We’re Having a…

We’re Having a…

We're Having a....

Baby girl!  ❤

We are so excited. Little Baby Italicana is joining our family, our team.  

Details below on how we found out, Baby Italicana’s name ❤, flying pregnant and a calendar of my USA cooking tour around Seattle and Portland! I hope to see you in person at one or more of these upcoming events! ❤

How We Found Out:

We're Having a...

During my 13 week ultrasound, the doctor told us that he was 95% sure that it was a girl. So why didn’t I reveal this news weeks ago? Well, after talking to countless Italian friends with kids, I heard so many stories where the doctor said it was a girl, then they found out at their 20 week ultrasound that it was a boy or vice versa! So even with this news, I tried to keep an objective 50/50 mindset of having a boy or a girl to not get too attached to one or the other, only to be disappointed.

But, it was hard.

I kept on using girl pronouns with our baby when talking about her.

And… I secretly wanted a girl…so did Mr. Italicano. Of course, don’t get me wrong. A baby boy would have been an absolute blessing and we would have welcomed him with open arms and loving hearts. ❤  All that matters in the end is that our baby is healthy and happy. But… to be 100% transparent, we did have a preference—we hoped for a little girl.

Which is strange, really.

All my life, I had the image of someday having boys.. 3 or 4 of them. In my mind I could foresee a full house of rambunctious, fun-loving boys–no girls.

Boys:

We're Having a...I LOVED growing up with two older brothers. They protected me and they made me tough. I idolized them. In fact, I wanted to be one of them. When I was little, I hated dresses and loved their hand-me-down clothes. I tried to join Boy Scouts like they did, but the Scout Master told me no. Which in my opinion was so unfair. Girl Scouts at the time did (and maybe still do?) very “girly” activities. I wanted to learn how to use a compass and knife, to build things and to survive in the wild. #totalinjustice)

And… boys usually aren’t drama. I hate drama.

Yes, in reality I should be dreaming of a boy.

Yet, I wanted a girl.

I want to teach her how to be tough, how to be independent and the importance of perseverance. I want to teach her not to gossip, not to start drama and to be compassionate towards others.

Mr. Italicano is excited to play legos with her and teach her how to build things. (He majored in industrial engineering.) He too doesn’t want our girl to follow gender stereotypes. We want our little girl to know no limits.

Baby’s Name

December 24, 2015

It’s a beautiful sunny and cold afternoon in the Italian alps. Mr. Italicano and I are staying a week in the mountains to celebrate Christmas, to spend as much time as we can snowboarding and to get some alone time together before Mr. Italicano leaves for 3 months to India in February for work, while I head to the states.  Today we decide to go for a hike. As we walk towards Lake Nambino our conversations drift to various topics, and when we reach the crystal clear mountain lake, the subject arises of starting a family.  

We daydream of what it will be like to be parents and have a little one to  play with and teach, to kiss and cuddle. We hypothesis baby names. We both start naming off girl names, uncommon names related to nature, to cities and to food, until there is one name that make both of us stop in our tracks and smile:

Pepper

We know in that instant that is our future baby girl’s name.  ❤  It’s unique and meaningful. It reminds me of my dad Lee who always covers his entire plate of food with black pepper and usually keeps a little pepper packet in his front pocket as a reserve. It’s also related to food, both as pepper as a seasoning and pepper as the vegetables.  The name is strong and a little spicy. 🙂

So, when I say we had a preference for a girl, I wasn’t lying. It was 2 years ago that we had thought about this little sweet pea. And, although we didn’t start trying to conceive her until 2017, she was always in our minds and hearts.

We can’t wait to meet you, Pepper Gail Lorenzini. ❤  We can’t wait to hold you and snuggle you, tickle your tiny toes and kiss your little nose.  

Here is a video that we made that very day for our future baby!

Why Gail as a middle name? It’s both my mom’s and my middle name. I wanted to carry on this little family tradition. Pepper will be the 3rd generation to have that middle name. And, who knows how long it will continue. 🙂

Baby Italicana in Tuscany:

We're Having a...

