Category: Italy

St. Francis

Today is the Feast of St. Francis (1181-1226), one of the great Christian saints. I had the chance to visit his hometown of Assisi once on October 4th. Interestingly, the Church honors saints on the day of their death, not their birthday.

By the way, the image to the left is one of my favorite paintings. It was painted by El Greco, and hangs in one of the galleries at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. When I was a student at Johns Hopkins and living in downtown Baltimore, I stood in front of this painting many times. It’s very dramatic in its monochrome shades, and stands out in a gallery filled with brightly colored paintings. Sorry for the deviation. 🙂

Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Travel Vegetarian

Fresh Tomato Sauce

My mom called me the other day, enthused about her super abundance of tomatoes. She wanted to start making sauce, and lot’s of it 🙂

The Pomarola Sauce from a couple of weeks ago hailed from Naples. Today’s recipe is a Tuscan classic. In Tuscany, the rule of thumb is is combine only necessary ingredients, of the highest quality, and in perfect proportions, in order to produce the very best results.

Given the fact that this recipe only has three ingredients, I think you’ll have the chance to taste a bit Tuscany, and how could that not be a good thing?

Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Vegan Vegetarian

Pomarola Pasta Sauce

Hope you’re having a great start to your weekend. Today’s pasta sauce comes from Naples, and you can use either fresh or canned tomatoes.

My brother gave me a couple of earthbox containers a few years ago, and that’s where I plant my tomatoes. Although they grow a bit smaller, the tomatoes have great flavor and I’ve been harvesting for about three weeks now. I had to supplement my crop with some from my local Farmer’s Market for this recipe, but I’m sure we’ll enjoy every drop of this tasty sauce.

Italy Main Course Vegan Vegetarian

Pasta Piselli

I had to go to the nearby town of Emmitsburg yesterday, and whenever I’m in that area, I always try and stop by the Catoctin Mountain Orchard. They have some of the best local produce around, and I picked up some great stuff yesterday, including a quart of fresh English peas.

I had wanted to make a pasta dish for some friends, and seeing the peas, I remembered I had a recipe for Pasta Piselli, a classic Italian favorite. This is a simple dish, and the ingredients are few: Fresh peas, tomatoes, herbs and onions. That’s about it. If you can’t find fresh peas, frozen are o.k. But try and find fresh.

Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Vegan Vegetarian

Panzanella

I was sitting in an outdoor cafe in Florence the first time I had Panzanella. The main component of this frugal Tuscan dish is stale bread.

Teamed up with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil, mixed together in a vinaigrette, the dish sings.

Now that things are getting hot and humid, this recipe makes for a terrific light lunch or dinner. Serve it up with a Pinot Grigio or some other light white, preferably from the same region of Italy where this bread salad is a lunch/dinner-time staple.

Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Travel

Tuscan White Bean Soup

I was out to lunch the other day with a college student, and he mentioned that he wanted me to get another bean soup recipe up. So, this one is for him, and I’m pretty sure he’ll like it. I trust you will too.

For centuries, the people of Tuscany have loved beans. In fact, they have the unfortunate nickname of bean eaters. Tuscan bean varieties vary by geographic area, and some towns are known for their particular type. That’s one of the things I love most about Italy. Each place usually has many things unique to them. If you see something you like, you have to get it then, because you probably won’t see it elsewhere. I always use this as an excuse for going back. Sorry for the deviation 🙂 Here’s the recipe…

Catholic Church Inspiration Italy Spirit Travel

Gabriel’s Message

I broke the news to a group of college students last night. Nine months from today, we’ll be celebrating Christmas. That’s right. Today’s the Feast of the Annunciation, the moment humanity learned of Emmanuel, God with us.

You may recall that the image above, the Cortona Annunciation by Fra Angelico is one of my all time favorites. I’ve had the chance to see it several times in the Museo Diocesano, and each and every time, the vibrancy and beauty of this great artist’s masterpiece leaves me stunned.

Inspiration Italy Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Vegan Vegetarian

Tomato and Bread Soup

I was visiting with a family the other day, and all the kids were home because school had been cancelled. When my friend asked them what they wanted for lunch, they asked for “red” soup. Interesting. I realized that, since the mom and dad don’t like tomatoes, they must not use that name with their kids. It brought a smile to my face. What kid doesn’t like a bowl of tomato soup, served up with a grilled cheese sandwich?

The soup for this weekend is one of the easiest soups to make, and one of the best tasting. I remember having it for the first time when my family and I were in Florence one October. Pappa al Pomodoro is true Tuscan peasant food. I got the recipe from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. The book arrived the other day as a birthday gift from my brother and his family. It was a great choice 🙂

Catholic Church Inspiration Italy Prayer

A Christmas Prayer

The Nativity by Fra Angelico

You Come Down from the Stars
St. Alphonsus Ligouri

You come down from the stars
Oh King of Heavens,
And you come in a cave
In the cold, in the frost.
And you come in a cave
In the cold, in the frost.

Oh my Divine Baby
I see you trembling here,
Oh Blessed God,
Ah, how much it cost you,
Your loving me.
Ah, how much it cost you,
Your loving me.

For you, who are of all the world
The creator,
No robes and fire,
Oh my Lord.
No robes and fire,
Oh my Lord.

Dear chosen one, little infant
This dire poverty,
Makes me love you more
Since Love made you
Poor now.
Since Love made you
Poor now.

Merry Christmas! I found myself on a quest this morning. I wanted to find the English translation to the great Italian Christmas carol, Tu scendi dalle Stella, written by St. Alphonsus Ligouri in the summer of 1755.

The song has been the most popular Christmas carol in Italy for centuries. Giuseppe Verdi is to have said, Christmas without Tu Scendi dalle Stella is not Christmas.

Continue reading “A Christmas Prayer”

Italy Main Course Soups and Stews type II diabetes Vegetarian

Lentils with Wine Glazed Vegetables

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 12/18/2010
No Comments on Lentils with Wine Glazed Vegetables

This recipe is one of the first I posted on my blog, and it quickly became a favorite. I’m making some changes to the look and feel of my site, so I’m re-posting some older recipes in a single format, rather than all the recipes together in a running list. It will make it much easier to find recipes and other posts in the future.

So, why lentils? First off, they’ve become a great staple in my vegetarian diet. They are high in both fiber (8g) and protein (9g) per 1/2 cup serving, which satisfies hours after eating, which helps control appetite.