I actually ate left-overs!

Last night I made Salsa di Tonno e Crema. The recipe called for sun dried tomatoes- and since I don't like the taste of them- I was a bit worried.

I have to say though, the tomatoes absorbed all the flavors nicely and they weren't as chewy as I thought they would be. I have never had tuna in a rose sauce before but this really works. This dish was so tasty and mouth-watering. I had the left-overs for lunch today and I never eat left-overs!

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important plate!

Yikes, has it already been a week since my last post? Time sure does fly! Well tonight I made pesto sauce from scratch!

Again, I couldn't believe how quick it was to make!

I love pasta with pesto. This dish has a burst of flavours and I really enjoy the fresh taste of the basil. I'll be back soon with my next pasta dish in the Dolce Vita cook book.

A well-fed family!

This man is keeping our family well fed..lol! I am half way through David Rocco's Dolce Vita cook book and we are really enjoying all the recipes so far. There is also a rumor spreading around the family that I have been cooking up amazing dishes and keeping my Husband very happy :)

On that note, today I fed la famiglia a nice Spaghetti con Pomodorini e Pecorino. The cherry tomatoes were nice and ripe and looked delicious while they were simmering in their juices.

This dish was just fantastic! I loved the sweet flavour of the tomatoes-combined with the roasted garlic and the Pecorino cheese that gave it a nice kick. The sauce was just so flavourful. I plan to make this all the time!

Salsa di Cinque Minuti per Figlio Mio ;)

When I asked my 5 year old Son Lucas what he wanted for dinner tonight, he responded with his favourite dish; PASTA WITH SAUCE! I ran out of tomatoe sauce, so I followed the Salsa Di Cinque Minuti di Mia Mamma- recipe in the Dolce Vita cook book.

Check it out; Lucas actually likes pecorino (sheep's) cheese on his pasta!? Tonight he asked if eating pasta would make him big and strong. He also asked if he was going to be famous after I took this picture of him. Kids say the funniest things!

I always thought you had to cook sauce for at least an hour, so I loved that this sauce only took 5 minutes (cinque minuti). The sauce had a wonderful roasted garlic kick to it. I ate it over Gnocchi and my kids ate it over shell shaped pasta. My Son and I give it 5 stars! 

The way to a Dad's heart, is through his stomach :)

I just wanted to stop by and say Auguri to all the Fathers on this sunny Father's Day! That's my Dad Giuseppe above, with me and my Sis, (I'm on the right). Today we're having a bbq with our Dads and do you know what my Dad wanted for Father's Day????

He wanted me to make him PORCINI SOUP from the Dolce Vita cook book!! HA,HA! I guess the saying is true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

This morning my Husband was surprized with breakfast in bed and lots of little gifts.

We were sure to include a nice bowl of fresh Canadian strawberries. They are sooo sweet! We are definitely going to have to go strawberry picking at the local farm soon. Maybe I'll make some jam this year too. Have a great day!

Comfort Food

 My Husband and I spent most of yesterday lying on the couch- because we both had a headache and felt queasy. I think we are just over working ourselves with the new house.

At some point I headed for the kitchen to create a comforting dish: Ribollita. Ribollita is a soup made of left-over scraps of food. It's more of a poor Farmer's soup.

I am ashamed to say that I have never cooked cabbage before because of the smell and taste. However, I found that the savoy cabbage had no smell or foul taste in this dish.

Although the taste was delicious, I think I may not have put enough broth- because it was absorbed by the bread. Next stop; the pasta portion of the Dolce Vita cook book!

A Love-Hate Relationship with Mushrooms

Today I decided to be brave by cooking Zuppa di Porcini. I normally don't eat mushrooms, as the taste is too earthy for me, but I  had confidence in this recipe, as I have enjoyed the recipes in the Dolce Vita cook book so far.

For this recipe I had to get some Porcini mushrooms. My grocery store didn't carry them, so I bought Portobello mushrooms instead-and prayed it would all work out.

The Portobello mushrooms turn grey when they are cooked- as opposed to the white Porcini, but the taste was so savory and the fresh mint took away the earthiness of the mushroom. To quote my Husband, this soup is "FANTASTIC"!

Squash your Soup!

Shoot, I have had so little time to cook lately. Today however, I made Zuppa di Zucca (Squash soup) from the Zuppe section of dolce Vita. Thankfully it's easier to make- than it looks!

As I was chopping up the squash, it smelled like pumpkin. I was worried that it wasn't ripe yet.

    However the recipe was a success! OMG this soup was to die for! Kayla and Emily loved it too. The butter and cheese went well with the squash. I will be making this again- now that I know how!

Cooking with a torcicollo!

Today I am home with a torcicollo (twisted neck). I pulled a muscle in my neck while I was packing-yikes! So today I decided to make a quick Insalata di Riso. I first went out and bought some scamorza- which is a smoked bell-shaped cheese. It looks like this cheese has a torcicollo too..tee,hee.

I chilled the salad a bit and feasted on it at lunch time. I enjoyed all the different flovours combined in this salad.

In Season...

Yipee, I see that some produce is finally in season- due to our awesome hot weather! Emily especially enjoys the juicy cherries.

Today I made Pomodori Ripieni. First, I learned how to make mayo from scratch. It turned out so good. Hmmm, I wonder what other dishes I can pour it onto.

Anywho, I think my stuffed tomatoes turned out pretty good. It was yummy too! The taste of the capers with the tuna-was so pleasing and the mayo was savory. It reminded me of pasta with tuna- that I eat all the time.