I love pasta with broccoli. It's something my mom has made since we were young, but it's just not the same with store-bought pasta - only fresh, handmade pasta will do .... cavatelli to be exact.

It's a fine art - mix the flour, water, eggs, salt in just the right amounts so that the pasta is not too wet. Kneading in all the flour to get the right consistency is quite the workout and usually you can skip your arm workout at the gym for a couple of days. Then, of course, the secret is to leave the dough under a bowl for an hour or so; go back to it and it will be much more wet so you knead in more flour - back under the bowl and repeat .... at least 2 more times.

Cut it into pieces, roll it out, cut like linguine, chop the linguine into smaller pieces, carve with your fingers (great for holding sauce)so the finished item looks like a bunch of one-inch pieces with two divets in them.

Now, take steamed broccoli and fry it with garlic and some salt and pepper. Cook the pasta, leave some of the water and add the broccoli. It's that simple! Ok, so there's a tiny bit more than that involved, but basically that's it!!! And.... oh so good!

Just the smell of it brings back memories of being a little boy making fresh pasta in my nonna's basement in preparation for a big loud italian family function! Aaaaah, good food... good times!

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Corn on the Cob - the before, the during and the after....

So, everyone talks about the fact that the summer is winding down - what the hell? Summer wasn't summer at all. Oh, we did all the "summer" things - we went to the lake, we sat out by the pool, we bbq'd ... but all of these activities took place in the cool, damp weather that will forever be remembered as the shitty summer of 2009.

Yet, somehow, in the early days of September, Mother Nature decided to show us some mercy and has opened up a can of sunshine on our asses. It's been a beautifully warm month so far. So, what are we doing? Well, we're trying to catch up! So, the pool heater is still chugging away and we're spending ever last moment either in it or around it with a fresh bevvy and some great summer munchies. We're bbq'ing like nobody's tomorrow, aaaaaaand most importantly, we are eating as much corn on the cob as we can! Corn on the Cob is the ultimate food of summer - next to watermelon - and when you have that small window of time during this season, you need to go into corn-on-the-cob overdrive! All corn ..... All the time!!!

The perfect corn is made by boiling the water, adding the cobs and allowing to boil for 8 minutes. Then pull it out, butter, salt and pepper according to personal taste and devour!!! Funny how you can eat 2 or 3 cobs, but if you actually took the time to cut the corn off the cob, you'd be amazed at how much corn there actually is on a cob. However, when you get that perfect batch .... nice and sweet, crispy, pops off the cob without getting caught in your teeth ..... aaaaaaaaaaaah, there's nothing better!!!

Stuffed peppers .... Does it get ANY better?

So I made the trek to my mom's to make tomato sauce and, of course, the visit includes many of the various foods I mentioned in my last blog. Tonight, it's going to be breaded veal with stuffed peppers, eggplant parmigiana, fresh bean salad, various cheeses and the list goes on .... and on ..... and on .... and - well, you get the point.

Stuffed peppers were sent from heaven weren't they. My mom's are to die for - ground beef fried with onions and garlic, mixed with rice, some bread crumbs, eggs, mozzarella and parm cheese, lots of basil, oregano, some salt and pepper .... roasted in a freshly crushed tomato sauce that's all spiced up and ready to tingle your tastebuds.

I can't focus.... I'm salivating like pavlov's dog and can only focus on one thing .... peppers, must have them, must....

The evolution of the menu when one visits nonna...

I decided to go visit my mom (known as nonna to all the kids), and it's always a struggle when planning a visit. The struggle is this: I love her food and will eat non-stop the entire time I'm there. In fact, a recipe book of nonna's food handed down through the ages and smacking of real authentic italian cooking would be a hit, I'm sure! However, in an effort to not completely overeat, I always have to plan how far in advance to tell her I'm visiting (we live in different towns). If I tell her too early, there will surely be way too much food. If I tell her too late, there will still be too much food, but then it will be rushed and not necessarily all the same choices. Also, I have to dull down what I want with the knowledge that she will always add more items to the menu.

So the conversation goes something like this:

"Hi ma. I was thinking of coming for a visit Thursday and Friday"

"Oh, datsa nice. You gonna be here for supper ona Toorsday?"

"Well, it might be late so don't plan on me being there"

"Wella, then, I only gonna make a lil bit of pizza."

"That's fine but nothing else"

"Ok, ooooo, lasta week, you Uncle Joe gave me some lamb. Oh, it melt ina you mouth. I'ma just gonna make a tiny piece .... just to taste." (Note: "a tiny piece ... just to taste" usually ends up with a conversation that she thought she didn't have enough so she added just a bit more and before she knew it there was enough to feed an army)

"Ok, ma, but that's it! Pizza and lamb, or I'm not going to be able to sleep"

"ok, just pizza, lamb and a little bit insalata"

"Fine"

"Now, whatta you want for brekkafest ona Fridee? maybe i maka lil bit of fritata with asparagus an' moozarella an' some bacon"

"No ma, I only have a little bowl of cereal for breakfast, maybe a yogurt"

"Datsa why you too skeeny. Dees asparagus froma da garden. If i no make'em, den dey go bad an' dat no good. I'ma gonna make de fritata and den if you no wanna eat, no eat. Oderwise, just a lil taste" (Note: same comments as above re just a taste.)

