Capri

Last weekend we headed south to Capri while Laura and Dustin were visiting.

Capri is notoriously expensive, but we stayed in Anacapri, which is a little less expensive and a little less touristy. We stayed at Villa Eva, which is located just outside of the center of Anacapri and has a lovely pool to relax at.

Here are a few pictures:

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Here is my recipe for one of my springtime favorites, Rosemary Simple Syrup.

Rosemary is one of those herbs I always have around, thanks to my trusty little plant that I couldn't kill even if I tried, and I'm always trying to figure out what else I can do with it. Well, here is one of my sweet solutions:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

In a sauce pan combine sugar, water and rosemary (just toss in the whole sprigs). Turn the heat on low, stir, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Once it comes to a simmer turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool, then take out the rosemary sprigs.

Et voila! You now have a delicious light syrup that can be used with just about anything.

For a cool refreshment, add one shot of the rosemary simple syrup to a glass, the juice of half a lemon, then fill the glass with sparkling water, like San Pellegrino. Top the glass of with a few ice cubes, stir and enjoy a refreshing glass of Sparkling Rosemary Lemonade.

Or, keep it super simple and just pour a little over a fresh fruit salad.

Enjoy!

Cefalú, Sicilia

Many people have asked us what we did on our trip to Cefalú and each time we answer we struggle find something other to say than "well we ate a lot."

Jim and I are sort of 'foodies'. Every time we travel we want to know what is the best thing to eat in that area and most of our activities involve food. Jim definitely has fun with this as he can eat anything and enjoys trying the 'nasty bits'. So for us our trip to Sicilia was all about the food.

Sicilia is uniquely positioned in the Mediterranean just north of Africa and being kicked by the toe of Italy. Over time the island has been ruled by the Romans, Greeks, Vandals, Normans, Spanish, Byzantines and was once an Islamic state known as the Emirate of Sicily. Sicilia's intriguing history means that it has a unique mix of cultures visible in it's cuisine. From panella to couscous di pesce the north African influence is definitely felt. You can also find the roots of some Italian-American favorites, like caponata and cannoli. It really is a food-lovers destination that is not to be missed.

Other than the food, Cefalú was about R&R. It is a medieval village about a hour by train from Palermo, on the north side of the island. There are lots of little shops, quaint streets to walk up and down, a beach, and lots of great places to hike in the area.

Here's a little snapshot of our trip:

Going Gluten Free

For those of you that know me, you know that I have major issues with food. Every time we go to a restaurant the biggest question is always, "Is there anything that Emma can eat?"

I am extremely allergic to tomatoes and shellfish, I don't eat meat, and I have a sensitivity to gluten. That means I can eat gluten, the main protein found in wheat, I just feel really awful for days after.

Towards the end of high school, on a quest to feel better, I cut out all processed foods and began eating all natural, organic foods. Then early into college I decided to go vegetarian in an effort to add more diversity into my diet. Still, I wasn't feeling great. I went to a gastroenterologist, hoping they would find some reason for my pain, and after testing negative for celiacs, chrons disease, and several other intestinal ailments, the doctor told me I had chronically inflamed small intestines with IBS (whatever that means) and should try a healthier diet and lifestyle. I absolutely had to laugh at this. At that point, I was eating the same diet as my guinea pigs. And I definitely ate better than any other college student I knew.

After that I went on a raw vegan diet. I was juicing green juice every morning and making living dehydrated goodies in my dehydrator. I felt great. For the first time I wasn't in pain after I ate. I had more energy, glowing skin, and felt like the fog had been lifted. Unfortunately it was just too time consuming. I was spending hours and hours, shopping, soaking, cutting, and waiting for foods to be ready. It was not really feasible for me to continue with that lifestyle.

Since then I've had a mostly raw vegetarian diet eating little processed foods and very little gluten. Moving to Italy has definitely thrown a wrench in that plan. Since September I've been indulging on pastries, pasta, and bread and it is killing me. In January I decided that I just couldn't eat that much gluten. I had to start cutting it out. I thought if I ate gluten free most of the time I would be fine and could let myself have the occasional cacio e pepe or pizza, mainly just for when we wanted to go out to eat. But I'm hear to tell you that was one of the worst ideas ever.

This week I've decided to go completely gluten free. I'm mourning the loss of all my favorite foods and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to go the rest of my life without real bread and real pasta and real pastries. On Friday night I was making cupcakes for Jim's birthday, and, as sad as this is, I was actually crying while I was making them because I knew I couldn't have any of them. I couldn't lick the bowl and I couldn't enjoy a birthday cupcake.

The next few weeks and months are going to be really hard, but I have to feel better. I'm very thankful to have such a great husband that can put up with the breakdowns I've had and will continue to have as I cut gluten out. I've been focusing on all the foods I can't have, but there are way more foods that I can have. I just need to plan ahead and stay positive. And even though I'm in Italy, the capital of gluten, there are lots of great gluten free options.

There is a wonderful gluten free bakery, Le Ben, in Trastevere that has bread, pizza, and pastries. The grocery stores all have delicious gluten free pastas, and the markets here are fabulous. I have cheap, fresh, and seasonal produce within arms reach. There is a great restaurant called Zenzero on the coast, just 30 min. away, that has an extensive gluten free menu. And, I have an awesome family who is willing to use some of their limited packing space to bring me food, like gluten free Bisquick and gluten free pretzels, when they come visit. :-)

So here's to feeling better, hopefully for good!

Busy, busy, busy...

Where has the past month and a half gone???

We've done a day trip to Ostia Antica, then a weekend trip to Firenze, followed by a wonderful visit from my mom. Then I had a week long trip to Canada (brrr...) to attend and speak at the 6th annual University Hunger Summit, and then I was off to Torino to attend the annual Inter-Agency meeting for the UN Heads of Youth Programmes. Then a visit from a family friend and finally we had a great visit from Jim's parents that included some much needed relaxation at a winery and agriturismo in Toscana with an impromptu trip to Firenze on the way back to Rome.

And, in the middle of all of that there were still errands to run, clothes to be washed (which takes days with no dryer), food to be bought and cooked. All with the two of us working full time. Yup, that's right! Jim started an internship at FAO (the UN Food & Agriculture Organization) in February. He is working in the forestry department assisting with research on multiple use forests in the tropics. (I'll let him elaborate on the details.)

In a few more weeks we will be off to Sicily for some much needed R&R. We're staying in a tiny little town in the north of the island called Cefalu. Our plan is to eat and relax on the beach. I can't wait!

Firenze

Jim and I took the first train to Firenze (Florence) on Saturday morning. Arrived around 8:30, dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to Il Duomo, the nickname for the stunningly beautiful cathedral in the center of the city. We headed in and climbed the stairs to the top. We were the first and only people for about 30 min. and we had the birds-eye view of Firenze all to ourselves.

Florence is beautiful. It is a compact city, but it is jam-packed with things to do. If you like art, this is your place. We only went to the Galleria Accademia, where the David is, but I'm dying to go back and make a trip to the Uffizi.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Pitti Gola e Cantina

Perhaps one of my favorite places I've discovered thus far. It is a tiny wine store with about 5 tables in Florence. They specialize in wines from the best of the best "micro-wineries," the ones that have a very limited production and are extremely hard to come by. We did a wine tasting meal with 3 courses and about 10 different wines.

Great food, even better wine, and knowledgeable owners. Add it to your list and definitely go when you are in Florence.