Ten things: Happiness and thanks.

1. Mom, Nick, Fer, friends

2. Sunshine in my face

3. Paint or clay in my hands and clothes

4. Airports, suitcases, maps

5. Waking up dreams lingering in my mind

6. Mocha (my dog) running alongside me

7. frost shinning on grass

8. Wine and the conversations that ensue

9. Books and time spent between their pages

10. Silence

It is here!

Earlier than expected, it comes and covers my world. I do not like snow at my front step, I am from the tropics! I can appreciate the beauty of this white blanket, the bright light reflected on everything, yet I am sad.

La Cucina: Tiramisù

As promised, I am back with the recipe for tiramisù. I tried to force convince Nicolas to join me in making this luscious and creamy dessert, but he was not interested. Imagine! He prefers to play with his friends! He is more than happy to eat it though...

This is Ennia's recipe, and is the simplest version of this delicious and traditional dessert. Many people add liquor(cognac or brandy) to the coffee to give it a little kick. I like both versions, my family prefers Ennia's.

Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 Cup sugar
8 oz Mascarpone cheese
20-30 ladyfingers (size varies)
1 Cup of espresso or strong coffee
1/8 Cup of powdered cocoa

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar for about 3 minutes, until creamy.


Add mascarpone and beat for another three minutes, until smooth.
In another bowl beat the egg whites with a touch of salt, until the mixture makes stiff peaks.
Fold carefully with the mascarpone mixture using a metal spoon.


In a deep dish pour the espresso and deep the lady fingers one by one. Align the cookies on the bottom of your serving dish (we used an 8 x 8 glass dish). Picture above shows the leftover ladyfinger pieces. I just liked how they looked.

Spread 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture. Continue layering lady fingers dipped in coffee and mascarpone, finish with a mascarpone layer.


Sprinkle with the cocoa, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Black sheep

Mi little black car was trapped by all these sheep trying to cross the road. This time of year traveling shepherds come to this area and set their motor homes in the open fields. The sheep flock travels from field to field all day long, they graze here and tomorrow they graze there, and usually we end up being the intruders...


I do not mind the little ones. I wish I could tell you more about the shepherds, their traditions, or where they come from. I have not a clue. Do you know? Please leave a comment if you do. Drive safe, you never know what you will find around the corner!

La Cucina senza Nicola

I have news! I have started Italian cooking classes with the nice, knowledgeable, and 100% Italian Ennia. She is a long time friend of my friend Pien, and she is happy to teach this clueless Colombian some of her secrets. We met for the first time on Friday to cook a traditional lasagna bolognese as well as a delicious tiramisù. All this for a Saturday's dinner party in honor of my sweet husband's birthday.

Ennia cooks like all great cooks, without measuring while tasting here and there. I am not going to write down the recipe, as I do not have exact measurements, but I will try to pass on some of the particulars that make her cooking special.


See this great looking bundle of fresh rosemary? It is all tied around a big garlic clove, and its purpose is to flavor the sugo without leaving a trace of itself in the bolognese (you take it out once you are done).


What about this luscious meddley of colors? It is a soffrito, which means to fry gently. The vegetables (carrots, celery, and onion) are softened in good olive oil, enough of it so that the vegetables do not brown. Do not cover it while cooking, as you do not want to steam the soffrito. Cooking takes about 15 minutes. Soffrito is the base of many Italian dishes.


The bolognese sauce is made with equal parts ground veal, and ground pork. The meat is browned with the finished soffrito over high heat. Once browned, add the peeled and diced tomatoes, the wine, the garlic-rosemary bundle, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The smell will let you know that the sugo is ready.


Real lasagna bolognese includes many layers of thin pasta, bolognese sauce applied thinly, bèchamel sauce, and grated parmigiano. The picture above showcases the delicious bèchamel sauce, which Ennia mixed with the bolognese before spreading it on the noodles.


Making lasagna the traditional way is a labor of love. It takes a long time, but it is worth the effort. You will use every cooking implement you own, as every layer needs its own pan, saucepan, or container. It is better to make the lasagna the previous day, as it will have time to sit and when served it will keep its shape. I will share the tiramisú recipe on another post. Our Italian friends were impressed, and to tell you the truth, so was I.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change.

We have taken the first step! We need to work together, we need to look after not only ourselves but each other. We are doing this! I am so happy, so hopeful. I believe in this man. Barak Obama represents everything I love about my adopted country.

I leave you with his words.

VOTE!

Ognissanti

Today is a holiday in Italy: Ognissanti or All Saints.

I learned about this holiday last year, when my neighbor Rosanna was making a beautiful flower bouquet to take to the cementery. I thought then that I would like to partake in this particular memorial, it took me a year to do it.

Back home in Southern California, I had the opportunity of participating in Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Death at Self Help Graphics -a printmaking studio in East LA. I enjoyed the altares, and the sweet treats, and I appreciated the playfulness with which death came around during these festivities.

I have to confess that I am attracted to all rituals celebrating the end of this life as we know it. It must be my Catholic upbringing, or just plain old morbid sensibility. I just find them incredibly beautiful.

With this mindset was that I went down to the town's cemetery in the early afternoon. The rain that has been our permanent companion for the last week had stopped its dancing and pounding, and the sun was breaking through the clouds long enough to give me the chance to take some pictures.

I took my camera, and went to work. Little did I know that every single person in town was going to make their way to the cemetery after lunch. I felt out of place, like an uninvited guest. I was respectful of the people paying their respects, so I avoided taking pictures of them. I took some shy shots of the place, then I hid my camera and looked.

I saw a community larger than our place and time, I saw families connecting through their common history. I would not describe this as a joyful event, but as a communal event, like so many things Italian. Friends remembering old gone friends, great-grandparents telling stories of their parents, children bringing flowers to unknown relatives.

The majority of the visitors would clean the graves, carefully picking up death flowers, all the while talking with themselves long monologues of memories, and news.

Every single person came carrying flowers, mostly yellow. They were all wearing dark colors. I thought it a startling contrast, and I wonder if they see it: a dark background to the multicolored bursts of life.