The Compassionate Hedonist

My Fall

2011-10-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

I know I am a little late to welcome the fall. I am also lagging on posting here, but for good reason. Wine and Food and Dogs. I am really busy tasting wine, making food and working in rescue, and I have neglected my blog. We just passed the grape harvest and the making of the new wines. Right now we are picking olives for olive oil. Here are some photos of what has been going on.

Picking grapes for the 2011 Roèt

I found her with no fur while taking a walk. Now she is a jewel.

2nd kitten of the summer Bon Jovi

Fall means TRUFFLES!

My South-West version of Mylène's Lentil Burgers:

LENTIL BURGERS

Ettore and I tried La Margutta a veg restaurant in Rome: Great Food!

My Grilled Seitan at la Margutta

Sadly, this is one of two dogs we rescued this summer. He is getting better but he is looking for his forever home. TITO!

Picking Olives

I can't believe this comes from out land!

Ettore combing the trees

I am pretty happy with myself! This will be made into oil in a day or so.

Curing some of our olives

AWFUL tasting we attended

Bavetta the 13 year old grumpy lady we adopted. We are twin souls

Linguine con Finferli-Linguine with Chanterelle

2011-09-01T03:44:00.000-07:00

We've just returned from an amazing vacation in the Dolomites, which are located in Alto Adige, the region in Italy that borders with Austria. It was an inspiring vacation that I took with my husband and two of my dogs, Chardonnay and Bellone Benny Boo Boo. There are incredible flower and vegetable gardens in every yard I saw, all perfectly groomed and manicured. You can eat while on the run as well. I hiked in one forest and picked wild strawberries for about 2 km. These were wild uncultivated strawberries that changed my life in a serious way. I now know what a strawberry really is and trust me; it ain't those giant cultivated ones you find in supermarkets such as Whole Foods. No, these were tiny and had intense aromas and flavor. Tiny strawberries on crack, in my opinion.

Crackberries?

Then, of course, there is the scenery. Have you ever seen The Sound of Music? The hills really are alive. Every turn you make is like a picture perfect postcard. So much green and so much clean fresh air invigorates the soul. I had not been back to the Dolomites since 2008. It was in the Dolomites that I made a connection with the cow that changed my life, when I was determined once and for all to make my life animal free. I came back from this trip with more determination. I feel healthy, reinvigorated and alive. The Alps must be on a vortex!

Alto Adige is the northern most region in Italy. It has the Dolomites and also a great wine making tradition. In fact, the lovely Gewurztraminer comes from Alto Adige. In some ways the culture is more Germanic than Italian, but when it comes to the food, just like in every other region, they are experts with local ingredients. In Alto Adige it was harder than most other regions in Italy to be vegan, because they rely on dairy for almost everything. There are cows in the fields eating Alpine grass and you encounter cows on your walks up the mountains. Luckily, it is a heavily forested area and gorgeous vegan local products are, in fact, readily available. Unlike other regions in Italy, Alto Adige and, I suspect, most of the other Alpine areas, has a variety of fresh and delicious mushrooms available in the summer. One night of rain and you're practically swimming in them. We had an apartment rather than a hotel. It was better for nights when I wanted to cook, and it was much better with for the dogs. Please enjoy this yummy version of Linguine con Finferli

Linguine con Finferli

Ingredients for 4 people

500 grams of fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 tbsn of dry vegetable broth

I can of peeled whole tomatoes

3-5 tbsn of olive oil

Splash of white wine

Course Himalaya Salt for the pasta water

1 tbsn chopped flat leaf parsley to toss in at the end

1 packet of linguine

pot of boiled and salted water

Directions: First, you will need a deep pan. Put the olive oil, splash of wine, broth and garlic in the pan and sautè for a few minutes until garlic softens. Then add the can of tomatoes. Fill the can with water and also put the water in the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Let this simmer on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile bring water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt for the pasta and cook the linguine. As soon as you place the linguine in the pot and have stirred in a few times, stir in the mushrooms to the pan along with the garlic, olive oil, wine and broth. Simmer at a low to medium heat while the pasta is cooking at the same time. When the pasta becomes al dente, drain and replace in the the pot. Stir in about 3/4 of the mushroom recipe into the pasta and the parsley. Serve in bowls and garnish with the rest of the mushrooms on top of the pasta. You can also include a garnish of parsley. Serve with a lovely Teraldogo.

Buon Appetito!

Foradori 2008 Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT Teroldego

The Real Stars of the trip:

Chardonnay

Bellone Benny Boo Boo

Orecchiette con Cime di Rape-Orecchiette with Turnip Tops

2011-08-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Orecchiette con Cime di Rape

We are in the process of re-roofing and so I have been making lunch daily for Ettore and our friend, Roberto, who is helping us with this. I figure it is the least I can do for them as they burn under the hot August sun. Our friend, however, has a few products he cannot eat such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and peppers in general, eggplant and potatoes. It is summer (time for these products). I have a garden (need to eat these vegetables). I am in Italy (tomato allergy aaahhhhhh). What to make? Yesterday I made lovely pasta with a basil almond pesto. Today I made orecchiette.

I have always liked the texture of Orecchiette, and I like that we buy them fresh, and they do not have egg. Broccoli Rape are turnip tops and is called Cime di Rape in Italy. I have to admit that before I moved here I did not eat anywhere near the amount of leafy greens I do now. There are so many varieties and often, it just takes going out to your nearest field to gather some. However, many of the field greens I eat here are very bitter. While I have grown to absolutely LOVE the bitter field greens, I always feel that the rape is a nice sweeter treat. Much nicer to eat than spinach with less of a mushy mouth feel.

According to Wikipedia:

Orecchiette (singular: orecchietta) is a kind of home-made pasta typical of Puglia or Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which reminds one of a small ear. In Italian orecchio means ear, and the suffix 'etto' means 'small'. In the vernacular of Taranto it is called recchietedd, or chiancaredd. A slightly flatter version is called 'cencioni', while in the vernacular of Bari, strascinate are more similar to cavatelli. In China a similar type of pasta is called maoerdo (cat's ears).

An 'orecchietta' is a disc of about 2 cm (¾ inch) and looks like a small dome with its center thinner than its edge and with a rough surface. Like other kinds of home-made pasta, orecchiette are made with durum wheat, water and salt, but unlike pasta all'uovo, eggs are rarely used in the preparation of orecchiette

Couldn’t have said it better myself! It was a delightful lunch, though I usually add red pepper flakes when I make it, but I didn’t this time for the sake of our friend.

Ingredients for 2-4 servings:

½ kilo of Broccoli Rape already trimmed of stems and blanched

½ kilo of fresh orecchiette

6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed

2-3 tbsn of olive oil

Splash of white wine

1 tbsn of vegetable broth powder

Sea salt

½ cup of water

Large pot for boiling water

Directions:

In a deep pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil, white wine and broth, about 2-3 minutes. If you want yours to be spicy I would add about 2 tspn of red pepper flakes. Add the water and the broccoli rape and stir well for about 2 minutes, add salt, and then cook and cover for about 5, until tender. Meanwhile bring water to a boil and add about 1 tbpn of course sea salt. I like to use Celtic sea salts because of the minerality. When the water comes to a boil add the pasta, which will sink to the bottom. When they float to the top, it means they are ready, but I would taste anyway and taste that they are al dente. It is super easy and a great way to get your daily greens.

Here is a very interesting video describing a pugliese method for making this dish. A little more time consuming, but I have had them this way, while obviously omitting the cheese, and they are incredible!

I would enjoy this with a lovely rosato from Puglia. Buon Appetito!

Beet Anemia

2011-07-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

I think I am slightly funny with the title on this blog.

My life has not been perfect in the past couple of months. I am having a flare-up of the Crohn's Disease, and I am anemic. This, of course, has nothing to do with my veganism, but the Crohn's disease itself, despite what doctors tell me. Anyway, I have been having great results with my blood tests with juices made with my new Champion juicer that my awesome hubby bought for me for my birthday.

Sarah May's Beet Anemia Juice:

You will blend in the juicer 1 large beet, 4 carrots, 2 apples, 4 kiwis, a handful of kale, 1/2 a lemon and two pears. For added spice, I like to add about half of an inch of ginger root.

The juice is the most beautiful red-purple color I have ever seen, and after drinking it I feel alive with all the enzymes and iron and Vitamin C. My blood results have come out much better than expected. An added bonus is that I get all the benefits of the fruits and vegetables without having to consume copious amounts of fiber. Fiber can be the devil to a person with Crohn's disease. I refuse to succumb to the false notion that one needs animal products for iron. Vitamin C and Iron work synergistically together, so when I have a flare-up or Crohn’s and anemia (the two are usually present at the same time) I increase my Vitamin C uptake from natural sources.

Willie Nelson, yo.

2011-07-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted about our sweet friend, Willie Nelson. We adopted him a few months ago, I believe in March. Ettore went down to Caserta to adopt him because he was short listed to be euthanized if he stayed in the "shelter." the lady who rescued him found him wandering about on the freeway, covered in scabs, crusts and with no hair. He was so weak, poor guy. His angel took him, but she already had an apartment full of dogs and cats and so she kept him in the courtyard of her building.
She couldn't take him the the "canile" because he would have been euthanized only for the fact that he is sick with Leishmania, a disease that affects the kidneys, skin and organs, and that left untreated, can be deadly. It also causes severe Anemia. Since he was ill, the commune di Caserta did not think he was worth the €3 a day it would take to keep him alive, so, this woman tried to find a place for him.

Willie as he was rescued. He was just a hairless bag of bones

We found him on Facebook, and realized he was just too shabby and pathetic to turn away. He was so weak and tired. Ettore and Valentina picked him up and bropught him home, and when I got him out of the car, it was LOVE at first sight. He is a real simple little guy. When we got him he was weak and just slept all day, he couldn't even jump on the sofa. He didn't have his fur and one of his legs was so atrophied, he walked with a limp. He is also cross-eyed. So in essence, not an example of a dog who is winning any beauty prizes. I don't care. He was the red headed stranger.

When he first came, he would sneak out of the warm house and go way down to the barn to sleep in a pathetic little ball, shivering. He had a complete distrust of humans. Understandable, in my opinion.

Willie convelecing

He will be on lifelong medicine to control the Leishamnia, but we got him well with about 6 different types of pills, including B Complex and Omega 3s for the skin. Now he gallops when we go on walks, he cuddles with us, he retires at night to sleep on a bed of pillows. He loves snacks, and is is a pure joy. We think is is actually quite young since his demeaner is so puppy-like.
With Willie Nelson, our family is a now complete. The ~~pack~~ family is now in harmony, and I look forward to sharing many many years of my life with Willie.

Willie with his new friend, Flora

Risotto alle Fragole Nemese-Nemi Style Strawberry Risotto

2011-06-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I hosted some of my friends for a lunch at my house. Now that it is nice and warm, we are enjoying lunches outside in the gazebo. The Castelli Romani seemed to be swimming in strawberries at that point, with street vendors on every corner and a strawberry festival in both Genzano di Roma (Landi) and in Nemi. I didn't end up going to the one in Nemi due to rain, but it is a fantastic traditional sagra that I always enjoy.

Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, and I am always happy when strawberry season arrives. Nothing beats a fresh, ripe strawberry that is chilled on a hot summer day. They are also versatile. I wanted to make a strawberry main dish that was not sweet. When you are swimming in strawberries, after awhile strawberries and chocolate and strawberry desserts can get tedious. When I first met Ettore, he worked at a restaurant at Nemi, and the first time I went there and saw the view over Lago di Nemi, I fell in love with this magical place I live in. The owner and chef had a special creation of strawberry risotto that was unique and divine, but also rich and full of cream, which always made me sick. I have been wanted to recreate this dish veganized for years, and now, finally, after many trials, I have accomplished my goal. A fine rendition of Risotto alle Fragole Nemese-Nemi Style Strawberry Risotto. A super creamy, savory, and unique dish that celebrates the best of Nemi.

You will want to use a deep dish pan; I use one that is similar to a wok. It is easier to control. You will also need a food processor. Time is about 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients for 6:

½ cup of olive oil

Splash of any aromatic white wine. I use Frascati

3 ½ cups of Arborio rice (or other rice you like to use for risotto)

450 g of strawberries

¼ of a large yellow onion

½ of a vegetable bouillon cube or a tspn of vegetable bouillon powder

Tbsp of course Celtic salt or course pink Himalaya salts

1 cup of organic heavy soy cream

Water

Directions:

-Take the strawberries, ¼ onion, salt, olive oil and wine and process in food processor until fully blended. It is ok to have a couple of chunks. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

-Pour this blend into the deep pan along with the bouillon and with medium heat simmer until the mixture appears somewhat creamy, I usually allow for at least 5 minutes. Remember to stir regularly.

-Stir in the rice and simmer with medium heat for a good 3-5 minutes. Stir continuously this will allow the rice to absorb the rich flavors.

-When the rice has absorbed all of the liquid slowly stir in one cup of water at a time. This will require uninterrupted stirring. When the rice has absorbed the liquid add more water. Continue this until the rice is almost al dente. At this point stir in the cream.

-Continue stirring until rice is al dente, and add more water if you needed. I usually end up stirring in about 8 cups of water when I use medium heat.