"Ok, but then no lunch ma"

"Ay, whatta my gonna make for lunch. Just a ponacella (bun, forgive my spelling) an some fresh capicolla. If you no eat it now, she gonna go bad. I made fresh from the meat you Uncle Joe give-a me. Den, supper, I make fresh pasta with broccoli, some veal - oh, she melt ina you mouth"

"Let me guess, you got it from Uncle Joe?"

"No, they gotta sale at A&P. I boughta 70 pounds and the freezer es too full so I gotta cook. If you no eat, she go bad. Dat's a shame"

At which point, I don't bother arguing and I say, fine, just make whatever, but that's it, nothing else. Invariably, at some point in the 48 hours between telling her of my visit and my actual arrival, a few more meats, some roasted peppers, bocconcini cheese and some type of shrimp or squid concoction will also make their way onto the menu.

And because I love it so much and have zero willpower, I will eat it .... ALL of it. Then I will moan for at least three to four hours about how I'm going to burst as I'm munching on the dried chick peas and roasted fava beans that I begged her not to put out!

Of course, all of this is accompanied with a lot of good red wine! Ahhhhh, life is tough. Thank God for nonna.

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A Food to Go with the Kanye sit-chee-ay-shun...

So, we're all about good food and the stories that go with it, right? Like your favourite pie that you were baking when you got the call about getting that awesome job, or the fish dish you were making when your two-year-old finally pees, but it's not in the toilet....

Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that I totally wish I had been cooking something at the moment when Kanye West totally messed with little Taylor Swift. So, then I was thinking if I was cooking what would be the memorable food experience hmmmmm.... well, besides liver (which I detest) or maybe tongue, I'm not sure what other food would accompany such an episode. Perhaps, cow crap on a bun, lightly glazed with toad saliva and toasted...

Whatever, maybe I'll create a new sandwich called the open-schmuck sandwich or ass pie. Sheesh, so many choices and so little time. I know, I know, I should be talking about real food but I had to jump on the Kanye wagon. Pardon me while I go start mixing up some sour guacamole as I watch Kanye on the new Jay Leno show....

Potato Chips ala Greek???

So, most of the time, I don't eat chips. I mean, I like them, most of them, but they're not great for you. Hence, I try not to eat them. In the summer, however, all that watch-what-you-eat stuff goes right out the window, especially around the pool with a bevvy in my hand.

Speaking of bevvy - I'll get to the Greek thing in a sec - one of my absolute faves is a nice refreshing mojito. I pick fresh mint that I grow in a pot outdoors because it spreads like a weed and I don't want it totally taking over my gardens. In a glass, I put the juice of half a lime, add 12 - 15 mint leaves, muddle, add a couple of teaspoons of splenda, ice to the top, an ounce of rum and top with Club Soda. Enjoy!!!!!

Ok, so after a couple of those, the bets are off and it's a major chip-fest - even with the veggie platter right there. Well, this past weekend I tasted a new chip. It was a thick ripple and the flavour was olive, basil and feta cheese .... Greek! I know! I was thinking, this is so wrong for a chip, right? Well, then I tasted them - gotta say, not too bad at all! Was it the mojitos? You'll have to try them and judge for yourself!


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Chutney on the run....

So my brother shows up for a weekend, and among other things - like some really good wine - he brought a box of samosas. They looked scrumptious and I immediately started salivating, which is a pretty common occurence with me when food enters the picture, but COME ON ..... samosas? I can't resist!!!!

But, alas, where was the chutney? He didn't bring any. That's when the McGyver of the kitchen went into action. Do you have peach jam, he asks? Nope I say, just fresh peaches. Ok, what else? hmmmmmm, peaches into the mini chopper, added some curry and some garam masala, a few other spices while i wasn't looking and voila an amazing chutney. It was so good in fact, that long after the samosas were gone, we were putting it on crackers.

All the while, sipping on the wine .... did i mention the wine?

Pesto ... to Pine Nut or not to Pine Nut!

So, here's the thing, I have a daughter who doesn't eat meat and she's not thrilled with things like beans and soy for protein, but if I put pesto on it she'll pretty much try anything. And why not? pesto is awesome ... yes? I think so.

Especially when you make it fresh like we do. But, here's the dilemma: I have a wife who is allergic to nuts (insert all sarcastic comments like wondering how she can be married to me given the allergy). She's allergic to all nuts, but not peanuts - who, unlike the suggestion in their name, are actually legumes and not nuts at all (a whole other blog). I have no idea if pine nuts are nuts or seeds. That's the laziness part. Pretty easy to google ... yet have I done it? no! Do I feel just a bit stupid for not knowing - NOPE! I have always maintained I'm not an expert, just a food junkie!

So, back to the pesto. I grow my own basil because it's like a weed. The trick is to just keep pinching off the leaves as they grow. This stimulates more and more growth and spreading of the basil plant. If you leave it to grow high and go to seed, you'll get a fraction of the basil. I'm not sure why because I'm not a horticulturist either, but it's what has been passed down to me by my very wise and very green-thumbed parents!

