Foodtopia Moments

 This is a dish that I made on Friday. It's arguably one of my favorite pasta sauces to make and is known to most locals here since it's a local favorite. It's called Tonno e Caperi (Tuna and Capers), and is very easy and inexpensive to make. Most Italians would probably be upset that I didn't use spaghetti, which is the traditional pasta style for this sauce. Yes, sauces and pastas have partners here. However, I'm not a fan of spaghetti and I think this sauce works great on any pasta. I also sprinkle on some grated cheese. Cue the gasps.

To make Tonno e Caperi, you put a little olive oil in a pot, and add a can of tuna (drained if using tuna in water, all of it if using tuna in oil). Start heating the tuna over medium heat, breaking apart any big clumps. Then add a drained jar of capers and get those heated up and mixed in the tuna. After a couple of minutes of stirring, add in one jar of pomodori passata (crushed tomatoes). One can of crushed tomatoes would work too. Add a little water to the jar or can and add it to the sauce. (I add a pinch of salt, but it's not always necessary with the capers, so wait on the salt til later when the pasta is almost finished.) Stir it all together, and keep it over medium heat. Start your pasta water and cook the sauce for the duration of your pasta prep. It's a simply delicious meal. 

Sun and Sea

 This weekend has been filled with bright sunshine, warm weather, and plenty of relaxation. It's the weekend, so the beach was extra crowded. It's definitely more peaceful during the weekdays, but way more energy on the weekends. U stayed there today until 8 pm when they were closing umbrellas and people had left. Yesterday, I was at Lido Ritz when I heard someone speaking English and knew she was American right away. She's from California and her husband is originally from Foggia, a much bigger city about 45 minutes from here. They live together ion Las Vegas now. First Americans I've met at the beach club. 

Today was very nice. There was a steady breeze which made the heat bearable. In addition, my cousin Vincenzo and his wife Mariella visited for pranzo (lunch). I cooked a Sunday gravy with meatballs and brasciole. Mariella made some delicious peppers, eggplant, and zucchini (all three separate), and we ended it with fruit and some finger pastries. It was great spending the day with them. 

Foodtopia Moments

 Yesterday, I visited Termoli again, for banking purposes...again. It's only 3 euros roundtrip, and I really enjoy it there, so it's not a hardship. While I was there, I stopped at my favorite bakery in town for a piece of focaccia. It was still warm and featured pomodorini (little tomatoes) and olive neri e verde (black and green olives). The crust of the focaccia is great on it's own, but the addition of the toppings gave each bite a little something extra.

After putting on 14,000 steps in Termoli, I stopped at Ristorante Netti here in Campomarino Lido on the way home to pick up lunch. I had called from Termoli to reserve some food so I didn't have to worry with cooking. I picked up a portion of their lasagna, and some alli di pollo (chicken wings). The wings had a little BBQ seasoning, and were cooked in an oven, they were very tender and delicious. Not spicy, but very good. The lasagna is delicate, with a good mix of meat and cheese. No big layers of ricotta, like no ricotta at all. 

Beach time

 This week has been hot here, and more humid than usual. Just tonight it was 88 degrees with a real feel of 95, at quarter to 8 pm. I've brought a little fan I bought on Amazon, and it has been great hooking it to my lounger at the beach and always having air movement. I've also started to make some headway on my next script. 

Yesterday, I went back to Termoli, the town just north of here. I had one more bill that I had to pay, but I had to print it out in order to pay it. I went back to my banker and had him print it, and paid it on the spot. While I was there ( first return trip home is 4 hours after I get there), I went for a walk to the coast to enjoy a focaccia breakfast with a view, then walked across town to the Centro Commerciale (mall) for some unnecessary shopping. I stopped for a little while in the train station and called Zia. I'm still getting used to her not being in Campomarino with me. It's definitely an adjustment not having someone I can turn to here everyday. But she is doing well all things considered.

Today was the first day that I went to the beach in the morning, or before lunch. I decided to take a shorter walk this morning, and head to the beach around 10 am. I know I got more color than when I lay out starting around 3 pm. But I also went back this afternoon for a few more hours in the sun. My cousin Roberto and his friend Massimo, who I've known for 30 years now, stopped by for a quick visit tonight. It's always great to see them. Every time we get together I feel like we pick right up where we left off. Me and Roberto are probably the closest in age of my first cousins. We went for a passiagiatta (walk) and just hung out for a little while. 

I've started to put together my list of chores to complete to close this place back up. Tuesday is going to be a busy one. 

Foodtopia Moments

I forgot I had a photo of this. On Sunday, I went to the Conchiglia Azzuro for lunch with family. They had a tourist menu featuring a tremendous plate of raw and lightly cooked seafood. I followed this with some spaghetti and vongole (clams), but the appetizer plate was the star of the show. The polpo (octopus), calamari, seppia (cuttlefish), salmon, clams and other smoked fish were delicious. I especially loved the octopus.

Foodtopia Moments

 Usually I like to talk about great food that I come across. I could write an entire book about the delicious food I've had since I've been here, but this time I wanted to mention a soda that I had. In the states, we can regularly find San Pellegrino sodas at the local supermarket. But one brand that is harder to find is called Lemon Soda, and they have a phenomenal mojito (non-alcoholic) version of their lemon soda, made with only Sicilian lemons. It's refreshing as anything, and the perfect compliment to a snack or a meal. Wish we had these regularly available in New Jersey. 

Fun, relaxing weekend

 It's dawned on me a few times since I've been here that when my father decided to purchase our condo, he could stand on the patio and look in one direction and see his brother's balcony and look in the other direction and see his sister's balcony. The brothers have passed away and the sister is living in a rest home. One of the families has since sold their place and moved on from Campomarino Lido vacations, and the other family is in the early stages of building their life several hours north of here. But I still enjoying traveling to this little coastal outpost surrounded by rural farmland Italy. 

On Saturday, I went into Termoli in the morning. It might sound crazy, but I keep thinking of things I need and head there to get them. I criss-crossed the old city, heading to the castle of Federico II, seeing what time the stores I needed to visit opened. I was looking for a birthday gift, a cover for the AC unit outside, flour, and a new tile piece to replace the one that fell off of my garage a couple of months ago. Very random things, and they were in different parts of the city. So I started walking early, and did it often that day. By lunch time, I'd logged close to 18,000 steps.

After spending a few hours resting on the beach, I went to the birthday party for my cousin Mario's daughter. She's 4 now and had a great party here in town. I got to see Mario and his wife Cassandra, plus both kids and his mother, Dorette. It was a really nice evening and a great celebration of Arianna. By the end of the day I was sitting at more than 27,000 steps. 

On Sunday, my cousin Vincenzo, his wife Mariella and their daughter Mila came for a visit. We went out into Campomarino for lunch, which I haven't done in years. There aren't a lot of restaurants to choose from during the afternoon hours, but what we have are good. We settled on a beach club called the Conchiglia Azzuro (Blue Clamshell in translation). I ate there a couple of times in 2015, and it was still very clean and the food was delicious. I really enjoyed getting to see them again and spend some time with them. 

Project wise in the house, the electrician work is done for this year, barring anything unforeseen. The plumbing issue is sort of working itself out, but the plumber is coming tonight to see the job. About to head to the beach for the afternoon.