-Serve in bowls, garnish with a couple of sliced strawberries and a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. I like this with a fruity wine or an aromatic wine. It has paired well with Frascati, Vermentino di Gallura, and Gewurztraminer from Alto-Adige.

What's on My Plate?

2011-06-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy this season with work. I feel like I need to set up camp at the Vatican so I can get a few more zzzz's in every night. I have, however, managed to make time for my favorite activity, cooking. I can tell you what is not on my plate: decomposing flesh and animal secretions. What is on my plate: veganized healthy meals, zucchini from my garden, and lots of summer fruit.

Four different types of zucchini (from my garden). From the left: Battered fried zucchini, spelt stuffed zucchini(spelt made with sun dried tomatoes, green olives, zucchini, mint, basil, and olive oil), grilled zucchini marinated overnight with olive oil, garlic, calabrian red peppers, and raw apple cider vinegar, and Zucchine agrodolce-sweet and sour zucchini with mint, garlic and olive oil. I am loving the bounty from my garden. Thanks to the awesome

ladies for coming up!!

Fresh Strawberries with 25 yr old Balsamic vinegar from Modena. I broke the bottle yesterday. A true crime against food.

Some Zucchini from our garden. We can't eat them fast enough.

My latest masterpice based on a wonderful dish I used to eat at Nemi. Risotto alle Fragole-Strawberry Risotto. This is a great dish that is not a dessert. It is a savory risotto with a twist.

Recipes will soon follow. I am sorry that I haven't had a minute to catch up my recipe writing with my cooking. Stay tuned, and enjoy summer!

Just like Heaven: Pistacchi Trevani

2011-05-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Though the odds were against me today-transportation strike in Rome, a train that was 50 minutes late and no buses to be found-I managed to make it on time to lead a culinary stroll throughout central Rome. We usually wander around the markets, get some amazing coffee at Café S. Eustachio, eat treats in the Jewish Quarter and then have a Grattachecca, or Roman ice. Today, my clients had already done all of those things, so I had to find a foodie paradise, and fast. We took a taxi to a gourmand’s paradise, and they went to town. All I could think about was whether I would be coming up to another 3 kilos of zucchini and if I did, what the heck was I going to do with them. I admit, I was spaced out. Until Mr. Gourmand had us tasting the 25 yrs old Aceto Basalmico Tradizionale di Modena, which was itself quite divine. If I believed in a god, it would be only under such circumstances as having tasted something so divine. But no, the taste of heaven I had today were the pistachio cookies I sampled and of course, bought, that come from the town of Trevi, which is near Perugia.

Finding delicious cookies or sweets in Europe that are not full of eggs, butter and cream can be difficult, but in some parts of Italy, they are common. These cookies are not at all beautiful; they are bright green with nuts falling out of them. They look like oatmeal cookies on acid. They do not, however, taste anything like oatmeal cookies, or any cookie on acid. They are called Pistacchi Trevani, or Pistachio of Trivia. They are made of a simple blend of almond paste, pistachio paste, and pistachios. The paste from the nuts if made from the shelled and skinned nuts mixed with sugar until a heavy paste is formed. They do not contain any flour, gluten, eggs, or dairy. They are very rich, so one is, by far, plenty. They are slightly baked on the outside, pasty on the inside and have an extra crunch due to the pistachio nuts that are added. I love that they are bright green and look messy. They do fall apart very easily. What makes them special is that they have lovely sweet and nutty aromas.

These were a pleasant surprise to discover while working. These culinary tours will end up costing me more than I will ever make. I can’t help myself. At ever corner in Rome there is amazing tasty food that just begs to be sampled, from pizza Bianca (white pizza) to Roman shaved ice to fried artichokes. I can barely walk 5 minutes without having to stop and eat something because it either looks so good from the window or there is a decadent aroma coming from its kitchen.

I think these cookies would be fairly easy to make. When I was looking them up I found many blogs referring to the pistachio cookies from Sicily that taste like heaven. In fact, I do think they seem more Sicilian in origin than Umbrian, as Sicilian desserts often rely on nut pastes instead of flour. Luckily, Ettore did not think they were Just like Heaven, and that translates into...more for ME.

I think these would be extra special with a chilled passito, such as a Passito di Lampedusa.

Wherever they are from, they are DIVINE.

Note: Some Almond Paste Contains Eggs.

Swimming in Zucchini

2011-05-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a fruitful year so far in terms of our garden. The zucchini are the most productive vegetable of the entire garden. Yesterday I harvested over 3 kilos of zucchini, and that was after I had harvested the zucchini patch two days prior. They grow so fast I can't keep up with them. Planting, caring for and then harvesting these vegetables has been very gratifying work. I have long hot days in Rome and I look forward to digging in the earth, tending to the garden and being able to harvest fresh vegetables for the dinner table. I love knowing where my food is coming from. I also enjoy being a guest at a friend's house and instead of bringing a store bought bottle of wine, I bring vegetables I have produced. All of my local friends can look forward to receiving lots of zucchini as there is no way we will eat them as fast as they are growing.
On some days I will pick zucchini in the morning and go back in the late afternoon before sunset and there are already more to be picked. I plan to leave a few on the plants so I can have larger ones for stuffing. There are so many great vegan recipes that use zucchini, and I imagine I will have to use as many as I can so that I do not get bored with eating these lovely vegetables that are an excellent source of fiber, potassium. vitamin A, and magnesium.
I am looking forward to summer pasta salads with zucchini, zucchini bread, pickled zucchini, blending them into a smoothie for added nutrition in my diet, eating them raw with hummus, and more. What are your favorite zucchini dishes?

This is one of my own favorite recipes for zucchini.

A Revolution of the Heart by Gary Francione

2011-04-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

The following can be found on the www.abolitionistapproach.com site. Only abolition will do and veganism is the moral baseline.

Dear Colleagues:

Many animal advocates assume that we need an organization–some organization–in order to advocate for nonhuman animals; that we need a leader–some leader–to show us the way.

I suggest that this is the wrong way to look at things.

Unfortunately, in a world in which everything is commodified, social justice has, not unsurprisingly, itself become a commodity and it is sold, in various flavors, by corporations that compete for shares in the market for compassion. These companies have done a marvelous job in convincing us that participation in all moral struggles, including and particularly the struggle for animals, means writing a check–to them.

In a world in which we accept a thousand different hierarchies without even noticing that we do so, and without even questioning the very concept of hierarchy, we assume that we need leaders to show us the way. These leaders are generally the executives of the compassion companies. And merely to disagree with their pronouncements is to be branded as “purist,” “elitist,” divisive,” as a “basher” or one who “vilifies,” or as one who “does not care about animal suffering,” etc., etc., etc.

I suggest that this way of thinking stands in the way of achieving the goal that we seek.

We are not going to get anywhere by tinkering at the edges. We are not going to get anywhere by promoting cage-free eggs, “happy” meat, or organic milk. We are not going to get anywhere by sitting naked in cages and proclaiming that we are pandering to the sexism that insidiously corrodes our culture “for the animals.” That whole approach merely reinforces the notion that we can consume our way out of injustice; that we can trade one form of exploitation for another; that we can buy compassion. We can’t.

In a world in which women, people of color, children, the elderly, the mentally disabled, the poor, and other humans are treated as second class citizens (at best) by the select patriarchy that runs the show, nonhuman animals are, in many ways, the most vulnerable among us. We can not only torture and kill them with complete impunity, we are expected to do so. Although violence against another human may incur some form of social criticism or even a criminal sanction, violence against nonhumans is generally considered as a virtue, particularly when it is declared to be “humane.” Those who refuse to participate in the carnage are regarded as abnormal and antisocial–even by, and particularly by, the large animal organizations that proclaim that to eschew all animal products and promote veganism as a moral baseline is “extreme.”

It is wrong to characterize the farmers or vivisectors or furriers as our “enemies.” They are simply fulfilling a demand–from us. They are simply doing what we want them to do.They are not the problem–we are.

The abolition of animal exploitation requires a paradigm shift. It requires that we reject violence at its most fundamental level. It requires a recognition that violence is inherently wrong.

The abolition of animal exploitation requires a nonviolent revolution–a revolution of the heart.

That revolution is not going to occur as the result of any leader. It can only occur within each and every one of us. And it can if we want it to. We do not need leaders. We need to recognize that each of us can–and must–become a leader if we have any hope of sorting out this mess that we call our world. That starts with our own veganism–not as some sort of “flexitarian lifestyle” issue–but as a basic, fundamental, and non-negotiable commitment to nonviolence. Ethical veganism represents our commitment to the notion that we have no moral justification for using animals–however “humanely”–for our purposes. It continues with our daily efforts to educate others in creative, positive, and nonviolent ways about veganism–something that each of us can do if we want to. Every day, we have opportunities to educate family, friends, colleagues at work, and people that we encounter in a store or on a bus. Is it easier to write a check to someone else than do the work ourselves? Of course it is. But it won’t work.

To achieve justice, we do not need corporations. Indeed, the more that we rely on them, the further we will stray from our goal. We need a grassroots movement that demands peace in a peaceful way.

Unfortunately, animal organizations have become modern sellers of indulgences similar to the medieval Catholic Church. Many–perhaps most–people have some concern about the matter of animal exploitation. Many have nagging guilt about continuing to consume animals products. Many love their nonhuman companions and treat them as family members, but stick forks into other animals and, on some level, recognize the moral disconnect. But not to worry. Make a donation and these groups will make it all better. They will “minimize” animal suffering; they will “abolish” the worst abuses.

I suggest that just as buying an indulgence from the Church would not keep you out of hell if hell exists, buying a few shares of cage-free egg compassion from some organization is not going to keep animals out of the hell that most certainly exists for them and in which they suffer and die every day. We need to change the way in which humans think about nonhumans; we need to change the way that humans think about violence. Whether it’s wars to achieve peace, or sexism to achieve gender equality, or more “humane” animal torture to achieve greater consciousness about animals, we need to challenge the very notion that violence can be used as a means to some laudable end.

Please understand that I am not saying that those involved in the welfare or new welfare groups are insincere. For so long, we have all been told that it’s the only way. That it is welfare reform or nothing. I am not making any moral judgment about them as individuals and I hope that they are not making any moral judgment about me even though they reject the abolitionist approach to animal rights that I have developed and defend. I just disagree with them, and I point to the present state of affairs as compelling proof that their approach to the problem simply is not working.

If anyone regards these comments as “bashing” or “vilifying” anyone, please know that certainly was not my intention.

Gary L. Francione
© 2009 Gary L. Francione

Wines of Lazio: Regillo Frascati Superiore

2011-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Regillo

Frascati

D.O.C.

Superiore

2009

Tenuta di Pietra Porzia

I've been on a Frascati kick lately. The spring is here, finally, it is heating up, and I am working hard in my garden, so I like to enjoy a crisp Frascati at dinner most nights. Tenuta di Pietra Porzia makes one of my favorite go-to table wines. It is a bargain at €5 a bottle at the supermarket. In fact, it is one of the only supermarket wines I will buy anymore. It has an interesting name that evokes the pre-Roman history of the area. In image on the label depicts the Dioscuri, the twins sons of Zeus. The name refers not only to the ancient history, but to the terroir of the area.

The Castelli Romani is most well known as an agriculturally rich area due to the now extinct volcanoes that gave the area its mineral rich soils. The Regillo Frascati certainly does not disappoint those who want to taste the minerality in their wines.

Before the hills of Rome were finally assimilated by the Romans, a group of people known as the Latins held on for as long as possible to their lands and way of life. But it was not to be. Anyone familiar with ancient history knows that one can never escapes ones fate. Rome had the hand of the gods on their side.

According to their website:

496 a.C, in a large amphitheatre with the lake Regillo in the middle, an hard battle took place between Romans and Latinos; in the crucial moment, descended from the sky the Dioscuri, the two twins born by Jupiter, and led the Romans to triumph!

The battle theater is today the Tenuta di Pietra Porzia, a small river that runs in the centre of the estate reminds of the ancient lake, the cave with her long passages, excavated in Roman Empire Age, testifies an agricultural tradition and on 1714 the estate was divided between the proprieties of Pope Clemente XI and the one belonging to Prince Borghese.

The date 1892, engraved in the bricks, reminds the birth of the modern cellar, that replaces the ancient cellar excavated in the tuff in the Roman Empire time.

Let's hope this wine lives up to its magnificent past!

Regillo Frascati is made up of two aromatic white grapes, Malvasia di Candia and Malvasia del Lazio and also contains the grapes Trebbiano, Bombino and Greco. The color is a rich hay yellow. It has lovely fruity and floral aromas at first which then lead us to more complexity with mineral and herbal notes. The fruits are typical and rich. I was at once reminded of apricots, citrus, and pears. Spring orange flowers, nuts, and maple with notes of fresh cut grass.

The wine is perfect for an late afternoon glass of wine, pre-dinner drink, or with a light vegetable rich dinner. I love this with Pasta Fagioli and grilled veggies. It is light and refreshingly crisp. In a nutshell, a crisp, dry, medium bodied, aromatic and fragrant wine.

Enjoy after a long day of gardening!

Introducing Uva!

