Soooooooooo... YOU folks thought that you could get rid of me, right?! WONG!!! VAYWEE VAYWEE WONG!!!
Where have I been? Okay... let's begin...
First Milan, then Rome, then Miami... Met up with my family in Miami and the following day embarked on the wonderful Carnival Valor Cruise to go to the Caribbean!! YEAAAH BAYBAY!!
First night was at sea... Next day was in the Cayman Islands, Roatan (Honduras), Belize, then Cozumel (Mexico) and then back to Miami again... BEAUTIFUL!!! I will start the story-telling with full-colored pics JUST FOR YOU!! But I will do that tomorrow... Because my camera battery is dead... It died... It ... DOES that sometimes... weird, huh?
Here's a little sneak peek at one of my adventures on my trip!!
Okay, so, quick QUICK fairytale... Don't have much time as I am packing to go NORTH (translation: Milan), pick up my residency crastuff (crap/stuff), just to head back to the middle (translation: Rome) to get on the plane to head SOUTH (translation: Miami) to get on the boat to head ...to head to.... OH CRUMMY BUTTONS!! My geography SUCKS... It's like- "wake me up when we get there" or "tap me on my shoulder cause I can't hear you since I got my headphones on" or "are we THERE yet?!"-- I am a DESTINATION GIRL- not really a JOURNEY GIRL... (sounds like a superheroine name... hehe...I syke ett ah LAHTT!!) Although that depends where I am going and who I am with and what am I doing to get there and what means of transportation I am taking and if I have to tinkle and the weather and A BAG OF CHIPS... the list goes on... I suppose that you could say I am very "conditional" at times. But only half the time... ....... Now that we have that cleared and I got that off my chest-- I am heading to THE CARIBBEAN!!! WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YEEEEAAAAAAAY!!!
Okay!! Okay!! Fairytale, got it!!
Once upon a time, in a far away island, there lived a young girl of the ripe (punk) age of 18. Her papa, who lived in Europe, came to see her at her graduation to wisk her away to his country to spend some time with him and his wife and three angEVILic daughters (just kidding on the evil part)... They went everywhere together--just the two of them-- eating pizza and bruschetta every day until they BURST... Then, one day, he took this young-punk-110-pound-18-year-old to Switzerland... Locarno, to be exact... The day passed quickly and they laughed and walked and talked and enjoyed the sights and cobble-stoned roads, admiring the cleanliness of the town and the pricey artesan gift shops...
T'was not long before the hunger hit -and HARD!! Why, it was like a bomb!! Unexpected and horrific!! So, her papa took the two of them to a little piazza where there sit a quiet, lovely restaurant in the center... The girl ripped the menu with foreign writing out of the waiter's hands--who then gave her a dirty look-- and began to attempt to read the strange words outloud... Embarrassed by her accent, she pointed to the first thing that she saw and asked her papa "DADDY!! Wha... What's gore--GUN--zow-LA??" Her papa responded that it was a sharp cheese and that she may not like it. The girl replied that she loved cheese--and the sharper, the better."We ... Well then--what's GUH -NO- CHEE?" The man laughed and said "Knee-yolk-EE"... Said that it was a potatoe dumpling and a specialty. The girl repeated like so and said "I'LL TAKE IT"!!
Shortly after ordering, the waiter brought the girl her dish and something STRUCK THE GIRL RIGHT IN THE GUT!!!! Like a LIGHTNING BOLT!! OR A BANG!! PAIN!! SHARP JUTTINGPAIN!!
She tried to get ahold of herself--tried to understand what it was that hit her!!!! WHAT WAS IT, YOU ASK??? Something so simple, yet so complicated!! What? What??WHAT?!! .......................................................................................................................................Love, ladies and gentlemen.... Love.......
It was true, unbridled LOVE..... And guess what happened?? The girl and gnocchi spent time together EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR SIX MONTHS STRAIGHT!! Guess who else joined the girl during that time?
20 POUNDS OF SPARE TIRES, CELLULITE, AND CHUBBINESS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! But you know what?? She would do it ALL over again... Because now, there is a beautiful friendship between the two... NOOOOO!!! NOT THE 20 POUNDS!! Gnocchi... A tried and true old friend.... Well... Not THAT old... But CERTAINLY true!!
