You still do not know it, but this will be a summer to remember. I have this wonderful feeling that lingers in my head, fills my stomach with butterflies and makes my heart beat to the rhythm of drums. It’s like when you feel that something  stunning and very positive is going to happen, when you feel vibes in the air, shimmering with a golden light full of expectations. I am living one of those moments. No, nothing new has happened: I am still the same old single, Bridget Jones’ style, Donna Hay didn’t called me to work with her. No, not even Jamie Oliver, unfortunately. Simply summer is here, and with summer the whole load of great expectations that accompany this season every year!

Every year, in September, I find myself at the end of summer and I can’t even realize how it has happened, but this time I have decided that this will be different. I decided to live this summer moment by moment, so that one day, as an old woman, I’ll look back at this not as a summer, but as that summer. Just like Bryan Adams’ Summer of ‘69, this will be my, our, summer of ‘69!

Oh when I lock back now
That was seemes to last forever
And if I had the choice
Ya – I’d always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life

How can make it memorable? What about traveling?! I know, I know … it is not easy to take your backpack and follow a road to the horizon, savoring the air and the changing landscape that becomes lake, sea, mountain, forest or desert.

Friends will helps us, marvellous new friends I met through the blog, people who live somewhere else, with a daily life completely different from my own, yet intense and amazing thanks to the same passion, food. They are exceptional foodbloggers, with whom I can laugh at stupid things on Twitter, or who may help you and give you wise advices without asking anything in return!

Well, these international foodbloggers (with a national exception currently living abroad) every Friday up to September will present their own idea of summer, their holidays, their recipes, their photos.. it will be a way to travel remaining at the your desk, a way of discovering different places and different recipes that will provide a more international style to our summer! This is also a chance to tickle my xenophilia vein, standing still with my feet in Tuscany!

Tomorrow you’ll find out who is the first guest who’ll bring you on holidays, but for the moment … DLIN DLONG service communications !

• I guest posted on Tuscanycious, Tuscany with gusto: come to discover something more about Tuscan herbs and my passion for foreign countries and later on for Tuscany.
• Last remind, you have time up to the midnight of the 30th of June to send me your recipe for the Hay Hay Donna Day event, take part to the competition and play with pea and mint soup.

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Summer RoundUp… what is you summer like?

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1. Summer RoundUp #2: Mowielicious and a summer salad
2. Summer RoundUp #5: Soba, Rachel from “La Fuji Mama”
3. Summer RoundUp #3: Chicago and gardening, Diana from “Spain in Iowa”

It was the 26th of November, dark and gloomy, outside was raining and my blog was still quiet young, I was a beginner foodblogger and the foodie world was yet unknown: by chance I stumbled upon this post, I was totally impressed by the event and the organization, but unfortunately it was too close to the event to reach London… I bookmarked the website and started looking at it, once in a while (maye a bit more often, I admit!) waiting for the big news: the new edition. And finally, the dates! Don’t think twice, Juls, book the ticket and go! 6 months later, I was one of them, I was at the Food Blogger Connect event!

I would like to able to express with my own words what I feel, but it’s really hard, believe me! No, it’s not the language, it’s not because I’m writing in English! I have inside a volcano of emotions, memories, smiling faces, sweets and drinks – oh yeah, I had drinks! – talks, friends and projects. Besides that, I took far less photos than I expected, too busy talking, exchanging cards and smiles, drinking and eating. So I decided to go random, picking up emotions and memories from my heart as well as projects and snapshots of an unmatched weekend.

Everything has had a sweet and honey coloured beginning: the morning light, sleepy faces but pumping hearts ready to face the day, this was Breakfast at Sari’s, with a delicious cherry muffin, a cup of steaming tea and a truly generous hospitality. Sharing the apartment with Sari, Pam and Tiina has given a hearty touch to the weekend, colouring these days with friendship: choosing what to wear for the day, late night talks and gossips, mind blowing brainstorming and cider (chocolate for me, please!).

