The Beginning of the End

Today is cause for CELEBRATION as it is my FINAL Dolce Vita cooking post! As you all know, today is also NEW YEARS! To top it off, I am also celebrating my BIRTHDAY!!! 

I decided to make myself a little 'cake' to celebrate. I bought some gelatin to make Panna Cotta.

Mmmm the Panna Cotta tasted like cheese cake! This is basically made of solidified cream and milk. Happy Birthday to me :)

In honor of my last blog post here -and New Years- I also made 2 alcoholic drinks from the 'Cin Cin 'portion of the cook book. I made Asti Spumante con Cilantro for me (because I love Champagne and cilantro!) I also made a drink for my Husband that is one of his favourites; Pesche con Vino (drunken peaches in Chianti).

The spumante was so refreshing and my Husband loved the fruity/floral taste of the peaches!

I started cooking my way through Dolce Vita early this year, and alas; at the end of the year I have completed the book, and made about 69 recipes! I have learned a lot and have gained such a love for Italian cooking. I truly appreciate those of you who have regularly stopped by to see what I was cooking, and I am grateful to those of you who left comments -because it encouraged me to keep going- even after I burnt a dish!

When I started my journey, I never thought in a million years that I would be meeting the creator behind the book; David Rocco!! I was so honored that he enjoyed my blog and I was in disbelief when he actually called my house! Also, if you told me a year ago- that I would be asked by Harper Collins to write a review about the cook book, I would have never believed you :) It has been a great journey in cooking! I only hope that 2012 would be just as exciting. Happy New Year and all the best to you in  2012!!!

Cin Cin!

*Sandy xox