Questa Dolce Vita

Mmmmmmomofuku. There is a reason you need a reservation on the third floor, the tables were continuously full right up until eleven-something in the evening. I  know it was around that time as models from the  last show were trickling in sans makeup and with a seemingly insatiable appetite for the raw seafood platter. The seating is unpretentious, the tables a pale wood, and the view unbeatable- Momofuku is encased in a glass cube that looks out into downtown Toronto. The amuse bouche was a bowl of marinated cucumber pieces that sound dull but were actually an excellent start. We ordered the famous duck buns and were thoroughly disappointed to learn they had run out of duck for them. Tip: go early and order the duck buns as soon as you sit down. Instead, we had to settle for the second place eggplant buns which were yummy in their own right but slightly ruined by the lingering disappointment of missing out on the duck. Next was a buckwheat noodle dish followed by two large plates which we shared: duck and pork. Our sides were brussel sprouts and carrots. Everything was so flavorful with unique combinations of textures (crispy puffs of rice in the brussel sprouts, a chewy taro cake underneath the duck). I would almost recommend eating each dish individually, one at a time. Our favorite dish was actually the brussel sprouts- they were golden brown, saturated in a delicious fish sauce, and the edges were slightly crispy along with the rice puffs which added a nice change to every bite.  Dessert was skipped in favor of the milk bar where I picked up the Crack Pie® which is actually imported from the original bakery in Brooklyn, NY every day.  Crack Pie® cannot be described in words, it must simply be eaten. So catch the next flight to Toronto or New York, stat. Click below for more photos. 

Interpret however you like, my aim while working on this piece which was part of my Advanced Placement Art portfolio was for it to serve as an expression of female sexual repression in the modern world. This is certainly no freestone peach. 

Last night I stumbled across this amazing tumblr where Rosangela illustrates an Italian word each day in hopes of it helping her girlfriend learn her native language. Too sweet for words. Check out Italian for my Girlfriend: here. 

Is it terrible to say that my favorite part about Tiramisu Bistro is the wall? Reading this makes me feel more satisfied than even their stellar pasta dishes, it's akin to buying Vogue instead of food (as I so often did on my university budget). Tiramisu Bistro is an absolute must, one of the darling locales adding a much-needed reason to ditch Jasper Avenue and head to 124th Street. The ambiance is casual and quite the opposite of stuffy. They have live music on Friday nights and is arguably one of the only places in Edmonton I will venture to order a pasta dish (the other is Cafe Amore). After six trips to Italy and six years with an Italian significant other, I now consider myself a bit of a pasta snob. Massi has a firm belief that there is never a good excuse for ordering pasta at a restaurant, especially in Canada, because it is always too expensive and not up to par. You would think mastering such a simple carb would be well...simple. But believe me, many have failed. A pasta must not be over/under-cooked, over/under-salted, over/under-sauced; a fine balance must be achieved in this trifecta. So if you find yourself in this city, craving an awesome spaghetti con frutti di mare, this is your place. I greatly appreciated having real shrimp in my dish, the kind that take more than one bite to finish and that do not taste like the freezer. Tip: only order this dish if your boyfriend is also ordering it too or if your aim is to keep away vampires during the night- the garlic is extraordinary and I mean that in the best way possible. 

Other honorable mentions: the Bellini presentation and our heavenly Chocolate Cherry Cake that we "reserved" before even ordering our main course (there was only one slice left, what's a girl to do?). 

...is like a day without sun. It's almost Friday amici! 

This is the literal bread and butter of Italian cuisine. Take some bread (homemade would be best but that really big round monster of a bread that they make at the Italian Center will work just fine), slice it, and toast the pieces lightly on the top using your oven. You can even toast it by frying it in a bit of olive oil using your stovetop if you are opposed to oven use-age (translation: you do not know how to turn on your oven). When golden on top, take a slice of garlic (halve a clove) and rub it discerningly on the pieces of bread. The more you rub, the more you will reek. Next chop up some tomatoes into itty-bitty squares, throw into a bowl. Add some torn up basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Finally drizzle your very best EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil into the bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Best if you let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors become friends. Then spoon onto your lovely, garlic-infused, toasted bread and just like that, you have made magic. 

I have had my eye on this lemon wicker purse by Kate Spade ever since I saw it in a magazine in early spring. It was part of her Spring 2014 collection and the lookbook was shot on location, in Italy. I so desperately wanted my own little lemon slug over my shoulder whilst I zipped around on a Vespa. And today I found it...on sale! Now I am dreaming of taking it to the Amalfi Coast and wearing it amongst the lemon groves while Massi climbs fig trees in the background...There was a quote that made me giggle in the lookbook- "There can only be things to love in a country shaped like a shoe."

