Thursday, November 15, 2007

The artist's creations and the new question

The artist at work...

Giacomo made this picture when I asked him to make a drawing of mom and dad. Can you notice the differences? Dad has short hair, mom has long. Dad's eyes are nice, mom's a little...wrinkled? For sure, we both have enough toes!!

"Il mio Papà"

"La mia Mamma"

Here is the question: What is this?

Send your suggestions in a comment. As always, who wins, gets a prize! (For those who have won in the previous round with the jellyfish, the gift is coming this weekend!)

Friday, November 9, 2007

Mom, I am sooo tired...

One day while eating:

Friday, November 2, 2007

Pumpkin with pumpkin

It is really pumpkin time!! I am finding many good recipes and the other day I even bought a pumpkin. When I said to Emaneul that I got one he replied right away: "Will you make risotto of it?" I did make it...and not only the risotto...

Pumpkin risotto - as I make it


500 g pumpik cleaned and cut in cubes
1/4 onion
50 ml white wine
1 TBSP butter
3 TBSP olive oil
4 handful of rice (the one for risotto)
Water or left over broth (vegetable or meat)


1. Put the butter and the oil in a pressure cooker and let them melt together, then add the chopped onion and cook it for a few minutes. When the onion is transparent add the rice and cook it for 3-4 minutes while stirring it continuosly. Add the wine.

2. When the odour of the alcohol is gone add the water or the broth, and the pumpkin cubes. Cook it for 10-12 minutes.

3. Salt and mix with parmesan before serving. Serve it hot!

Pumpkin creamsoup

I found this recipe on a Hungarian foodblog, called a Chili&Vanilia (sometime she writes recipes in English, so you might check it out), and I made this creamy soup from the other half of the pumpkin. I can say, this was the first time, but not the is very delicious...


500 g pumpkin
1 medium sized potato
half apple
1 small onion
2 TBSP honey
juice of a half orange
250 ml broth
salt, pepper, nutmeg
2 TBSP cream
1 TBSP butter


1. Cook the pumpkin. In the meantime cook the onion with the thyme in the butter.

2. When the onion is trasparent, add the honey and let it caramelize a bit. Add the apple and potato cut in small cubes, add the soup and boil it until everything is well cooked.

3. Add the pumpkin and mash everything in the mixer. Add the spices and the juice (according to your taste).

4. Stir in the cream and it is ready.