spaghetti al pomodoro: simple and good, every single time

A couple of years ago we were on a ski trip with a rather large group of friends when the task of preparing dinner for the children was passed along to us one evening. I clearly remember the chuckle and the glance Richard and I shared as one of the other fathers proceeded to tell us how to prepare a spaghetti dinner for ten children. A father of three in a family that is always on the move, he considered us lightweights in large group meal preparation with our only child as our only experience...that and his sons are bottomless.  He began, "Get a few jars of spaghetti sauce from the commissary," and I let him continue before assuring him that we had it under control.

I don't remember exactly what Richard prepared that evening, but I can assure you that it did not begin with a can or jar of spaghetti sauce from any store. It's so easy to make a simple sauce with either fresh tomatoes or a can of good tomatoes.

Following is a series of images of one of his quick and easy pasta sauces: Spaghetti al Pomodoro.  Likely he learned it from some woman or another from Southern Italy. I didn't ask. 

Cover the bottom of a heavy pot with extra virgin olive oil and sautee a bit of garlic before adding the can of tomatoes.

Break up the tomatoes. A potato masher works nicely, but you can achieve it with a wooden spoon as well. Add a bit of fresh basil and just let it cook for a bit before tossing with pasta al dente. You can add a bit of salt if needed.

Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
A Can of Good Peeled Plum Tomatoes (We like the Cirio brand best; if you can't find it, then look for San Marzano variety of tomatoes. The tomatoes are key to this recipe.)
Fresh Basil
Pasta (Cooked al Dente)

This is so simple and so good. Trust me.
Hungry yet?

the volcano vesuvio

Richard, who will quickly tell you that Napoli is his home as it is the place he has spent the most time in his life, relishes the fact that his one and only baby girl was born there. Okay, well, technically the kid was born in a US Navy hospital inside a guarded base located in one of the uglier parts of the greater Napoli area...but he glosses over that fact, mostly. (You would, too!)

Oh, how he misses it!

From the time Young One would listen to his stories, he has shared all the beautiful and important things about "their city" with her. One of those that has become pretty popular as of late is the active volcano: Mt. Vesuvius. When you are eight and living among a bunch of people who were not born in the shadow of a famous active volcano, then this detail carries a certain "awe" or "wow" factor among peers. Throw in Pompeii, and you own the birth story category of childhood coolness.

It was for this reason alone that we hiked all the way up to the rim of the crater recently. The girl desperately wanted to do it; Vesuvio is part of her story.

Well, and he was happy to do it, too, because Vesuvio is part of his story as well. To be able to share this first experience with her meant a great deal to him. And me? I was just along to take pictures.
 


Some tips from our experience:
We arrived early and were able to easily find parking in the lot near the ticket office. I think Richard paid a couple of Euro to park. We bought entry tickets with no issues (8 Euro each) and then started the long and winding hike. While there are a few stops along the way offering souvenirs and refreshments, we each carried a bottle of water (which was quickly emptied.) The winding path is somewhat steep and is composed of gravel for most of the 800 meter hike. We all wore sneakers that were FILTHY by the time we finished, and we were pretty grimy, too. At the start of the hike there were a couple of guys offering the use of walking sticks for a small donation. We passed on this, but we should have taken the sticks from the start, especially with the loose gravel. The sun was fierce, even in the morning. Young One suffered a pretty nasty fall as she was jumping around along the path, leaving her with a cut and dramatic blood running from her knee; someone quickly noticed and directed us to first aid station. After a bit of hydrogen peroxide and a bandaid, we eventually convinced her that she could continue the hike. This took much coaxing, especially after one of the guides offered to drive us down the path. A ride in a Fiat Panda down a steep path about the width of the Panda while dodging weary tourists ... no thank you! Instead I found a few abandoned walking sticks and my dramatic girl limped the entire way down. The guides manning the station were extremely kind and helpful and even gave her a couple of beautiful rocks from the crater to assuage her pain, and I'm sure they are great drivers.

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PS. I am forever grateful that Young One, who came into the world dramatically via emergency Caesarean, was born in the comfort and competent care of that US Navy hospital, by the way. On this trip, we also took her to visit this hospital.

opening week

The grill is officially open for business in the paese.

Happy Weekend!

his silver trumpet

He says that it's not like riding a bike: after years of not playing, you do lose your chops. I thought his rendition of "that song they play before the movies at the theater on post" as requested by Young One, was beautifully executed. We later learned that without the mute and with open windows, even the neighbor several doors down enjoyed the tune in the early afternoon, even though her Italian ears didn't recognize the American national anthem. 

Isn't it interesting how something that once totally encompassed you, like mastering a brass instrument through hours upon hours of practice and study and lessons and rehearsals and recitals over years and years, from middle school throughout university and far beyond, can become no more than a fond memory, a fleeting thought, a glimpse of who you once were?

We grow. We change. We evolve.

And then . . . we return.

Are do we?

I know he misses it & I'm hoping for an eventual music resurrection with the youngest family member. I think he might be, too.

