pizza pizza pizza

“My love is pizza shaped. Won’t you have a slice? It’s circular, so there’s enough to go around.
”

― Dora J. Arod, Love quotes for the ages. 

I wanted to take a break from writing long dramatic stories on my life or writing recipes, although I know you love them!
Yes yes yes, there is the stereo type that Italian`s are pizza eater`s, but I am here to confirm that it is totally true, and they eat it often!
Pizza here is not taken lightly, and it is definitely not a case of dialing a 1800 number for home delivery. Pizza means so much more here in Italy. Pizza brings people together, it is a "modo di  vivere" (a way to live)! 
Pizza can be enjoyed amongst family, friends, work meetings, or it is common that a first date is nervously enjoyed sharing pizza. And yes, even on first dates Italian women eat pizza!
Going out for a weekly pizza amongst friends is the perfect alternative to a restaurant, especially when funds are tight. There are some really chic pizza restaurants where you can still enjoy table service, wine (although most Italian`s drink beer with pizza), and soak in the atmosphere. However Alessandro and I enjoy our weekly pizza at a very low key, no frills, very rustic pizzeria where the waiter knows our order.
In fact, I recently decided to celebrated my birthday with friends at a local pizzeria drinking far too much prosecco! The private room was a brick dome built into the ancient city walls, a very unique ambient indeed.

Pepenero pizzeria, Pietrasanta. Italy

Italian`s know their pizza and understand well the difference between the local pizzerie (pizza shops). And the difference is vast, some pizza bases are light and crunchy, some rich and yeasty, however it is a given that it should always be cooked in a wood fired oven. 
Although I am a lover of getting my hands dirty and do love beating out a good dough, there is a certain pleasure about being taken out for pizza. If you want to try making pizza at home, please find the recipe here;
 http://karasitaliankitchen.blogspot.it/2012/07/pasta-di-pizza-pizza-dough.html
The purpose of this article is to share some of my favourite pizza toppings with you. In Italy the pizza's are generally topped with no more than three or four ingredients. By choosing good quality, in season ingredients, you really don't need to add more. Remember less is more! All of my favourite pizza`s that I am listing below have a base of red sauce and mozzarella. You can also order pizza bianca (white pizza), which means no red sauce, however I prefer mine with!
1: Tuna, Tropea red onion topped with fresh rocket
2: Speak and mascarpone
3: Smoked salmon and mascarpone topped with fresh rocket
4: A simple Margherita (tomato, mozzarella and basil). Check out link here;
http://karasitaliankitchen.blogspot.it/2011/11/pizza-margherita.html
5: Margherita topped with freshly sliced pieces of prosciutto crudo (smoked prosciutto)
6: Sausage pieces with gorgonzola
7: Origano with anchovies and capers
8: Lots of Tropea red onions finely slices with black olives and anchovies 
9: Zucchini flowers with anchovies 
10: Potato and rosemary 

#pizza #articolo #impasto #dough #article 

Capodanno/ New year`s Eve

 "Natale con i tuoi, capodanno con chi vuoi"

"Christmas with your family, New Years Eve with whoever you want"!

Yesturday, today and tonight and probably tomorrow we will be eating lentils in various ways. In Italy it is an ancient tradition to eat lentils at this time of years to bring prosperity. As a lentil is a symbol of a coin. The more lentils you eat the more coins you will have in the new year!

So in two shakes of a lambs tail we are heading off to rein in the New Year in Siena, with a quick lunch stop in bella Firenze!

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous New Year, Buon Anno a tutti!!

Kara xxx

the perfect gift for our hosts, prosecco and lentils!

the main piazza in Siena

Natale sera. Christmas night

I feel like we can still talk about Christmas as the man playing the saxophone on the street outside my window is still tuning away to jingle bells. 

Although some days have passed since Christmas and we are nearly ready to ring in the New Year, I feel like my festivities have not stopped. So I thought I would quickly take a minute before 2016 arrives to talk about my Christmas.

So as I mentioned to the lead up to Christmas I had planned to serve the perfect array of sweets and only a few savoury items at my house on Christmas night. This year I was excited about introducing some new British items to the mix. As my friends are familiar with how I host my Christmas parties they came prepared after long tummy filling lunches at home with an appetite for sweets. However this was the first year I was sharing it with my boyfriend, his friends and family.

For those who know me well, know that I like things to be perfect (although I have become much more relaxed in my ageing years). Before a party I like the house to be spick and span, the table to be set and organised and every detail catered for. I also like to have the candles lit, music playing and have myself fully ready before quests start to arrive, allowing myself to be an attentive host.

My boyfriend early evening told me to relax and invited me to cozy up on the couch for a minute, I thought even though I still have things to do I will appreciate the moment we have together and take the invitation to snuggle into his embrace in my pyjamas.

