Ahhh, the Food (and the Wine), Pt. 3

The next stop on my Italian adventure was Florence. I love Florence! It's such an amazing place - all that history, all that art.
After going through my Florence pictures, I realized I had very little pictures of food. We ate very well on this trip and I thought I had documented every tasty meal, but apparently I did not.

I guess with all there is to do in Florence I was either too busy or too exhausted to take pictures of food.

And why would I have time after visiting Santo Spirito, the church where the young Michelangelo self-taught himself anatomy using the corpses from the hospital

Or walking the Oltrarno quarter where artisans (here a shoemaker) carry on their families' centuries-old traditions.

Maybe I was too busy wondering through small churches with frescoes that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, which were created over other frescoes that are even older.

We walked past the Duomo a hundred times I think...

At all hours of the day.

Same with Piazza della Signoria.

We did make time for some gelato though. I think the gelato in Florence is the best that I have had, and we had it a lot!

The gelato counters are beautiful,

And a scoop or two is so refreshing.

The sightseeing continued for three days. We did eat, there are just no photos to prove it.

However on our last night, after another trip over the Ponte Vechhio

For beautiful sunset views

We stopped at this restaurant on the bridge and I did manage to get a picture of the sign.

Next stop: Liguria, aka The Italian Riviera

Ahh, the Food (and Wine) pt. 2

The second stop on our Italian road trip was the Chianti area of Tuscany. We left Rome and traveled about 3 hours through Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany before arriving in Vagliagli, a small town just north of Siena.

Our Vagliagli accommodations...Villa Dievole, a working Chianti winery.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with some wine and fruit. And, no, we weren't charged a fee for opening up the bottle and eating the fruit. What a way to start our time in Chianti.

The next day we took a wine tasting tour through the winery. This was our first wine, a very nice chilled rose. It was quite light and refreshing. We tasted 5 additional wines and they got progressively better, or maybe we got progressively buzzed. If it weren't for having to get them back on the airplane, I would have brought a whole lot home with me.

Lunch on the terrazzo after our tour - we needed to eat something after all that wine so we were able to drive in the car for more sightseeing. One of my favorites...Caprese Salad...

and lunch continued with a baked gnocchi. I was gnocchi crazy on this trip. It was soooo good.

After lunch, we visited a few of the small hill towns including Castellina in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. They were both cute little towns. Of course, we had to stop and have a little wine and with a little wine, we had a little snack. I love that part!

That evening we had dinner back at the winery. The restaurant there was outstanding, but dark, so most of my pictures didn't come out. This is the only decent one. After an antipasti plate with fresh meats and cheeses, I ordered this pasta - sausage and pecorino cheese. The meal was made even better with a bottle of one of the wines from our tour.

The next day we attended a cooking school in Siena. Oh, what fun that was! You will eventually see these recipes in Tasty Tuesday because I plan on making them all now that I am home.

First off, we made pappa al pomodoro - a Tuscan tomato and bread soup. It is a very old recipe which was created by the poor to make use of stale bread and an abundance of tomatoes. Here is how it starts out....

and this is how it ends. It was amazing. Hearty and so flavorful.

To tide us over (because certainly we were starving) while our masterpieces cooked we had some bruschetta.

Here are our Tuscan cantucci (like biscotti). Made from scratch and we sampled them with a little Vin Santo.

After making and hand rolling our own pasta, called pici, we placed it on these neat trays while we waited for the water to boil.

Our cooked pici with pesto sauce. It was so good and so easy to make.

This steak was delicious. It is a Tuscan beef filet with a shallot, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil sauce. It looks rare, but it was actually seered on each side and then wrapped in foil for about 30 minutes. The meat cooked through, but kept its pink coloring. It cut like butter and tasted amazing.

After our amazing meal, we spent the rest of the day in Siena, one of my favorite cities in Italy. We certainly weren't hungry, but needed a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing. These yummy snacks accompanied our wine.

