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Simona Carini
Northern California
An Italian transplanted in Northern California
Interests: creative cooking, cheese making, bread baking, food writing, blogging, book and box making, kayaking, photography, classical music You can contact me at simosite [AT] mac [DOT] com
Recent Activity
Wow, Claudia, homegrown pineapples! I imagine they'll be out-of-this-world juicy and sweet. I don't remember having it when I visited the Big Island, probably because I was never there is season.
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Thank you, Claudia. Have you tried growing fava beans? I wonder if it is a bit too warm there for them. I'd trade for abiu :) (I hope you still have that tree in your garden)
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I can picture it, Debra. And she probably would also have expanded on the process of blanching :)
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A nice choice of recipe, Cathy. I like the combination of goat cheese with onion and rosemary. I can imagine the muffins were a hit at the gathering :)
Grazie, Tamara. Dimmi se provi a fare la zuppa :) La persona dalla quale ho comprato il miso sperimenta preparazioni diverse. Confesso che non avevo mai letto come si prepara ed e' un processo di fermentazione interessante. Lo so, Marta, che le fave non sono un legume padano :) Interesting that fava beans are used in casseroles, Cathy. My parents liked fava beans a lot so when they were in season we would eat them often. Look forward to reading your post for Cook the Books :)
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] simplicity at its best Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus1 which tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, a research chemist in California in the early 1960's, who becomes the host of a cooking show. Rowing plays a role in the book, referred to mostly as a a source of physical discomfort, if not downright suffering. I thought I would balance out that perspective with a photo I took recently while rowing on Richardson Bay (an arm of San Francisco Bay). I captioned it: for this... Continue reading
Posted May 20, 2023 at briciole
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Thank you, Frank. When I 'discover' a dish I like I ask myself "where have I been until now?" I'm catching up, for sure, thanks to a steady supply of garlic chives from the farmers market. I hope you give the recipe a try :)
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] crisp, tender, savory: so good! (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) While looking up traditional recipes that use chives (Allium schoenoprasum) of which I get a nice supply from my garden, I discovered Korean pancakes (frittelle coreane) called Buchujeon1 made with garlic chives (Allium tuberosum, a.k.a., Chinese leeks, chinese chives), which also grows in my garden. While chives' leaves are tubular, those of garlic chives are flat. young garlic chives in my garden... Most of the recipes I read is vegan, made without eggs, and I adopted this format. I reduced the quantities to make... Continue reading
Posted Apr 29, 2023 at briciole
Hello Kathy and thank you for stopping by my blog. That's also what I read. Besides for polenta, I use buckwheat flour in small amounts in cookie and cake recipes :)
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Looks lovely, Cathy: I like that you used both porcini and fresh mushrooms :)
I recommend it, Wendy: it's really a treat if you like beets :)
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] Earthy and sweet condiment for many uses (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Making a chutney had been on my wish list for a while and the chance materialized recently when, wanting to prepare a savory dish using dates, I came across recipes for Bengali tomato and date chutney (Tomato Khejur Chutney), each one a bit different.1 Below I give you my version, adapted to my taste and influenced by my Italian roots. For my first try, I had tomatoes from the farmers' market. We spent a few days in Central California and visited the... Continue reading
Posted Apr 5, 2023 at briciole
I like the word "beetrooty" Marg :) It was a big success here and I will try making it with other vegetables, Cathy, though I think the red beets make a more vibrant dish :)
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Ci e' piaciuto molto, Elena, ed e' un buon modo per preparare il cavolfiore :) It was a surprise how nice the sauce worked, Cathy. Recommended :) I think you'll like it, Frank. Let me know if you try it :)
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] a pretty dish to bring to the table While searching for a traditional Italian dish using cauliflower, I found a recipe from Piemonte, whose name references the first prime minister of Italy, Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour (count of Cavour, usually referred to simply as Cavour1). In reading the details, I was intrigued by the combination of cauliflower, cheese, egg (uovo) and anchovies (acciughe) and decided to try it. beauties on display Cauliflower Cavour has an interesting flavor, the cheese, egg and anchovies all providing a note, without anyone being overwhelming), is fairly easy to... Continue reading
Posted Mar 18, 2023 at briciole
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] ready to spoon some? (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan1 which tells the story of four women in Kent, UK, during WWII. The food rations in effect at that time play a central role: they affected everyone and cooks in particular, tasked as they were to prepare nourishing and tasty meals with what the rations provided. (Vegetable gardens and foraging enriched the limited availability of ingredients.) The novel's title refers to a BBC program devised to provide ideas on... Continue reading
Posted Feb 25, 2023 at briciole
Miss Cecily's cookbook sounds like a fun one to have, Cathy. Although I am not an avid collector, I have a fair number of cookbooks. It's good to be able to consult them for ideas or to see how their authors do certain things :)
Toggle Commented Feb 20, 2023 on avocado salad / insalata di avocado at briciole
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Avocados are so good, Debra. You can always make a nice side dish with a ripe avocado and a few other items :)
Toggle Commented Feb 8, 2023 on avocado salad / insalata di avocado at briciole
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Nice recipe! Definitely a satisfaction when guests leave with a to-go bag :)
Thank you, Cam. Yes, the combination works nicely :) I hear you, Claudia. Avocados require patience and then urgency, since once they are ripe, they must be consumed quickly (a requirement which I gladly accept). I am in complete agreement: the more vegetables in a meal, the better :) Thank you, Wendy. Yes, it is a great combination :)
Toggle Commented Feb 7, 2023 on avocado salad / insalata di avocado at briciole
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You're welcome, Deb :)
Toggle Commented Feb 6, 2023 on avocado salad / insalata di avocado at briciole
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jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] flavor and color bursting from the bowl (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The novel Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman1 is our current Cook the Books Club selection. I enjoyed the story of the friendship between Kate and Miss Cecily and the style in which it is told. It was a reading that satisfied well the need for something light during an intense period. When the story feels like it is sliding under a shadow of predictability, Zimmerman inserts a surprise to keep the reader's interest alive. This happens even beyond... Continue reading
Posted Jan 31, 2023 at briciole
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Thank you for your comment, Helen. I have fond memories of that trip and you made me go back to them. What a special place. And of course, I love the sign :)
Toggle Commented Jan 15, 2023 on Dallas Divide Ranch at briciole
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You are welcome, Cathy :) I understand being disappointed by store-bought radicchio. Farm-fresh radicchio is ideal, but as you said, it is hard to come by. I am wondering whether asking farmers about it may convince them to grow it. Worth a try :)
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No worries, Debra: it was an interesting read. I love making a good salad, even in winter :) I hope you get to grow radicchio, Claudia. I love it: finding it at the farmers market makes me day. And please, tell me how you like that book. Now that you mention it, I remember reading about it when it first came out. I hope it's interesting :)
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