Sari and Pam

Tiina, Sari and Pam

And here we are, all together, thanks to Mowie who took this picture (I reckon, I was quite excited, Mowie taking a picture of me! Com’  on, admit it, wouldn’t you be excited? It is Mowie, haven’t you seen his pics?). Everyone with a different walk of life, everyone with her own voice and approach to the blog.

And here we come to one of the most important – at leat for me – moments of the event: the speech of Jamie from Life’s A Feast, Jeanne from Cook Sister and Kerrin from MyKugelhopf about writing style and voice: what did I learn? Be appropriate, avoid mistakes, find your own voice, understand who you blog for and which is the process you enjoy the most in between cooking, writing and socializing. After their words and examples, I started thinking and reached a conclusion… well! don’t be too hasty, soon you’ll see the results!

Saturday afternoon was dedicated to the photographic aspect of the food blog universe: Hilda from Saffron And Blueberry has dissected a camera to explain its basical functions, while Meeta from What’s For Lunch Honey? e Mowie from Mowielicious delighted the audience with their amazing and crystal clear pictures to give some hints for Food styling.

On Sunday Kerrin was the protagonist together with Julia from A slice of Cherry Pie of another deeply inspiring speech: How to get published and get feature work. You could tell from everyone’s sparkling eyes that the matter was really interesting, and our speakers were so easy going, fun and generous of advices that at the end I was so overexcited that I couldn’t help to say a confused and still emotioned thank to a way too kind Kerrin.. into the Ladies Room!

After this interesting approach to the foodblog world, another mind blowing speech: Niall Harbison captured the audience with his fun and witty interpretation of social media: even though he was in Dublin instead of in our venue because of RyanAir, he managed to cast a spell over everyone, giving a step by step approach to follow to act properly into the social media universe.

Here Aoife from The daily spud, Beth from Dirty kitchen secrets and Mowie from Mowielicious. I take the chance now to thank Bethany for the organization of the Food Blogger Connect and for gathering such a beautiful group of people!

Have I ever mentioned that I don’t drink alcohol? Well, I was truly astonished when I discovered that this delicious, refreshing, sweet and fresh drink, known as Pimm’s cocktail, containes alcohol! You must forgive me, but as Italian, I really didn’t known even the exsistence of Pimm’s! Now I have discoverd a new love!

A bit of Italy! I wasn’t the only Italian at the FBC10! Manuel and Jasmine from Labna.it shared with me such an impressive experience: it was nice – and relieving once in a while! - to talk with each others in Italian and see questioning faces around us, or, even better, it was really strange start speaking in English with other people and keep on in English in between us, without any reason!

Again, Beth from Dirty kitchen secrets tasting some of the gorgeous chocolates brought by Julia, blogger at Always leave room for dessert. I will always have room for one of her strawberry chocolates, not to mention the spiced ones!

After twitting, twitting, twitting, I finally had the chance to meet Sarah from Maison Cupcake.

Sweet Anne from Anne’s Kitchen, Sari and smiling Katharine from A girl in Madrid.

A final picture of almost all of us, thanks to Mowie.

After such an amazing weekend, can you belive me if I tell you that I feel like this rasberry, left alone into the dish? I’ve been so happy to take part to this grand event, so proud to get to know some of the best foodbloggers in the world that I read everyday and that are a daily source of inspiration. Now I must learn to manage all this emotions bubbling into my heart, to direct everything into a creative effort. In this moment, a smile is lingering into my face: I’m happy as everyone who has just discovered his goal. I’ve decided to give credit to Niall’s advice and believe in my dreams: follow your passion!

