Foodtopia Moments

 

The other night, I roasted some veggies with salsiccia (sausage). I included pepperoni rossi (red peppers), zucchini, melanzane (eggplant), patate (potatoes), pomodorini (little tomatoes), and cipolle bianca (white onions). Roasted with the sausage, a mix of regular and piccante (spicy - though not by American standards), the veggies picked up a lot of flavor, especially the potatoes. So I've been eating them as parts of different meals, including todays omelette that was filled with the sausage and veggies. It was a delicious pranzo (lunch), and very simple to make once you have the veggies prepped. 

Beach Days...Then the Heavens Opened

 

The past few days have been very relaxing, possibly the most relaxing days of 2022 for me. I've been spending most of the day at the beach, developing scene ideas for a script I want to write, catching up on laundry, and just relaxing. I've been averaging about 15,000 steps a day as well, and just passed the 27 straight months of getting 10,000 steps per day or more...everyday. 

The beach has been peaceful this year, but as August approaches I'm noticing more and more people coming to town. My umbrella neighbors are ending their stay on Sunday, so it'll be interesting who comes there for my last couple of weeks here. Everyone around me is very nice and friendly this year. 

Rain has been in the forecast the past three days. On Monday, some clouds approached, then went away. On Tuesday, it drizzled for about 10 minutes in the early evening. Today, however, the storm roared in. Rolling thunder, lightning, and lots of wind and rain. Some nearby towns are completely flooded out. I was about to head back to the beach after lunch when I noticed the wind pick up. Then I saw the clouds on all sides of our sunny little beach town, and thought, I should wait a few more minutes. Within a half hour it was storming.

Sitting outside under the stars now, its so much more comfortable than the past few nights when the humidity was extra heavy. My neighbors are all in sweaters and telling me to put on long sleeves. I've been so hot for days, generally sweaty, that I'm just gonna stick with the t-shirt. 

Foodtopia Moments

 For pranzo (lunch) today, I made a quick bowl of pasta. I used fresh pomodorini (little tomatoes), zucchini, cipolle bianca (white onion), and olio di oliva, cooked it up for about 15 minutes with a little sale marino (sea salt), then added some tonno e pisselli (tuna and peas). The tuna and peas are canned together in a tomato sauce and they blended perfectly with the other veggies and sauce from the fresh tomatoes. While the veggies blended together, I heated the water and cooked up some ditalini pasta. Then I mixed it all together and plated. Just before I ate this pasta, which was full of flavor, I added some freshly grated grana padano cheese. It was a simple dish made with things many people here have in the house. 

Back from the North

 

My cousins Maryanne and Diane flew home this morning from Milan and I hopped on a couple of trains and made my way back to Campomarino. My trains were almost as long as their flight. I beat them home by only a couple of hours. 

We left on Thursday night to head back up north. The first stop was in the Tuscan town of Firenze (Florence). We made it there in time to have a quick Aperol Spritz and a meal in the Piazza della Repubblica, then do a quick walk around the city. The next morning, Friday, we set out for the sites. We found a tour outside of the Academia, where we saw many works by Michelangelo, including a Pieta, il Prigione, and the David. As many times as I've seen it (don't worry, I'm humble enough to know that I am privileged to have seen it many times), it's still awe inspiring to see the detail that Michelangelo was able to put into that piece of bad marble. 

My old Italian cell phone from 2018 was starting to give me fits, so I broke down and bought a new cell phone that I'm loving. It's a Redmi 5G by Xiaomi. I've never seen the brand in the states, but it works well and was economical. They even put a new screen protector on it, one like I've never seen before. They sprayed a gel, then put the plastic cover on the phone, pressed out the bubbles, then hit it with a blow dryer and heat. The salesman said it was a new process that lasts longer than what I am used to. 

We made our way through the city's sites, had a nice pizza lunch in the Piazza della Signoria while looking at the Palazza Vecchio and major works of art, then hit up the leather market. We bought a couple of things, then made a wish at the

Fontana del Porcellino (fountain of the boar). After making the wish, and downing some water (temps were triple digits most of the day) we visited the famed Ponte Vecchio. Even when I buy nothing, I enjoy window shopping all of the different vendors. I feel like a giant there sometimes as the entrances are very small. I tried on pinky ring, but they're not my style. Did not like the look of a ring on me.  

We pushed off Sabato (Saturday) for Milano. Getting in around 1 in the afternoon, we said goodbye to the rental car. The Fiat 500 X did us well. After assessing the suitcase situation, we took the train to the center of Milan to window shop, see the Duomo, and grab a drink before dinner back at the hotel. We visited the Campari bar. It was very elegant, and I immediately felt underdressed even though we were just having dinner and the most interesting snacks I've ever been served with drinks in Italy (they serve little snacks because it's taboo in Italy to drink without food). Besides pate, there was a tomato and basil candy like treat that was interesting and surprisingly refreshing. It was a little on the sweeter side, but not sweet like candy. But the most interesting snack was the one that had us all guessing. In the center of the dish was what we all thought was an olive, but there was no pit nor was it pitted. I thought it might be a large caper, because it was pickled. We finally asked the waiter, who told us it was a pickled baby peach. As soon as he said it, I bit one and could taste a slight peach flavor. 