What do you think of my overalls? I bought them because they are quite the Italian fashion, and they were perfect for the upcoming event at our wonderful client’s Poggio del Farro in Tuscany. For those who follow me, you probably know that I have been collaborating with them. I love their farro products and their quest for only the best quality for their customers. For those of you who don’t know about farro, an Italian ancient grain, here is an article that gives some more details on this super food.  You’ll find tons of delicious recipes with farro here on my site as well as on Poggio del Farro’s recipe page. 

While there, we got to participate in their 2nd Annual Threshing/Harvest festival. We watched an agricultural demonstration while admiring vintage machinery and tools. For the large open air lunch (with over 400 people!), I prepared a fresh farro salad with a lemon dijon vinaigrette and Milena (Poggio del Farro) prepared a delicious tomato, feta and olive salad. The majority of   the traditional Tuscan food was prepared by 15 women who started the day prior preparing many dishes like the traditional Tuscan ribollita (vegetable soup), pappa al pomodoro (tomato and bread soup), farro e fagioli (farro and beans), bruschette con pomodoro e basilico (bruschette with tomatoes and basil) and delicious ficattole (fried bread).

Baby Italicana Heads to the USA:

We're Having a...

Little Baby Italicana made her second trip to the USA!

Note to pregnant mama’s, overalls are also PERFECT for long international flights! It was like flying in my PJ’s.

Well…almost.

When you fly, there is always the risk of deep vein thrombosis, a condition where you develop blood clots in your legs from prolonged sitting. That is why it’s advisable to always get up and move around on flights.  Pregnant women are especially vulnerable and so wearing sexy compression hose helps to increase circulation, reduce the risk of swelling and clotting. Not the comfiest things in the world, but definitely necessary.

For extra leg comfort, Mr. Italicano and I also upgraded to Premium Economy. The tickets cost around 25-30% more but we thought it would be well worth it this time. Also because I’ll be in the states for 40 days and a second piece of large luggage is included for free with Premium Economy–that we filled with presents and of course Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 4kg (9 lbs) to be precise! One piece of luggage (like every trip!) arrived a few days late, but now we’re quite use to it.

Back to our seats. We got a sweet surprise of being put in the exit aisle row! ✈️ Premium economy + emergency exit = I can do yoga in the aisle! ❤

We're Having a...The only problem that the aisle was so big that other passengers thought it was a walkway and would actually stand in front of us as we tried to watch a movie on our monitor!

Now on to some information on the USA Tour and Recipes I’ll be doing around Seattle and Portland!

USA Cooking Tour Calendar

We're Having a...I have some great events coming up starting with interactive adult and kid/teen classes, demos and a pop up restaurant at the grand opening of Caruccio’s, a new and beautiful culinary event space in Mercer Island by Lisa Caruccio!  All of the dishes are based on farro, an Italian ancient grain, and sponsored by Poggio del FarroYou can check out the menus, availability and buy your tickets online by clicking on one of the dates below:

Caruccio’s
2441 76th Avenue SE
Suite 100
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 232-2320
Info@caruccios.com

Adult’s Cooking Class: Thursday, August 24th, 6pm-8pm (PDT)

Spinach Pasta with Kale Pesto, Leeks and Toasted Almonds

Crostata with Strawberry Jam, Fior di Latte Gelato and Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Balsamico Bonini

Kid’s Cooking Class (8-12 yrs old): Friday, August 25th, 11am-1pm (PDT) 

Farro Ravioli with Ricotta and Mushrooms in a Butter and Sage Sauce

Mini Farro Tarts with Yogurt & Fruit

Adult’s Cooking Class: Friday, August 25th, 6pm-8pm (PDT)

Spinach Pasta with Kale Pesto, Leeks and Toasted Almonds

Crostata with Strawberry Jam, Fior di Latte Gelato and Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Balsamico Bonini

Pop-Up Restaurant: Saturday, August 26th, 6pm-9pm (PDT)

{Starter} Farro Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt, Pistachios and Orange Zest

{Main} Green Matcha Pasta with Pesto, Leeks and Wild-Caught Prawns

{Dessert} Strawberry Crostata with Fior Di Latte Gelato and Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Balsamico Bonini