Now, let’s start counting down the days for next year event: an year flows when you have such amazing new friends! Waiting to meet you all, in London, here in Tuscany or wherever our route will bring us, a list with all the attendees: if I forgot someone, or misspelled a name or blog, please let me know!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

London, Food Blogger Connect 2010

You should be interested also in:

1. Food Blogger Connect 2010 and a new layout
2. Fettunta Party 2010 – A few shots

I was going to make a post full of words, feelings, emotions … but I was overcome by sleep, by too much *delicious* food and too much happiness for this beautiful afternoon, so I decided to leave the task to explain this party to my photos. I think they quite faithfully represent the good atmosphere that has developed between us and the sumptuous buffet that has been graduallyset up, through the contributions of all of us!

First of all, bruschetta, or fettunta, barbecued by Dad, then here’s an idea of what we ate .. not everything on the table was photographed, for example I couldn’t take a picture of the spectacular couscous brought by Stefania, it was finished in a moment!

Savoury buffet:

1. Muffins with smoked bacon and smoked scamorza (firm cheese) (Juls)
2. OPS! a delicios banana and coconut cake baked by Elga (ok, I made a mistake, it was supposed to be in another photo composition, but I was almost asleep!)
3. Lumachelle orvietane (Aurelia)
4. Crostini with liver made according to the Renaissance style  (Corrado)
5. Ferrara Bread (Elga)
6. Salami (Laura)
7. Cake with gouda cheese, savoy and cumin (Chiara)
8. Lasagne (Elga)

Sweet Buffet:

1. Prato cookies (Aurelia)
2. Oat and chocolate cookies (Francesca)
3. Chocolate and Cream puffs (Stefania)
4. Peanut butter and white chocolate cookies (Laura)
5. Sugar cake with walnuts (Laura)
6. Charamel brownies  (Laura)
7. Double Chocolate brownies (Laura)
8. Chocolate drops Muffins (Jasmine)
9. Vanilla, strawberries and white chocolate cake  (Chiara)
10. Lemon curd cream mousse with sautée fruit (Juls)

… And finally Silvia’s masterpiece!

Then a roundup of all of us, intent on talking, eating, exchanging views and experiences … no, ok, I confess! The activity that we liked the most was eating! The food was so plentiful that 20 more people would have enjoyed the buffet as well, not considering the large number of doggy bags we managed to do!

Here a list of partecipants, foodbloggers or foodies:

• Giulia and her family, Juls’ Kitchen (that’s me!)
• Corrado and Annamaria, CorradoT
• Laura and Marco, Tavole e Fornelli
• Jasmine, Labna
• Silvia with her husband and 2 beautiful children, Pan con l’Olio
• Chiara, Cavoli a merenda
• Elga with her husband and 3 delicious children, Semi di Papavero
• Stefania with her husband, La Bottega delle Bontà
• Aurelia with her husband and her son, Profumi in cucina
• Francesca, a tweetie friend and a foodblogger to be
• Sabrina, with her husband, and Cecilia, foodies

Thanks to everyone who was there, thank to those who wanted to come but who couldn’t make it, and thanks to those who’ll certainly be there next time, because that’s for sure, soon there will be a fourth edition of Fettunta Party!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Fettunta Party 2010 – A few shots

You should be interested also in:

1. Fettunta Party 2010
2. Fettunta Party – The day after
3. Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mad Hatter Tea Party

It ’s been almost a year since the last time, but the desire to meet again is great, especially now that days are longer, air is warm and smells of flowers and, above all, now that we can finally breathe a sigh of relief because winter is finally over! So, it is time to announce, with the precious help and cooperation of CorradoT, the date of the Fettunta* Party, 2010 edition:

Sunday, 9th of May 2010, 5 pm, at my house in the countryside between Siena and Florence

You are invited, either foodbloggers, foodies or passionate about cookink. We only ask you to help us with groceries, bringing with you a pound of bread and a bit of good olive oil. If you want, you can bring something else, such as tomatoes and basil. Or wine, or any delicious appetizer will ever cross your mind! Knowing the kind of people I’m referring to, I know that you will bring even more: better! We can make this night unforgettable, as were the others!

