by Krista | Sep 28, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
I woke at 2:30 a.m., made it safe and sound to the airport and am happily munching on a toasted bagel while I wait for my flight. 🙂
I am absolutely thrilled to bits to have my friend Tuula sharing a guest post here today!! I have never met Tuula in person, but online she is one of my favorite people with her kindness, jolly spirit and supportive nature. Tuula is an American living in France and writes a beautiful blog sharing her adventures in France and Italy. (Click here to visit her Le Petit France blog and say hello.) Today she takes us with her on a shopping trip through a Roman market.
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As the temperatures begin to cool, and I find myself selecting over-sized scarves instead of sundresses, I can’t help but find myself in a very romantic mood. Call it the changing of the leaves, the anticipation of hearty meals capped with full-bodied wines, or simply the chance to slow down and explore the changing world around me, but fall is most certainly one of my favorite seasons.
And one of my favorite things to do during the fall months is explore: new regions, off-the-beaten track villages, and most certainly…town markets.
When I lived in Rome, I often worked near the well-know Testaccio market. Famed for many things, including the infamous “tomato man” who knows exactly which tomato works for each & every pasta dish (no small feat my friends), the market also retains its legendary status based on its proximity to another Roman foodie institution: Volpetti – a must-do stop for an with a love from gourmet Italian items (yeah, figure that includes just about everyone..). And while Provençal markets tend to become a bit subdued during the fall months, the Testaccio market is anything but quiet. Vibrant, colorful, and oh-so-Italian, the market is a perfect opportunity to explore the heart of Roman neighborhood-life.
And for that taste of neighborhood life, there’s nothing like arriving early (around 9am) and taking in the morning’s activities. There’s the women who washes and prepares the puntarelle (a Roman chicory) to be bagged and sold at her stand; the men who clean, prepare, and artfully display the fresh fish trucked-in from the Lazio coast; and since the majority of customers are locals who do their shopping there every day, there’s certainly no shortage of lively conversation. Topics range from pleasant inquires about shopper’s families to outright debates on anything from the correct ingredients for a traditional Roman Amatricana to the current shortcoming of the Roma soccer team.
And, if you get particularly lucky, you might just find yourself in front of some of Made in Italy’s finest apparel. Surrounding the market are shoe and clothing stalls that have incredible bargains if you’re willing to do a bit of searching. For around €15, and a bit of luck, you could come home with a pair of “Yes, I bought them in Italy aren’t they gorgeous?” handcrafted shoes. It happened to me one day, and yes, I bought two pairs.
Ahh, the sights & sounds of Rome mixed with a few pairs of gorgeous shoes- enough to make any gal happy about the change of seasons.
by Krista | Sep 27, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones! 🙂 How was your weekend? What lovely things did you discover or create?
I had a great weekend, but a chock-full, crazy-busy, now-I’m-so-tired-I-can’t-think-but-it-was-worth-it one. 🙂
I was able to go hiking with my friend Stacey, stay up much too late talking up a storm with her and our pal Trish, grill fresh salmon and all sorts of veggies with my bro and sis-in-law and a whole slew of dear friends, cheer on my sibs and friends in a marathon they ran today, and meet up with more family and friends for ice cream at Mallard, a splendid ice cream parlor in Bellingham.
Now I’m cozy in my armchair, sipping tea and luxuriating in the stillness and quiet, smiling at lovely memories and planning a new week.
This week is an exciting one for me because I’m heading to Cancun, Mexico for a writing assignment!! I still can’t quite believe it. 🙂 I’ve never been to this part of Mexico before, and cannot wait to explore, meet interesting people, and park myself on the beach for a few hours and do absolutely nothing but soak up sunshine, read a good novel, and rest, rest, rest. This will be my first vacation this year and although it’s a working one and only for a few days, I’m absolutely thrilled to pieces. I promise to take all sorts of pictures and share my adventures with you. 🙂
What is your favorite sort of a vacation? Are you a “happy to turn off the phone and stay home” sort of person, or do you like to head out to new places?
I wish you all a beautiful week!
by Krista | Sep 24, 2010 | Fabulous Friday
Good morning, dear ones! 🙂
Today I’m writing you from my brother’s kitchen table where I’m tucking into fried eggs and slices of fried turkey. Mmm. My dear friend Stacey is visiting from Texas and we are about to brave the stormy skies and head to Point Defiance to hike along the coast. I can’t wait!!
We may get drenched but we’re feeling very Seattle-ish in our jeans and fleeces and think the gorgeous forest and rocky beaches will be well worth a soaking. Can’t wait to show you pictures next week!! 🙂
In the meantime I’ll share with you some “rainy forest floor” shots I took a while ago. 🙂
Now I must finish my tea and then we’re off!! 🙂
I wish you a beautiful weekend, dear friends. Do you have any fun plans you’re looking forward to?
by Krista | Sep 23, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
Yesterday evening the sun was shining so gloriously that I simply had to be out and about, soaking it in.
