For those of you who may not know, I had the most amazing opportunity to participate on La Prova del Cuoco, one of Italy’s most famous national cooking shows, hosted by Antonella Clerici,on RAI UNO. (Sorry in advance for the horrible photo quality! I had to take pictures of the computer screen!)
Just being given the opportunity to be a part of the week-long show, was already the biggest satisfaction for me—winning the competition was icing on the cake and being publicly invited back on the show by Antonella was the cherry on top.
Then there were two interviews published last week that were the brightly colored sprinkles making the whole thing deliciously sweet. One article was published on the online website uploadyourtalent.com{in italian} and the other was published on the front cover (!) of the food section in The Spokesman-Review, the largest news and information provider in the Inland Northwest, as well as on their website.
Have I mentioned all of the talented chefs I met on the show? On Monday, I cooked with Cesare Marretti from Tuscany who is as gifted as he is crazy. (In a fun way; his naked pictureswith just a fish are a testament to this.)
On Tuesday, I was paired with Giam Piero Fava from Rome, a superb chef who’s made quite a name in Italy at such a young age.
Then I had the pleasure to cook alongside Ivano Ricchebono from Genoa, owner of the one-star Michelin restaurant, The Cook.
On Thursday, I was with Diego Bongiovanni,a creative and rock’n’roll chef who lit up the kitchen.
And, on Friday, I cooked with Natale Giunta: from Sicily, owner of Castello a Mare and a 7-year veteran on La Prova del Cuoco.
And, of course, not to forget my competitor, Nicola Delle Donne, a kind man and fantastic cook.
I also had the honor of being judged by and meeting Paola Ricas, an extraordinary woman who started off as a journalist and later was the Director for over 30 years of one of Italy’s top culinary magazines, La Cucina Italiana. Unlike most participants on La Prova del Cuoco, I was given a lot of freedom and independence with proposing my American/international recipes and preparing them from start to finish. I was happy that Paola noticed and rewarded me for this effort as it was not at all easy to prepare an entire recipe shot live on national t.v. while also trying to speak in fluent Italian. (Talk about being nervous!)
Last but not least, it was amazing to meet Antonella who is an amazing presenter and an icon in Italy. I am grateful that both Paola and Antonellaappreciated a taste of my “italicana kitchen” and I can’t wait to go back on the show to present more international dishes.
The greatest thing I learned from this experience, which I would like to pass on to you is this: don’t be afraid of setting BIG goals. Many of us (me included!) often times set smaller goals because we believe that we could never achieve the big ones. We block ourselves from even trying because we have that little voice in our head telling us that we will never succeed. Ignore it. With a lot of hard work, persistence and a bit of luck, we all have the ability to live out our dreams. It won’t be easy. At times you will have to claw and fight your way to continue on your path. But if you walk with a fiery of passion, unwavering aim, and you never give up, every step you take is one closer to realizing your dreams.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and left encouraging comments throughout the week. You gave me the boost in morale to give it my all 100% of the time. THANK YOU! Sending a big hug!
These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you!
I am on a mad dash to create fifteen 20 minute meals to present to the television producers ::produttori televisivi for when I will appear on Italy’s most famous national television cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco, this September. My first attempt was these couscous cakes, and, boy, were they a winner. Hopefully the judges will think so as well!
Buttery avocado and smooth cannellini are mashed together with crunchy bread crumbs :: pane grattugiato, aromatic basil, pungent chives and to add some heat, I’ve thrown in some finely diced hot peppers. Now toss in the cooked couscous to add texture and drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil and Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa. (One of my favorite balsamic vinegar producers.) Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before scooping up handfuls of the mixture to form 6 patties. Pour in a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and set the couscous cakes con top and cook until the out layer turns a nice golden hue. If you prefer a lighter version, you can skip the oil and heat the couscous cakes directly on the pan, although they won’t brown as nicely.
Arrange the couscous cakes on a serving plate, or over arugula :: rucola that has been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each cake with a dollop of greek yogurt and scatter some chives over the creamy white mountain. If you want to impress your guests and have them drooling over your food, remember this gold rule: garnish, garnish, garnish. Just check out the difference it makes in the photo below!
Now comes the best part: devouring these little cakes. If any remain (which, I assure you will be unlikely) you can store them in the refrigerator; just reheat them for a few minutes or enjoy them cold. Double ::raddoppiate the batch and pop these couscous cakes in the freezer for a meal to have on hand for unexpected guests or an unexpected change in your lunch or evening plans.
These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you!
Serves: 6 cakes
Ingredients
¼ cup (48g) couscous
½ ripe avocado* (very important that it is mature)
½ cup canned cannellini beans (or other white bean), drained
¼ cup (33g) finely ground bread crumbs
⅓ cup (7g) loosely packed basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (10g) chives, finely chopped + more for garnish
Pinch of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Greek yogurt, as needed (optional)
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the couscous with ¼ cup hot (but not boiling) water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mash the avocado and cannellini beans together then toss in the bread crumbs, basil, chives, hot pepper, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Stir in the couscous and form 6 patties with your hands.
Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Set the patties on top and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the outer layer has a nice golden hue. Top with a dollop of greek yogurt and sprinkle chopped chives on top. Serve alone or with salad greens that have been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. They were kind to send me some samples of their products; I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.
I’ve always enjoyed being on stage. I remember when I was 5 years old dressed in a violet leotard and tutu tap dancing to the music streaming through the speakers, mouth wide with a toothless grin as I scanned the audience to spot my dad’s checkered shirt and my mom’s 1980’s permed hair. Then something remarkable happened; my silk purple shoe lace that held my patent tap shoes in place came untied. As the song came to a close, I shot up my hands and kicked my right heel to the ground for the final pose and found my shoe flying off of my foot and landing on the stage a few feet in front of me. The crowd burst into laughter; all eyes were on me. I smiled even wider and soaked in the attention. Now 26 years later, I found myself with over 20,000 people’s eyes on me as I strolled across the stage to accept a prize for winning a cooking contest hosted by La Strana Coppia of Radio Bruno sponsored by Coop Estense. What an awesome adrenalin rush!
That’s me on the stage in the orange dress staring out at over 20,000 people!
Thanks to Mr. Italicano who forwarded me a flyer about participating in the cooking show, I applied and was accepted. I spent the morning hanging out with Enrico Gualdi and Sandro Damura from La Strana Coppia, laughing hysterically as they cracked jokes and imitated how I speak Italian with a thick American accent.
My competitor and I were paired with chefs from Coop Estense and the competition began.
Two judges were picked from the crowd, and the dish my chef and I had prepared took home the maximum votes among all of the different competitors during the show.
Giulia, a contest winner from a previous show, and I were invited to accept our prize on stage at the Radio Bruno Summer Concert event. I had never been to one of the shows, so little did I know this was a huge event with famous Italian singers like: Modà, Francesco Renga, Noemi, Annalisa, Michele Bravi, and Senhit, just to name a few.
I was expecting hundreds, maybe even a thousand people, so you can imagine my shock to find out that there were more than 20,000 people filling Italy’s third largest square.
Look! Half of my head is on the big screen:-)
I am working my hardest to turn this blog into a successful career. Who knows if I will succeed, but it’s already bringing me places that I would never have imagined and for this I am truly grateful. I recently got a call back to audition for one of Italy’s largest cooking shows, La Prova del Cuoco, hosted by AntonellaClerici so i’ll keep you all updated if I get selected. I am also auditioning for Donnavventura, an Italian travel/adventure television show (think National Geographic, not a reality show!). Voting closes June 18th so check out my audition video and rate the video by selecting the number of stars or if you are daring enough to figure out how to sign up, you can also vote for my video (everything is written in Italian). In any case, thank YOU for reading this blog, supporting me and leaving kind and thoughtful comments here and on my social media pages. Without all of YOU non of this would be possible!
Just being given the opportunity to be a part of the week-long show, was already the biggest satisfaction for me—winning the competition was icing on the cake and being publicly invited back on the show by Antonella was the cherry on top.
Then there were two interviews published last week that were the brightly colored sprinkles making the whole thing deliciously sweet. One article was published on the online website uploadyourtalent.com{in italian} and the other was published on the front cover (!) of the food section in The Spokesman-Review, the largest news and information provider in the Inland Northwest, as well as on their website.
Have I mentioned all of the talented chefs I met on the show? On Monday, I cooked with Cesare Marretti from Tuscany who is as gifted as he is crazy. (In a fun way; his naked pictures with just a fish are a testament to this.)
On Tuesday, I was paired with Giam Piero Fava from Rome, a superb chef who’s made quite a name in Italy at such a young age.
Then I had the pleasure to cook alongside Ivano Ricchebono from Genoa, owner of the one-star Michelin restaurant, The Cook.
On Thursday, I was with Diego Bongiovanni, a creative and rock’n’roll chef who lit up the kitchen.
And, on Friday, I cooked with Natale Giunta: from Sicily, owner of Castello a Mare and a 7-year veteran on La Prova del Cuoco.
And, of course, not to forget my competitor, Nicola Delle Donne, a kind man and fantastic cook.
Last but not least, it was amazing to meet Antonella who is an amazing presenter and an icon in Italy. I am grateful that both Paola and Antonella appreciated a taste of my “italicana kitchen” and I can’t wait to go back on the show to present more international dishes.
The greatest thing I learned from this experience, which I would like to pass on to you is this: don’t be afraid of setting BIG goals. Many of us (me included!) often times set smaller goals because we believe that we could never achieve the big ones. We block ourselves from even trying because we have that little voice in our head telling us that we will never succeed. Ignore it. With a lot of hard work, persistence and a bit of luck, we all have the ability to live out our dreams. It won’t be easy. At times you will have to claw and fight your way to continue on your path. But if you walk with a fiery of passion, unwavering aim, and you never give up, every step you take is one closer to realizing your dreams.
