Living abroad in Italy is exciting and exhilarating. I met Mr. Italicano here. I have made extraordinary friends here. I started my business while living here. I love the challenges and adventure that each new day brings while living in il bel paese. I am grateful and I am thankful each day, yet…I miss Thanksgiving!
I miss the smells from the kitchen mingling with the sweet candles burning. I miss the chaotic sounds that fill the house: the clinking and clanking in the kitchen, kids laughter in the play room and lively shouts coming from the living room after a touchdown.
One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day foods of all time is thisCONTINUE READING
One of the things I love most about living in Italy is my weekly market ::mercato shopping. The entire city center of Correggio, a small town in the region of Emilia-Romagna, fills with clothing and food stalls and bustles with people.
On market day, I always meet my friend, Isabella, for an espresso at a café (or “bar” as they typically say in Italian) so we can do our grocery shopping together. At 8:15a.m. the small space is already packed with customers. We wait in a line as the people in front of us shoot down a shot of coffee in one or two sips :: sorsi, pay a euro and head out the door.
Usually by the time we arrive at the counter :: banco, the barista, who salutes us by name, has already prepared our drinks without us asking: an espresso for Isabella and a macchiato for me. (A macchiato is an espresso that is filled with a dollop of frothy milk. Think of it as a shot size cappuccino.)
Two minutes later we are out the door and on our way to the fishmonger :: pescivendolo. We wait for him to recommend the best fish that was caught that morning. He has a lot of fish that I have never heard of or eaten and I always ask him for recipes that I then slightly adapt like: baked sardines, striped red mullet orJohn Dory with capers and tomatoes.
Next stop is the vegetable and fruit stand :: fruttivendolo. As I grab a number and wait my turn, each of the six employees greet me by name, their smiles and bubbling attitude makes produce shopping one of my favorite social events of the week.
I adore how the crates :: casse are always loaded with so much attractive and vibrant colored produce; this trip in particular I walked away with so many bags I could hardly carry them.
A little sweaty and a bit stronger from my veggie workout, I made it home :: casa and put myself to work roasting my little treasures; they were to be the stars in my roasted autumn vegetable salad with turmeric tahini dressing.
And, stars they were. The roasted pumpkin and green and purple cauliflower burst with sweet and caramelized flavors, harmonizing perfectly with the bitter kale, nutty quinoa, toasted chickpeas, and crunchy :: croccanti chia and sesame seeds.
I tossed this bowlful of goodness with a creamy turmeric tahini dressing to increase the warm and bitter :: amaro flavors to create a delicious fall lunch or dinner which would also make for the perfect vegetarian and vegan side for Thanksgiving day.
Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad with Turmeric Tahini Dressing