Sweetest tea party

I've always loved a cup of tea in the afternoon. Today I prepared some scones from scratch for the first time. I had recently bought a jar of clotted cream, as I was so curious to see what it tastes like, and I know it needs to be spread on scones together with delicious jam. 

The scones came out delicious (I followed this RECIPE).

             

The clotted cream can be described as a fluffy, sweet butter. It was fresh, dense and it created a perfect marriage with the jam. I am not deceived but very happy with my purchase. It's a product of England, not easily found in the States unless it's imported.

You can order some HERE .

              xoxo,

~But first Coffee...

Buongiorno!!

I was reflecting on traditions and the importance to pass it on to your children. Last Sunday was the feast of St. Joseph (father of Jesus), in Italy is a big deal because that's when Father's Day is celebrated. I have to explain it to my children every year, as in the United States Father's Day is celebrated sometimes in June, I think, and for sure not on the feast of a saint, as it's not a catholic country. 

One tradition that for sure I will never change is the way I make coffee! There's million of coffee drinkers around the world and I think Italians are the most picky. I know because I'm one of them.

This is the way I make coffee:

 As you can see I used a specific machine (mine is electric), it's called MOKA. Yes, that's what you're going to get if you order a "mocha" in an Italian cafe. :)

The result is a thick, extremely dark, luscious coffee. You can mix it with milk (= Caffelatte) or with a foamy milk (=Cappuccino) or just drink it as it is. 

I don't use any type of coffee for my Moka machine, it has to be Italian, because of the way it's grounded and the flavor. My favorite brand is Lavazza {pron. LAH-VAH-TSA}.

If you are interested in authentic Italian coffee and you would like to use my Moka machine you can order yours here:

Once you'll start to make this type of coffee you won't like it any other way!! Trust me.

Now excuse me if I go drink some...

xoxo,

Tomato Harvest

It seems like Fall is never gonna come. It's still very hot outside.. but I have to say that I'm enjoying these last days of Summer. I can still dry the clothes outside, before the rainy days come... and I like watering the plants everyday, especially my tomatoes!! It's the first time I have my own tomato-plants! Yesterday I picked and ate the first one... so good! 

Speaking about pomodori reminds me of something fun I did last summer.. I gave a few Italian Lessons to a sweet Denver girl who wants to learn my beautiful language! I don't know how much she learned in the end, I wish I had more time to do more lessons, but time really went so fast. During my lessons I taught her also some simple recipes {we cooked pasta with tomato sauce... and Pizza with Zucchini Flowers.. everything from scratch of course... }. It was fun!!! The best way to learn a language is to be somehow part of the culture and that's what I tried to do. ♥

my student showing off our Pizza! Buonissima!!!

...the blessings of my garden...

Italian Traditions: Croccante Recipe

Today is August 26th!!! And for somebody like me who grew up in Lecce {in Apulia, South of Italy} this day only means "Town-Fair"! It's the day in which the Catholic Church celebrates St. Oronzo, which is the Patron, protector, of my town {each city in Italy has a different Saint who protects the town}. The Fair starts on the 24th and ends the 26th at night with beautiful fireworks. The city is decorated with lights of all kinds and shapes. When you walk at night through the old streets of the city.. it's just a fantastic experience! There is music playing from some of the hundreds of "bancarelle", the stands selling different items... food, books, jewels, clothes... anything! 

These gorgeous pictures were taken the other night by one of my friends from Lecce.. you can see the Roman Amphitheater and all the lights in the back {and St. Oronzo's statue on top of the column!}. 

And down here..some of the lights.

One of things I miss the most every year is the so called "cupeta" {in my dialect} or "croccante" {in Italian}. It's a delicious treat made entirely of sugar and almonds.

So, this morning I woke up thinking of it... and I decided to make it!! I want my children to taste its deliciousness and to learn about some of my traditions...

I have to say that I never made it before.. but it came out really good and crunchy.. as it should be {the word Croccante means CRUNCHY!}. Here it is!!

If you want to make it you just need:

• 2 cups of sugar 
• 1 splash of water 
• 4 oz. of peeled almonds (I used the slivered ones)

1. Toast the almonds. You can use the oven or you can sautee' them on a non-stick skillet, until golden.
2. Put the almonds on a piece of paper-wax inside a medium metal container (or a pyrex).
3. Melt the sugar with the water in a "thick-base" sauce-pan at a medium-low heat. It will take a few minutes. Just be patient. The sugar will crystallize and then melt in a brownish gluey sauce. 
4. Pour the caramel sauce on top of the almonds RIGHT AWAY covering them completely.
5. Let it cool down.
6. Finally, peel the paper off the croccante and cut in pieces. Enjoy!! and don't break your teeth!!!!! :))

Here's the recipe in pictures:

       

                         

Et Voila'!!

♥

P.S.

This post is linked to the beautiful blog Create.Craft.Love. 

Please go check out some other great blogs participating in this Party!

:)

Merenda time!!

Merenda is the Italian word for "afternoon snack". Today, under my husband's request, I made Churros for the first time! I found the recipe on the online magazine Bon Appetit, one of my favorite magazines. They are basically fried eggy dough covered with sugar. They didn't come out too bad, the frying oil was probably a little too hot so they came out crunchy on the outside but not completely cooked inside. They were edible though... they are almost all gone! :) I also served, to my husband and children, a delicious hot chocolate. It was great!!
I was curious to know more about this crunchy Spanish snack..I knew it came from Spain and it's very popular all over South America and Mexico, but I found out it was a recipe made by Spanish shepherds, to substitute fresh bakery goods. Churro paste was easy to make and fry in an open fire in the mountains, where shepherds spend most of their time. I think it's interesting...
Here's a picture taken earlier to show you how they came out! Bon Appétit!!