Cooking Demo: Sunday, August 27th, 3pm-5pm (PDT)

Farro Salad with a Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Pink Beet Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts

Farro Chocolate Chip Cookies

After these fun cooking events, I will be doing complimentary cooking demos with Smeg USA , an amazing Italian appliance brand, at Nordstroms and Williams-Sonoma around Seattle and Portland. I’ll be showing how to make homemade pasta with Smeg’s stand mixer and pasta attachments, how to make summer citrus juicers with Smeg’s citrus juicer, how to make a rejuvenating matcha tea full of antioxidants (that will be supplied by matcha tea producers Sugimoto USA) with Smeg’s controlled temperature kettle, and how to make espresso drinks with Smeg’s espresso machine.  {affiliate links}

Around Portland:

Williams-Sonoma Washington Square

Tuesday, August 29th 12-2pm (PDT)

9367 SW Washington Square Road

Tigard, OR 97223

Williams-Sonoma 23rd Ave

Wednesday, August 30th 12-2pm (PDT)

338 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210, USA

Around Seattle:

Nordstrom Downtown:

Thursday, August 31st 12-2pm (PDT)

500 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Williams-Sonoma Alderwood Mall:

Friday, September 1st 12-2pm (PDT)

3000 184th St SW #942, Lynnwood, WA 98037

Williams-Sonoma University Village:

Saturday, September 2nd 12-2pm (PDT)

2530 NE University Village, Seattle, WA 98105

Williams-Sonoma Bellevue Square:

Sunday, September 3rd 12-2pm (PDT)

216 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Nordstrom Bellevue:

Sunday, September 3rd 4-6pm (PDT)

100 Bellevue Way SE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Head to the calendar to see all of my upcoming cooking events! 

I hope to see you in person at one of these cooking events!  ❤   I look forward to teaching you how to make nutritious and easy recipes for you and your whole family. Big hugs to you all and I hope you are enjoying your summer! ❤

See you soon!

Cindy & Pepper

 

 

Upcoming Cooking Shows: The Easy Way To Prepare Ancient Grains

Upcoming Cooking Shows: The Easy Way To Prepare Ancient Grains

Mr. Italicano and I have just arrived in the USA! Over the next two weeks we’ll be in Chicago and New York City, where I’ll be doing a variety of “Ancient Grain Farro Cooking Shows” with Smeg USA at Williams-Sonoma, Eataly, Bloomingdales and the IHA trade show. For complete details you can check out my event calendar. I would love to see you there! I look forward to teaching you how to make nutritious meals with this superfood grain. I’ll show you how easy and quick my recipes are to prepare, with Smeg USA’s practical and beautiful 1950’s style appliances.

Every since moving to Italy, I have adapted a Mediterranean lifestyle.  I cook simple recipes made with natural and fresh ingredients that explode with flavors. During my last cooking shows, many complaints by the audience was that they are passionate about cooking but don’t have the time to get in the kitchen. I disagree. With the right recipes and kitchen tools, making homemade meals takes less time than going to a restaurant, let alone the meal will cost a fraction of the price! I talk more about this topic in an earlier post.

The art of eating well and feeling good is simplicity. When I got this basic principal down, I didn’t mind getting in the kitchen to cook because it wasn’t a strenuous task, but a way to have fun, relax, slow down and be mindful about what I was putting into my and Mr. Italicano’s bodies. Simplicity also means having a few tricks up my sleeves for our modern lives. Just like I wouldn’t go to the nearest river stream to wash my clothes (thank goodness for washing machine’s!), I also don’t waste my time mashing, kneading, rolling out, chopping and cooking every day. In fact, to keep my life simple, these are recipes that you can make once and enjoy them the following days. I also use use a blender, stand mixer, and a variety of attachments that do a lot of the work for me in rapid time. I heart technology that supports my mission to eat healthy and homemade.

I’ll be posting these recipes soon to my blog, but in the meantime here is a sneak peak on what I will be preparing at these fun culinary demonstrations in Chicago and NYC!