Of course, you know where this story is going. Brrring brrring, the door bell rings. It`s the brother, sister-in-law and child of Alessandro (Ale) who arrived an hour earlier than the 9pm invitation time. Any-way the evening kicks off from there, I`m a little caught off guard but whip myself into a frenzy and put everything quickly into place, including dressing myself! The door bells continues to ring and a flow of guests keep arriving. Everyone is wowed by the array and presentation of food. Until one friends says....ummm but Kara I`m starving and want to eat something savoury. So I start pulling out as many things that I have to offer. 

Halfway through the evening Ale tells me he is ducking out for a second to grab a bottle of champagne he left in the car. I try to persuade him to stay as the table is already filled with magnum`s and there is no absence of wine. Time passes and I notice his disappearance.  I ask a friend about his absence and remain in shock when the answer is he has returned to his family home for food. Mostly because I feel that I have poorly catered for the party. But then I take a chill pill and remember after all that I am living in Italy, and you can never have too much food. Half and hour passes and the `hero` walks in the door with two shopping bags filled with goods. I can't rememeber if there was a round of applause, I think so. It was as if he had been to the local supermarket. The two bags were filled with salami bigger than my arms, a wheel of pecorino cheese bigger than my head,  olives and various preserves and bread (the most essential item for any Italian table). Although I nearly hit him over the head with the salami I couldn't but help see the funny side of this. Like who just has that much produce lying around at home? The answer, an Italian family!

The night proceeds with lots of laughs, singing, some latin dancing, firing opening bon bon`s, celebrating, dressing up, telling stories and eating and drinking....probably too much.

For me the most precious moment of the evening was drowning the Christmas pudding with brandy with the six year old nephew. With the lights turned off and seeing the explosion of flames as the match hit the brandy was nothing less than spectacular. Seeing the sheer look of excitement on the little boys face will be something I will always treasure. Passing on and sharing my British tradition of igniting the pudding amongst my friends made living away from home on Christmas that little more tolerable.

                   

The drunk brandy Christmas pudding aflame

Ginger biscuits with gorgonzola and walnuts 

riccarelli biscuits, a Tuscan tradition at Christmas time 

Vigilia di natale. The night before Christmas

“Happiness is  only real when shared” 
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

 So yet another year has rolled around and here we are getting ready to celebrate the Eve of Christmas. This time of year is always sentimental as naturally I would like to spending time with my family but obviously there are many oceans between us. Family is not just a word. It is who you are, where you came from and where you will always belong. That is why this year I have decided to be senitmental in the kitchen, bringing back many childhood recipes that my Mother and even grandmother would make.

Typically my Christmas festive season is spent celebrating with friends and I have always been lucky to have been invited into their homes. It is true that friends although you will never be connected by blood, can become an extended family. Our tradition here in Italy is that all of my close friends come to my house on Christmas evening. It spontaneously occurred my first year here in Italy, and we have kept the tradition running. For the past six years I have cooked an array of Italian treats, but this year I am going back to my British roots. Keeping the odd Italian treat aflame such as tiramisu, riccarelli biscuits and pandoro! As all of my friends arrive at my house after long lunches of extravagnce with their families, I will fill my table with various deserts. 

So I thought I would share with you some of the old school delights I have on the cards for tomorrow,

Traditional English pudding complete with creme anglaise and ice-cream

Drunken triffle made with homemade pandoro, custard, fruit and cream

A pain stakingly time consuming gingerbread house 

Home made chocolates in gift bags 

Chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate icing 

Ginger biscuits with gorgonzola and walnuts 

Mince pie eggnog milkshakes 

Then of course some of the Italian delights that I mentioned previously with some savoury items such as fegatini crostini (tuscan pate(, smoked salmon, cured meats, cheeses and dried fruits etc.

I think the longer you live away from home the more you get sentimental, or maybe that just comes with age. This year is also the first year in six that I will be celebrating with my boyfriend, so I am really excited to be sharing some of my families traditions with him, complete with bon bon`s I was able to find at a local British shop! http://www.richmonds.it

Traditionally I have always given edible gifts or have filled hampers with the years produce ranging from homemade liquors, sundries tomatoes and various pesto`s etc. This year I have kept it simple with homemade chocolates, pandoro, and `do it yourself` homemade chocolate chip muffin jars, just add milk and eggs! I am looking forward to sharing my homemade goodies with all tomorrow! 

So as we all settle into our cosy beds tonight and anticipate the magical day that is Christmas, a day typically filled with excessive gifts and indulgence. I ask you just to take a moment to think of the 100 million homeless, the 800 million people living in poverty and the 11 million children that die every year as victims of malnutrition. Then give thanks for how lucky we all are!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Kara xxx

My babies, homemade Pandoro 

Make at home chocolate muffins gift jars. Just add milk and eggs!!!

The before and aftermath