2011-03-12T02:08:00.000-08:00

Uva is our new oldie but goodie. After Tiki Dance and Bumba died, we knew that we could not deny love to another old dog who has suffered so much. She comes to us from a dog pound in southern Lazio, in Frosinone. She is about 10-11 years old and spent 8 of those years in a concrete cell, and was let out maybe 20 minutes a month. She seems both pointer and wolf. She has a very timid personality, and she is very affectionate. She smelled like rotten feces and piss. She probably had 8 years of it encrusted into her fur. I doubt she ever had a bath before. We gave her a DEEP cleaning. She has rotten teeth and a bad case of gum disease, but we will fix that too. She doesn't get that cats are her friends, though she is not violent with them. And she doesn't come upstairs or sleep in a soft dog bed. She likes the bath mat I put down for her on the floor near the sofa. I doubt she has ever had a comfort in her life. Her name was ULTIMA which means last, because she was always the invisible dog that nobody ever came for or looked at so she was the last one. Uva means grape. She is part of our wine loving family now. Along with Chardonnay and Bellone, our two boys I found abandoned as puppies.

UPDATE: Uva now sleeps in a soft dog bed. It took her a good 4-5 days to understand it was all hers all the time. I can't wait for the summer to go to the mountains for two weeks with her and the boys. I love Uva!

Uva with her first dog bed. She has taken possession of it and it is now her favorite place in the world. Simple pleasures are what makes old dogs a real joy. Thank you Uva for bringing JOY back into out home.

Adopting an old dog can be heart breaking because you do not have as much time, but they deserve it. If you can open your heart adopt an old dog. You may be their last chance.

Goodbye My Dear Friends

2011-03-04T03:34:00.000-08:00

Tiki Dance and Bumba

Bumba and Tiki Dance enjoying the sofa

I have not been cooking lately. In fact, I haven’t been doing much of anything these days. I do not want to be creative; I can barely get out of bed. My purpose for getting out of bed is gone. My family, devastated. On the 18^th of February, I lost two of my best friends in the world, Tiki Dance and Bumba. I am having a hard time coping these days, which is why there haven’t been updates or new recipes on my blog. I miss my friends, and I can’t seem to move forward without them.

Bumba was a very special dog for us. When we decided to buy the house we are living in now, the first thing I wanted to do was adopt an old dog from a dog pound. I found Bumba online through Ulmino, and she seemed perfect. She was about 13-14 yrs old and had been in a concrete cell for 12 years at the kennel of Rieti, one of the worst and most hopeless dog pounds in the Rome area. I honestly have no idea how she survived. At one time this kennel was sequestered because it broke welfare laws and all common decency. Dog were left exposed to die, to live with dog corpses, feces, waste and to brave the elements. Bumba survived this. We drove up to Rieti on May 1^st of 2010 and took her out of the hell. And what a gift she was! Bumba was one of the most spirited souls I have ever known. She survived hell, and then, within two days of having a home, it was as if that life never existed for her. She lived in the now and forgave us. She was a hurricane, vivacious, loving and patient. We got only 9 months with her. And every day of those nine months was a complete joy of life. When we would take her on walks she galloped as if she were the wind, as if she had channeled Zephyr himself. She smiled, integrated with our other boys and was friendly with the cats. I remember when I first saw her photo online. It was her in a cage, there was shit all over the place, and yet, she was smiling. That is Bumba. Bumba, hurricane and life lover. She was force to be reckoned with. Whenever we tried to tell her, “no,” her attitude was, “I don’t think so, lady.” We didn’t want her in bed at first. She would get in bed and we would try to kick her out. She would hold fast and not budge until we finally settled for the two inch corner she left for us. If she wanted something, she took it. She was a fighter, but also lover. She was the soul mate of Tiki Dance.

At the beginning of February, I took all the dogs on a walk around the vineyards. It was sunny, and Bumba was running like the wind as usual. When we got home, Ettore and I noticed that she had difficulty breathing, the vet advised us to bring her in. She never came back. She developed edema of the heart and lungs and fought for 8 days. We visited her every day, and she was warm and happy to see us, but her tenacity was no longer there. Unfortunately she developed lung cancer due to exposure to asbestos in the dog pound. Apparently very common in dog pounds in Italy. During those 8 days we still lived our normal lives with our other 3 dogs, Tiki Dance, Chardonnay, and Benny Boo Boo. Out home felt empty without her, but I think especially for Tiki.

Tiki Dance was a very special Yorkshire Terrier we adopted 2 years ago from a horrible situation. He lived his entire life in a mechanic's garage, was found wandering the Appian Way, “rescued” by a girl who threw him outside on a balcony to brave the elements and to live in his own feces and to live alone. When we went to take him, he came down the stairs, into the living room and did a tiki dance. It was love at first site for Ettore. We took him home, got him groomed, as he was full of dreads and conjunctivitis, and eventually he became the prince of the bed. Talk about a couch potato! Tiki Dance lived to be next to us. He was the sweetest and most vicious dog I have ever known. He had two personalities, Tiki, the mean growling one and Dance the sweet couch potato that occasionally allowed us to rub his belly. He had a lot of psychological problems and trust issues. He wasn’t like any dog I have ever known, he was my brother. We never treated him like a child. He was our companion, and sadly, he was just so old when we got him.

When we brought Bumba home, Tiki Dance fell in love. Anywhere Bumba went Tiki Dance was by her side. And being the patient lady that she was, she tolerated him, and I think loved him as well. It was a glory to see two previously abandoned, neglected and abused souls bond like that.

5 days after Bumba went to the hospital, Tiki Dance also started breathing badly. So, of course, we rushed him to the vet. At first they thought that he had been poisoned, but his heart valve was destroyed. He had treatment for one day to ease the pain, and we brought him home on Thursday the 17^th. He had the worst case of panting I had heard. I guess I was in denial, I thought he was just sick with a cold or something but he was suffocating. He came home after the last check with the vet who discovered he had spots all over his lungs, lung cancer. He came home, we all went to bed and I held him all night. At 7am, Ettore woke up, and so held him on his chest and Tiki Dance took his last breath at home, not alone, not in a clinic, but with his truest friend, Ettore.

The loss of Tiki Dance was shocking, and honestly, I do not understand how the world did not stop with him. I am having a hard time going outside and seeing that the world goes on, life goes on, but not for us. Tiki Dance was part of my being. He wasn’t a pet, but a dear and beloved friend, and I was lucky to get at least 2 years with him.

We buried Tiki by 10am, and I had a very strong desire and urge to get over to the vet at once to see Bumba. She was calling to me, I knew, for some reason that I had to get there, right away. So we went to the vet, I saw Bumba, I took her out for a small walk, and then we went back into the clinic to have her checked. When I arrived, I could see she was waiting for me, she was so happy to see us, she wagged her tail, and gave me a soft kiss. She was exhausted though. When we took her in for the sonogram, she collapsed. But before she did that, I called her name to calm her, held her head, she wagged her tail, looked into my eyes, and then the vets took her away to revive her, but she didn’t make it. I know she was waiting for us to say goodbye. She fought a good fight, but in the end, the canile lagher won. However, she had NINE glorious months of happiness, love, family, and freedom. She changed my life. Both of them did. And I can’t believe that within 4 hours I lost 2 members of my family.

We are grieving. I want to hold Tiki again. I need to know if he was happy, if he knew how much we loved him, that we lived for him, and that without him our family is incomplete. Tiki Dance and Bumba are buried side by side. Both of them taught me so much about how to live. I don’t know any people who have had to endure what they both did, and yet, they survived, lived and lived well when they were finally able to. I wish I could have a few more minutes with each of them. I wish Bumba could come home and take over my entire bed. I want to hear Tiki growl and sneeze because he is desperate for caresses. I want to enjoy all the idiosyncrasies that made each of them unique, but they are gone, and I cannot cope. I am not hysterical anymore, I am not in denial, and I know that they are not suffering, but only I am. I am suffering because I deeply miss them and their friendship and the lessons learned.

Tiki Dance

Tiki Dance, rescue boy, thank you so much for being in my life and loving me and Ettore. You are the brightest star I have ever known. You were the sunshine in our lives. You will always be the most unique once in a lifetime friendship and most cherished being I have ever known. Each day without you seems like an eternity, I think about what I am doing and whether you would enjoy it. I miss you, I just plain miss you, and I hope that whatever there is on the flip side it is a place of comfort and joy. Please know that you were loved beyond measure. Thank you for all of your nuisances, your personality, the lack of fear, your resolve, and your unabashed desire for love. You took life by the horns, my friend. I love you so much.

Bumba

Bumba, my hurricane, my tornado. You are missed and loved, and as much as I know your last 9 months were good, I need for you to know that I have never experienced the pure joy of living until I met you. I always called you my Buddha, because you released yourself from suffering, you taught the power to forgive, to let go, and to be a warrior in life. Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.

Tiki Dance and Bumba loved in life and left this world together. RIP my friends. You are forever close in our hearts.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of adopting old dogs like Bumba and Tiki Dance. The time together may be limited, but it is the most rewarding. Please open your heart and home to an old dog, they deserve their last few months or years with a family.

Super Yummy Aromatic Garlicky Green Beans

2011-02-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Maybe some of you are like me. You love greens beans. I love green beans. They were always my favorite vegetable at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love when they are fresh, but I will eat frozen. I love their texture and when they freshly cooked but still crisp and the green, clean, and fresh flavors burst in my mouth. They are quite neutral at times, and when fresh have a slight sweetness. Unlike some of the other green vegetables I enjoy, they are not one bit bitter.

My husband hates green beans. I am the cook in this family. I hate to make food that someone might not like, but I also do not want to deprive myself of one of the greatest vegetables on the planet. Dilemma? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Unless there are allergies involved, with some creativity we can get our loved ones to share in our passion for green beans. With this in mind, I had to get a little bit crafty. I know that Ettore loves garlic and red Calabrian peppers. I also happen to know that greens beans are one of the only vegetables his mom does not cook well. That is saying a lot, I might add. She is an excellent cook, and some of the best vegetable dishes I have had have been in her kitchen. However, knowing this weakness and knowing that this is what Ettore is basing his prejudice on, I created these super delicious garlicky green beans.

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans

5-6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

6-10 cloves of garlic, crushed

1-3 tsp of crushed calabrian red peppers (depending on how hot you want them)

½ cup crushed almond or almond slivers

1 vegetable bouillon cube

5 tbs olive oil

Splash of white wine

1/2 of Celtic sea salt

1-2 cups of water

Directions:

In a large deep pan pour in the olive oil and white wine. Add salt, garlic, and red peppers. Sauté together on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Then add the chopped sundried tomatoes almonds, stir and sauté well until the almonds become slightly toasted. Add one cup of water and simmer all the ingredients together as water with medium heat. As the garlic begins to soften and break down, mash it down into smaller pieces. Now throw in the green beans and the rest of the water. Makes sure to stir well and makes sure the green beans are moist and covered with mix. Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Make sure water is not totally evaporated. Turn heat to low and allow the beans to simmer for about five minutes, stir occasionally until water has evaporated and the sauce is more like a thick sauce than a soup. It is important to not allow the beans to become soggy and overcooked. Beans should stay crisp. I like to serve this on a bed of farro (Spelt) or Quinoa, which I boil with a bouillon cube and some salt. Enjoy with an aromatic wine like a Riesling.

Buon Appetito!!

P.S. My husband said they were the best green beans he had ever eaten.

Insatiable appetites for meat and milk may ultimately cost us the planet

2011-01-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL WARMING
The United Nations FAO report,
Livestock’s Long Shadow, states
that: “The livestock sector is a major
player, responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2
equivalent. This is a higher share than
transport.” (Transport causes 13.5%).
LAND
25% of the world’s land surface is
given over to grazing more than 1.25
billion cattle. Grazing is often said to be
the only use for such land but, in many
cases, a more efficient and sustainable
use would be to grow trees for timber,
fuel and food – such as nuts and fruits.
More than 1/3 of the world's agricultural
land suffers desertification through:
clearing forests for grazing; overgrazing; overcultivating croplands to feed
farm animals as well as people; using
poor irrigation techniques. A vegan –
who eats only plant foods and products
based on them – requires just 1/4 of
the land needed to feed a meat-eater.
ENERGY
Farm animals convert only a fraction of
their food into meat, eggs, or milk. The
fossil energy input to produce a day’s
food for a vegan is only one-third that
for a meat-eater and half that for a
vegetarian. Much of the land now
wasted in feeding farm animals could be
used to grow ‘industrial crops’ – for
example, to make renewable fuels and
fibre (hemp, flax, etc)
WATER
Farm animals are voracious consumers
of water. A day’s food for a meat-eater
requires over 5,000 litres (enough to take
100 baths) – compared with 2,600 for a
vegetarian and a mere 1,900 for a
vegan.
WASTE
Farm animals produce large quantities
of urine and excrement – 23 kilograms
per day for each cow. The ammonia
and nitrates from this waste leach into
the ground and surface water, polluting
wells and rivers. Such pollution causes
algal blooms, removes oxygen from the
water and kills fish. Ammonia from
farm waste also contributes to
atmospheric pollution.
HUNGER
Nearly one billion people are undernourished or starving, despite the world
producing enough food to feed twice its
human population of 6 billion. Yet 1/3
of the grain we grow is fed to farm animals. Nobody seriously suggests that
animal products (eg meat, eggs and
milk) are essential for health.
Animal farming represents a
squanderous misuse of scarce natural
resources and is a major contributor to
environmental destruction. Vegan diets
use less land, water and fuel and are
gentler on the planet.