The Chianti region is an area of Italy that I had not been to before (with the exception of Siena), so this part of the trip was one of my favorites. The food, the wine, and the towns were incredible. Plus, who wouldn't love staying at a winery.

Next stop, Florence!

Ahhh, the Food (and Wine)

We had a great time in Italy, but one of the best parts was the food. To pin point one area or one food is impossible, so I want to share the highlights of each city we visited.

First stop...Rome!

Upon arriving in Rome after dark (about 5 hours late) we wandered around the Piazza del Popolo near our hotel, trying to get our bearings and looking for some food. We found a little hole in the wall across the street from the piazza. It was one of the best meals of the trip and the cheapest.

Most of the pizza in Italy is very good; thin, crispy crust. This is arugula and Gorgonzola.

Gnocchi is a funny dish. I have had some really good and light gnocchi and some really bad, doughy gnocchi. This was THE BEST gnocchi I have ever had. I had it several times in Italy and it was all good, but this was the best.

So, did you know that you could eat very well in Italy just by ordering a glass of wine? After a long day of sightseeing ancient Rome, we found an outdoor cafe and ordered some wine and a hot chocolate. In addition to the beverages, we were served chips, crostinis, sandwiches, and olives. We were not expecting it at all.

I'm not the biggest hot drink fan, but there was a chill in the air that evening and a hot chocolate sounded good...hot chocolate in Europe is always delish - very chocolaty and real whipped cream.
Later that evening, we really weren't terribly hungry due to the free appetizers, so we decided to stop at another outdoor cafe and have some more wine. With a glass of red and and a glass of prosecco we were served these little crostinis. "Wow!" we thought, "we could get used to this."

After ordering a second glass of wine and prosecco, our appetizers were upgraded. Please notice the caviar. Yah, that's right, free caviar. I don't eat fish or anything that comes out of fish, but I was still impressed. The crostinis were good, which is why one is missing.

We had gelato almost every day while in Italy. Oh, that is some good ice cream! We spent the morning of the next day in Vatican City touring the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Then we headed to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. While at the piazza it started to rain a little, so we found some cover and ordered some gelato (cioccolatoe e limone).

We planned on heading back to the restaurant from the first night on our last night, but it was closed. So we wandered around and found another funny little place. Here I ordered pasta alla vodka. It was also yummy!

Next stop, the Chianti region in Tuscany.

Happy Birthday To Me!

No, no, it's not my birthday (thank goodness!). One year ago today the Pumpkin Delight Blog was born. I can't believe I remembered since I missed the 100th post milestone, but that's neither here nor there. In order to follow in the footsteps of some great bloggers, I was planning on reposting one of my most commented on posts, but since today is Tasty Tuesday, I didn't
want to break tradition, so, I am reposting my most favorite dessert recipe - Red Velvet Cupcakes. Maybe you'd like to make them this week to celebrate my blogibirthday! Slàinte!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
4. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.
7. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated.
3. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Tasty Tuesday

This week's recipe is so yummy but so sinful! It is not a low-cal recipe, so the health concious beware. I'd like to play with it a bit to see if I can lessen the fat content, but I haven't wanted to ruin it. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I served this at a Christmas dinner last year along with some other Christmasy dishes and it was a hit. If you are looking for something rich and super-duper easy, try this. (I don't have any photos of this one. The next time I make it I will take them.)

Chicken Breasts in Tarragon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 pounds)
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup dry white wine (I use pinot grigio)
1 cup heavy cream
2-3 tsp fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
the juice of 1 lemon
12 oz cooked egg noodles

Directions
1. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 seconds. Carefully place chicken breasts into the pan and cook them for about 1 minute on each side just until they begin to brown slightly. Transfer the still-raw chicken to a plate.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the wine to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the cream and half the tarragon. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and adjust the heat so that the cream gently simmers. Cover and cook until the chicken is firm and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving dish. The sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. If it is too thin, continue to simmer it for about 1 minute and it will thicken. Stir in the remaining tarragon and the lemon juice, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
4. Add chicken to egg noodles and cover with sauce. Mmmm!