My friend Jon has been raving about a little Italian place in town called the Torre Cafe. Run by a lovely Italian couple so sweet you want to adopt them on the spot, it was just the place to dine on a sunny Autumn evening. I sipped Sparkling Orange San Pellegrino (my favorite!!) while we chatted.
Then we dug into salads topped with walnuts and shaves of hard cheese, and big plates of Chicken Parmesan. Delicious!! The homemade salad dressing and marinara sauce were divine – simple, unfussy and absolutely scrumptious.
After that great meal, good visit and a stroll through town, I bid farewell to Jon and decided to enjoy the last rays of sun with a drive along the coast. Window down I couldn’t help but smile at the shrieking gulls, sun glistening on the water, and salty ocean breezes.
I drove down Chuckanut Drive, a beautiful stretch of road that winds and dips along the rocky coastline. The setting sun glimmered through the trees setting the dark forest aglow. It was magical. For a while I just drove, pulling off when I felt like it, before finally finding a bend in the road with some perfect sitting rocks where I could perch and watch the sunlight dance over the waves.
It was a wonderful end to an exhausting day.
Do you have a favorite place to drive when you just need to get away for a while?
by Krista | Sep 22, 2010 | Compatriot Wednesday
Oil bubbled for frying, oven warmed for roasting, and ingredients lay waiting to be chopped, grated and minced as we gathered for Culinary Experimentation Club this week.
Don set up a Do-I-Yourself Margarita Bar, then proceeded to go ahead and make them for us anyways. Mmm, mmm, lovely and strong, they fortified us beautifully as we cooked then washed the mountain of dishes we made.
Darren started things off with a bowl full of salty tortilla chips for dipping in his wonderfully savory Roasted Pepper Salsa.
Jason made the best Beer-Battered Shrimp I’ve ever had in my life. I think dusting the shrimp with paprika and chili powder before battering is what took them over the top.
I whipped up a hodge-podge marinade of sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and Hoisin sauce to coat a pile of green beans Mums gave me from her garden. Then I roasted them for 40 minutes until they were soft with caramelized tips. Roasted Sesame Ginger Green Beans just became my new favorite veggie dish.
Jenny toiled over the stove to make this beautiful White and Wild Rice Pilaf studded with red bell peppers and baby prawns.
Robin and Cameron arrived frazzled and out of breath yet somehow managed to create this positively scrumptious Broccoli Cucumber Salad with Spiced Prawns in no time at all.
I have the photo of dessert at the end of our meal but, truth be told, we devoured most of these brownies before our meal even started. They’re that good. A few weeks back I won a box of King Arthur Gluten-Free Brownie Mix and finally got around to making them. I followed the directions exactly save for using walnut oil instead of vegetable oil. Oh. My. I confess I was skeptical, but every doubt was obliterated with one bit of these moist, chewy and oh so chocolatey brownies. I’ll choose these babies over regular brownies any day of the week. Well done King Arthur!!
What is your favorite food from your home area?
I’m so excited to have my article on Road-Tripping through Germany featured at The Travel Belles today!! Please click here for gorgeous views of mountains, meadows and a lake of deepest turquoise.
Jenny’s White and Wild Rice Pilaf
(Adapted from All Recipes)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (regular or Certified Organic)
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup baby prawns
Directions:
- Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in broth and wild rice. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 25 minutes.
- Stir in white rice and baby prawns. Cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes or until rice is done. Stir in parsley.
Jason’s Beer Batter Shrimp
(Adapted from www.cookeatshare.com)
Beer Batter
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast (the type that does not have to be proofed in water first and can be directly added to the flour)
3 tablespoons warm water
One 12 oz bottle beer at room temperature
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
Directions:
- Add the instant yeast and sea salt to the flour and stir together. Add the water and beer and whisk together well. The batter should be thin like pancake batter. If the batter appears too thick or two thin you can add a little more flour or water as needed. Don’t worry if there are still a few lumps in the batter, this is not a problem, it is better not to over mix this batter. Set the batter aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 dozen fresh, raw, large shrimp, peeled, washed and deveined
lemon juice
Paprika
Chili Powder
½ cup flour
Directions:
- Toss the shrimp in the lemon juice, Paprika, and Chili Powder then dredge them well in the flour before dipping them into the batter and dropping them into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown turning them over once if necessary.
- Let cool and serve with a fresh lime.
Krista’s Roasted Sesame Ginger Green Beans
Ingredients:
2 handfuls fresh green beans, trimmed and washed (if large, cut in pieces)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4″ piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
ground pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Place beans in bowl, set aside.
- In blender add remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.
- Pour over green beans and toss to coat.
- Spread green beans in baking pan and roast for 20-40 minutes, stirring once, until tender and ends are browned.
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