Source: The Vegan Society

The Wine Lover: A Wine Bar in San Diego

2011-01-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite wine bars in San Diego is The Wine Lover in Hillcrest. I have been frequenting this place for years and have always been very happy with the wines I have tried and the overall atmosphere compared to places like Wine Steals or Wine Encounter. Both of those places should be called bars that serve wine rather than wine bars. The Wine Lover is very intimate, small, and offers a lot for both this discerning palate and the complete wine novice. They have changed their wine menu and wine consultants many times over the years, but the ambiance always stays the same. An intimate and quiet corner tucked away from sometimes noisy Hillcrest.

The last time I was in San Diego I made plans to have a glass of wine with an old friend, so we planned to meet at the Wine Lover for a glass of wine. However, I was stood up for reasons of family emergency, but I barely noticed. The latest, and so far best wine concierge at the Wine Lover, Serge Chablè, kept me on my feet while we had an interesting conversation about wine and wine styles. He is making a huge effort to include natural and authentic wines on the wine list, but not always having the best results from clients. Not everyone wants to smell rust in their wine. Some people are just plain happy with oaky vanilla and cherries. It is interesting to note that even if we have a particular style we adore in wine, not everyone has the same taste. Not everyone enjoys gamey barnyard wines like I do, but I am happy he is making an effort. To boot, he had New Order playing through Pandora and so lots of other darker 80s music came through the soundtrack. My kind of bar!

I tried 3 different wines and came home with one bottle. I tasted a very interesting citrusy and crisp organic Chardonnay, a California Trebbiano that smelled and tasted of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and the star of the evening for me, a Saint-Joseph, bottled by Equis AOC 2007 from the northern Rhône. It was full of depth and character, and I fell in love with it. What Syrah should taste like. It was green and full of mustard seed, had a nice tannins. Of course, the notes will come later. The emphasis was that Mr. Chablè listened to me as a client about my love for natural and authentic wines, how I love to smell minerals and the earth the wine comes from and he said, “Hey why don’t you try this wine.” And it suited me.

Why this place is always half empty I can’t figure out. It is a friendly and relaxed place that offers board games for those just interested in an after work glass of wine and time to relax as well as a weekly meet the Sommelier wine lessons for those who want to get more serious about wine. Try the wine flights for an added bonus and then decide what is your own personal wine style. There are tables, couches and an outdoor patio with heating in the winter. You’ll not find a friendlier wine bar in all of San Diego.

The Wine Lover

3968 5^th Ave

San Diego, CA 92103

(619)294-9200

2010 and Moving Ahead

2010-12-31T11:46:00.000-08:00

2010 has been an interesting year. So much has happened this year in my personal life, in my Animal Rights Activism, and in the world. I think the biggest lesson for me this year is that I have finally learned to trust my heart and intuition when it comes to fellow human beings. If my heart tells me someone is scum, fake, and not worth it, I now listen. If my husband backs up this opinion, than I don't want to waste my time on people. Often we can tell if a person is a backstabber by the company they keep, or what they value in life. I value nature, the simple life, amazing food, great wine, my family and friends and I don't value boob jobs, vanity, name dropping or social climbing. I want my life to be guided by good deeds and good people with true hearts. I guess it just takes awhile. I jump into my 7th year of life in Italy with better prospectives, better language, and better friends...out with the old, in with the new. This year has taught me I can be a gourmand without exploiting animals. When people ask, "What do you eat?" I have to laugh.

In Rome, the Animal Rights community lost a true Angel, Miss Maya. She was a colleague of mine, and whenever we saw each other we only spoke about animals. She would always talk about her dogs and cats and we would complain about how violent humans are as corpse eaters. She always said, "They are better than us." She gave her life for a fellow sentient being, trying to save a cat from a train. She taught me a lot about how to care for a feral cat community, and I will really miss our random meetings at the pizza spot near the Vatican. Her death is a true loss, because we need more veg people and people who respect the lives of other sentient beings. It is sad for those she leaves behind and a real loss for non human animals. Maya was a glittery eyed firework. I remember the first time I saw her at the Vatican she was putting her clients in a Taxi at a Taxi stand where there was a long line, and some priests just cut the line and got into the Taxi. She had none of it. She practically pulled them out of the Taxi so her clients could have it, after all why shouldn't they wait in line like the rest of us? Maya lived her life to the fullest, and I want to as well. I can no longer waste my energies where they are not needed, and I need to have a louder voice for all sentient beings. I am dedicating my year of animal rights activism in 2011 to Maya. I hope she works through me.

To honor her, I am going to do more for animals this year. My activism is going to be peaceful. I know that the only way to have peace on earth is to go vegan. Veganism is the only way to love yourself, fellow sentient beings, and the earth. If you love animals, and you still consume their bodies and products, please stop. Get informed on why animal agriculture is violent, polluting and unhealthy. Animal products are killing us and the earth. If you support meat and dairy you support exploitation of both animals and humans. The workers in these industries are exploited. The industry is the most polluting of any on earth and produces more pollution than all transportation(cars, trucks, trains, boats and planes) worldwide. Do it for the animals, the planet, and for fellow human beings. If you believe in peace and a non violent future, GO VEGAN in 2011!!!!!!

Please do not buy pets, adopt at a shelter.

Here are some links:

The Vegan Society

Abolitionist Approach

Why don't I eat meat, eat animal products, wear animals or exploit them? They feel, have complex social lives, and deserve LIFE. All Sentient beings deserve to live out their natural life in a way that is natural to them. Not as our property, food, labor, entertainment or clothes. I don't eat meat, animal productss, buy animal skins like leather or fur, wear wool, go to Sea World (one of the most evil places on earth). You are what you eat, so don't eat dead animals!! GO VEGAN! It's the compassionate choice.

Which image is more peaceful? Animals alive or animals killed so you can chew on them?

Gary L. Francione: The Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights Make the world a more just and less violent place in 2011: go vegan and talk with your family and friends about veganism.

Bucatini al (non)Cacio e Pepe

2010-12-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Bucatini al (non)Cacio e Pepe

One of the things I love about the Roman-Laziale kitchen is the use of simple ingredients that make amazing food that is full of flavor. I could say the same thing about my own personal vegan kitchen. I spend most of my kitchen time bringing out the best flavors of fruits and vegetables. I don’t really do a lot of substitution cooking because I like to eat a mostly whole foods diet. I do eat tofu, but that is because I really love the taste, texture and flavor of tofu, not because I am trying to substitute meat.

Most of my non-vegan friends in Italy tell me that the reason they are not vegan is because they love all the cheeses of Italy. In fact there is an abundance of cheese made from the milk of sheep, goats, cows and even water buffalo. Not for me, thanks. In Rome, the cheese that is sprinkled on top of pasta is not parmigiano but pecorino and one of the most simple and tasty dishes is called Cacio e Pepe, cheese and pepper. It is best with a long pasta like spaghetti, but if you want it to be really Roman, get some bucatini. It is like tube spaghetti. The word cacao is referring to cheese, even though in Italian, the word formaggio, is closer to the French. Cacio is derived from the Latin word casio, which means cheese. Cacio e Pepe is a very poor Roman dish, and it is VERY easily veganized. All it consists of is olive oil, pecorino romano, and fresh black pepper.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the( Un) Pecorino Romano

200 g of blanched almonds

1 1/2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast

1 teaspoon agar agar POWDER

1/2 tablespoon Celtic sea salt (NEVER table salt, not even cheap sea salt from the grocer)

3 tbsp olive oil

Black pepper to crush

One package of Bucatini or Spaghetti

Directions:

In a food processor almonds, nutritional yeast, agar agar, and salt until blended very well with no chunks of almonds or salt. In a large pot, boil water, add salt when water is boiled and add the pasta. When the pasta is al dente, drain and place back into the pot. Add the contents of the food processor, about 2 tbsp of crush black pepper and the olive oil, also about 2TBSP of the starchy water saved from boiling the pasta. Stir all of the ingredients together until the pasta is covered in the sauce. serve in small pasta bowls and add more crushed black pepper as desired.

Enjoy with a bottle of Lazio Malvasia.

Buon Appetito!

The Food of Goths

2010-12-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have not had much time to blog lately. My house was struck by lightning and my internet and phone line were burnt out for about 10 days. I have been busy with work, Thanksgiving, and planning Chanukah this year.

This blog is dedicated to three people, first of all, Leilani Clark who is a great friend and amazing writer of culture and literature. She is also editor and co founder of a group of people who host writing workshops and publish a zine with a theme each issue. This past issue, the theme was Dark, to celebrate the coming of Autumn and Winter. Many different types of people collaborate including writers, artists, and photographers, so my contribution was dark and gothic foods. The creativity workshops are run by Petals and Bones. Thanks Leilani for having a place for creatives and helping me with my grammar. She's also a college English teacher.

Secondly, Ms. Heather Hanson who was kind enough to come all the up to the boonies to share Totally Truffled Thanksgiving with us. My favorite California girl in Rome and fellow wine lover. She is also a wine educator at a University in Rome and leads wine tours. Check out her great blog Italy Decanted and read her wine notes!

And finally, to my favorite vegan food blog , Veganize it...Don't Just Criticize it by Ms. Jenn Shagrin. A funny, beautiful and delicious vegan blog that inspires me everytime I read it. I am now much more iinspired to take non vegan recipes and make wonderful veganized versions of them.

The Food of Goths

By Sarah May Grunwald

My partner and I suffer from “opposites attract syndrome.” He is the dark to my light, appearance-wise, but his skin is about as deep as his darkness goes. He is the sun to my moon, he is Cat Stevens where I am Diamanda Galas, his cup is half full to my cup is half empty, but he laments the passage of summer as if he is mourning a lost friend or relative. As soon as the light turns to dark, he becomes embittered, whereas I welcome the short days and rainy weather. Fall is the season of darkness. The days get shorter; we want to stay inside by the warm fire. It is perfect for gothic tunes about darkness. Tanorexics lament the passing of sunny days.

For my own part, I celebrate the coming of fall. Fall gives birth to the darkest of Mother Earth’s gifts, the elusive truffle. They grow under oak trees deep in the soil. In fact, light is not their friend. For a gourmand like me, dark days mean delicious days. What is darker and more gothic in the world of food than a black or white truffle? Once you’ve had the occasion to have the perfume of one linger in your nasal cavity or palate, an addiction will be born. They are sweet-smelling, like old roses; hormonal, barnyardy (a word often used in the wine community), and a known aphrodisiac. They are humble and ugly--a fungus, nothing more. But they are the most coveted of the fungi family. During the White Truffle festival in Alba, Piedmont, people who own these darlings must have a body guard. In divorce proceedings between couples who are perhaps in the food industry, when the proceedings turn to custody, they aren’t speaking of children.

Yes, a simple fungus has driven many a woman or man insane. I know I have my own anxieties the few weeks before I am to go to a truffle festival. I squander money, hide it around the house, plan elaborate menus around the truffles I am to buy, close my eyes and imagine that sweet aphrodisiac perfume. It is the food of the goddess. Surely the milk of mother earth is a white truffle. I cannot imagine anything else as divine.

One of my favorite recipes that I have veganized includes the friend of the truffle, the porcini mushroom. I took the recipe from a favorite book on the Umbrian kitchen in Italy and adjusted it to make it vegan and still delicious:

Sformatini di Ricotta con Funghi Porcini e Tartufo Nero

Baked Ricotta with Porcini Mushrooms and Black Truffle

200g of raw cashews

300g of firm tofu (about one small/medium package)

2tsp of course Celtic Sea Salt

1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1-2 large cloves are garlic (go by your love of garlic)

Equivalent of 2 eggs Egg Replacer (Ener G works best)

Juice of half a lemon

1 large handful of dried porcini mushrooms(make sure they are well rinsed so as not sandy)

1 bay leaf

One sprig of fresh rosemary

Extra virgin olive oil

Black or white truffle, or, if not available truffle paste or truffle oil (make sure no dairy is added)

Day old rustic Italian bread, cut into soldiers (like lady finger size) and toasted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for at least half an hour. Mix the cashews, tofu, sea salt, nutritional yeast, garlic, egg replacer, 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until totally smooth, with absolutely no nutty chunks. If you need to add a tbsp or so of warm water, if you have problems blending. Keep aside until ready for use.

Drain the mushrooms and keep the dark water on the side for later use. If the pieces are large, cut them into about ¼ to ½ inch pieces with scissors. In a small pan drizzle about 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, a splash of white wine (I would use whatever wine you are serving this with), salt to taste, one spring of rosemary, the bay leaf and mushrooms. Sautee with medium heat and slowly add 2-3 tbsp of mushroom water. Sautee until it has dried out and the mushrooms are done.

Now, in aluminum panna cotta cups/molds(which are similar to cupcake cups, or in a cupcake cup if you can’t find panna cotta cups), scoop up a large spoonful of mushroom mix, making sure there are no sticks from the rosemary and the bay leaf has been removed, and put it at the bottom of the cup. Fill the rest of the cup up to the top with the cashew ricotta mix. This mix should make 4-6 depending on the size of the cup.