The End
RECIPE: GNOCCHI & GORGONZOLA
Start with making the gnocchi first!! If you find the packaged kind near the pasta section when you have potatoes, flour and one egg at home, I will personally disconnect your internet and all access to facebook.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP THIS IS A FREE MESSAGE
Ingredients:
2 pounds of old, waxy potatoes (5 to 6 medium-sized)
300 grams of Flour
1 egg
Directions:
1. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill the pot with water just until the water covers the top of the potatoes. Place on high heat and add the salt. Leave to boil.
2. When the potatoes have been boiling for about 20 minutes, remove from heat and drain.
3. With a dish/tea towel, take each potato and peel it with a knife. Work quickly.
4. With a ‘passatutto’, pass the hot potatoes (or use a potato masher). Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper if you like.
5. Add the egg and stir quickly. The heat from the potatoes will cook the egg. Add two or so handfuls of flour into the mix and stir until it all sticks together in a ball of dough.
6. Remove from bowl and knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a floured surface, adding the remaining flour and working in til the dough no longer sticks to your fingers and is pliable.
7. Cut the dough into four or five sections and roll out each section into a 1.5″ thick roll. Slice off 1″ pieces/rectangular cubes. Repeat with all sections and place the gnocchi pieces on a floured platter/dish so that they don’t stick.
8. In boiling water, add the gnocchi (not all at once). When they rise to the surface, wait half a minute and remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top so that they do not stick to one another.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU JUST MADE GNOCCHI!!
NOW FOR THE SAUCE!!!!
Ingredients:
2 cups Gorgonzola Cheese
2 cups To 3 Cups Heavy Cream
1 dash(es) Pepper (optional)
1. Preheat a sauce pan on medium heat and heat 2 cups of the cream.
2. Add in the gorgonzola and let it melt with the cream. Taste the sauce. If it is too sharp for you, add in more cream until desired taste is acquired.
3. Add in gnocchi to the sauce OR ladle the sauce on top of gnocchi/pasta.
4. Add a dash of pepper if desired, and serve!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM...........
GNOCCHI, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! LOOK AT THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!!
Today, we are going to talk about zucchini. THAAAAAAT'S RIGHT!! ZUCCHINI!!
How many of you like zucchini? RAISE YOUR HAAAAAND!! ((*counts*)) One... Two ... Three --Wow!! Looks like we all like zucchini!!
da lessON por tu deh iss... sssuuKEEneey..... HAH?? ssuukeenee... HAH?? I SEDD DAT!!! DAS WHAD EYE-SEDD!! ZU- CCHI- NI!! .... 8^p
Zucchini is a summer squash that varies in color (green, yellow, light green)
and is also dubbed (in certain countries) "courgette". Isn't that interesting? This squash is treated as a vegetable, however, it is really an immature fruit--since it is the "swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower" (wikipedia).You can find this flower at the end of every emergent zucchini--or as a garnish for dishes.
That very flower, bright and yellow and beautiful, is a very popular appetizer here in Europe, breaded and fried!! Yep!! You heard right!! It is first breaded and fried to golded-crispy yumminess!! Take a look!!
MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!!!! This is DELICIOUS!!
But guess WHAT?? I AIN'T HERE TA TALK TA Y'ALL 'BOUT FRIED ZUCCHIES!!
GOTCHYA!! I had you all fooled, didn't I?! HA!!
Nope, Nope, Nope!! Today, I am here to talk to you all about a recipe... A recipe,
that, here in Italy is a common dish. Almost like veggie lasagne, you could say, or a casserole...
ZUCCHINE AL FORNO!! Baked zucchini. In Italian, there is no word that translates precisely
"to bake", instead, they say "oven-ed". This recipe is easy, delicious, and quick.
You can substitute prosciutto (cured ham) for (cooked) bacon or turkey slices, if you like. Perhpas
even a dollop of sour cream would be nice as well... Mmmm... Gotta try that for next time!!
ENJOY!!
*Note: Peel and slice the zucchini as you go along, as you may not need all of the zucchini--and it is also dependent on how large your casserole dish is as well.
Ingredients:
6-7 Zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
8-10 slices of prosciutto or turkey (if you use bacon, you need to cook it first--and you need more... like double)
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, sliced in thin discs (shredded works, too, but fresh is better)
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan
3/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350°F.
