One of the first things that comes to mind for anyone when they think of Italy is…food! Without a doubt, there’s reason for this because whether you are out a fancy restaurant, a simple osteria or even at home cooking, most options are wonderful and seasonally fresh. Having always had a passion for healthy and delicious food, I happily gravitated towards spending more and more time in my kitchen learning and experimenting after having moved here. My ideal home has always been to have an active kitchen, full of love and creativity, and as the primary chef for my family, I embrace this role with my arms wide open…most of the time. Having stepped away from my full-time job with the move to Italy six years ago, I had a little more time on my hands, and so many experiments and trials ensued in an effort to build up my home kitchen repertoire. I wanted and continue to want to be capable and confident in the kitchen and this, of course, takes practice!
I’d like to begin this post by mentioning Annastella and her family’s wonderful farm and fresh produce stand, Azienda Agricola Teti Domenico, along the state road from where we used to live on the way to Pavia. Streets lined by endless rice and corn fields lead to the dusty, dirt entrance of her humble shop, which offers a wealth of beautiful and reasonably-priced produce. ‘Not from the area’, as she always insisted in her lively Napolitana accent, she became a friend and great food guide throughout the years my husband and I lived there, ever since my first encounter with her in 2010 when Anna introduced me to what real, fresh garlic looked like. Convinced I was looking at green onions, she insisted they were garlic (aglio) but it took a lot of arm movements and rough Italian to get through the conversation because I hadn’t yet learned the language. From there, I frequented her store and enjoyed her bold and beautiful spirit, always showing me the best options of the season. I still haven’t cooked with fresh green carrot tops much to her disapproval, though one day I will! We have also shared knowledge because there were some recipes and food ideas (i.e. avocado, American sweet potatoes) she wasn’t yet as familiar with though I knew from growing up in the USA. With my arms full of fresh produce after every visit, I would rush home and lay everything out on the counter, completely dazzled by the colors and beauty of the food in front of me, which felt ever more intense because of my new Italian home (though, admittedly, I have never tired from a fresh market visit, especially as a native of Southern California).
Having a baby heightened my interests of course because I couldn’t wait to introduce new flavors to him as soon as he was ready. With an old school steamer and blender given to me by my Milanese mother-in-law, I made small-batch vegetable and fruit purees from the fresh and seasonal ingredients in front of me and would sometimes add a little fresh parmesan to make something tastier, as many Italians do! It was all a blast and for a couple years our baby was among the easiest to feed on the block, so happy and open to anything we would put down in front of him. “Che famona!” (What a big hunger!) and “Come siete fortunati!” (How you all are so lucky!) we would hear from our friends, watching him wolf down spinach or zucchini purees. As every mom everywhere comes to learn, it has all since changed unexpectedly…
These days, our discerning three-year old vegetarian has a very limited interest when it comes to eating anything. Hopefully, with patience and a variety of lovingly-prepared, seasonally-fresh food on our table at home, he will come around to trying new things and widening his palate once again, but who knows when that will happen! This being said, he is the first to offer to help in the kitchen, always wanting to put his hands in and taste, especially if there isn’t anything green inside. Embracing our Italian culture’s love for food and cooking, we have already made together fresh bread, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, smoothies and a new recipe we love for oat- and banana-based “strongcakes”; he is also a great cleaner of spring peas and fava beans!
In the past few days, I’ve been whipping up loads of fresh salads, pesto, hummus, fennel al gratinato, soft scrambled eggs with asparagus, chicken broth, risotto and our favorite potato and leek soup. We even ended up making bread over the weekend. One thing is certain, I can’t wait to return to the fresh local market for some more spring produce with my boy so that he may help choose what we bring home. The apricots have just begun and we still have several weeks of strawberries and zucchini flowers before the melon and other stone fruits arrive in time for summer.
No Comments