Put each cup on a cookie pan, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are toasted and golden brown. Make sure not to let them go dark. Once cooked, reverse the molds onto a small plate, grate the toasted bread over it, and serve with toasted bread that has been brushed with olive oil. Grate black or white truffle over the mushrooms and dish. Or, if using truffle oil, drizzle the truffle over the mushrooms, letting it drizzle slightly over the sides.

If you are serving with black truffle I suggest a light bodied Riesling from Germany, or Alto Adige in Italy. With white truffle, bring out the more aromatic whites like a Gewürztraminer from Alsace, or, strangely enough, a buttery California Chardonnay

Buon Appetito!!

Play the Black Celebration album by Depeche Mode

Towns of Lazio: Alatri

2010-11-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we had one of the last days of warm sunshine until March or April, I fear. We took full advantage and headed straight down to the Hernico mountains, stopping by the city of the popes, Anagni, along the way. Anagni is a gorgeous town in Lazio that is not to be missed, but, when it came to choosing a place to eat for lunch, Alatri has one of my favorite osteria in Lazio. Being about a 30 minute drive from Anagni, we booked the last two places available at the Osteria Bacco e Ciacco, and had ourselves a wonderful day out.
Alatri is a wonderful town nestled in the heart of the Hernico hills. The Hernico Hills are to be found in the south of Lazio, in the region of Frosinone, and border with Abruzzo. They are both cultural and natural treasure in Lazio with their picturesque mountains which are perfect for hiking, and birdwatching, skiing. Then, the 16 historical towns that make up the mountain community. They are named after a pre-Roman culture that once resided in the area, the Hernico, who were eventually assimilated and swallowed into the Roman empire.

View from the acropolis of Alatri

Alatri is the best preserved town of the province, the town walls and acropolis date back to the 6th century B.C. and are still intact. The walls of the town best show the the technology of the Hernico people. They are huge and will impress even the most cynical of people.

The large size of the massive stones brings to mind the legendary Cyclops, after whom they are named. Cyclopic stones.

The outside wall of the 6th B.C. acropolis

«Ye citizens were wont to call me Ciacco;
For the pernicious sin of gluttony,
I, as thou seest, am battered by this rain.» (Inferno, VI, 52-54)

The name, according to Buti, one of the oldest scholars of Dante, suggests a derogatory nature of this name: "Ciacco is said to be a pig's name, hence he was called this way for his gluttony" Bacco, or, Bacchus, of course is referring to the roman god of wine. With a name that refers to the sin of gluttony and the pagan god of pleasure and wine, one may expect delicious treats inside. And they definately to be had.
This was our third visit to the osteria, and we were a bit skeptical when we entered into its new location. Our first two visits had been darling. The osteria was a hole in the wall with the capacity to seat about 15 people, max. The new location is to levels and has the capacity to seat at least 50 people. With the change, would the quality of the food change? Would the service be less friendly and personal? It only took us about 5 minutes to realize there was nothing to worry about. They were able to move to a bigger location based on the quality of the food. The place was packed, the service excellent and friendly with the addition of ONE waitress, and the food, in a word, excellent.

We started with a bottle of local Cesanese del Piglio, which you can read about HERE.

Mixed grilled vegetable and crostini antipasto

We started with the mixed grilled/roasted vegetables and mixed crostini. This included grilled marinated eggplant, grilled marinated zucchini, roasted red peppers, grilled radicchio, and roasted fennel. Everything was prepared perfectly. The vegetables were the most flavorful I have ever eaten. The marinated eggplant was incredible, perfectly grilled with delicate flavors of olive oil, garlic, and Italian parsley. I could tell each vegetable was individually prepared because they all retained wonderful aromas, texture, and flavor balance.

Crostini with black truffle sauce

The main event for me were the mixed crostini, which are small toasts. They came with a small amount of oil dribbled over them, and with tiny serving bowls and spoons for self service. The sauces were all homemade, fresh and lovely. They included black truffle sauce, hot peppers, and an olive paste. Of course my favorite was the black truffle, which paired excellently with the Cesanese del Piglio.

Close up of roasted fennel and grilled vegetables.

Primo: Strozzapreti with a walnut and pumpkin sauce

For my first course, I ordered the strozzapretti with a walnut and pumpkin sauce. Strozzapreti are a simple handmade pasta made from water and flour, which which are then manipulated into a sort of corkscrew shape. Their name means, "strangled priests." Even though the name is historical, it is a bit relevant in today's Church atmosphere. I have also seen they called "Strangled Husbands."

My dish was outstanding. The walnuts gave it a bite while the pumpkin gave it a velvety smooth texture. It was creamy, rich, and hard not to stuff the entire plate in my mouth at once. The pasta was perfectly cooked as well, and each corkscrew held the sauce well, ensuring that each bite was a luxury of pasta and sauce. I am sure this would not be difficult to make at home. While I was eating them, I couldn't help but imagine thinly sliced white truffles on top. Maybe next time I should bring one of my Tuscan truffles with me and secretly slice the truffles over it while nobody is looking. ;)

Cime di rape in padella

For my second course I ordered a side dish of cime di rape in padella, which are sauteed field greens from the area. Man, it was a delicious plate and a great way to finish off my meal. I love cime di rape because it is both slightly sweet, when cooked with garlic, and slightly bitter. It is healthy as well. One cup of this vegetable will provide more iron than a beef hamburger patty, which I would never eat because beef is disgusting and comes from a murdered cow. I'll take the field greens, thanks!

I actually finished off with a few slices of pineapple. I like to end my meals with a piece of fruit to aid digestion. Pineapple is fill of enzymes that are perfect for this.

Osteria Bacco e Ciacco

Via Duomo 11

Alatri, FR

0775 447090

reservations recommended, closed Mondays

For a fun day trip from Rome to Anagni and Alatri contact Antiqua Tours

Truffled Roasted Pumpkin Risotto

2010-11-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Truffled Roast Pumpkin Risotto

There are few things in life that are both as delicious and aromatic as pumpkins and truffle. It is my pleasure to offer you a fragrant and mouth-watering recipe of truffled roasted pumpkin risotto. In a previous post, I presented some photos of the vegetable treasures I bought from the nuns down the road and some photos of the truffles I bought at the White Truffle Festival in Volterra. I also mentioned that my house had been robbed and that the thieves made off with my computer, so I was unable to write a blog. Since then the police in Guidonia called us to tell us they caught the thieves and had our fur covered computer waiting for us to pick it up. So, I now have my computer, I can upload my photos, and continue to offer you delicious and scrumptious vegan meals that will conquer even the most hardcore meat eater.

Ingredients for 4-6 people:

1 kilo of fresh pumpkin, do not use canned

One large yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 Bouillon cube

1-2 tbsp of truffle salt (easy to make at home)

Truffle paste(optional)

5 cups of Arborio rice

One small black or white truffle to slice over risotto

Directions:

First, you'll want to slice up half of a large pumpkin into quarters of thirds, put it in a pan and roast it until the pumpkin "meat" becomes soft and you can scoop it out of the skin. While the pumpkin is roasting, put the garlic and onion in a food processor to finely chop, remove the onion and garlic and rinse out the processor because you will need to use it again.

Put the pumpkin into the blender, without the skins, of course, add a tablespoon of truffle sauce or paste(make sure it does not have cheese added to it) also add one tablespoon of truffle salt and blend into a puree. Set aside.

Since I was making for a larger amount of people, I used a large pot instead of my deep pan to make the risotto. In a large pot add olive oil (not the truffle oil, as most of it is disgusting and chemical laden), about a teaspoon of truffle salt, splash of white wine, bouillon cube, the finely chopped onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is almost clear and translucent.

Stir in the rice without water and allow the rice to simmer with the onion and garlic while stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until the rice starts to slightly toast. Then, slowly add in a a cup of water at a time, add one cup, always stirring, and then allow the rice to absorb the liquid. After about 3 cups of water...

...stir in the pumpkin puree, add more water while always stirring the rice slowly until the rice is al dente and has a creamy texture. About a minute before serving, add another tablespoon of truffle sauce/paste

With a ladle, put about 3 scoops of the risotto in each bowl and shave the fresh truffles over each bowl, and serve. Buon Appetito!!

This meal was incredibly rich and decadent. Everyone was begging for seconds, and we thoroughly enjoyed the risotto with a bottle of Gewurztraminer from Alto Adige, which paired perfectly with the aromatic pumpkin and truffle dish.

Making the Connection

2010-11-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

This is a film is a great film on the link between us, our diet, and our impact on the planet as well as non human animals. A great short film that I think all should watch! A film by Environment Films for The Vegan Society.

Making the Connection: HERE

Gary L. Francione: The Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights Say "no" to animal slavery. Say "no" elitism. Say "no" to hierarchy. Say "no" to animals as property. Say "no" to violence. Say "yes" to veganism. It's so very easy. It really just takes your willingness to say "yes."

Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach

Why I love Italy in the Fall....

2010-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

I just spent the weekend in Tuscany with Ettore and his mom, and it was fantastic! I was able to attend the White Truffle Festival in Volterra, which I am soon going to write a blog on. Unfortunately my house was robbed last week, and my computer stolen, so I don't have a proper computer with WORD, so it may bit awhile until I can write about anything with substance. In any case I felt compelled to leave you, my readers, with a few photos of what I bought at the market today, and also some photos of the black and white truffles I bought. I love Italy in the fall because mother nature is really showing off her gifts. As a vegan it is my favorite time of year, there are chestnuts to gather and roast, truffles, pumpkins and all sorts of lovely veggies available. I usually go down the road to buy my produce. I buy it from a local convent of nuns and friars who have dedicated themselves to cultivating organic produce that is in season and in harmony with the land. It is less than a kilometer away from my house and they also sell whole grain pasta. Right now they are swimming in pumpkins, so I decided to ease their burden, and plan to make some pumpkin soup this week. Enjoy the photos!

Black and White Truffles, the Food of the Goddess

If I could only smell one thing for the rest of my life, I'd be happy with the aroma of a white truffle!

Lovely veggies from the organic market down the road. I'm thinking pumpkin soup, pumpkin risotto, roasted veggies, and I am going to can melanzane sott'aceto this year

Happy Harvest Everyone!!

Wines of Lazio: Cesanese del Piglio

2010-10-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Wines of Lazio: Cesanese del Piglio

Casale Della Ioria

Cesanese del Piglio

Tenute della Ioria

2007

DOC

It would be nearly impossible to have any sort of discussion on the wines of Lazio without discussing Cesanese del Piglio, Lazio’s first wine to acquire the D.O.C.G appellation. We frequently take day trips to the region of Frosinone, which is south of Rome, we go for the fabulously underrated food and wine that we find in the many nearly abandoned towns in the mountains. Piglio is a town in the ernico Apennines which is built on the foundations of a pre-roman town. Piglio is near the medieval papal town of Anagni, and a day drip to a winery and a cultural visit to Anagni and lunch at Piglio make for the perfect day trip from Rome. I have already written about it HERE. Piglio is now home to Lazio’s first DOCG wine(in 2008), a heartwarming red wine made from the Cesanese grape.

One of my favorite producers is Casale Della Ioria owned by the Perinelli family. They make two Cesanese del Piglio, both from the Cesanese di Affile grape. I am quite fond of the 2007 Tenuta della Ioria. When we tasted it, when were in the amazing medieval town of Alatri which I think has Lazio’s best olive oil. It is an intense ruby red wine, with gorgeous legs and great consistency. It is suggestive of cherries under alcohol, blackberry jam, fennel, tobacco, earth tones, mushrooms, and sweet red peppers. After w few minutes the dried red roses start rolling over everything, evocative of a very sensual perfume commercial from the 90’s. It had balsamic notes. In a nutshell, a very complex and intense nose, but still developing. Towards the end of our evaluation we started to smell coffee, but then we realized the waiter was making espresso! This wine is dry, full bodied, with nice freshness. I thoroughly enjoyed its rich but well balanced tannins that were harmonious with the weight and silky structure with slightly bitter finish. It has a long finish that kept reminding me of fruits and dark earthy minerals. I think this Cesanese has a great potential to age and soften but to remain complex. A great wine in the winter to serve with complex and bitter foods, or roasted veggies with rosemary.

Wines of Lazio: Frascati Superiore

2010-10-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

Wines of Lazio: Frascati Superiore

Casale Mattia

Frascati Superiore

Terre del Casale

DOC

2008

Frascati is the white wine most often consumed by the Romans, and most of its production makes its way down the hills of the Castelli Romani to be consumed in the trattoria and osteria of Rome. Typically in Lazio winemakers make wines for quantity over quality, so there are many mediocre Frascati bottles out there, but there is hope. There are a number of producers that are making great Frascati wines that evoke both the fertility of the land and the aromas of the grapes used. Frascati does not need to be a boring and tasteless wine at all. Casale Mattia is making great wines from organic grapes and a combination of modern and traditional winemaking. They use all natural methods in their wine making process including natural yeasts instead of GMO yeasts.