1. Coat baking/casserole dish with olive oil. Situate the zucchini slices in the baking dish, careful not to overlap them. Season with salt and parmesan (and pepper, if desired). Layer the mozzarella slices on top. Blanket the mozzarella with the prosciutto (or meat of your choice).
2. Layer again with zucchini slices entirely (always careful in not overlapping). Mix remaining parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle on top (for the crust). You may not need all of it. Drizzle olive oil on top and place in oven.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden-brown.
Well folks, that's how you cook "Zucchine Al Forno". If you have left-over parmesan and bread crumbs--and you have broth powder sitting in your pantry and an egg in your fridge, you can make "wannabe fried zucchini"... DON'T LAUGH!! That's really what I call it!! You know... Like "wannabe crab"... fine.. FINE!!
It's stronger than me... I can't help it... Wannabe reminds me so much of my past...
My adolescence.... Why? THAT'S PERSONAL INFO!!!
.....but since we are on the subject, I'll share just a bit about me... It reminds me of my past because--
well....
because....
um..... eeeem......
don't laugh... okay?
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...............is anybody there?? hello?? hellooooooooo?? are you still here??... oh!! THANK GOODNESS... I thought you guys left-- whew!! Yes, I was a spice girl... I changed from "Baby" to "Sporty" to "Posh" within two years... Seriously... SPICE PRIDE, BABY!! See--"spice" I was destined to be a home cook extraordinaire!!
With that said... I will continue with my recipe...
Now, I have no precise measurements since I do it by taste--which means that YOU can do it by taste, too--whatever you prefer--add in salt, broth powder--season all--sage--whatever you like!!
But here's what I do....
Ingredients:
2 or 3 zucchini, quartered and halved (each zucchini should give you 8 pieces/sticks)
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons (or less) broth powder
1 egg white
Olive Oil
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375°F
1. Mix the parmesan, bread crumbs and broth powder together. If you want to use less or more broth powder- adjust it to your tastes--so add in the powder tablespoon at a time.
2. Dip the zucchini sticks in the egg white and coat in the bread-parmesan mix. Place on a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on top of zucchini.
3. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden-brown and crispy.
*Note: I won't disconnect your internet or blow up your microwave if you chose to slice zucchini "coins/medallions" instead of "sticks"... Just in case you were worried about that... You can also serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing. I usually eat this as a side to meat dishes. I haven't tried using panko yet, but I am willing to give it a try... If anyone tries it before me--let me know how it turns out!!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen!! BROWNIES!! I love brownies. I don't know of anyone who doesn't ... wait...
Yes... I have... some freak that didn't like chocolate--but DON'T WORRY!! I did 'em in!!
(((ATTENTION: watch "My Fair Lady" before you jump to conclusions as to what "doing someone in" means.)))
BEEEEPTHIS IS A FREE MESSAGE.
What was I saying?? OH!! BROWNIES!! Right... Let's pull out a little piece of memory lane, dust it off, and polish it up by sharing with you all a story. SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!
Once upon a time in a far away island, in the middle of the Pacific, there lived a young girl with three homes. One home belonged to her mother, the second belonged to her father's parents, and the third to her mother's parents. Each home cooked the most delicious meals--but ONE home in particular, baked. The second. In this home, the best brownies in the world were baked... Soft, warm, chocolatey brownies--brilliant with a paper-thin shiny crust on top in a deep, beautiful crown-shaped silver-tin. Actually, it was round. The tin was round. LET'S SAY THAT TOGETHER, CLASS!! THE... TIN... WA--Okay, nevermind.
Back to my story... If you haven't understood yet, I was that little girl... I begged and begged the fair woman who lived in that home to bake me brownies--HER brownies every time I visited. FIRST, MACARONI AND CHEESE, followed by brownies. Oh, my, that macaroni and cheese was REALLY something... But NOTHING if not finished off with by her brownies. HER brownies. They were lovely... Oh sweet brownies...
A few years passed, the little girl gained a year or two more, and those who lived in the second house moved to the middle of nowhere (a.k.a-Gardnerville, NV). Brownies and macaroni and cheese were no longer made!! The little girl remained on her island paradise, but few months passed before she said "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! I NEED MY MAC AND BROWNIES!!" Actually, her mother sent her to NV to visit her grandparents. And, as I lay my suitcase onto the floor- I SMELT IT!! Those warm, crusty, fudgey brownies!! And as I traveled nearer to where that witchcraft-like scent derived--I saw a strange red box with the photo of the very object that bewitched me in that moment... With the name- claiming all royalties to it's goodness- all credit- went to..............