I hoped this blog would be a place to share all my passions. While cooking, writing, fashion, and all things Italy are most definitely included, I wanted to start posting my paintings. When I was little, I dreamed of being a surgeon/painter/writer/ballerina. Funny where life's choices take you, and unfortunately where societal expectations force you to go. While I love the sciences, it is my runner-up love. I first fell in love with the fine arts as a competitive dancer and then with the visual arts and then the written word. Sorry science, you were actually the fourth in line. If everything had been up to me, I would have been a painter-slash-writer. I love to create, I think it is an innate need that exists in all of us. It amazes me that a blank canvas, with purposefully placed strokes of color, can become something wonderful. 

I am a lover of signs. I honestly believe that God gives us little clues in our daily lives meant to point us in the right direction. Maybe I create the signs myself but lately I have been asking for reassurance about my decision to move and I seem to be noticing a response of sorts. Two things that happened today: I went to the bank to get the money needed to apply for my visa. When I told the teller this, she immediately said to me- "parli italiano?"  And then to her surprise, I said sì, parlo italiano. Turns out she was Italian, born and raised! Out of the numerous people that could have helped me, I just happened to walk up to her. The second thing that happened today happened in my car. I have a rosary that hangs on my rearview mirror. I never paid too much attention to it's intricate detailing, but today when I turned it over in my palm, this is what I found- 

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and it is all the more special as my move date of December 1st inches closer.  This year, I am most thankful for the friends and family that have helped nurture this dream, you have each played a part in making it come true. Thank you for supporting me- in the smalls ways, like lending me notes when I had to skip a pharmacy lecture for Italian class, and in the big ways, like funding my gallivanting around Italy and beyond. Finally, thank you to all the parents who let their children fly, the gift of freedom to follow one's passions is truly priceless. 
And of course, thanks to Massi, for waiting. 

dance 
verb \ˈdan(t)s, ˈdän(t)s\

: to move your body in a way that goes with the rhythm and style of music that is being played
: to move with and guide (someone) as music plays 
: to dance with (someone)
: to perform (a particular type of dance)

It has been years and years since I last danced alongside my very talented little brother but I am beyond happy that he carried on dancing without me. This moment stunningly captured by Mat Simpson (check him out here: http://matsimpsonphotography.co/). This is so much more than a photograph, it is the ever-elusive and nearly impossible-to-attain-snapshot of a soul, a visual manifestation of passion. When I first saw this, I was immediately transported to our basement dance 'studio' where this little boy would pirouette without mirrors across the cement floor and tap his heart art to the beat of his own drum. He is still following that beat. See you in Toronto next week. 

For me this is an essential fall look and lately (the past two seasons), leopard seems like it might be becoming  a borderline timeless print. Unfortunately I cannot selfie the full-length look very well, but this is a knee-length one-piece dress from H&M. I love a matte red lip for fall and I am currently in full adoration mode of the NYX Matte Lip Creams, in this post I am wearing the color Monte Carlo. They are a perfect matte- not overly drying and highly pigmented. You never have to re-apply and it won't transfer onto your latte cup. I also always take my hair back to black for fall/winter. One-tone hair color is very popular right now (thanks Kim K and Amal Clooney), it somehow always comes across as elegant as opposed to highlights which betray a more carefree look more suited to summertime. I love both hair looks but I am trying to keep it my natural color from now on for maintenance sake. 

I admit to being a goofball. I just had to design these cute little blog cards and then photograph one placed delicately on a pizzella for aesthetic appeal (obviously). They have actually proven to be extremely functional though as whenever I tell people about my blog, instead of writing down or spelling out questa dolce vita and being met with confused looks, I now hand out these handy-dandy cards. Fantastico!  

We (my classmates and I) learnt this dish the only place you can really learn and create it well- on the beautiful island of Ischia. This is the kind of pasta dish that goes perfectly with a tan and oversized sunglasses and a table next to the spiaggia (beach). It is creamy but somehow refreshing all at once, a juxtaposition in your mouth I dare say. It's true that this cream sauce is a million times better when made with fresh lemons, still warm from the Mediterranean sun, but for those of us in not such close proximity to a lemon grove, I have successfully created it with some lovely lemons bought here in Canada. Not the lemon flavor is not as strong as it has the potential to be, but I know some palates will appreciate when it is not overpowering anyways./Ho imparato questa ricetta l'unico posto dove si deve- la bellissima isola d'Ischia. Questo è un piatto di pasta che va perfettamente con la tua abbronzatura e un bel paio di occhiali da sole nel senso che è perfetto per una pausa di pranzo durante una giornata alla spiaggia. Cremoso ma anche non troppo pesante allo stesso tempo, i gusti creano un bel contrasto dentro la bocca. Verissimo che la salsa viene meglio coi limoni freschi, appena presi dal albero ma per voi che non siete in Italia, va bene anche i limoni che prendete al supermercato. Il sapore dei limoni non è ottimo però è buono lo stesso, la crema viene più leggera. 