I tasted a 2008 Casale Mattia Frascati Superiore called “Terre Del Casale.” I quite enjoyed it, thug I feel that most Frascati are best when consumed in their first year. Visually, I could tell it had a bit if age(for a Frascati), as it was darkening. It was a very crystalline hay yellow with moderate consistency with average arches. The hay color had a bit of golden hue in it as well. It had very intense aromas that were clean and crisp which were suggestive of citrus such as grapefruit, lemons, and limoncello. Underneath all that was the aroma I most associate with a Frascati, apricot. It also had undertones of citrus flowers, fresh cut grass, shell like minerals, and fragrant bread. On the palate it was medium bodied, dry to off dry, very fresh, silky, and with a long mineral finish which came directly from the volcanic soil the vines are planted in. I enjoyed every sip, and think it is a perfect white wine for the spring and summer, but even in the cooler months when we start to make soups. The aromatic qualities would pair perfectly with a warm minestrone or vegetable risotto.

Urgent Adoption after 14 year in a Shelter...Alberto deserves a family!!

2010-10-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: ALBERT HAS FOUND A HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is Alberto, a small and invisible dog who has spent his entire life in a small box. Alberto unfortunately did not have anything in life as he was locked up in the kennel when still young and with great desire to live, but his exuberance , his vivacity, year after year have faded due to a prison term that has been for too long. He has known only a life with gravel and loneliness, no cuddling, no walks, no grass .... Now, at age 14 Alberto year is pretty wary of people, but is he wrong? Who would not be against a hand that he long ago considered friends forever, for life, and instead was just locked up forever in a prison? Perhaps Albert has lost hope of finally finding a bit of love, but not us, we would like for him a true adoption of the heart that can make him understand that not all hands are bad, some can give a lot of pampering, we would like for him to find a real home with a nice soft and warm bed and a bit of serenity .... now he is very old and time is running out !!!!!! He should get along with both male and female dogs. 14 years is a long time but Alberto deserves his ransom !!!!!! Daniela 348 1013553 Rossella rosresto@libero.it 339 1233445

in English Ettore 349 719 7590

Lui è Alberto, un cagnolino piccolo e invisibile che ha praticamente passato la sua vita chiuso in un box.Alberto purtroppo dalla vita non ha avuto proprio niente visto che è stato rinchiuso in canile ancora giovane e con tanta voglia di vivere, ma la sua esuberanza, la sua vivacità, anno dopo anno sono sfiorite a causa di una prigionia durata troppo a lungo, che gli ha permesso di conoscere solo ghiaia e solitudine, niente coccole, niente passeggiate, niente erba....Ora, all'età di 14 anni Alberto è piuttosto diffidente nei confronti delle persone, ma come dargli torto? Chi non lo sarebbe nei confronti di una mano che lui, tanto tempo fa considerava amica per sempre, amica per la vita, e invece proprio per sempre lo ha rinchiuso in una prigione? Forse Alberto ha perso la speranza di trovare finalmente un pò di Amore, ma noi no, noi vorremmo per lui una vera adozione del cuore che gli possa far capire che non tutte le mani sono cattive, alcune sanno dare tante coccole; vorremmo per lui una vera casa con una bella cuccia morbida e calda e un pò di serenità.... ormai è molto anziano e il tempo stringe davvero tanto!!!!!!Va tranquillamente d'accordo sia con maschi che femmine.14 anni sono tanti ma Alberto merita il suo riscatto!!!!!! Parma, info e adozioni Daniela 348 1013553 Rossella rosresto@libero.it 339 1233445

B.Alive in Rome

2010-09-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago in Rome, on the rooftop terrace of my friends Sienna and Yves, I was fortunate enough to be a guest at a raw gourmet meal prepared by Boris Lauser of B.Alive. Boris Lauser is a Gourmet raw food chef from Berlin, who prepared a Balinese themed gourmet meal for 22 guests. The theme was, "Tropical Inspirations from Bali." It truly was inspired. The food was delicious, the presentation beyond anything I expected, and the love and attention to detail absolutely superb. It was a splendid evening full of love, life and epiphany on my behalf.

I brought Ettore, who was a rather reluctant participant, expecting celery and carrots, and the need for food afterwards. To be fair, his only experience in the world of raw food has been through me and my obsession with green super food smoothies. Not exactly the epitome of flavors and diversity! He was blown away by the explosion of flavors we tasted, as was I.

My experience was rather, a spiritual one. I loved all the food and luckily a much better and talented writer than I has written a glowing review of the food and the evening which you can readHERE.

My experience reaffirmed for me the philosophy that, “You are what you eat.” I made a decision in my adult life that I no longer what to be a part of the cycle of violence and sorrow in the food chain. There is nothing natural about slaughter and animal agriculture, and the inspired evening reiterated for me what I hold close to my heart. I do not want to consume pain. When we eat animals and their bodily secretions we consume their energy of pain and sorrow. One thing I am certain of is that energy never dies, the world is a cycle of energy, and we are stardust. When I eat live food I feel clearer, level headed, and my solar plexus feels aligned. I feel balanced. If we are what we eat, then eating a gourmet raw food meal made with integrity and love means we are a part of this energy cycle. We become alive, hence, B.Alive. Boris Lauser radiates life and positive energy. Everything we need to live is in the plant world, and we can do it with variety, flavors, and creativity.

So I thank Boris for this evening of love, creativity, and color. I thank Sienna and Yves for providing such a suitable terrace for everyone to enjoy, and most of all I thank Mother Nature for providing such an explosion of color and flavors. It was beyond a doubt an inspired evening.

Ettore enjoying a glass of local and organic Bellone before the dinner started

Cucumber with balinese flavor infused cashew cheese

Chinese Style Dumplings with sweet and sour dipping sauce

Guests enjoying their delicious dumplings

Preparing the Gado-Gado, a rainbow of raw food

Gado-Gado

Such amazing colors...full of life and love

The purple beans were to DIE for. So good!

Cardamom Coconut Halva

THANK YOU BORIS!!!
B.Alive Blog

WATCH THE FILM FOOD MATTERS!!

Burton Anderson: Mi fa depressa

2010-09-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

I am reading the 1980 edition of this book: Vino: The Wines and Winemakers of Italy and I feel I have been cheated. Born in the wrong era! This book is one of the most beautifully and poetically written books on wine I have ever read, and there are many stories about wine legends, now departed and the sensual, unforgetable but also not replicable wine they made. This is a time before the phrase Super Tuscan, a time when there were no terms like biodynamic, sustainable, or natural wines. Those catch phrases now used more as a marketing tool rather than an adjective describing the passion of a wine maker. The men and women who made their wine in the traditional way, with organic and natural procecsses did it out of love, not for marketing. This was right on the cusp, the time of the greats was peaking and Coca Cola just spent $36 million investing in Montalcino to produce more industrial crap. I am on the hunt for one of the last great bottles ever made by a Prince who spent his time tending his vineyard like it was his special, and who, to prevent his vineyard being molested by the wrong people, tore out all the vines and never looked back. This all happened before I got out of high school.

Rocca Massima: Locanda dell'Arcangelo

2010-08-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

Narrow streets of Rocca Massima

     Yesterday I barely moved from the sofa because it was so hot and humid here.  Poor Ettore had to work under the hot Roman sun, and when he came home it was much cooler than what the Romans feel in the summer, but still deathly hot for me.   We live in the hills outside Rome, the Castelli Romani.  The air is cleaner, fresher, and cooler during the summer, which is why on weekends, loads of Romans come up here to eat, cool off, and take a swim at the Lake near Castel Gandolfo.   We Castelli residents need to cool off as well, and we need to escape the loads of nasty porchetta eaters in Ariccia.  Last night,  Ettore and I headed up to the hills to a small little town called Rocca Massima.  It was a lovely evening.  We could see the Castelli from a bird’s eye view, and gaze from the top of the town that overlooks the sea.  Rocca Massima is very close to Cori, and has pre-roman roots.  Like many towns in Lazio, it is a small medieval hilltop town built on the foundations of a previous culture.  Rocca Massima belonged to the Volsci, which is also the same people of the town of Velletri, and many argue that the greatest emperors of Rome had Volsci roots, as they came from these towns. 

Tuscany's new rival?

     We hoped into our car and drove through fields that could easily compete with anything I have seen in Tuscany.  I went a bit wild with my new camera’s panorama setting! 

     We escaped the heat of Genzano, and of course ran into a bunch of Genzanese people with the same idea.    The difference for us and a Roman meeting another Roman in the Castelli is that we all actually know each other.    There was a local food and wine festival going on which had an itinerary that led visitors all around the town.  We didn’t come for the festival, though.  We came to have a relaxing dinner with a nice view.  

Locanda dell’Arcangelo

     We decided on a cute little B&B at the very top of the town called Locanda dell’Arcangelo.  They had a wonderfully descriptive menu filled with local treats and a wine menu that had a fantastic selection of wines from Lazio.  Everything was very inexpensive.   Ettore and I love going to these old towns outside the Castelli and outside Rome.  Latina is a province in Lazio that I think is the place to watch.  We eat fresh and seasonal vegetables, we try new wines by winemakers that have a passion for the history of their land, and we learn about cultures of the region.  What I love about Lazio, besides the food and wine, is the fact that for us, a drive of about 20 minutes took us to a completely different place.  Homogeny doesn’t seem to exist between towns once you escape the province of Rome.

View from our table

     Another delightful point:  Lazio is one of the easiest regions to be a vegan.  The kitchen is loaded with incredible vegetables.  They are also extraordinarily diverse.   We always order an antipasto of vegetables, and every place we go outside the province of Rome  has their own selection of locally available goodies.  
In Rome and the provinces of Rome it is always the same plate of boring grilled vegetables.  Outside the province of Rome t
hey are sometimes what the family has growing in their garden, what was available at the market that day, and sometimes what they find in the field. 

Antipasto

     

    Locanda dell’Arcangelo  had an enticing antipasto di verdure which included grilled eggplant, stuffed eggplant, lightly roasted carrots with thyme, cipolline in agrodolce(sweet and sour pearl onions),  Gaeta olives, insalata d’orzo(Barley salad) , bruschetta, and zucchini.  The bruschette were inedible.  The bread was at least a week old and they didn’t add any salt.  Everything else was fine.  The pearl onions were especially delicious.  We ordered a bottle of Marco Carpineti  Capolemole Bianco 2009.  Carpineti is the winery I want so much to succeed, and I wrote about in an earlier blog.  The wine had a lovely hay yellow color, lovely floral and fruity aromas, with a hint of bread, but it was someone flat and lacked acidity.  

Gorgeous Pasta

     
     For my first dish I ordered an absolutely scrumptious pasta con zucchini, radicchio con olio, aglio e menta(pasta with zucchini, radicchio, oil, garlic and mint). It was a well balanced plate of heaven.  The radicchio and zucchini were perfectly cooked, the pasta wasn’t loaded with oil, the aromatic flavors from the garlic and mint were utter perfection in my mouth.  And despite the wine’s lack of freshness, the aromas and fruitiness paired well with my aromatic dish.  I was very happy.  And full. 

Super greasy radicchio ;(

    
Of course we ordered everything at the beginning of the evening when our stomachs were empty from not eating lunch earlier(too hot to cook) and we both had a case of eyes are bigger than the stomach, but we did not cancel our contorni of vegetables we ordered.  We ordered grilled radicchio, cicoria, and French fries (say what you want, they were delicious).  The radicchio was grilled and swimming in oil and Aceto Balsamico  that tasted artificially sweet.  We only took a few bites.  The cicoria was nothing special, but at least it was cooked well and not dripping in oil like I tend to see in Rome.  The French fries were homemade and perfect.  Almost as good as the perfect plate of fries I once had at the Madonna Inn many years ago.

Cost for two people with starter, first, sides, a bottle of wine and a fantastic view?

€50

I love Latina.

Zucchini: What to Do With All Those Extra Summer Zucchini

2010-08-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Some of my gardening friends may be wondering what the heck they are going to do with all those zucchini they grew this summer. Many of you are practically swimming in zucchini! You’ve steamed them, fried them, made soups, breaded them, and eaten them raw with hummus. All of which are noble endings for the simple zucchini. I have also had to get a little creative this summer with the zucchini. Alas, unlike my mother, I do not have a green thumb, everything dies, including weeds! However, when I go to the local markets, what is in season? Zucchini, of course. So I have been eating them all summer, just like the rest of you. With a little bit of creativity, zucchini can be delicious and fun. I made up the following recipe while I was trying to eat up everything in the fridge and cupboards before I went stateside. It turned out fantastic, and I have since made it many times. This blog is dedicated to Jenny, Thomas, and my favorite baby in the world, Max.

INGREDIENTS:

For four people

4 tablespoon of olive oil

4 tablespoons of pine nuts

4 tablespoons of sultanas or golden raisons

4 cloves of garlic

15 cherry tomatoes

2 medium zucchini

1/2 tablespoon of dried calabrian red pepper

dry white wine

500g of whole grain fusilli

course sea salt

Directions:

Prepare everything in advance. you will want to cut up the tomatoes and zucchini into small quarter sized pieces, or dice them, whichever you prefer is fine. First, you are going to start with toasting the pine nuts. To do this, take a small pan, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in it and put on full heat. Throw in the pine nuts and flip them every 30 seconds until they brown. Put to the side. In a large deep pan, use the rest of the olive oil and a splash of dry white wine and crush the cloves of garlic and red peppers and sauté with a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and zucchini and sautè with the garlic. Add the toasted pine nut and sultanas. In a large pot, bring water to boil and add salt to taste. Since I do not use salt in the veggies, I add a bit more in the water. Add the dry fusilli and cook until al dente. While the pasta is boiling simmer the veggies on a low heat setting. I like to use a whole grain pasta for this dish, my favorite is pasta made from farro, or, spelt. I think it brings out the nutty flavor of the pine nuts. I use a whole box for four people. Serve in large pasta bowls. This pairs well with a dry rosato, or a lovely Vermentino di Gallura. Enjoy outdoors if possible.