Today was sad as I bid my cousins bon voyage. After they left, I had a little time to kill. I bought new headphones at the newsstand so I could watch stuff on my journey, then had a seat in the hotel lobby. Then I hopped aboard a train bound for the Milano Centrale train station. I walked around for a half hour, grabbed a couple of pieces of foccacia with procuitto cotto (ham) and some bottles of water, bought some reusable water bottles for the beach, and hopped on board the train bound for Termoli. After about five hours and 45 minutes, I arrived in Termoli. I wanted to visit the ATM while I was there, then went looking for something to eat tonight, settling on two slices of pizza. After taking the cab home, I ran to the farmer nearby to pick up some tomato and cucumber to make a salad to have with the pizza. It was a delicious meal to end the weekend. Zia came down and we hung out for a couple of hours, and now it's bedtime. Tomorrow I hit the beach. 

Foodtopia Moments

On a recent trip to the northern part of Italy, my cousins Maryanne and Diane, and I made out way through Toscana (Tuscany). Known for its beautiful cities, ancient and Renaissance past, and countless treasures in museums, the region is also known for meat. We went to the restaurant Osteria Filetto d'Oro, which was tucked away in a little side street behind the Duomo in Firenze (Florence). The restaurant was hot, like sitting in sauna hot, however the food was delicious. My cousin chose the wild boar, which I tasted and it was delicious. Loaded with flavors like wine, cinnamon, and nutmeg, it was as tender as one could imagine. I chose the tagliatelle con ragu di coniglio (pasta with rabbit gravy). It wasn't a tomato based sauce, but more of a brothy sauce with carrots, celery and onions. The lip of the bowl was sprinkled with black pepper which added to the pasta while twirling. 

For my secondi (main dish), I went with the tagliatta di manzo con rucola e parmagiana (sliced grilled steak over arugula with parmagiana reggiano cheese). The steak, like standard in Firenze, was served rare, almost to the point you could hear the mooing. It was tender and flavorful, and with the lemon I squeezed on top was the perfect way to have beef.  When in Tuscany, get after the meats. 

Foodtopia Moments

 Tonight I dined at a restaurant in Termoli called Mari e Monti. Which loosely refers to the sea and the mountains. Essentially it was a restaurant that served traditional fish and non fish dishes. It was delicious from start to finish. The best thing that I ate, though, was the Insalata di mare (seafood salad). It wasn't loaded with mayonnaise, none to be exact. It was loaded with polpi (octopus) and calamari, carrote (carrots) and cedono (celery). The polpi was very tender and the flavor was outstanding. 

Sunshine at Lido Ritz

 

It's been a few days since I've posted anything, and they've been busy days. Along with my cousins Maryanne and Diane, we've had trips to Torremaggiore (my father's hometown), Termoli twice, and returned to Lido Ritz to start my 2022 beach time. I've even been to the Commune office in town to organize the usual summer business with Zia Carmelita.

Lido Ritz is still a great place to spend the summer. The staff is friendly, the beach is clean, and the umbrellone (big umbrella), lettino (chaise), and sedia (chair) are always there and in good condition. We have beach neighbors nearby who live in my building, and the people next to us will be there until the end of the month. 

We wanted to visit with my Zio Matteo and my cousin Vincenzo and his wife on Monday. So after spending the morning on the beach, we cleaned up and got dressed to head to Torremaggiore. After visiting the town cimitero (cemetery), we walked through town to visit the street where our parents were born, Via 20 Setembre. We don't know the house number, but we found the street where they played. We walked around town, grabbed some pastries, and had a cocktail, then went to visit with my Zio Matteo (Uncle Matteo). He's 94, and still with it mentally, but sadly is confined to the bed. 

After a visit with Zio, we heaed over to see my cousin Vincenzo and his wife Mariella. We felt bad because they were waiting for us to have dinner, and we spent longer than expected with my uncle. Once we got to their place, we hopped in the car and went to a local pizzeria for some antipasti and pizza. 

Today I took Zia to the market and we went to the Commune office to handle some tax stuff. While I was there Maryanne and Diane walked over to Lido Ritz where I joined them for a few hours of sunshine and little waves. We then went off to Termoli tonight for some seafood and people watching. It was beautiful outside, and we had a view of the castle and the stars. 

Foodtopia Moments

The other day I threw together pranzo (lunch) real fast after shopping at the Friday Flea Market. It was a mix of zucchini, pomodori (tomatoes), cippolle (onions), and olio di olive. After making the sauce, I tossed it with some fresh cooked casarece pasta, and topped it with some freshly grated grana padano cheese. It was a perfect pasta made with farm fresh ingredients. 
 

