National Coffee Day!

How can I not post on such an auspicious day!? I am compelled to commemorate National Coffee Day with a succinct love letter captured in a poetic photograph. :-)

I also have a treat for you! I found this amazing recipe for your day's ending or a coffee dessert. The Italian word, affogato, you should all know because of it's inherent heavenly combination - gelato and espresso. Yum! Needless to say, I'm a big fan. This recipe takes a wonderful pairing and adds other elements which will send your eyes rolling back in your head. Enjoy!

The original blog post is from Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time. I return to read The Mom Chef's blog not only for the recipes but for her wit and the glimpses into her life.

Affogato with Orange - print this recipe
from Every Day With Rachael Ray Magazine, September 2012

4 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 pint vanilla ice cream
shaved bittersweet chocolate, for sprinkling
freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling
4 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 cup hot espresso

Pour 1 tbsp. liqueur into each of 4 cups. Add 12-cup scoop ice cream to each. Sprinkle with chocolate, nutmeg and orange zest. Spoon 2 tbsp. espresso over ice cream. Serve immediately.

We all like it a bit differently - coffee that is! part 1

Jetlag is receding. I'm thankful for that! Naturally coffee has played a part in this transition time, helping me stay up as late as I can to adjust as quickly as possible. I ran across an assessment of some Europeans, plus a few other groups as to how they enjoy their coffee. Having only been in Poland, Switzerland, Italy and Spain this trip, I can only evaluate from my perspective on those four countries. But first, the info I found on another site:

The Italians drink their espresso with sugar, the Germans and Swiss - with equal parts of hot chocolate, the Mexicans - with cinnamon, the Belgians - with chocolate. Moroccans drink their coffee with peppercorns, the Ethiopians - with a pinch of salt. Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices. Whipped cream is the favourite amongst Austrians. The Egyptians are extremely fond of pure and strong coffee. They seldom add sugar to it, nor milk nor cream. They serve unsweetened coffee to mourners and sweetened coffee at weddings. The Italians are the unrivaled World Masters of Espresso. 

For this post I'll write only about Italy. I enjoyed both espresso and cappuccino while there. I will never challenge the concept of the Italians as World Master of Espresso! I did have mine with sugar but did not enjoy it as much as some others. That does not speak to the quality of espresso but rather the fact that I prefer my coffee with a bit of milk or cream. The cappuccino was delightful but as usual for me it was a bit weak - too much milk! Oh, the trials of a coffee snob! (That's me!) They do win hands down on the cold coffee treat!! OMG! The scoopable frozen coffee (but not ice cream) with whipped cream was absolutely awesome!! They called it a 'granita' but it isn't very similar to what we call granitas. Ours are more liquid, sweeter and come out of a special machine. Not these and I'll take these any day! Rome won the gelato contest and Rome again wins for cold coffee treat. Both of those places were around the Pantheon square. If you want specifics, let me know.

More next time on the other countries. :)

So Many Things

So many days of sunshine, wearing my sunglasses, enjoying a breeze when it comes. Where do we go today? Or do we just enjoy our spacious terrace, being apart of this small village? Naturally, there were excursions! We visited 3 different port cities of various sizes, each with their own unique flair. It's amazing to see how they have built these cities. The houses are all on top of each other, stacked up the hillside clinging to the rock. Great photo opts but no shot really does it justice. Due to the weather and a lust for more, we were compelled to try the gelato in each place! Comparison 'shopping' is important. Actually, Rome wins, the place on the Pantheon square. :)

Then, there was the day on the boat, a wonderful day. So many sites to drink in, caves to swim in and, of course, photos to take! This fine day stretched on not because it was something to be endured but rather because it was so glorious in fun, food, laughter, sun and warm water. Did I mention food? The day culminated in a grand feast. It was described as a 3 course meal with local wine. Well, in all honesty I think it was closer to 8 courses. (My heart and stomach want to say it was 16 courses so I've consciously cut that in half to be realistic!) The clean plates for the next course just kept coming (and our wine glasses were not allowed to be empty)! For at LEAST 3 of those clean plates I figured it had to be dessert – but NO!! Something else delectable was placed before us. I don't remember eating so much for a VERY long time. This was like being in the house of an Italian that loves to cook. It was a full-body experience in many ways!! (Sigh)

Not the Typical

As I find myself on the terrace content just to soak up the sites and sounds around me while reading occasionally from my book, I feel compelled to believe I'm not a typical tourist. I don't enjoy tours, visiting museum after museum, or a planned schedule of events that maximizes the tourist sites. Now, for example, I did go to the Vatican museum in Rome and St. Peter's – wouldn't have missed it for the world, even though it was my second time! But it was on my terms and at my pace. On the other hand, I also feel that relaxing at a cafe in the afternoon with an iced coffee (in Europe that usually means with ice cream! Yummy!) is as much about the culture as visiting sites. I love people watching and drinking in the pace of life.

