini, and ruccola

And my favorite made at home pizzas:

- Veggie- Pomodoro, mozzarella, zuchinni, and eggplant (melanzana)
- Pomodoro, mozzarella, sausage (salsiccia), and onion (cipolle)

I have realized it is not that difficult to make the dough portion, even though I have still not mastered the ingredient ratios, I can extend the dough pretty nicely without using a rolling-pin, just my two hands.

My husband who is alot more advanced in the kitchen, uses his two hands up in the air, making a perfect round pizza, most of the time better then those found in pizzeria!

Pizza Fridays always gives us something yummy to look forward to at the end of the long week!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

The Art of the Kitchen

After years of concentrating on my career- work and school, I have always been closer to my sewing machine, then the kitchen. Now with over two years of living in Italy I have learned that cooking and eating is an art in itself!

It didn't help any that my husband is a chef and creating in the kitchen is in his blood. Now that I am a stay-at-home mom it has been essential for me to start becoming friends with the kitchen.

It has certainly been an eye-opener living here, the wonderful art of eating is present in every Italian household. First the various course meals, then identifying all the American stereo-types of Italian food.

After living in America all my life I have realized what Italian pizza really is! And no one eats bread with spaghetti, and there is no such thing as spaghetti meatballs in northern Italy.

The Fig Tree

I am mostly learning from my father-in-law, and my husband. (Sometimes I am still intimidated by my husband when he is in the kitchen.) And I can understand when he gets frustrated with me. When we began dating he could always enter my apartment and make an amazing dinner with what was in my fridge!

Now I am starting to try new things! I have always been hesitate to make marmalade, and torta, and dinner in general.

Figs and tomatoes I picked from my father-in-law's garden.

With the abundance of figs and tomatoes in the house I felt it safe to attempt fig marmalade, a fig torta, sun dried tomatoes, and tomato basil soup!

Yes I am starting small, but I am slowly learning, I am on my way of becoming a friend of the kitchen and understanding how eating can be an art!

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