BETTY CROCKER!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!
IT LOOKED LIKE THIS!!
AAAHHHH!!!
I PANICKED!!! I began to swearsweat, and kept replaying the wicked scenes in my mind- the disillunionment!! HOMEMADE BROWNIES MY EYE!! The simple, plain TRUTH was that I had been deceived!! ALL THOSE YEARS!! All this time the merit should have gone to another woman entirely!! WWWWHAAAT?!?
What lies... What deception... OH THE TRAUMA!! Wanna know why?? BECAUSE BETTY CROCKER DOESN'T EXIST IN ITALY!! DANGIT!!
I have been searching everywhere for the perfect brownie recipe that calls for as few ingredients as possible--AVAILABLE ingredients, that is. Oh long, long be my heart with such memories filled!! ((will share the poem later))... The perfect brownie recipe that is semi-fudgey, shiny-crusted, easy and quick RECIPE...
I think that I found it FINALLY...
And it goes like this...
PSSST!! Forget the low-fat crap--otherwise I'll disconnect your internet... BEWARE...
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup flour
3 eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F.
In a pot, melt butter and sugar. Add in cocoa and mix well, by hand. Add in eggs and flour. Fold in well. Pour in a baking pan/dish and place in center of middle rack for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Note*: Sometimes I take it out even if the toothpick doesn't come out completely clean because I like it a little fudgey and it continues cooking anyway, even when you take it out.
And there you have it folks... My Fairytale & Recipe... What?? Huh?? You wanna know about the macaroni and cheese? If it was homemade or not?? DARN YOU!! DARN YOU ALL TO HECK!! (name that movie*)
(((inhaling))).... Let's just say that there was a mytseriously thin, small blue box that went by the name "KRAFT"... But that is another story for another time. (((tearing))) OH!! POOR ME!! THE WICKED(LY WONDERFUL) BLUE BOX NAMED KRAFT!!
What a sick joke they played on my as a child...
Not that I mind... minded...
THANK YOU TO HOUSE 1, 2, AND 3 FOR NOURISHING ME WITH ALL THE GOODNESS (EDIBLE, TOO) THIS WORLD COULD OFFER... EVEN THE BOXED KIND!!
It's my birthday!! Yes, yes, yes it is!! The BIG 2-4. Oh crap... half-mid-mid-life crisis... AT 24!! Oh jeeze. What am I gonna do today?? SEASHELL HUNT!!! I have this thing for seashells from the Ionian. Actually, it's just an excuse to use my camera... No, not just an excuse, I really am convinced that today, because it's my birthday, I will find SOME sort of treasure... We'll see... I don't know what kind... but we'll see... Every time I go to the sea here, I find SOMEthing.
For example... A starfish!!
Ummmmmm....... A BUNCH of eels, too... But that was a different type of hunt...
AM and I fish during the summer for fish and eels. See that cove to the left? A 5-foot eel we got from there a month ago!!
I am happy to announce that I am getting married tomorrow....
NOT!!! JUUUUUUUUUST kidding!!
No, actually, it is my birthday on Monday, but AM gave me my gift today!! We had to see if it worked or not--and that way I can use it on Monday. Wanna know what it is?? (in the voice of Dory)
Huh?? Do ya? DO YAH DO YAH DO YAH?!?!
I LOVE Dory, by the way. HEY!! I can speak whale, too!!
Aaaaaaaaaanyways!! Back to my AWESOME gift...
Wait for it...... Wait for iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit....
NOW!!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen!! THAT is the ULTRA girly-pink, slim, new, touch-screen, FANTASTIC 12.1 MP,1280x720p HD film-quality recording with audio stereo, Smile Shutter, Carl Zeiss-design, 12-Shoot Modes, AND dishwasher--THE SONY DSC-T90!!!!!!
(for those who didn't get it--
I was just kidding about the dishwasher part... unfortunately )
**sulking at sink**
I have already tested it out on AM. We did a few photos and a couple of videos--and I must say that the quality is FREAKISHLY awesome!! The only down-side you ask? Hm... Let's list the pros and cons... I'm gonna list it like my great-gramps taught me...
