Will Fly For Food Blog » Italy

Cookies, Pies and Pounds Oh My!

NearlyBionic — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:50:17 +0000

With the holidays right around the world, I look forward to all of the food that is cooked and baked just for the occasions and am reminded of memories from years past that I miss. Food from all around the world, decked tables of culinary delights and thoughts of New Years resolutions to lose the weight that we put on each November and December. What’s kind’s of foods do you look forward to each year? Are those different than what you remember as a child?

Traditional American food for Thanksgiving usually consists of a golden roasted turkey browned and dripping with juices, unless the cook is part of the Griswald family that is, Stove-top stuffing, sweet potatoes laden with butter and marshmallow and jelled cranberry sauce fresh with lines from the can slid straight onto the plate. Okay, one could hope not but you get the idea.

Do you remember why we celebrate Thanksgiving? What about other countries? Do they celebrate the holiday?

The first Thanksgiving was actually claimed to be in 1578 when English explorer Martin Frobisher, landed in Canada on his way to find Asia. In 1621, a meal shared between the Pilgrims and Indians in our United States was considered the first Thanksgiving for us and was made into an official holiday in 1863. Both meals were shared with the local Indians and the foods that they had to share!

I have heard of other countries using the idea of the day to celebrate what they too are thankful for. Even countries that may not celebrate the holiday still have Americans as either guests or expats that celebrate the holiday as part of their continued tradition, although it can be a bit difficult to find the exact ingredients.

It’s also not uncommon for foods from around the world to make their way onto our tables. When I was young, I remember Italian, Polish and Russian foods! With so many delicacies, an extra table was needed! Perogies and cabbage mixed with lasagna and sausage meant that no favorite was left out and traditional Thanksgiving fare was just a suggestion. The real meaning of Thanksgiving is to gather with family and friends and show thanks for what we are blessed with. Of course, I personally don’t think that it would be the same without the turkey since it’s the perfect and reasonable excuse to eat the bird and the pie every day until it’s gone! Right?

As some of us get older and find it harder to lose weight or at least gain it if we’re not careful, I find it necessary to curb some of those dishes and not eat until I can no longer sit without the holiday pants on, or a stretchy empire waist dress! So, what are some dishes that you can still enjoy and not pack on the pounds?

The difference between a roasted and deep fried turkey? 25 calories and 3 grams of fat less in the roasted version and white meat has less than dark meat. Skinless is better than eating the fatty skin and so on. If you are that worried about the fat and calories though, I would worry more about the side dishes and deserts!

Sweet potatoes? It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! Even thought sweet potatoes have more nutritian than regular white potatoes,if you cover them in butter and marshmallows then you might as well just slather mashed potatoes in gravy! Instead, consider sweetening cut up and baked sweet potatoes with a little agave nectar. I tried it with butternut squash and it’s like desert in itself! Not as festive and “Thanksgivingy”? Throw a few mini marshmallows and top at the end and bake for that golden brown.

Instead of piling on the stuffing, try some fresh steamed green beans with sauteed onions, instead of the creamy soup and fried onions and enjoy a freshly baked roll. Fresh cranberries cooked with oranges and mint with just enough sugar to curb the tartness is better than the stuff in the can for your waistline.

The one thing that I just cannot give up is the pecan pie! This year, instead of using corn syrup though, I am going to try a new recipe using dark agave nectar. While not as sticky sweet as corn syrup, agave nectar has a low- glycemic index that won’t spike your blood sugar and cause the flow of extra insulin that will turn to fat as you sit there watching football. Better yet, get outside and play football. Alright, perhaps not. It’s not that fair of me to recommend something I couldn’t do personally. Maybe a walk?

Vapiano’s Italian Food Perfectly Al Dente

NearlyBionic — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:44:55 +0000

Across from Dean & Deluca’s in the Uptown area of Charlotte, North Carolina, stands a beautiful tree behind a clear glass window. Behind that, a cafeteria style row offering food being served by what look more like chefs than your typical elementary school lady. A common mistake is that the decor leads to a Japanese fare, which is quickly rectified once I enter the restaurant and observe the Carrara marble everywhere. A typical European building supply, Vapiano’s, owned by Heir Lars Kruse from Germany, explodes with elegance.

