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[In my kitchen, Simplicity rules]


Ever since i was a child, i've been deeply in love with Italy and all the wonderful thing that this country offers.
Not only the Italian language is beautiful, but Italy is full of gorgeous things that deserve to be known.

My passion for Italy was born because my grand parents were from Italy and because my dad is always reminding us our origins - which is a great thing in my opinion.

The first thing i discovered about Italy was its stunning landscapes: laghi, montagne, valli...
I remember every single passegiata [walk] i made with my parents.

Then is started studying Italian at school (9h a week) for 7 years. There i was shown how beautiful was the Italian litterature. I fall in love with Giovanni Pascoli, the most divine poet.

And now, though i remain highly interested in letteratura, my interest in Italy has slightly changed from romanzi e poesie to cookbooks.
Indeed the last time i went to San Remo, we stopped in a bookshop where i bought a great book on all the greatest Italian food treasures: L'Italia da gustare, 101 città del cibo e del vino [Italy to taste, 101 cities of food and wine].

From the Italian cuisine, i keep the simplicity. I like the fact you use the best products available.
What is better that feeling every single taste in a dinstictive way? Good olive oil, good bread, good cheese... That totally does it for me.

So when i spotted this gorgeous ball of mozzarella di bufala, i knew i had to have it.
True mozzarella di bufala is divina in the simplest way; and though it is quite expensive, i would never buy the supermarket sort, even for a pizza.



Best mozzarella salad
This "salad" is for mozzarella lovers only. I won't say this is a recipe, but more a reminder: olive oil goes well with mozzarella goes well with pepper.
Have a good, preferably homemade, country-style crusty bread along this salad.

Just a short note on mozzarella: history and fabrication process (in Italian!)
"La mozzarella di bufala veniva prodotta già nel Duecento dai monaci di San Lorenzo di Capua, che la offrivano ai canonici giunti in processione al convento, e in Campania viene prodotta intensivamente dal Seicento. E un formaggio fresco di pasta filata che deve il nome al fatto che la pasta viene "mozzata", fatta a pezzi con un operazione molto delicata. Dopo la bollitura del latte infatti la pasta che si forma viene passata in un recipiente dove vienfatta fondere, viene spezzettata minutamente e poi lavorata per darle la carrateristica forma a treccia, o di sfera o bocconcino." (L'Italia da gustare, p.194)

Labels: cheese, make a meal of it, recipe inside

 Sara - Piperita said something sweet:

Tears are falling down my cheeks for this wonderful poem you dedicated to Italy!
Thanks Fanny!

12 April, 2006 15:42 

 Anonymous said something sweet:

You are right. Simplicity is the best.
Great pics that make me want this mozzarella!

12 April, 2006 16:38 

 Anonymous said something sweet:

Je n'ai pa tout compri (a part les trucs en Italien), mais sa m'a l'air tré bon; surtout comme c'est toi ki l'a fait !!!

Bizzzous

13 April, 2006 17:52 

 Anonymous said something sweet:

Hi Fanny, I completely share your love of everything Italian (though unfortunately I don't have any ancestry to show for it!). I traveled in Italy several times when I was in my late teens and early twenties and everything about the country just enchanted me - the landscape, the people, the art, the architecture, the lifestyle, and of course the food. Although so much has been written about Italian food and generally it is regarded as so 'cliché' in English-speaking countries, it never fails to amaze me just how much there still is to discover! Seeing your beautiful mozzarella salad reminded me of a dish I saw on Jamie Oliver's recent TV program about Italy. When he was in Puglia he made an antipasto with sauteed greens, huge chunks of mozzarella di bufala and a lemon-garlic-anchovy vinaigrette that he drizzled over the whole thing. It looked absolutely delicious, but unfortunately this recipe didn't make it into his book. You've never heard of anything like that, have you?

13 April, 2006 18:21 

 Valentina said something sweet:

I had been a bit busy and without time to come by. It is so refreshing to 'step'foot on your domain, the pictures are lovely, the posts are enlightening..Lovely post. You are a special girl Fanny.

01 May, 2006 17:43 

 Anonymous said something sweet:

It is the essence of italian cooking...all in your lovely photo. However, don't be too hard on supermarket mozzarella. It's the perfect choice for pizza. The Bufala variety does not melt well, becoming very tough. Always serve bufala fresh!

21 May, 2006 18:48 

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