It will be a chance to get to know each other, or meet again, but above all to spend time together with friends, in between talks, laughs and good food. The lawn is cozy, but not infinitely large, so we must limit to 30 the number of participants:  if you are interested please register by sending an e-mail to juls1981 [at] gmail [dot] com. But be quick to decide, not to be excluded!

Participants will receive an email with directions to the Fettunta party, and further details.

P.S. I have a dog, I know you know this! Forewarned is forearmed! Those who came in July and September know how good and and cuddly Kira is, but I thought should warn you!

(*) Fettunta is a tosted slice of bread seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt and – if you want – brushed with garlic.

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Fettunta Party 2010

You should be interested also in:

1. Fettunta Party 2010 – A few shots
2. Fettunta Party – The day after
3. Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mad Hatter Tea Party

When I was a child, I was quite scaried by Alice in Wonderland movie: characters, stories, imagination, scenes, colours… everything conveyed a sense of discomfort and queerness. So, when a few weeks ago I went to the cinema with my friends to watch Alice’s movie by Tim Burton, I was sceptical but really curious to see what Tim Burton had created, since I honestly think he is a real genious. And I must admit, after only 2 hours, my opinion about Alice’s Adventures was completely changed!

This time, I was totally fascinated by colours, characters, music, the Mad Hatter (aka Johnny Deep)… everything! I was so changed that as soon as I had the chance to submit my idea for the Foodbuzz’s April 24, 24, 24 event, my mind flew istantly to a Mad Hatter Tea Party. So, go figure my happiness when I was chosen as one of the lucky 24 foodbloggers selected to organize 24 meals, over 24 hours, through 24 blogs!

The location: my garden. I started looking at weather forecast as soon as I knew the party should be held on the 24th, and there was a large likelihood that on that day it would have rained. What a pity! But Fortune favours the braves, and when I started to arrange the table and lay down table clothes, flowers, plates, sweet and savoury treats and cakes, a ray of light pierced the clouds!

The most exciting moment was studing the menu, so fun and amazing! I browsed through cookbooks, foodblogs, magazines and folders to find delicious and scrumptious recipes, fingerfoods easy to nibble in between a chat and a laugh. As regards drinks, there was obviously tea, black, strong and absolutely English. Besides tea, I decided to offer a selection of fresh fruit juices, with a little ‘Drink me’ tag on each bottle: iced tea and cranberry juice, orange juice, white grape, orange, mango, papaya and apple juice, white grape, red grape and pomegranate juice and finally blood orange and pomegranate juice.

As regard savoury things, I made a few dishes full of small white bread rolls, filled with:

• basil pesto, ricotta cheese and carrots
• Philadelphia cheese and red salmon
• artichoke paté and smoked ham
• goat cheese and red pepper
• ricotta cheese, herbes de Provence and carrots

But I must reckon that the most amazing part of the menu was the sweet side!  I made a few pound cakes, so easy to bake, very nice to present cut into slices and a perfect sweet accompanying to a cup of tea drunk talking with friends in the lawn.

• Matcha and black sesame seeds pound cake
• Dutch cocoa and Tonka bean pound cake
• Cinnamon, raisins, hazelnuts pound cake

I studied a suprise for my French friends, so I baked a batch of Macarons, according Meeta’s recipe: they were not perfect, but absolutely delicious!

This cake was my favourite one, along with my strawberry and ricotta cheese muffins: a four layer sponge cake, enriched with a ricotta and cream filling, topped with lilac flowers and a multitude of colorful, thin and long candles: after all, it was everyone’s umbirthday, wasn’t it?

Obviously, small ‘Eat me’ cookies couldn’t miss! They were extra virgin olive oil, candied pumpkin and orange cookies, made following my recent recipe. Since my last recipe was so appreciated, I made it again and baked a doulbe batch of lemon cupcakes, too!

