Food

I just read through this awesome cookbook called Urban Italian, by Andrew Carmallini and Gwen Hyman. I love a cookbook that has lots of good, sturdy pictures, Of course, then I am always hungry afterwards! I tried making a chickpea-and-spinach dish that involves actually frying the beans, then stir frying garlic and spinach; man was this good! I had to modify as I did not have all of the ingredients for the recepie but it was still really good. I would like to make their 'spread' for crusty bread: it involves ricotta cheese, whole milk, spices, and olive oil.

I could picture myself in some small coastal town in Italy, sitting at an outdoor cafe for hours, talking and eating with the natives, trying to speak Italian. I like how different cultures of the world express with food and social context - that there is life beyond eat-and-run. I have a dear friend who grew up in Argentina, and she often tells me these stories of how they would spend hours eating just one meal together, eating slowly and really appreciating the food and each other. This leaves me feeling inspired and happy. Bon appetit!