Note: Start the water for the noodles so it is ready when you begin the chicken. Add the noodles when you start the chicken. They will be done at about the same time.

Tasty Tuesday

This week's recipe is a favorite among my guests! It came from a parent who made it for a luncheon at school. I've only made it in a Dutch oven, but it can be kept warm and served in a slow cooker. Slàinte!

Chicken Noodle Soup (No picture this week. I tried to steal one from google but none of them did the homemade noodles justice. Next time I make it, I will take a picture)

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

2-3 bouillon cubes or 1 1/2 tbsp chicken base

6 eggs

2 tbsp Crisco shortening

flour (a lot)

salt and pepper

1. Remove/Discard packet of "goodies" from whole chicken. Place chicken in large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and then simmer uncovered 5-6 hours. Add water as needed to keep chicken covered.

2. Remove chicken from pot and place in bowl. Pour broth through strainer into another pot. Add boullion cubes or base. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to a slow boil.

3. For noodles, mix eggs,Crisco, and s&p together. Then add flour to mixture until the dough is very thick and can't be stirred any more. I use the dough hook on my stand mixer.

4. Cover large cutting board and rolling pin with flour. Roll out pieces of the dough to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into sqaures (or any shape). Put dough in pot of broth. Noodles will cook instantly.

5. When chicken has cooled, debone and add chicken pieces to broth and noodles. I use mostly white meat, but dark meat can be used for more flavor.

6. Cook at a slow boil for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Tasty Tuesday

It's Tuesday, and that means it's Tasty Tuesday time. I'm not a big dessert eater - give me crunchy and salty anytime, but this is one of my favorite desserts. Both the cupcake and the frosting are delicious, but the frosting is also to die for. I posted about this awhile back (Easter Cupcakes), but never included the recipe. Here it goes...
Slàinte!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
4. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.
7. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
(I halved the frosting and still had plenty left over to eat with a spoon)
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
3. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.
   
   

You've probably guessed by now that these aren't some low calorie desert. These are the real thing - buttery, sugary, fatty. Mmmmmm!

Easter Cupcakes

Today is Easter and we are going to see friends. Yesterday I decided to make cupcakes to take with us. Now, in about 24 hours I am leaving for Amsterdam and then off to South Africa and Zambia for an almost 3 week trip and I have yet to even begin packing. We are leaving in a couple of hours for Easter and I am going to try to get some packing done, but it may have to wait until I return home. I am a terrible packer. I would really prefer to bring my entire closet and bathroom with me when I go on a trip - god knows I've tried. It's not like I need to be all fancy and dressed up, why start that on vacation, but I get worried that I won't have what I need when I arrive. Packing is so overwhelming to me that I put it off and put it off (and even make cupcakes) until the very last minute when I then just throw everything in a bag and hope that it resembles something to wear when I arrive. Another issue I am facing on the trip is that as we speak it is snowing in Amsterdam and about 80 degrees in Africa. Hello! How I am supposed to pack for this situation.
Anyways, back to the cupcakes. My friend Mike has had a red velvet cake from a bakery near his house at most of his birthday bashes and he even brought two to Tami's and my 80s birthday party. It is to die for and I don't even like cake. I have seen some recipes for this cake here and there, but figured that I couldn't do it justice like that bakery. Well, yesterday I got a bug up my butt and decided to make it for Easter (seriously trying to avoid packing), however I don't have cake pans so I made the recipe into cupcakes instead.


The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of red food coloring. After 1 tablespoon it was so red that I didn't add anymore. Here they are, ready to be put in the oven. The batter was RED.


Here they are baking in the oven.



Here they are baked and frosted. Aren't they pretty. I must admit, they are delicious! The cream cheese frosting is so yummy. Mike, I think I can bring them to your birthday next month and you will be very, very happy.
See more pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkindelight/.
Now I am off to pack, maybe!