A Family Day

With the sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, and a patio full of family and friends, yesterday was a great day for a party. Along with my cousins Maryanne and Diane, who are traveling from America, we threw Zia Carmelita a surprise birthday party. It was also a great chance to see a lot of family and share great memories. 

When we got up, we began the process of getting everything prepared. Between the three of us, we swept, setup the tables, and cooked a nice gravy with meatballs, veggies, and salad. Once people started arriving, I went with my cousin Valeria and her boyfriend Adi to pickup pollo arrosto (rotisserie chicken) and una torta (a cake). 

The table was filled with happy people. Besides us and Zia, Valeria and Adi, the party also included Zia's friend since childhood Jeanette and her niece Ada, our cousin Vincenzo and his wife Mariella and their daughter Erica, and our cousin Renato and his wife Dorette. We gathered for hours, and shared lots of great stories. 

A Whirlwind of Adveture

Since we arrived in Italy, my cousins Maryanne and Diane and I haven't really stopped for very long. We've been finding interesting ways to fill our days. With some Aperol Spritz, and a lot of laughter, it's been a great time. 

On Tuesday, we woke up in Milan and were ready to hit the road at 9 am to head to Venezia (Venice). The rental car, however was not ready. So we went back to the hotel, had an American breakfast, then went back and got the car. We were on the road by 11:30. The time setback meant less time to explore Venice.

In Venice for only a few hours, we tried to make the most of it. We rode a vaporetto (kind of like a public transit boat) along the Grand Canal. We visited Piazza di San Marco, walked the Rialto Bridge, where we stopped to eat cena (dinner), and shopped til we dropped. I'm not going to list the items, because it may be a surprise for some people. We were dragging tail as we hoofed it back through the winding streets, across little bridges over Venetian water, past gondoliers at work and tourists taking pics for Instagram. It was only a mile, but it felt like more. 

The next morning, Maryanne, Diane and I hopped back into our Fiat 500X, filled halfway with luggage and the other half with people, and set off for Campomarino Lido. The ride along the Adriatic coast was 7 hours, and it was filled with great conversation, laughter, and the purchasing of a new lunch bag. When we stopped for gas, my cousin Maryanne noticed really cute lunch bags. We thought the sign said two bags for ten euros. The woman at the checkout explained to us, literally holding the bag and each item, that it was one bag, a long baguette, and two packs of lunchmeat (either proscuitto, mortadella, or salami). We all three immediately said yes. We were giddy over the deal, especially since there was literally nothing at the house to eat. One of the baguettes and two packs of lunchmeat were our dinner last night.

When we arrived in Campomarino we met with the gardener who was here working, then went up to see Zia Carmelita. She had just arrived earlier in the day. We talked for a while, then went back down to clean. Between Maryanne, Diane, and I, we got the house ready to go in one evening. Windows, floors, bathrooms, and started laundry. 

Today I headed out for a walk for the first time in Campomarino this year. It was a 3.5 miles walk, and I stopped for veggies, pizza, fruit, and croissants. Zia came down in the morning and we all went out to get some food from Ristorante Netti, then off to the Carrefour Market. We used to have a giant Carrefour nearby, but that closed a decade ago. Last year, they opened a smaller market that is less Target and more Aldi. After lunch, we cleaned a little, had a workman come to repair a window, then spent an hour at the Lido Ritz beach club. It was a great day.

After the beach, Maryanne, Diane, and I decided to spend an evening in Termoli, the next town up the coast. We arrived in town just in time to see the tramonte (sunset). We walked through town, visited the castle, and received a guided tour of the church where the remains of San Basso and San Timoteo reside. The church dates back to the 1200s, and they recently excavated some of it, discovering some old mosaics. We then went off to Eattico - Pesci di Strada, a local street food restaurant for some delicious sandwiches featuring octopus and anchovies. I've been there so I knew it was good, but I think everyone was surprised by the flavors of the sandwiches. We ended the night with a gelato from Yo-Go, the best gelatteria I've ever been to, and it was still delicious as usual. 

Arrived and Tired

The Summer of 2022 has started off well. When I booked my ticket to Italy, I thought I was booking a seat with extra legroom. I guess I ended up booking a fancier seat, because I had premier access. A fancy seat and upgraded dining experience. It was a smooth flight with little turbulence. 

This year I'm traveling with my cousins Maryane and Diane. After checking into the hotel early and pausing for a short nap, we trekked into the center of Milan to get my phone and internet hooked up. Should be good to go for the summer on the internet, but I'll need to get one more month of service on the cell phone. 

We toured the Duomo of Milan and the excavated areas underneath. The church is beautiful, with mazing art and stained glass. The archeological digs underneath the basilica were very neat to see. After walking through the Duomo, we stopped in to some of the high end fashion shops like Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gucci, which essentially seemed purse stores as opposed to clothing stores. Right outside the stores, there are some beautiful sidewalk cafes. We stopped at one and had a delicious meal of pizza, pasta, veal Milanese and Aperol Spritz. 

Tomorrow we're looking to heat to Venice. Hoping the heatwave keeps people off the roads.