Lemon Cream Capellini
Ingredients 
250mL panna or whipping cream 
(note: you can get panna, which is cooking cream from the Italian Center or else whipping cream will suffice, you will just need to sift in some flour to thicken it a bit more) 
Rind of 2-3 lemons, careful not to grate the white underneath (it's sour!) 
Pinch of salt, sugar (sounds strange but a bit of sugar seems to bring out the lemon) 
Flour QB - if using whipping cream
2 tbsp of butter 

Melt butter in saucepan, add lemon rind and let sizzle for a minute. Careful not to cook the rind, you just want to squeeze out the lemon flavor into the butter. Then add your cream, keep the heat very low otherwise you risk scalding the cream. Add your sugar and salt and let come to boil very slowly. Heat on low for 10 minutes to get the most out of the rind. Sift in some flour to thicken if not thick enough (could also just whisk in). 

In the meantime, have your pasta boiling. When al dente, add some of the pasta water to the cream sauce and add the capellini straight in to the saucepan. Stir until pasta is drenched in cream sauce, serve and eat immediately. This is a not a recipe that you wait for everyone to get their plate before you start eating, nor is it one that re-heats well. 

I used to loathe Mondays, but when you have an impending expiration date on the number of Mondays that you can spend amongst familiar faces and familiar places, you embrace it with fervor. While the start of the week tends to sour many a disposition, I implore you to nurture a zest for living every day to the absolute fullest (and finish off each day sipping limoncello!). Salute! 

The easiest and arguably most famous salad in Italy, I cannot even justify writing instructions for this recipe. Instead I will just list the ingredients: mozzarella (has to be fresh and preferably di bufala), tomatoes, basil leaves, salt, and your absolute best olive oil. If you're reading this from Edmonton, my favorite olive oil right now is called Sammarelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil which you can find at the Italian Center Shops. It's $9 for 250mL but so worth it. Sometimes I lick the plate just so it doesn't go to waste. As David Rocco says, this is a "perfect example of a dish that lets the ingredients do all the talking". Talk less, eat more. Cheers. 

This photograph speaks for itself. I took it while we were on the way to a thermal spa on the island of Ischia. To me, it looks like an actual postcard but there are no filters, no editing, no modifications needed to alter the beauty of nature. Breathe deep, can you smell the salty bite of the Tyrrhenian Sea mixed with the sweetness of the wild wisteria?  The sun is warm on your shoulders  and you have a whole day awaiting you on this island. For today, this vista is all yours.  

This recipe is adapted from David Rocco's Bucatini All'Amatriciana from his book David Rocco's Dolce Vita (my favorite recipe book of all time). In this case, adapted means I changed the kind of pasta used because I did not have any bucatini on hand. I highly recommend sticking to bucatini for this sauce though as it facilitates slurping and the hole through the pasta holds onto the delicious-ness much better than a penne lisce (smooth). 

Penne Lisce All'Amatriciana 
Ingredients
500g penne lisce
45mL extra-virgin olive oil 
175g pancetta in cubes (Edmonton friends, they sell this at Superstore or the Italian Center Shop)
1-2 cloves of garlic chopped (I prefer two, I love garlic)
1/4-1/2 of an onion chopped
540mL (1 can) of tomatoes- you can use crushed or cubed
Chili flakes QB (*in case you don't remember from previous posts, this is David Rocco's way of saying as much as you like, or "quanto basta")
Grated pecorino cheese for sprinkling

Start cooking your pasta at the same time you start making the sauce, you should finish both around the same time. Heat up olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic, onion, pancetta. At this point I also like to add some fresh tomatoes in big chunks because I like alot of texture in my sauces. I also keep my onions quite chunky as well but up to you! Add some chili flakes and cook altogether until the onions are clear and the pancetta is slightly crisp. Looks something like this: 

Next add the tomatoes, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes or longer until the flavors are all melded and friends with each other. 

Drain your pasta when it's al dente (read the label on your pasta packaging, it usually tells you how long to cook for). Always a good general rule to save a bit of the cooking water from the pasta. Add some to your pasta sauce to help with binding and flavor. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well then plate and garnish with pecorino. I chose to garnish with an extra drizzle of my best olive oil and more chili flakes because I love spicy dishes. Next, eat everything but your plate and I dare you not to have a second helping! 


Finally, the best part about this type of pasta is that it carries over wonderfully for the next day's lunch (as seen below). The sauce becomes much more flavorful and thicker- you can actually see the difference between this photograph and the first one. Your co-workers will be jealous. 

The quintessential recipe that everyone should know, I learnt it from the best source: my future mother-in-law. An homage to the idea that the simplest things are the best. 

Pizza Dough
Ingredients
600g flour 
pinch of salt and sugar
7g yeast 
~ 2 cups tepid water

Make three spaces in the flour for yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water to the yeast gradually and then slowly incorporate the surrounding flour. Knead until smooth. The more you work the dough, the better the pizza (this is a direct quote from Massi's mother). When kneading dough, you should feel like you did your exercising for the day- your arms should ache from lactic acid build-up, you should have a sheen of sweat on your forehead and on the top of your lip. You should feel as if you earned what you will soon be eating. This is how you know you kneaded enough. Let dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Use as necessary.