Greeted first by Angele, who explains how the process works, we had not planned to dine there that evening and yet her kindness and enthusiasm about the establishment (only 3 months young) made us want to stay. Solid wood floors and tables offer both single chairs topped with camel colored leather and long benches on the opposite side. And, the tree. There are actually two of them and each one is circled by chairs in the same camel hue. On the other side of the dining area, lots of brilliant red in cushion topped chairs and benches with red tables and red chandeliers to complete the look hanging above other areas of the restaurant.

One of my favorite parts is the pasta room. An entire room, although small, is dedicated to making fresh dough for pasta and pizza each day. Even the walls are lined with the Carrara marble that I spoke of earlier. Unfortunately, the pasta making was done for the day so I have to let my imagination and experience lead the rest of the visual way.

First things first. Each guest is given a key card, like you would receive at a hotel that serves as your running tab for whatever you wish to partake in during your visit. From pizza to pasta, salad and sandwich to beers both local and from abroad, wines and cocktails finishing off with a classic Italian desert, you just need to swipe.

For a short time, pizzas between 4 and 7 pm are a very generous $5! Walk around through the ropes to the white jacketed person on duty to place your order. Swipe. He hands me a pager and we sit and wait enjoying a glass of wine from the bar. I was pleased to see a simple and inexpensive Pinot Grigio from the La Fiera region of Venezio, Italy! We return as the pager buzzes across the table to pick up the pizza with plates and silverware on silver trays. Here I do feel a little Ikea like except a bit more upscale and it’s actually quite fun.

The Cappricciosa pizza, lined with thinly sliced ham, mozzarella cheese, fresh mushrooms, black olives and artichoke hearts placed as if made by individual slices upon a thin european style crust. Delicate flavor, perfectly baked to a crispy flaky finish balanced will with just enough toppings, not to allow the pizza to sag in distress from being overloaded. The vegetables were fresh and artichokes soft and tender, the ham flavorful and not too salty. Freshly grated parmesan cheese, mixed with dried oregano and olive oil was a nice treat for the crust after the main toppings were gone.

After your meal is finished and it’s time to head out, simply hand your card to the hostess and “check out your tab”. The only thing that I could think of that could be a problem is that if you don’t pay attention, it could be really easy to spend yourself into a very large hole. “Just swipe” here…. That could happen anywhere though and this is a lot of fun so I do recommend this as a fun night out. Hot date?

Nearly Bionic — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:57:05 +0000

This is a post that I wrote on the former blog that I cannot seem to get onto because I can’t remember the password and do not have the email address. Argh! I was going through the pictures of Flickr and remembered the Lamborghini factory that we visited when in Italy. Seemed like a great time and I wanted to re-share with you.

Lamborghini Bribes the Local Police

In Italy on 14 thUTCp31UTC08bUTCThu, 06 Aug 2009 17:29:43 +0000 2009 at 5:29 pm

Ha! I am just kidding. No, really!

My husband and I recently went to Italy, we had the pleasure to visit the Lamborghini factory and museum. Actually, I only went into the museum. There was no need to spend the money on a tour of how they make them for someone who cares more about how they look than what’s inside. Of course, the husband had a job offer when he came out and really enjoyed the full tour.

Oh yeah, it was pretty cool. Personally, I think that one of the models looked like an old Pinto. Whatever. I found one or two that even I could handle. What we were told is that there is not an actual test track there in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy) so they gave the police one of there own. Where this place is located they may scare a corn field or something but there’s not exactly a lot of traffic. I was hard pressed to even see any animals. Dogs galore in the bigger cities but I’m sure it’s not a problem around these parts. The test drivers are professionals anyway. Hopefully.

One of the great things about these cars is that for the exhorbatant cost, you can get the paint and the leather to match anything you want. You want a periwinkle sports car? No problem, Lamborghini will get that made up right away. Perhaps not anytime soon but the quality will be unsurpassed. Camera’s were not allowed in the factory for obvious reasons, however, I was told that the workers were not exactly in a big hurry. This could be only when the tours are coming through or it could be the Italian way of life. Between the hours of approximately 1pm and 4pm, don’t expect too much to be open. Larger meals, a glass or two of wine and a nice nap perhaps.

Some jobs are left to women, which has nothing to do with equality. It has to do with the smaller feminine touches that only a woman could bring to the table. I have to wonder though, what if the woman has really big hands or a man is more feminine with smaller hands? What then? I couldn’t tell you because I didn’t take that tour and I didn’t think to ask. I just think it’s pretty cool that they would care enough about the product to think or something like this.

You can read more about the factory by checking out the museum link above!