Off to Naples- not Florida

Green Acres,
the constant daily rain
is creating a palate of green in the hills
in Chianti

Getting ready to head down to Naples on a press trip,
now that I have a monthly column, I am a journalist!

I have written in the past for the local English language paper,
The Florentine, for Dream of Italy, Sally’s Place
and other small publications.

Soon I hope to be able to get some articles in larger publications too!
My column appears in The American Magazine,
which is distributed with the International Herald Tribune here in Italy.

In preparing to leave, it means preparing food for my husband, Andrea.

I cannot go wrong if I make SUGO, Florentine ragu.
This time I turned it into a large tray of Tuscan silky lasagna.

If you have not had lasagna here, you are really in for a surprise.

NO RICOTTA
NO MOZZARELLA

Just light layers of pasta with ragu, bechamel sauce and grated parmesan cheese.

I use the use the dry pasta and do not preboil, making it easy to assemble.
You MUST make lasagna this way at least once,
it will change your life!

and for dessert
a cake called Mantovana, from Prato
I had it when I went to Da Delfina and my husband loved it.

It is a very simple cake, but needs the best ingredients.
When I was picking up some veggies, I told my husband to go and get eggs.

We scored!
Paola our vegetable lady in town with the shop, who has the farm at the bottom of our hill
also has eggs from her chickens.
LOOK AT HOW YELLOW THE CAKE IS!

the color is from the yolks

Here are two treasures I found at the Panzano flea market the first Sunday of the month.
Good score!!!

I am seeing a chocolate champagne bottle

and a really eclectic Panna Cotta in the mold on the right!

Ciao
hope to write from Naples too
the program looks fabulous.

I first went to Naples when I moved here in 1984,
heading down to the Amalfi Coast and ended up in a car accident.
Damage to the car, not me!
Since I have returned several times,
I adore the Island if Ischia, with it’s hot springs.

Pompeii was overwhelmingly larger than I expected.

One of my favorite experiences was when we went down to Naples
for the Christmas Creche festival in San Gregorio area of town.
I hope to see what it is like now, preparing for the holidays.

Of course FOOD!
Will try a new pizza place, more baba and sfogliatelle

and down to Sorrento, which means LIMONCELLO!

Ciao a dopo!