We are on the Amalfi coast now for 2 weeks. So far we've done only one excursion to Sorrento. We took a boat there, making a stop at the island of Capri, and rode the bus back over the mountains. Each mode of transportation giving a unique experience and showing us different views. Sorrento is probably the biggest city on this piece of land that juts out into the Mediterranean. We enjoyed the shopping and energy of the bigger city.

Otherwise we have just explored on foot our little village of Praiano and enjoyed our wonderful terrace. While lounging on the terrace, about mid hill from the sea, I overlook the Mediterranean, watch some windsurfers and see the fishing boats and transportation boats come and go. I look at the houses around and see how they've decorated their patios, marvel at the vast differences in construction techniques and listen to scooters (the preferred mode of travel – easier to park!), delivery trucks (miniscule in comparison to ours) and the foreshortened buses as they go by periodically. Of course, I can't forget the church bells that peel their happy song (in my opinion) at indeterminate times! Even with the occasional rumblings and/or clanging bells it is peaceful and relaxing.

There are a few more places we will venture out to but there is no rush. Pompeii, water caves by Amalfi and Positano are on the list of possibilities and maybe some others. This is an awesome trip and as my mother would say, “Whatever you do, it's all gravy!” Praiano, I think, is designed to slow the pace down. So I'm embracing that! I'm even letting go in regard to the vanity I have about my hair!! :) I'm on vacation, after all!  

A Glimpse of Praiano

From our Terrace

Also from our Terrace

Twists and Turns

The title says it all when it comes to life on the Amalfi Coast. There are a few places along the coast that allow for a traditional beach setting, but by and large cliffs rise out of the sea. Streets and houses alike cling to the the rocky surfaces providing magnificent views.

Atrani - just one example, more to come!

We had a very full and exhausting travel day on Saturday. Exiting our apartment in Rome we found a taxi right at our doorstep even though we hadn't called for one! Piling in, we headed for the train station eager for our 2.5 hour ride to Salerno. I love train travel in Europe. You can see so much from a relatively comfortable seat – parts you'd never see otherwise, catching glimpses into the lives of those along the way. After arriving in Salerno we easily found the port and the boat we would take to Amalfi. All was going without a hitch! The boat ride was cool and satisfying just knowing I was on the Mediterranean Sea, plus the picturesque towns along the way, nestled between cliffs.

Once in Amalfi we were unable to catch the first bus because it was too crowded. Oh well – sit down and have a gelato!! Those are just the burdens to bear due to travel. :) We caught the next bus, told the bus driver the name of the stop we wanted and settled in for the ride. Certainly a lot of twists and turns on this bus route. The driver was less than helpful. He never called out any stop names, and when we finally pressed the stop button, ran to the front and made him open the door to talk to him, we find out our bus stop was 5 minutes ago!! Well, our hosts found us (no car) and we had a LONG way to walk (UPHILL) to get to our place. We're not sure that any stop we would have gotten off at would have provided an easy way. As I said before the houses cling to the cliffs, streets zig-zag up the hills or stairs are available which constitute 6 stories or so before reaching a street to cross and then more steps!

Traveling is an adventure. This is one of those stories to tell and as time goes by the temperature will be hotter, the way even longer and the uphill road will basically be like rock climbing with our suitcases strapped to our backs. (Actually Brian had both of the suitcases strapped to his back – my hero!!) After resting, we are enjoying the place thoroughly!

Chalk up another one!

Oh, the culinary pleasures of traveling! It is quite warm in Rome; so what is called for in the afternoon? A very simple but delightful cup of frozen coffee. It's not ice cream but scoopable - 2 scoops even, with a portion of whipped cream on the bottom and the top, served with a spoon. Yummy, refreshing and rejuvenating!! :) The many delectable forms of coffee just keep coming!

Rome has a delight and/or surprise around every corner, it seems, and sooo much history! Naturally, I revel in the architecture both grande and vernacular. My camera is drawn to the magnificent structures and street scenes. (Just a few pics!)

Street scenes above

Interior of the Pantheon

Pantheon at night

Last night we went out for a walk to enjoy the sites all lit up in their finest! At night the city and it's monuments have a very different atmosphere. Rome is warm, inviting and decidedly social! The city starts to come alive at about eight. After dinner one night, around 9:00 we were treated to a shot of Limoncello. A delicious lemon liquor originating from Italy. Again yummy! Also, it was very warm and inviting of them!! So we've had tequila in Mexico, plum vodka in Poland and now Limoncello in Italy - all freebies even! Do we look like lushes? :P
At any rate, we are enjoying the "flavor" of Italy in so many ways.