1. Farro Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt and Pistachios 

2. Homemade Matcha Pasta with Spinach, Zucchini and Lemons 

3. Beet Crepes with Ricotta, Arugula, Blood Oranges and Aged Balsamic Vinegar 

4. Spring Farro Salad with a Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette 

In the meantime, you can follow along on YouTube! ’ I’ll be posting frequent episodes of my day preparing and cooking at these events (and hopefully discovering some good restaurants as well!) I would really appreciate your feedback and support. Please leave us a comment on youtube! Thanks so much!

Ciao ciao!

Cindy

This post is in collaboration with Smeg USA, but all of my thoughts and opinions are my own.

I Don’t Have Time to Cook

I Don’t Have Time to Cook

cindy-swain-eataly2

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”

William Penn

“The quality of life is more important than life itself”

Alexis Carrel

“Creation is a better means of self-expression than possession; it’s through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed”

Vida D. Scudder

Mr. Italicano and I recently returned from 2 weeks of my cooking demonstrations in New York City with SMEG USA to help celebrate their 10th anniversary in the states. I spent the week catching up on jet leg and reflecting about the comments I received from the people who stopped by to watch these cooking shows.

What I discovered is that that one of the overarching problems for local New Yorkers is that the meal time decision usually comes down to one thing: time. Of course, this is quite a universal problem, but it really struck home while talking with people who live in the city and rarely, if ever, cook. “I just don’t have time,” they would say.

three-colored-pasta-web-2-italicanakitchenCooking for me is a sacred part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Not only am I creating, which stimulates sentiments of satisfaction, I also know exactly what I am putting into my body. Why would anyone who wants to lead a balanced and healthy lifestyle refute these two things?

Although many New Yorkers had blamed it on time, I want to help by giving my opinion about the time for cooking simple meals. If you try to compare a simple and nutritious meal that you would make at home to the same kind of meal you would find, let’s say, at an organic restaurant near your home, the factor of time is almost the same. Don’t believe me? Let’s do the calculation together:  CONTINUE READING

Learn How to Make Natural Colored Pasta with Italicana Kitchen in New York City!

Learn How to Make Natural Colored Pasta with Italicana Kitchen in New York City!

italicanakitchenMr. Italicano and I have arrived in New York City! We’ll be here for the next 2 weeks to help Smeg USA celebrate their 10th anniversary with 10 food events around the city! I am so excited to be a part of this food tour and I can’t wait to teach you how to make simple and delicious homemade Italian food. A special thanks to my Italian family, friends and foodies who have taught me the art and tricks to cooking delicious, healthy Italian food during the past 8 years that I have been living in Italy.

three-colored-pasta-web-2-italicanakitchenOn my menu, I’ll show you how to make natural colored pasta dishes and pumpkin themed recipes that are perfect for Halloween. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of samples!

  1. Beet Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Goat Cheese and Toasted Walnuts
  2. Spinach Pasta with Kale Pesto, Shaved Leeks and Toasted Almonds 
  3. Turmeric Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Toasted Walnuts and Crispy Sage Ribbons 
  4. Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Homemade Croutons, Crispy Sage Ribbons and Toasted Sunflower Seeds
  5. Pumpkin Hummus and Crostini 

spinach-web-3-italicanakitchenFor those of you in the New York City area, here is the event calendar. I would really appreciate your help if you pass this information on to all of your foodie friends. Thank you SO MUCH in advance for helping to spread the word!

eventcalendar_smeg_italicanakitchenWe’re also running a contest at the events, and the winner will receive a beautiful CONTINUE READING

Homemade Pesto alla Genovese 

Homemade Pesto alla Genovese 

Being that Mr. Italicano and I spent the weekend with friends on a sailboat in the Italian region of Liguria, it was only fitting that I posted this delicious recipe for homemade pesto alla genovese since it is a typical Ligurian delicacy, by now known and celebrated throughout the world.

pesto-alla-genovese-2If you are planning a trip to Italy and are thinking about making your way to Liguria to check out the Cinque Terre, I highly recommend taking another few days to do these following three things:  CONTINUE READING