Author Archives: chasingcappuccinos

Book contest

Enter this contest for a chance to win a signed copy of A Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness: http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/2012/06/giveaway-shadow-of-night-signed-by.html

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Italy’s coffee culture

I wrote an article about Italy’s coffee culture for AOL/Huffington Post’s My Daily site. Please check it out (and comment, if you feel so inclined!) at http://www.mydaily.com/2011/06/01/italian-coffee-what-it-taught-me-about-cultural-differences/

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Il pizzaiolo

Alex fa la pizza!

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Red hot (and green) chili peppers

This past week, the three of us took a trip to New Mexico. Michael had a conference in Santa Fe and I have family outside Albuquerque so it was a perfect opportunity to take a mini-vacation and have everyone meet Alex. We also snuck … Continue reading

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The dishes are done

Italian proverb of the day: Chi la sera i pasti li ha fatti, sta agli altri lavare i piatti. Translation: If one cooks the meal then the others wash up. Pasti means meals but the word pasta clearly derives from it. … Continue reading

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We ate the Easter bunny

Michael might be a gourmet cook and I his trusted sous chef, but neither of us are dessert experts, especially not in the particulars of fondant icing. So, we bought a cake in the shape of a rabbit (see below) … Continue reading

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Now that’s devotion

Wow. Check out the birthday “cake” (jello mold) that Michael made featuring photos of me and Alex. Thanks to Jeff Nichols for the idea!

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Goats Gone Wild

I know, I know…it’s been ages since I’ve blogged. Just wanted to share a quick post about a fantastic meal I had last night at The Girl and the Goat restaurant in Chicago–owned by Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard. She … Continue reading

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Buon San Valentino!

When we were in Portland over Christmas, the local newspaper ran a story about the “discovery” of a rare Italian cookbook, one that predates Pellegrino Artusi’s famous cookbook, The Art of Eating Well (1881). This book, Il Cuoco Maceratese by … Continue reading

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Feast of the Seven Fishes

We spent Christmas in Portland with my family this year, but we still celebrated the Italian-American Christmas Eve feast, La Vigilia, or the feast of the seven fishes.  It’s not certain where this tradition arose, but fish is symbolic in … Continue reading

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