Shaya

Nathan, those malloreddus look fantastic. What kind of flour did you use (ETA: or are they homemade?) to make them?

Beautiful combination, Ling!

used to use sand paper and a bleach solution which worked quite well... ← For onion/garlic I always use cold water and soap, just as my mom taught me - works like a charm.

I agree. Beautiful. Perfection.

I've been astonished at seeing fregula in quite a few places lately. I saw Lidia Bastianich make this on one of her older shows; it involved a sieved box that she shook the dampened flour through to form pellets. It does look like a production. ← I am looking forward to this month as well. I didn't realize this but I have made Sardinian food in the past! I've made Lidia's fregola, using my sieve, and it is really easy and satisfying. I've also made the semolina gnocchi with saffron many times (known as ciciones) and really loved them. This one came from my book Italy The Beautiful Cookbook by Lorenza de Medici. It's a great big book with great pictures and covers all regions. Time to revisit these old friends!

Oh, Klary, those Goudse kaasbolletjes look incredible!

My husband just bought some cedro preserved in rose water. He and the kids gobbled it up in 2 days. I guess it's good stuff.

I cut them very thin and blasted the broiler for the last 5 minutes

Kevin, what a beautiful meal. Mike - amazing, your are truly amazing, keep up the awesome cooking. Trout alla Ligura before it went into the oven. Stuffed with parsley and garlic, and surrounded by olives, potato and lemon slices Served with green beans and salsa verde - no anchovies in the house so it has lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. I sort of improvised as I went along. I had a vision of the thinly sliced potatoes surrounding the fish, and I knew I wanted a salsa verde, and I had green beans in the fridge so there they are. Only later did I realize that they must be a perfect Ligurian match - after all, don't they add potatoes and green beans to the pesto?

Very tasty looking dinner, Kevin. Elie, that dish looks really lovely. I love the bright green quality of the pasta, and the contrast it provides on the plate. I love watercress - have some in my fridge right now but I don't have the kind of week ahead of me that will enable me to put this dish together. I hope I can try it another time. ETA: I just noticed that the pasta is made purely from semolina and watercress, with one egg white. Was it a hard pasta to work with? Did it hold together easily?

That was Adam who made the pesto. Quick rule of thumb: spectacularly arranged, mouthwatering photos=Adam. Fuzzy, off center, static shots with messy arrangements on the plate=me! Great looking pizza; I love the arranged rows! ← Thanks for the kind words Kevin and Pontormo. Kevin - I absolutely should have recognized that those photos were not in your typical stylistic form! Mrbigjas, that tart looks really good. I don't see how much thinner that crust could be?

Beautiful pesto dish, Adam. I agree about the cheese, it does dilute the freshness of the herb. I always feel compelled to add it but from this day forward I will save it for the end! [edited to give Adam the credit for his great pesto pasta!] Klary, you seem to have embraced the region and in doing so you are getting the rest of us going! Thanks to Klary for the inspiration, I used Marcella's fava bean smash to make a pizza bianco with some pleurotte mushrooms and anchovies tossed onto one side for my sweetie.

Similar idea to Gini: When I'm alone.....I cut it in half, leave it in the skin, remove the seed, salt it and plop some nice goat's cheese right in the middle. I get some cheese and fruit with each bite - yum! I developed this when I was studying morning until night for my profession (for years and years) and only allowed myself a 5-minute lunch break.

Hi, I am Michael (Shaya's hubby) owner of Winemakeri Inc (NS), supplier to micro-wineries and home winemaking supply stores. Just filling in some information that might be helpful: 1. Grand Pre is NS's 2nd largest winery; Jost is the largest. 2. Benjamin Ridge, owned by local lawyer and junior mining entrepeneur (Etruscan Resources TSX: EET), is set to open soon. Peter was involved as a winery consultant, and I believe Ann may also have been involved as a consulting winemaker (I know both well). 3. Three other wineries that recently opened in the last 1-2 years (but were generally overlooked by the media) are Gaspereau (owned by Jost) Petite Riviere and Bear River. 4. Correct on the whites mentioned as being most promising. L'Acadie Blanc is a favourite of mine and pairs extremely well with Atlantic shelfish. Promising reds include the French hybrids Marechel Foch, Lucy Kuhlman, and Leon Milllot (my indiginous favorite). 5. NS Wineries Link 6. NB is also active with several wineries up and running, although it is too early to tell which varietals will prosper. NB Wineries Link

Klary - it's never too late to see great food! What a nice meal, and an even nicer friend! A few years ago I discovered that good pasta makes all the difference - and I've never looked back. The cheap stuff has a smooth surface so sauce cannot cling to it, while the more artisanal pastas are forced through old bronze dies and are dried very slowly, which gives them a wonderful rough texture that the sauce loves to cling to. The cheap stuff also has a gummy quality to it and no flavor - good to have another convert!

Well done, Kent. This was not an easy task for so many reasons. The unfamiliar kitchen, the limited grocery supplies, and least of all the need to bridge the gap between the cooking style of the new generation with that of the established family cooking tradition. I can relate to this challange. When I am visiting with my family I am anxious to share with them my new culinary favorites but am mindful of what flavors and textures will appeal to their well-established palettes. Bravo, you should be very proud of yourself! ps Despite your warning about the labor-intensiveness, I think I'm going to have to try to make those shrimp!

Thanks for sharing such a special week in your life Klary. You've made me homesick for Europe and the European way of life. Thanks for bringing it to me in such a personal way. You live a special life in a wonderful part of the world!

I really like this book. While I haven't got much more time before the month is out, I know I will use it a lot in the future. Tonight we started with a saffron risotto. Then I made beef involtini with proscuitto and peas. I Followed Downie's instructions and put one stick each of carrot and celery inside each one, and added mint as well. I have made these before with a mince of carrot, celery and onion and parmigiano - I think I might prefer that version. The mint came on a little strong and was not a hit with the kids. But the rest of us enjoyed it.

What a wonderful birthday week this is Klary. It is so wonderful to see you celebrating so fully and openly. It makes me think about my own situation quite a bit. I go all-out planning meals and activities for the birthdays of my kids and my sweetie but when it comes to my own I sort of wake up and expect it all to be done by the birthday fairies. I think I am starting to realize we can be our own birthday fairy. The pizza really does look great. Wendy, I wish I had a "Dayne" who would cook to order for me. What a dream! I am preparing for my little guy's 3rd birthday which is this Sunday. For his party next weekend he wants all the kids to make their own pizzas. Pizza for birthdays...must be a Taurus thing!

Couldn't agree with you more. Pontormo, I just came across my notes on Stracciatella last night and was thinking the same thing - I have some fresh chicken stock so I think it will make it onto the menu before the month is out. Oh, Kevin, my copy of Downie's book has arrived, I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

I love the outdoor courtyard at Il Cortile on Sherbrooke St.

Hi Klary, thanks for welcoming us into your life and home during this celebratory week. I love your balcony, it reminds me so much of the urban European apartments I have visited over the years - compact yet totally functional. I also love your notebook - I have one that looks just like it, great minds think alike.

Thanks you, this makes me very happy.

Elie, beautiful food you have been making. I have been wanting to try those gnocchis for some time now - which recipe do you use to make the ricotta? I know there has been some discussion on other threads on recipes that use the curd versus those that use the whey (which is the traditional method I believe).

Actually this is true according to McGee - the hot water or stock releases the water-soluble flavors, and the addition of alcohol or fat releases the fat-soluable flavors. Come to think of it, when I make my Persian rice, I put a spoonful of the saffron steeped in water along with some oil in the bottom of the pan and let it sizzle before adding the blanched rice. There must be something to that.