But my sweet treats are not finished, yet! There were also:

• chocolate muffins topped with orange whipped cream
• chocolate layer cake, topped again with pink candles
• little glasses filled with strawberry curd and whipped cream and with lemon curd and whipped cream

The funniest side of the party was our dressing! There was a perfect Mad Hatter (thank you Dario for bringing us every shape of hats) and cowboys, elegant and queer people, a beautiful Alice dressed in green and… a little Alice, our mascot. I decided to dress with an every day style, but choosing an appropriate make up: so my aim was to represent the butterfly, the result of the Caterpillar metamorphosis.

Now I leave you with a medley of our happy faces!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mad Hatter Tea Party

You should be interested also in:

1. Fettunta Party 2010
2. Fettunta Party 2010 – A few shots
3. Fettunta Party – The day after

…and finally, after Italian Mail Service has done all the things that they wanted to do (don’t ask) my parcel from Canada is here!! Mardi has really overdone herself, it was a pack full of goodies, and I was so happy to recive it also because Mardi is the super girl who made me discove Foodie Exchange! So let’s have a look at the content!

• Black Tea (Monk’s Blend) and Green Tea (Green Chai): they have an amazing aroma, so wonderful I don’t want to use them.. I must find a recipe to exalt their flavours!
• Odile Chocolat, with lavender and caramel: one is already gone, it’s incredible the fresh aftertaste it leaves in your mouth!
• Chocolate Pecan Cookies: they began yesterday’ s dessert and we all loved them until the last crumb.
• Bacon salt: low fat, low sodium, completely natural. My eggs and bacon are waiting!
• Maple Butter, to spread on toast in the morning.
• Maple Syrup Lollipop
• Demerara Butter Crunch: yummy! salted caramel and almonds and chocolate and butter.. explosive but so scrumptious!
• Herbs for goat cheese: can’t wait to try them on a fresh cheese!
• Salad dressing – Poppy Seed and Tarragon: we are not used to season our salad with such a dressing, but I’m really curious to try them, and I’m already planning a dinner with my friends to share all those goodies!

After this amazing parcel, let me show you my decorated Easter egg. It was supposed to be an artistic egg, but while I was fancying about my decorations, I kept on thinking at Alice in Wonderland (no wonder, I’ve just seen Tim Burton’s movie) and so I chose to ice some tree branches on my egg.

Not classic peach branches with delicate pink flowers, but surrealistic branches, full of colours, with cupcakes hanging from them. Can you imagine a Mad tea party under this tree? I absolutely can!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Foodie Exchange from Canada and.. an Easter egg!

You should be interested also in:

1. Foodie Exchange: my first parcels!
2. A very English – Italian Easter dessert
3. Foodie in Rome, the day after

When I first read about Food Blogger Connect 2009, sadly it was just the day before their meeting, so I couldn’t reach London in time and enjoy one of the most exciting foodblogger event in the world… Since that day, I kept on looking at the blog very often (OK, almost every day, I reckon) to learn about the next meeting, until a few days ago the Food Blogger Connect 2010 was announced and finally was possible to register to the event.

I’ve already booked the ticket for the Saturday Session (breakfast, BBQ lunch, breaks, afternoon tea, cocktail hour) and I’m actually thinking about Sunday (brunch, prop swap, awards, prizes, closing). I’ll be in London with Jasmine and Manuel from Labna, to represent Italy! I must admit: I’m counting down the days, it would be a dream to share such an experience with some of the most amazing foodbloggers in the world – just have a look at the speakers to have an idea!).

Before giving you lots of details about Food Blogger Connect 2010, just let mo say how proud I am of my new blog layout: a HUGE THANK YOU to Kia, who designed it for me, with creativity, elegance and.. patience! You rock girl! It seems that my new life has just begun!

Here some info about Food Blogger Connect 2010!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Food Blogger Connect 2010 and a new layout

You should be interested also in:

1. London, Food Blogger Connect 2010

The day after – after a party, a wonderful holiday, a long expected moment – it’s always the same: you keep on browsing through your momories, photos, smiles, chats… your eyes are filled with joy when you remember all the special people you have just met. Then, a strange mix of melancholy and tenderness wrap your mind at the thought that this day – so long waited and dreamt about – has passed. But there you find your mailbox full of messages from all of participants, there you have turmoil, desire to do and discover together, to get knowing each other better and share our passions.

