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Back to one’s roots…

March 9, 2016 10:18 pm

So you want to read my blog, eh?

I have decided that on vacation is a good place to start a food blog. I want to blog about what someone like me (a chef/busy business owner/busy mother of two) is cooking at home for her family. However, I’m not at home, I’m in the HOMELAND! Soooo, I am actually not doing all the cooking, I am doing all the Eating!

This is a good opportunity for me to blog about all things FOOD while I am here in southern Italy. We just arrived in Roggiano Gravina, Calabria.

Back home

That is the view of our backyard. We have about an acre of land (and when I say we, I really mean my in-laws).  There is gardens, orchards and livestock here in “campagna” (that’s the rural areas where people have little a farmland).

The vinyards

It is very common here for people to have land where they can cultivate the fruits of their labour.  Here, in order to take advantage of the plentiful vegetation, the people who do have land work around the clock to ensure they have preserves all year round.

For example, now in March, is the season of lemons, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, asparagus, beets and artichokes.

Our first restaurant visit here in Roggiano is always Ristorante Bellavista. This is my cousins restaurant. We always stop by to say hello “a salutare” all my cousins, and always end up staying for a pizza!

Pizza, of course, is a staple anywhere you go in Italy! And my cousins have some of the best wood burning oven pizza anywhere. One of my favorites, the “fresca estate.” (A fresh summer pizza) I know, I know, it’s not summer, but I couldn’t resist.

A fresh, summer pizza!

The combination of freshly diced tomatoes, crisp arugola, salty prosciutto di parma and warm soft pizza crust makes this white pizza the epitome of Italy on a plate.

Simple, elegant, delicious, humble but overall a masterpiece every time!

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