Throw the leaves in a blender - after washing of course - add some olive oil, parm cheese, salt, pepper and garlic. Chop and Blend and voila! Pesto sans pine nuts! Oh, you'll note I don't always measure. The other thing I like to do besides experiment with ingredients, is to taste while I make stuff. Far be it from me to give you exact amounts and then you don't like it because you like more garlic or less salt or a tad more pepper .... So, just taste it and add until you like it the best!

I actually roll it into tubes in a freezer bag and then store them in the freezer. Each time I need some, I take it out and chop a chunk off the tube! Perfect and it lasts for a long, long time or until consumed!

Enjoy!

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Pizza + Stone + BBQ = heaven

So, for years, I've wanted a pizza oven in my backyard. Maybe it's the memories of those lazy hazy days at the cottage when all the italian nonnas stayed inside talking and doing something with needles - sewing, crocheting, knitting - while the men started pouring red wine or straight rye, lit a fire and started making pizza - tons of them, all day long. Everybody would stop by because they could smell it and because they knew it would be an easy and very tasty meal! That flavour is one of those flavours that will stay with me forever.

So, I tried to recreate it. Last weekend, I got out all my ingredients: flour, yeast, salt for the crust and pesto, olive oil, broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, parm and mozzarella cheeses and various other yummy toppings I could find in the fridge. The dough raised to perfection, laid it out on a pampered chef cooking stone, toppings, bbq warmed up to about 500 and 7 minutes later, there it was! Sure, it wasn't quite as smoky tasting, but it definitely had that firey taste that made me moan a little too loud for some in the room! I'll be doing it again ... and again .... and again!

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Food! Food! Glorious Food!!!!

So, while sitting by the pool, I was discussing the difference between gnocci made with potatoes and gnocci made with ricotta cheese. As I'm describing the difference in flavour and texture, I noticed the change in my listeners look. Was it something I said? Yes it was. He, like many of us, LOVES italian food and isn't afraid to show it!

He was like Pavlov's dog .... salivating at the very mention of words like ricotta, fresh sauce with meatballs, sausage and rolled beef. I always knew I wasn't weird for loving food ... without being a chef or a total food expert. I just know what I love, what makes my taste buds bounce and say, "For the love of might! Hit me again!"

You see, I believe that every time you take a bite, it should be a full-blown experience. If it tastes great, then let it out .... moan, enjoy, savour like there's no tomorrow! Food is one of those things that's such an integral part of everything we do so why just rush through meals as if they are an imposition. Become one with your food!

So, when I saw him melting at the description of gnocci - which when broken down is mostly starch blobbed together with water and eggs - I thought, there are more like me out there.

So, think about it. I mean really think about it! What is your story? What is one of the situations in your life that you'll, not only remember where you were at the time, but also what food was involved - and send it to us! Good, bad, happy, sad .... no matter what the story, we want to hear it and hear the recipe. We're looking for your comments or your tweets!

Well, it's that time of year where all good italians become crazed with finding the best price for a bushel of tomatoes. Oh to hold the honour of getting them for even $0.05 cheaper than your aunt who knows a guy who knows another guy....

And for what? It's a ton of work. First you have to put them individually upside down on a board until you need them. I think there's a ripening reason for this and I probably buy them ripe enough and can skip this step, but far be it from me to actually mess with tradition. Then you have to wash them and all of the jars! Next, cut out the navely part where the stem was, boil them, drain them - don't even think about under-draining or you end up with watery sauce and then you are the shame of all the cuginis and they talk about it for years to come - this shame is not dulled by the fact that you got the best price either! Then comes putting them through the "sauce machine", which is an archaic, hand-cranked apparatus handed down from your grandfather's grandfather that separates the skin, seeds and sauce. It invariably is missing some kind of part that causes a lot of sauce to shoot out of places it shouldn't, making a mess of your clothes and the floor (hence why you see most doing this in their garage).

Once it's done, pour it into jars and seal. Then comes a lot of clean-up and more than a few glasses of wine before collapsing into bed. Why do we put ourselves through this? Well, cuz it's all natural, you made it yourself and when you spice it up according to the particular sauce you are making with it.................. it's pure heaven!

Caramel Corn to accompany the first blog!

Wow! So here it is. Life N Food's first blog. We were trying to think of a really clever way to start things off, but there really isn't one. So, with my bowl of caramel corn, I simply state what we're all about.

Life N Food! I couldn't have said it better .... the premise that every memorable moment in our lives tends to be centered around - or associated with - food! Whether it's the hot chocolate that made you feel safe and warm during a lightning storm, or the apple pie you were baking when you got THE call.... happy times, sad times, any time at all.

We'll try to be as regular as possible, but bare with us cuz we have some special stuff coming ... and for Pete's sake, join in! Share your life stories and the food that was involved. It's the common denominator that bonds us together .... or is it the stickiness left on my fingers by this awesome snack that I'll always remember helped us launch our blog?!?