Is there music in your life?

the music is in her

a pair of new pencils 

 +  a collection of glass, wood, and marble

+  an innocent voice with a hint of bravado 

=  an impromptu after-school concert just for Momma

She's got the music in her.

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We've yet to begin any type of formal music lessons for her.  She and Richard play with fingers on the keyboard and fingers on the strings, and she and I belt out duets in the empty house or turn it up and rock out in the car. Diverse music fills our playlists, a mix of mine, his, and hers. Naturally she memorizes the lyrics, but just as naturally for her, she identifies the sounds and follows the rhythm and beat.   When she hears a new song, she listens first to the music, eager to identify the instruments.

He says she's too young for much more.  Don't push.  It'll come.  She'll ask for more when she is ready.  Her current level of interest is age-appropriate.  She's on the path. Let her be. Encourage her, but. . .

Let. Her. Be.

He is absolutely correct.

I know it.

As a mother, as a teacher. . . I know it.

I wish I had his patience, his experience.

I see the music in her, her father's gift of music, AND I am so damn excited for her.

his cinquecento

My man has a new ride.  Are you diggin' it, or what?

tech toy

Richard found himself in an Apple store on a recent trip to the States & returned with a toy, of sorts.  Though it officially belongs to him (ha!), we 3 all love the dang thing & can't wait to get our hands on it.

iPad Training

He brought it to the recent field trip excursion we had with Young One's class.  The parents were intrigued -- most have iPhones, but, moreso, the children loved it.  After allowing them to play several rounds of this game, I then taught them to say "iPad" in English -- as in,  "Mamma, I want an iPad."

Luckily, everyone saw the humor in 6 year olds requesting iPads.   In fact, most of what made our weekend away with these strangers tolerable is that they are all so dang funny --  joking, lauging, kidding, smiling ALL THE TIME.  I was just doing my part.

richard's tiramisu or the easiest recipe you ever did see

Tiramisu is like gumbo:  everyone's mother has a recipe, and everyone thinks his mother's is the best.  I happen to think Richard's tiramisu is the best.  He learned it many moons ago in a mother's kitchen in Napoli.

Separate five eggs.

Get the coffee going.

Combine the marscapone and the yolks.

Mix them until they are good and creamy.

Whip the egg whites.

Whip them to the point that a little spoon can stand well inside of them.

Mix the sugar with the marscapone mixture.

Fold the egg whites into the marscapone mixture.

Quickly dip the Pavisini in the cooled coffee and begin creating a layer.  Be careful not to overlap.

Follow with a layer of the marscapone mixture. Continue the layers to your desire.

Dust with cacao. (Opps!  Too much here!)

Refrigerate overnight.

Share with lots of your friends who will think you are absolutely wonderful for your divine creation!

Language trivia:  tira ~ mi ~ su = pull ~ me ~ up 

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Stuff you'll need:

500 gr marscapone

5 eggs -- separarted

5 Tblsp sugar

espresso

lady fingers (Pavisini is his favorite.)

cacao powder

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boeuf boogie meal

Well, we did it -- invited Julia Child into our kitchen last weekend.

Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon

• This recipe takes the better part of a day to prepare. It requires putting things in an out of the oven multiple times and also requires several pots to create: braise the onions, sautee the mushrooms . . . la, la, la.  It is not for the weak.
• Those are the best mushrooms I have ever tasted;  don't crowd the mushrooms & use butter -- Julia knows best.
• It requires nearly a bottle of wine. 
• I don't like beef stew.  This dish, however, is now at the top of my list of favorites.  We ate it for three days straight. I stuck to rice while Richard changed to pasta -- ugghhh. . . he can't help himself, well, and neither can I.
• I made my first herb bouquet with cheesecloth.  Go, Me!
• My Young One watched the movie with us, so she knows the dish -- calls it "Boeuf Boogie Meal."
• I lost interest in the photography about half-way into the day.
• Richard and I had a great time together in the kitchen. That's a first in a very long time: fun in the kitchen . . . together.  I am hoping for more visits from Julia in the weeks to come.  Richard is talking of ducks while I am hoping to keep it simple with chicken.  We watched an episode of The French Chef this morning and will likely try to prepare her stuffed mushrooms and green beans tomorrow.
• I am now really ready for a road trip to France in April.
• I received a copy of Julia Powell's book for my birthday & am off right this very minute to get it started.

Bon Appetit!

saturday hike

Took another hike in our nearby woods this weekend --

Was actually the same trail but a lot different because of the snow --

 

 Invited a couple of other folks to join us in the adventure --

Brought provisions for a snack break this time around --

Made this interesting discovery --

Called it quits after forty minutes and while all 4 hikers were still smiling--

It is a beautiful little piece of the Earth that we've chosen to call home.
Lucky us.

man-o-mine

Tonight we celebrate Richard's birthday with a quiet evening at home that includes take-out pizza, ice cold German beer, and homemade chocolate cake.  If we get really adventurous we may stay up past 10 pm and watch a DVD of some sort.

Happy Birthday Man-o-Mine :)

LifeIsGood::TakingItEasyRocks.