"If there is ever a time that you need to point out an error or folly in someone, tell them three good qualities that they have FIRST, and then proceed -with delicacy."
PROS:
1. It's pink, compact and digital!!
2. Extremely high photo/film quality (color-wise, pixels, clarity) HD, BABY!!!
3. SO many wonderful options for shooting modes!! FUN FUN FUN!!
CONS:
1. Short battery life...Being touch-screen, the LCD sucks up a bit of the battery. You can expect around 200 shots before the battery gives way.
2. 11 MB of internal memory... WHAT?!?! THAT'S LIKE TWO PHOTOS!!
3. The lens is too close to where I put my fingers... top left-hand corner... BLAH!!
Well, folks, there you have it--My review on the beautiful SONY DSC T90!!
On a daily basis, people ask me "What exactly do you do?"
... Sheesh... I think to myself I just met you... Don't you think that's a little PERSONAL...Get away from me... You... You... weirdo who can't mind his own business you... HAHA... Just joke!!
No, really, I don't know how to respond. I do a lot of things.
AM and I work together.
He's a musician and I'm his song writer/coordinator/assistant/translator/partner/girlfriend/coffee maker/cook etc etc... I do a LOT of things. We work together. We're a team. A little bit of Virgo vs. Aries battles every now and then day... But we work well together. And I love AM (amore mio). We come from two entirely different cultures (and countries). He's a wine-drinking, guitar-playing, pizza-n-pasta-eating, mafia-esque ITALIAN. And I... I am a palm-tree-climbing, wave-surfing, event-organizing, anything-asian-eating, well-rounded AMERICAN. WE CLASH!!! And "mesh" well.
Anyway... Here is a song that AM composed, lyrics that I wrote, and a music video that we organized together (with the help and presence of about 50 other people!!). Let me know what you guys think!! And share it, too!!
Well, ladies and gentlemen... THIS is what we do. Make music, have fun, travel, meet new people, and get chased by cross-dressers!!
I have been sitting in front of my computer like a log--wondering what to share first... I thought for a moment "Oh my gosh, I have NOTHING to write about"... Then I looked through some pictures and realized that I don't know where to start!!
Perhaps that was also one of my motives to start blogging in the first place... To appreciate what cool things I've done (am doing). Everyone has a different life, different situation, different income, different recipes, different marital status... DIFFERENT!! I find everyone else's life FASCINATING--because it's not mine. It's not what I am used to. So, just maybe, there is someone else out there who finds my life fascinating, too. And just maybe, someone will be able to see things they otherwise would not have seen had they never read my blog. SO, here is to those that just might find my life interesting or might learn something new!! (((cheers)))
Let us begin with lemurs. LEMURS!! I love lemurs. I hate monkeys, though. They are in the same family, if I am not mistaken... But they are SO much FUN!! They remind me of King Julian from Madagascar. "I like to move it move it... I like to move it move it..." AH!! I loved that film. Anyway, ML (my love) and I went to Zoo Safari in Fasano, Italy (http://www.zoosafari.it), to visit them. This zoo is WONDERFUL... They have a separate area where you enter with your car and you are immersed entirely in THEIR world--with tigers, lions, bears, giraffes (who got their head stuck in the window of our car while they stuck out their ENORMOUS black tongues to steal our bread), zebras, deer, etc. Back to King Julian--They sneaked their little bodies through the cage bars and came to us to steal our nuts. ((that sounded wrong))... Peanuts. They don't bite, scratch or anything!! But they LOVE attention!! And peanuts. And bread. And whatever else you'll give up to have them in your lap, with one hand eating what you gave them and the other hand holding yours so that you don't go anywhere. TINY LITTLE HANDS!! Too much fun... Take a look!!
ML and I did a search to see about adopting one, but it is a bit more complicated than a doggy or kitty cat. Hehe... bummers...
Don't you just WANT one, too?!?! I DO!!
Here they are--so much like us, aren't they? Well... not much like me... but like... well.. "us"...
Today, September 6th, 2009, is my first day of blogging... I have never blogged before... UNTIL NOW!! GOTCHYA!! I am here to share with you all my adventures, thoughts, recipes and whatever else I find interesting throughout my travels. PACK YOUR SUITCASE AND HANG ON TIGHT!! hehe...
