Né babà, quanto si’ bello!

Whether it's the gigantic Babbone, the Baba, or the little Babarini, here in Naples they are all good!

The sun was shining with all it's glory today as we strolled through the buzzing streets of Napoli... Our trusted viamichelin suggested a quaint little place to eat, Napoli Mia, via Schilizzi 18/20.

Napoli Mia, intimate dining serving genuine local dishes.

Villefranche

Villefranche is a wonderfully French village on the French Riviera offering a unique opportunity to experience everything French. You may not want to wander any further than this quaint fishing village, as the walkways of Villefranche's parks, historic district, and village are simply breathtaking.

Villefranche is just a stone’s throw away from Nice, Cannes, and Monte Carloso, so next week we might head over that way...

Buon viaggio

We're going to be away for a few weeks, but I hope to chime in from time to time... We will be discovering places along the Mediterranean coast!

A presto!

Buona Pasqua a tutti !

Yesterday we all got together to make our "Cuddura cu l'ova" for Easter. We had such a nice time making all different shapes and creating works of edible art!


Everyone was hard at work...










Buona Pasqua a tutti!!

Almond and Amaretti Cake

The other night I made an Almond and Amaretti Cake for dinner with friends. It was a big crowd pleaser...

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons of flour
7 tablespoons of sugar
150g of melted butter
200g of amaretti cookies
almond extract
100g of finely grounded almonds
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of baking powder
Puffed pastry (buy the premade variety if you are short on time)

Place the amaretti cookies in a food processor and grind them finely. Then add this to a large bowl with all the other ingredients. Line a baking pan with oven paper and place the puffed pastry inside the pan. Fill the pastry with the mixture and fold the extra pastry over the filling. Bake at 180° for 40 minutes, but don't open the oven for the first 30 minutes. Stick a toothpick in check for doneness.

Simple to make with an impressive presentation...

Via Crucis Rappresentata

Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The town gathered and followed Jesus on a pilgrimage of prayer, through the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death.

la Domenica delle Palme

Our choir began to sing as the church doors opened, and all the towns people filed in.

Buon Viaggio Carmelo

Our good friend Carmelo is flying back to the states this weekend as he returns to work. So, we decided to have one last lunch together before he heads off. And a feast it was indeed! Antipasti, pasta con Carrapipana, zucchini quiche, eggplant parmigiana, caponata, baked pumpkin, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed tomatoes, pork and beef roast with peas and carrots... Now that's just the beginning. For dessert we enjoyed a delicate taste of panna cotta, white chocolate covered marzipan, sweet rice pie, and a warm apple crumble with panna ice cream!

Carmelo, we send you our best!

Pizza Party

Monday night we were invited to Enzo and Maria's house for a night of music, dance, and pizza. There was an assembly line at work when we arrived. The kitchen was full of family and friends preparing the dough and laying out all the pizza fixings. Once everything was ready, the orders were in and the show was about to begin!

The show in the oven that is...

With the last few coals from the fire in the conca, Enzo warmed up some sausage. The conca was used here to heat a room in the cold months. People would gather by the glowing flames and catch up about their day. One might also attach it's woven wood cover and hang clothes over the heat to dry the damp items.

We had a great night and everyone danced the night away...