Feeling settled

Well, it's taken a while, but I'm happy to say that after living in Rome for a year we are finally starting to feel settled. We've finished fixing up the patio, including negotiating with the owner to buy a nice little table, and bought lots of plants to make our little slice of outdoor space green. We also bought a little charcoal grill and have been grilling a few times a week. We have until mid-October to enjoy the patio, then it starts raining and literally won't stop until February.

Rome is also starting to adjust to us living here too. A fried chicken place, yes, that's right, a fried chicken place called Chicken Hut opened just down the hill. We went there today and Jim got a fried chicken sandwich. He was in heaven.

I'll leave you with a few snap shots from the patio.

Back to the daily grind...

Well, it's back to the daily grind here in Rome.

Just back from my one month contract break, aka mandatory unpaid vacation, in Auburn.

The month went by waaaay too fast, but it was nice to spend time with friends and family, and of course Dolce and Fratello. The month was filled with appointments, making jewelry, getting my fix of Food Network, stocking up on all my favorite health food (and gluten free) goodies (Larabars and dry roasted edamame...yum!), decompressing from a stressful year and maybe a little shopping.

I started my new contract today and I'm excited about the projects coming up this fall. And, I'm excited about starting our second year in Rome, along with our second year of marriage. Our first year was full of challenges and adjustments, but now the hard part is over and we can just focus on enjoying the city and country we are calling home.

Ceci Flatbread

The word ceci, besides being one of the best words in the Italian language, means garbanzo bean.

Garbanzo beans are pretty amazing little things. They are low in fat, high in fiber and protein, and they are a great source of minerals, like iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. And not to mention they are gluten free!

This flat bread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a light dinner, or as an easy appetizer for a dinner party. This recipe is an adaptation of the northern Italian classic "farinata."

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

3/4 cup water

1 small onion, thinly sliced in to "half-moons"

2 sprigs of rosemary, finely minced

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. sea salt

For this recipe you will also need a 9-inch non-stick pan that is oven safe (no plastic on the handle!)

The one downside of this recipe, at least with our old oven that isn't well insulated, is that it heats up the kitchen!

Start by cranking up the oven to 450F.

While the oven is heating, combine the garbanzo bean flour and water in a mixing bowl and set aside. The mixture will be very loose, don't be worried.

Slice the onion and scatter the slices in the pan. Mince the rosemary then add it to the onions. Drizzle the onions and rosemary with the olive oil and place the pan in the oven. Let the onions cook for 10-15 minutes until they are fragrant and translucent.

Take the pan out of the oven and gently pour in the batter. Place back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the bread is golden across the top and just starting to brown on the edges.

To serve slice into 8 pieces.

The great thing about this recipe is it's versatility.

Make a North African version by adding spices like cumin and cinnamon, or keep it plain and use it as the base for a gluten free pizza.

The possibilities are endless!

Buon appetito!

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!