almonds + cashews {soaked}

Superfoods are at the forefront of my pantry these days at home and at work, and almonds and cashews are high on that list.  At Cafe Gratitude we use lots of soaked cashews in the desserts & in the savory sauces. 

At home, I keep a mason jar of soaked almonds in the refrigerator.  Almonds are higher in dietary fiber and calcium than any other nut and soaking them makes them easier to digest and absorb.  Cashews are rich in Vitamin K, magnesium, copper, zinc and phosphorus and soaking them too allows for easier absorption.

Cafe Gratitude

I've returned to Los Angeles for the summer from a fabulous gluten free spring in Italy.   I had one interview with The American Academy in Rome for a sous chef position with the Rome Sustainable Food Project spearheaded by California's very own Alice Waters.  I didn't land the spot in the kitchen, which really sounded more like carrying the chef's job, since he'd had a moto accident and couldn't walk or stand.  I bumped into a woman at the farmers market in Monteverde Vecchio who's a personal friend of the departing sous chef - well, she certainly gave me an ear full - small town, word gets around.  Alas, the position started up in September and my interest is for an immediate gig.  

life + famiglia

With the events of last weekend,  a wave of sadness & fear have crashed over Italy as a sinister bombing in Brindisi killed a sixteen year old female student and just a day later a 6.0 earthquake struck the cheese making region of Emilia Romagna killing six, injuring dozens and leaving rubble in its wake.

Considering these tragic events, I'm not able to do a culinary indulgent post rather one about the people & moments that've touched me, & I won't forget....

Eataly {Torino}

My host, Paolo mentioned a few points of interest during my stay in his remarkable city and Eataly was on that list!  I've visited Eataly in New York City and was so impressed by the grandeur of the space with vibrant restaurants, specialized counters dedicated to fish, meat, pizza + pasta, panini, gelato & espresso and the ultra huge marketplace with specialty items to die for!

Focacceria {Torino}

Italy is full of wonderful tomatoes at this time of the year.  I wander through the open market place and am enthralled by these bright red fruits, yes fruits, and Torino is overflowing with them...

Porta Palazzo Market

I must say, Torino is ultra charming, sophisticated and curiously elegant.  Here, you can find the focacceria - what a concept!

Love Affair {with Roma}

My heart is captured.  The Eternal City is a thief in the night with all her perfectly lit monuments, balmy evening strolls {passeggiata} with lovely Roman people, the constant hum of motorini, stoic ruins, men that sing out to me in the narrow porfido walkways & the always inviting open doorways - she has stamped an indelible imprint on my heart & soul {sul mio cuore e l'anima}.


"See Roma and die". Is the old saying...

Sulmona Mercato {Let's go shopping!}

My morning starts with breakfast in the courtyard, checking e-mails and going over plans with my cousin(s) for the day.  Davide always makes the best cappuccino con latte di soya (with soy milk), and puts together a great tray of g-free goodies!  And, his mother-in-law Franca gave me the recipe to bake Amaretti cookies (left) - made with almond flour - yummy!

This morning, I'm going to Conad, the local supermerato to do a bit of shopping,  and to the outdoor mercato in Piazza Garibaldi.  Andiamo!

Pioppo snow {Springtime in the mountains}

Sulmona is such a wonderful little gem in the mountains.  A beautiful sight during springtime in Italy is walking down the cobblestone streets and noticing all the Pioppo snow in the air, these trees release mass amounts of pollen that float through the air and cause havoc among us sensitive people.  I've been trying to capture these little balls of pollen on film...this is Piazza Garibaldi, a view from the balcony:

The Road to Abruzzo! {Hang-on to your halo!}

Yesterday, I left Rome behind and made the journey to the homeland of my ancestors: Abruzzo.

Tranquillo lunch in Monteverde Vecchio {il Cortile}

I took a stroll around the corner from Casa Marrese for a relaxing lunch at an old favorite haunt of mine, Ristorante il Cortile.

Today, the carabienere were on horse back, there's a funeral.

Springtime in the city...

Spring is upon the city.  It started to regress this morning and sprinkled a bit, but the sun wants to shine. It's a beautiful sight as the clouds part and the Romans step outside with jackets in hand for passiagiata.

I'm sitting at the neighborhood caffe after eating a copetta of gelato in three flavors fragola di crema limone, coco, & my ultimate favorite: Indispensabile (pistachio's, cherries, & croccante di pistacchio -that's crushed candied pistachio's), need I say anymore?  

I can actually feel my waist expanding.  I took a long walk after lunch, in hopes of burning off some of the calories.

Yesterday, I went to the supermercato and bought some g-free items to keep in the casa's pantry:

Scotti brand has a few great items - so tasty! I can honestly say that because two Romans (tough customers) gave me the thumbs up when I served them pasta w/pesto - we were all impressed by the rice pasta.  There's even g-free focaccia - la la la la la!

Now, let's talk carciofi.  So, here comes the carciofi porn:

You can buy it at the outdoor market, at the mercato in the center of Rome, at roadside stands & here in Monteverde, it's everywhere to my delight! Eaten daily by me - love eating seasonal veggies.

I'm smitten.

Now, I'm off to a seaside village called Anzio for a get together with some dear old friends.


A presto!

Rome In Full Swing...

It's Saturday morning in Roma, and the streets are in full swing.  The church bells clang eleven times.

Yesterday, I hit the ground running thinking I dodged the jet-lag, but alas as I woke this morning at 10:30a.m. from a deep sleep, realizing there's no escape from the inevitable - I was sound asleep for twelve solid hours!

I've landed on the balcony of Casa Marrese in the hills above Trastevere, a charming hilltop neighborhood called Monteverde Vecchio - one of my all time favorite places to stay in this city of wonder.  I'm sharing the balcony with a mother pigeon, who nervously flies away when I appear.  She's laid two eggs in a corner terracotta pot, and every five minutes she flies back onto the railing to check if I'm still present, and continues this cycle until I disappear.  


It's breakfast time, and since the Italians sugar up with a cornetto in the morning, I always bring some cereal from home:

Rome via Zurich

Prologue: The Journey

After a cozy ten and a half hour flight on Swiss Air, compliments of the same as a result of a Twitter contest I won back in late summer 2011 after tweeting my "Ultimate in-flight luxury",  I flew to Rome via Zurich, business class and slept quite well even after watching Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Loved that film!  I was horizontal for most of the flight.  Prior to departure, I ordered a special gluten-free meal and here's what I was served: 

The return of rice cakes!  The meal turned-out to be overall very decent - thank goodness for the little bottle of olive oil & quick sprinkle of sea salt.

The Star Alliance lounge along the journey was a glutenous experience, so I opted for the fresh fruit, and enjoyed a lovely place to hang out while waiting for flights.

On the way to the boarding gate in the Zurich airport, I always marvel at this Sprüngli case of Swiss chocolates!

Everyone on board Swiss Air made the experience unforgettable, thanks to Renee Procida at the corporate office and all the staff at Swiss Air!

Next stop, bella Roma...

A Week Before Lift-Off

Preface:  I'm a little over a week out from starting this gluten-free culinary adventure.  Last night, I made some g-free fusilli with a sage mushroom creme sauce...Gotta love RP's pasta, which I conveniently buy at my neighborhood Whole Foods Market.