Voilà

Buon Appetito!!

Wines of California: Graeser Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-07-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have finally escaped the heat of Rome and am relaxing in sunny California. Everyone keeps complaining about the heat, which makes me laugh to myself if I think about the absolute inferno that Rome became in the days before I left. Can a Southern Californian ever really complain about the heat or cold? I do not think they can or should. I was sweltering under the Lazio sun while working at the Forum in the middle of Rome. The only thing that kept me sane was the idea of an upcoming vacation to my homeland, California. I envisioned potato tacos, California Burritos, leopard sharks in La Jolla, laying out on the beach and actually being able to cool off in the sea rather than just get warmed like one does in the Med, and lastly, all the California wines I would try to taste. Unfortunately, I do not have any friends or even family members who are as passionate about wine as I am, so it looks like I will be doing this solo.

What is more ubiquitous to California than Cabernet Sauvignon? Ok, maybe Zinfandel. Though I make a lot of fuss about traditional and natural wine making and native grapes and so forth, California Cabernet Sauvignon is here to stay, and far be it from me to make a blanket judement based on the industrial wines that one finds in Vons or Albertsons. There are excellent Cabernet Sauvignons to be had. The last one I had from Pointer Run Vineyards is a great example of a wine that has a great potential to evolve. I first had this wine in the winter of 2007, when my friend Harmony, a fellow wine lover and sommelier, was still living in Southern California, so I had a great time trying lots of wines and trying out a few of San Diego's wine bars in Hillcrest and downtown. One of my favorites is the Wine Lover and 6th ave in Hillcrest. I think they have a great wine buyer and it is in a perfect location.

Harmony moved to Portland, I went back to Italy, and I took a bottle of 1997 Graeser Cabernet Sauvignon from Pointer Run Vineyards. As I mentioned above, I tasted it at the Wine Lover in 2007, when it was 10 years old, and even then, the tannins were holding up, it still had an excellent backbone, and had a lot of potential to evolve and soften up. This was not an oak bomb surprise. Overly oaked wines never lose their vanilla, and sometimes the oak hides the richness of the actual wine. I drank this wine and enjoyed it. Ettore decided to try this this year, and I wished I had a large enough budget to allow me to buy cases of wines I like rather than having to make due with one bottle. This is because it is very interesting to open these bottles every few years and see how they are holding up, and then to taste them when they are peaking. Nothing is better for a wine lover.

Move forward to 2010 and the this wine is lovely. It had a lovely color that was garnet with brickish reflections. It had a very nice separation in the nails, which really showed off it's color development. It was consistent and there was no sediment at all. On the nose it was floral, spicy, vegetal and had subtle fruits. The flowers were reminiscent of violets and dried roses, but they were very soft, not sweet at all. There were black pepper notes, soft rosemary, raspberry and blackberry jam, tobacco, roasting coffee, green peppers, sage, and a slight hint of wet autumn leaves. It was, indeed, a nice complex nose, though no minerality at all. On the palate it was a very well balanced, dry and full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins were still quite strong but obviously softening from the last time I tasted this wine. It was round and big on the palate, with a smooth somewhat velvety texture, as well as the nice sapidity and acids. It also had a very long finish, and the herbal qualities were the most persistent. I would describe it as a slightly fresh wine. It could handle a few more years in my opinion. The tannins and acids were very well balanced, It was not fruity on the palate, but rich and herbal. I think this is a wine that is somewhat ready to drink, but could also handle a couple of years.

I made chickpea cutlets with a red wine roux that I made with another California Cabernet Sauvignon. I thought it was a pleasant pairing. I wish I had more of this wine. Who knows, maybe it will still be available at the Wine Lover in Hillcrest. I also read this online about this winery: Graeser Winery is also a dog friendly destination. What does that mean? Richard's two large and very friendly dogs wander freely and you can bring your dog into the tasting room (air conditioned in summer)! Love of dogs runs so deep that one of the Graeser wine clubs is called Fo Paws and raises money for the Humane Society. Dogs are also featured prominently on many of the wine labels at Graeser. I think my dog Chardonnay deserves a trip to California.

Graeser Winery

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon,

Pointer Run

Ban the Horse Drawn Carriage in Rome

2010-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

The so-called "botticelle" that is, the Roman horse-drawn carriages are not a tradition of transport for people, but represent a degeneration of what was their original meaning and purpose. In fact, the "Botticelli" owe their name to the barrels: the carriage pulled by animals in 1800’s was used solely for transporting goods, and barrels in this case. There was never a "tradition" of tourist transport, therefore, as misleadingly one wants to make the tourist believe.

Nowadays there is no need to justify the use of animals for transport or freight, let alone people. Tourists can have, in Rome in 2009, many means of locomotion, extremely comfortable, fast, with accessories for every need, and far cheaper than the carriage. As well as transportation that does not cause suffering to horses.

Horses are obviously subject to a state of continuous suffering, being forced against their will to haul extremely heavy loads every day (more than one ton, the empty carriage weighs 800 kg ...). The working conditions are inhumane and the animal is brought along fast roads (like the Tiber) where the proximity of cars, speed and the roar of traffic so terrific, with the serious consequence of accidents, often fatal, while the horses are often forced to travel on uphill on cobblestone pavement which is slippery and uneven. These cobblestones, known as Sam Pietrini creates further discomfort when a horse is forced to stand on them without movement, often for many hours. The conditions worsen in summer when the hot sun makes the effort even more unbearable. And yet, the drivers pay no attention to laws, nor are laws enforced.

In times past, the horses traveled on isolated and relatively quiet roads in Rome. Today, the crazy traffic, chaos, smog, the sounds of horns, the speed of vehicles and scooters whizzing close to the carriages, etc. .. make this means of transport absolutely unfit to the conditions of congestion in the city. The carriage is so configured a practice that is deeply anachronistic and certainly cruel to horses, and is thus there is no longer any reason for them to exist today.

La Panzanella-Bread and Tomato Salad

2010-06-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since we designed and ordered our kitchen. A very long and frustrating month it has been.   I have hosted a lovely lunch outside under the Gazebo, had my first swim at Lago di Nemi, and enjoyed amazing strawberries at the Sagra delle Fragole. At the same time, I have no place to put any of my kitchenware. We have lived here since the end of April, but I do not yet feel unpacked or settled in. There is a lot to do. Most of what I want to do with this house and property are landscaping and gardening projects. I am looking forward to the enormous potential of this place, the land, and I am forging a friendship with my neighbor down the road. She is incredibly generous and kind. I am blessed in this regard. The apricots and figs are finally ripe which means summer has officially begun in these parts. How great would this time be if I could make amazing meals for the people I love?   The terrace and the gazebo were the real selling points for the house, besides the enormous size of the kitchen. I am so anxious to get started, to put my kitchenware away, and get cooking!
     Luckily, I live in the bread basket that is the Castelli Romani. I have bread from Genzano or Lariano available to me, there are local veggie and fruit stands so I am buying the freshest produce. Summertime, in this case, means we don't need a lot of prep to make a nourishing and delicious meal.
   I am always amazed by the plates of the region that have their roots in total poverty. They were born out of the concept of making due with what we have. Sometimes, these families might have only some stale bread and a few vegetables at hand. Nowadays, people pay top dollar for these dishes in the priciest trattoria of Rome and beyond. Panzanella is a great example of this food culture. Ettore and I debate whether this is a true Laziale dish or if it comes from Campagna. For me it is from Lazio. Irregardless, is there anything more heavenly than the sweet combination of ripe summer tomatoes and basil? Panzanella is so simple, so filling, and utterly delicious. I have made it a few times because all that I need are the following: A cutting board, a bread knife, ingredients and a bowl. There is no cooking involved, and it can makes a lovely lunchtime meal. It is light, fragrant, and cool.
    Thank goodness for dishes like this! Without them I would be still living on pizza and take-out.

Panzanella-Bread and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of crusty, stale, rustic Italian bread, sliced into 2 cm pieces and then cut up messy into bite size pieces(about 10 slices from the loaf)
1/2 kilo ripe cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters
10-12 sprigs of basil broken into small pieces
6 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I like the fragrant oil from Alatri
about a 1/2 TBSP of coarse Celtic sea salt
about three turns of the pepper grinder for pepper

Directions:

In a Large Salad bowl, put the sliced tomatoes and basil and stir everything together
Add the olive oil, salt and pepper
Let this mixture stand without bread for at least an hour. Room temperature is best, but also in the fridge would be fine. This will ensure a much more fragrant salad as the tomatoes and basil will have time to marinate in their own juices for a time. I also add about a TBSP of water.
After and hour, add the bite size bread pieces, stir everything and let it sit for a few minutes so the breadt absorbs the flavors and juices. If you need to add a bit of water and more olive oil and stir again. The bread should be moist, but retain its bounce.

We enjoyed this with a lovely chilled Frascati, although I think it would have been nice with a Rosato

Buon Appetito!!

Kitchenless Cook

2010-06-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my kitchen, folks. I haven't been able to cook for over a week now so I am going stir crazy. I feel like an addict trying to overcome the overwhelming desire for my drug of choice. I find myself pouring over cookbooks, I buy magazine after magazine full of recipes I want to try. The kitchen never arrives. They are missing one part, so therefore, the kitchen that should have arrived by the 28th of May. is still not here. We designed it and paid in full the first week of May! We gutted the old one thinking it would just be a day or two before the magic would begin. Alas, I have been forced to eat out, buy pizza, eat vegemite sandwiches for dinner, and sometimes, go to bed hungry. My inner Buddha drives me to be patient, I know this is just a short amount of time in the scheme of things, but, I can no longer bear to look at the empty walls and the hideous tiles of the previous owner. I think I have eaten enough pizza for two Roman legions. I want to have people over for lunches outside in the gazebo. At this point, they'll all be lucky to get a cracker with a sun-dried tomato.
In my spare time I write up menus for make believe dinners and lunches I will host. I think the lack of creative outlet in the kitchen is starting to make me hallucinate. I wonder about last suppers or what I would serve to The Golden Girls.
I express myself through food and wine. I make lunches and dinners according to how I am feeling that particular day. And right now, I am craving a giant bowl of fusilli with a sauce made of roma tomatoes, onion, lots of red peppers from Calabria and some basil. I could eat at least a kilo of the stuff right now. You guys can decide what that says about me.

Party! Pizza Party!

2010-05-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

I felt compelled to write about pizza since I live in the land of pizza. Many people ask me, "How can you be vegan when you live in the land of pizza?" I tell them, "It is easy." A lot of my friends back in the States think I must have the hardest time in Italy as a vegan. I guess this goes back to their own traveling experiences here and maybe it was difficult for them because they did not know how to order in Italian. I know my own transition to veganism in Italy has been relatively seamless. Sure, I get the odd, "You don't eat Mozzarella?" But, I don't mind. I know my pizza options and they are not that limited, in fact, they are vast.

Since we do not have a real kitchen currently, more like something that resembles camping equipment, we have been eating our fair share of pizza since we moved. And I have been having a string of bad pizza luck, culminating in the worst place I have ever eaten at in Rome, a place called San Marco on Via Sardegna, near Via Veneto. I guess it is hip because they have DJs, but their pizza was more or less cardboard and the vegetables on mine tasted like rubber. I felt bad because we were there for a work party, which I am sure was chosen by one of my colleagues. Such a shame, too, since the guest of honor isn't in Italy all the time and was likely excited to eat good food. I personally thought I could trust his taste, because he is attending wine school, but let me just say, wine school does not equal good taste. Some people just do things because of the money involved. And I should have known better when he said, "Hey, what do you think about ordering the house wine? It is just like Brunello." "Um, ok," I say to myself, "I guess that sounds, good, you've been here, and you must know about food and wine since you are taking an 18 month wine course." Wrong! Ladies, never let some boasty guy who talks endlessly about how cool he is because he DJs and does wine tours tell you how to order wine when you instincts tell you to listen to yourself! I don't know why I lack confidence when it comes to food and wine. Ettore thinks I feel guilty about it. I do know I learned a lesson. I order the wine and food and I chose the places. Whenever someone says, "Si Magna Bene," or, One eats well here in Roman dialect, I should always know I am in for a tasteless evening.

It turns out what they mean with that phrase is that one eats a lot for less. So it is a phrase of quantity, not quality. Ettore and I have started calling it the Si Magna Bene culture. It is a good label for people in their late 20s and 30s who frequent hipster places where they eat a ton of food that doesn't cost a lot of money and yet has absolutely no quality, so then macho guys pretend to be throwing around cash, like in a rap video. Sure, you can have a 4 course meal with wine and water for €10 a person, but, you'll regret it for days afterward. Well, at least I do. Make makes this whole situation worse is the fact that this guy is from California! I should have clued in when he ordered the most expensive dish on the menu. He was making a show for us the entire evening. He wanted us to know he was a regular there, he knew the wine list, he knew the most expensive things, etc. MACHISMO at its absolute worst.

Which brings me back to pizza. I wished that the party could have been in Genzano. Our favorite place to get pizza is amazing, and also quite inexpensive. We also don't have to be victim to bad DJs and their horrible techno music. We go to the very old Genzanese RISTORANTE TIGELLINO where I always order a focaccia ortolana or a white pizza with vegetables. See, here in Italy, it is not unusual to order a pizza without cheese. Many pizzas automatically do not have cheese, and some do not even have red sauce. At Tigellino they are very generous with the vegetables, which are all sourced locally. Each vegetable is cooked perfectly, with great texture and incredibly rich flavors. Usually there are grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, chicory or spinach, rocket, cherry tomatoes, roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary, all topped with amazing olive oil. The crust is also out of this world. The crust is perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, but just tender enough to be scrumptious and to hold in flavor. The crust has a lovely texture because they have a long levitation, which makes the pizza dough easier to digest. So...yummy, crispy, and with the perfect amount of salt.

I think we'll get pizza tonight!

RISTORANTE TIGELLINO
19, VIA SARAGAT G. 00045
GENZANO DI ROMA RM
Tel. 069396741

Being Neighborly

2010-05-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

    I have not been able to post much in recent weeks because of a big change in my life. I moved to a new house! With all the packing, organizing, unpacking, painting, lack of kitchen, and new additions to the family, I haven't had much time to breathe, let alone blog about food or wine. We moved from town to the countryside and it is like night and day in terms of the new lifestyle. What I lack in convenience (shops, gas station, or a bar), I get so much more from my everyday life than I ever thought possible.
    Instead of the buzzing incessant sound of traffic, ambulances and garbage pick up I have birds. In fact my next door neighbors have chickens, geese and ducks that are all very busy living out the dramas of their lives. Instead an alarm clock, I have roosters. During my afternoon naps I don't wake from the annoying sound of sirens, I wake up to the startling sound of new life. A mamma bird has nested in the rafters of the roofs right above our bedrooms. I am thoroughly enjoying the squeaks and peeps of the little ones. She seems to be very attentive.   My cats are very confused about the situation. They can hear the birds but they can't see them, so they have spent many wasted hours attacking the walls. Bless their silly hearts!
     We also have the fortune of amazing neighbors. The next door neighbors are very friendly with us. They are restoring their house alone, so it is a long term work in progress. In just a week we have learned about all the edible plants that are growing wild in our land. Greens like Chicory, Borage, and Radishes. We also discovered that this area is overrunning with wild asparagus. One of the first meals I made was from the bounty of the "hunt." We spent about an hour gathering edibles around the house and I cooked them up. I made an amazing penne with wild asparagus, I sauteed it with olive oil, garlic, Celtic salt and some lemon juice. It was superb.
     The day after we officially moved in, our neighbors presented us with a welcome-to-the-neighborhood basket. It contained the harvest of their land and included things like jams, olive oil, and wild asparagus. One of the jams was cherry which I happened to eat in about a day it was so delicious. What made it delicious is that it was not overly sweet. It tasted like cherries not like cherry candy.They have a delightful family. We noticed that when the kids come home from school in the afternoon they don't just go inside and turn their TV on or play with video games. They are outside with the parents or hanging out with the geese and chickens. They are very polite as well...unlike our neighbors before. We lived in a building of eight apartments. The neighbors upstairs were constantly fighting and yelling at their kids. They were also teaching them at a young age to be the next generation of animal abusers. Every time we would meet in the building they had to make some lame comment about my dogs being disgusting and dirty. My dogs are far from being dirty. They smell like fresh rain because they don't eat nasty dog food. The neighbors below never cracked a smile or said hello. The man was OCD and had to bleach the elevator anytime we had used it. So besides being a jerk he wants to cause everyone's cancer from the fumes of chemicals. But I digress...I no longer have to live in that Eco-monster HURRAY!! In stead of having 6 animals in a cramped apartment my furry friends run around all day among olive trees, fruit trees and lots of overgrown grass.
    The other great neighbors we have are two houses down from us.   The woman is an American woman from Boston who is a vegetarian and a hippie. They have over an acre of property. She lives with her boyfriend who is a gardener. His gardening philosophy is called Synergistic gardening which is based on the idea that there are no straight lines in nature and therefore there should not be in gardens. The gardens are typically horseshoe shaped or round and raised above ground. They are organic as well, and use veganic compost. They have already invited us to dinner, which is very kind of them. As soon as I have a kitchen I will return the favor and cook them an amazing vegan meal. I think I will try to get into their hearts and minds through food.
    I can't emphasize how lovely it is to have neighbors that say hello, that I have something in common with, that don't have televisions, that care about animals and the earth, and that thrive off of producing their own food.
    When we started this house hunting journey two years ago, I knew that when the right house came to us we would "know." We must have looked at 15 different different houses all of which had characteristics we liked but most had characteristics that would would not want to deal with down the road. Kitchens that were the size of an ant hill, a house that was beautiful but next door to an egg factory farm. I was afraid of cancer from the pollution or becoming a hoarder of liberated hens.Now, two years later, we are in the "right" house and I think we are in a very blissful state.
     When we first started house hunting our main interest was in finding a garden large enough for our puppies and cats. I promised myself and the powers that be that when we found this house I would go straight to a kennel and adopt an old dog that has been in the shelter for at least 10 years. I found her! Her name is Bumba and she is a survivor of hell and for me, she is a living miracle. She was thrown away in the Canile of Rieti which was formally a Canile Lager, which I have written about in a former post here:
                                             Thousands Linger in Hell

Bumba was thrown in the canile in 1998 and was never taken out again, not even for a walk, until we picked her up on Saturday. She lived 12 years in a concrete cell day in day out with no break. She lived in her own waste and survived the period of time when the canile was really nothing more than a death camp for dogs. She is my living miracle and teacher. Who else but a dog can live like that and enter into the world without a stain on her personality? She is so sweet and kind. She is also very happy and affectionate despite never being socialized. She plays with her new brothers and is curious about the cats. The first night she was here she didn't stop walking around the land for about 12 hours. I think she was overwhelmed. Today I took her to the vet for a check up, but he couldn't analyze her blood because her ears are severely infected and full of pus. Who knows how long she has lived like this.
Our family is complete with her in it. My new life begins now, a life of sustainable food, gardening, and being neighborly. I also want to share the bounty of the land come harvest time. I am so grateful to the universe for allowing me the life that suits my family and I.

The Truth About Horse Drawn Carriages

2010-04-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

The drivers are only interested in making the most profit from this activity and therefore do not care the in the least about the well-being of the animal. The horse is forced to work in unbearable conditions some prohibited under the current regulations (Article 46 of the Rules of the City of Rome for the Protection of Animals)but are frequently observed that the maximum number of passengers is never observed, that the ban of working horses from 1pm to 4pm in the summer season is regularly violated, as well as to not go uphill, not to go at a trot, not to work more than 6 hours per day, etc. .. The carriage drivers also are not subject, like other workers (traders, taxi drivers, etc ...) to any official price list, being able to make money at will and come to ask even $ 300 per trip, all while not paying taxes to the state as there are no price regulations or receipts.

Two fatalities occurred at close range, one in June and November 20 2008, are clear indicators of a condition that is not very sustainable, and cannot last, if not continue to jeopardize the safety of people and horses. The risk factor for accidents is too high and stems from the incompatibility between the nature of these fearful animals, and the state of congestion of the streets of Rome.

Please support our mission: Ban of Horse Drawn Carriages in Rome

Sign our petition

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-rome

Join us on FACEBOOK:

Horses Without Carriages International ROME

For more information on the Carriage industry in general:

http://www.banhdc.org/

JUST SAY NO TO A CARRIAGE RIDE

Blog:

BanHDC ROME

Puglia Monti: Artichoke Heaven

2010-04-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

Puglia Monti

Puglia Monti is a quaint little place in Monti, very close to the Roman Forum. The owner and chef is Emanuele Dicuonzo who is from Puglia, hence, the name Puglia Monti. I have to admit that although I am vegan, I tend to avoid restaraunts in Rome that are specifically vegan or vegetarian. I do so because my experience has been that these places have a huge emphasis on veganism, and not the actual food, so they do a lot of mock recipes and overuse seitan, and they are often very overpriced. Puglia Monti is a vegetarian place in the heart of Rome that specializes in regional dishes from Puglia, but the food speaks for itself. I ate the best food I have ever had in Rome here. We went to Puglia Monti for lunch on “Little Easter,” the Monday after Easter. I wanted to get there while artichokes were still in season. A few weeks earlier I had dinner at Puglia Monti and had the best artichokes I have had in my life.

Emmanuale truly embraces the word chef . He creates masterpieces from simple ingredients, which is the true heart of the Italian kitchen. He is trying to showcase the best of the pugliaese kitchen, without using animal carcasses, which is the tendency in the Roman kitchen. In Rome, it seems they make up for lack of flavor or creativity by overusing animal products. After all, what is the excuse most people use for not being vegan? It tastes so good. The traditional Mediterranean diet is not full of animal fats and proteins:

According to Dr Walter Willett of Harvard University's School of Public Health in the mid1990s: The traditional Mediterranean diet diet is based on, food patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s, this diet, in addition to "regular physical activity," emphasizes "abundant plant foods, fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert, olive oil as the principal source of fat”

At Puglia Monti, the food is of another world. Serious attention has been paid to every detail. The food is fresh, the flavors simple, the presentation is modern and minimal. It is a tiny place, with the capacity to hold maybe 20 people for lunch or dinner. The wine list is 100% wine from Puglia. The host is also a sommelier like us, and he is working on a degree in oenology. He speaks perfect English, so if you have trouble reading the menu, he can help.

I came for the carciofi, and I left more than satisfied. I have never before had artichokes this delicious in Rome, the city known for artichokes.

YUMMY!

We ordered a bottle of Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera which is a DOC from the province of Foggia. The principle grape is Troia. It was a decent wine that was ruby red, earthy, honest, and warm. It had a great minerality, but die to it's position in the south, it lacked a good acidity.

For my starter I ordered Spiedini di Carciofi e Mandarini con Insalata di Finocchio, Pangrattato e Pesto delle Tremiti-Artichoke and Mandarin Skewers on a bed of roasted Fennel Salad, Bread Crumbs and Pesto of Tremiti

It was out of this world. Everything was perfectly cooked, the vegetables were still crisp. The mandarin was slightly caramelized, it was heaven. The bread crumbs gave it a lovely texture, almost like cane sugar because it had set in with the caramelized mandarin. The entire creation was perfectly balanced. It was evenly sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and mineral with each bite. The plate was also very well presented.

For my primo I ordered: Ravioli Ripieni di Carciofi su Crema di Fave Secche e Menta- Artichoke stuffed Ravioli with a Cream of Fave Beans and Mint

This was the great surprise of the evening. I would love to know how he was able to manage to make stuffed ravioli using a pasta recipe without eggs(usually a binder) and yet the pasta was rich, homemade, and did not break. It was actually delicious. The dish was so creamy, I was in gastronomic heaven. The filling was also a surprise. I expected the usual bitterness to accompany the artichoke, but instead found that it was very complex, sapid, savory, nutty, and only slightly bitter. This was a marvelous recipe. I wish I at least had the recipe for the pasta.

For my main I ordered:

Variazione di Carciofi-Mixed Artichokes

1. Carciofi alla Giudia-Jewish style artichoke, or, fried artichoke flower

2. Carciofi alla Romana-Roman artichoke or, Artichoke Stewed with Garlic and Mint

3. Carciofi sottaceto-Pickled Artichoke

4. Carciofi alla Brace-Grilled Artichoke

5. Carciofi Fritti-Breaded and Fried Artichoke

Everything was cooked to perfection. Nothing was overly greasy, the fried artichokes were not dripping in oil as has been my experience in other parts of Rome, and the pickled artichoke were crispy, fresh, and had a well balanced flavor. They were not overly acidic.

For dessert: Tortino al Forno con Frangipane e Mele su mosto cotto-Small oven baked Apple pie with baked apples.

I have noticed a lack of photos of ME when we go out.

I can't wait to go back, I hope it will be soon, and when artichokes are still in season!

Puglia Monti
Via Urbana 104
Rione Monti, Roma
064742772
pugliamonti@gmail.com

Antiqua Tours

Wolfberger: Vin D'Alsace

2010-04-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am quite impressed, with the new interest in wine in San Diego. We went to a wine bar called The Wine Lover . It was a lovely place, and I will definitely go back.

My choice was an Alsace Gewurztraminer. Try saying that 3x…

Wolfberger

Gewurztraminer

Alsace France

Vin D’Alsace

2003

This wine was gorgeous. It had a bouquet of roses and magnolia in bloom, but from a distance. Not overpowering, like magnolia can be on a hot and humid day, but a hint. The wine was sharing a secret, or seducing me with this intoxicating perfume. On the palate it was slightly oily in texture, dry but fruity, with a long after taste. It tasted of dried mangoes, hint of vanilla, and rose water. This wine reminded me of Pablo Neruda love poems to his wife. Romantic, well balanced, in harmony with a woman's taste, but not sickly sweet or overly romantic. I enjoyed it immensely.