And that makes me happy! Together we dream larger, we build higher and brighter castles in Spain, and together we can also make the foundations to transform our day-dreams into reality.

More than words… pictures will work better to describe this first edition of Foodies in Rome, an occasion which brought together nearly 40 people who wanted to eat, and talk about food blogs, columns, feeds, photos and objectives. At Termini Station, we recognized each others waving a wooden spoon with a pink ribbon, appreciated by many… but alas the boys turned up their nose!

People kept looking at us with questioning glances, and the invasion of the metro coach left more than a tourist with his mouth open, also because we had a human megaphone, Manuel of Labna, who directed us and held us together, avoiding losing someone on the street!

First meeting point, on coach number 7 of dell’Eurostar AV Milano – Roma: Manuel, Chiara, Juls – c’est moi – and Sara, so thrilled to meet with everyone else!

Our signs of recognition: wooden spoons with a pink ribbon and labels with name and blog … consider that not everyone is physiognomic, isn’ it? try – in a few hours – to associate names, nick names, blogs and faces of people who met for the first time live, then you will understand the usefulness of the labels!

Pictures – pictures – pictures! For the first time ever – in a gastronomic tour – before launching over the delicacies  of Pizzarium – we were all busy taking pictures, and woe to those who stole a piece of pizza before you had completed your photographic session! Here you can find a gallery with all the specialties that Bonci has prepared for us, serving them in a nicely equipped table just outside the pizzeria, next to very picturesque scaffolding!

Focaccia stuffed with mortadella and puntarelle.

Pizza with tomato and fresh oregano.

Focaccia with lemony chickpea cream, coppa (cured pork meat) and celery, seasoned with lot of pepper… absolutely yummy!

Rice croquettes and pizza with bacon, onion and tomato.

Croquettes stuffed with lasagna .. Yes, lasagna!

Shopping at CASTRONI: are these pictures enough to give an idea of what we bought? it has been like a descent on Rome of the Huns into Castroni, you could see everywhere bright eyes full of joy and curiosity, quick hands exploring shelves and taking everything from pomegranate green tea to kummel (I still can’t understand what it is and how to use it), mace (ditto), Dutch cocoa powder, rice, cereals, dried fruit… I do not know, say anything, and there it was!

Shopping at Castroni really tired us but our strenght lived up again when we walked into Peroni where I became Alice in Wonderland! My bank account had a serious accident again!

Then we headed to the Termini Station, where everyone took the way home. Now I am back here in my house with a head full of dreams and a heart swelling with pride for having finally found my perfect world!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Foodie in Rome, the day after

You should be interested also in:

1. Foodie Exchange: my first parcels!
2. Foodie Exchange from Canada and.. an Easter egg!

Who does not like gifts and surprises? How not to mention when you receive an email, a text message, a packet full of surprises? It’s like reliving for a moment the magic of Christmas, or birthdays when you’re a child, when you can’t wait to unwrap the presents and see what lies beneath the colorful giftpaper.

So you can imagine my happiness when I discovered – through Mardi from Eat. Live. Travel. Write – the Foodie Exchange group, a group founded with the intention to merge foodies from all around the world, canceling out the distances, through the exchange of local products.

The rules are few and simple: you give the availability to exchange, you arrange it, exchange your addresses and go hunting for local and tasty products, for an amount of 10$ (for convenience I’ve made the conversion to 10 €), prepare the packet and entrusts him to the post office (fingers crossed!) and wait for your little chest full of surprises (fingers crossed again!). This week I got the first two packets!

Let’s start with the first, by Andrea from High, Low, Food, Drink, from New York City!

A parcel full of goodies: pretzels frosted with yoghurt, sweet and savoury at the same time, altought the taste is fairly new for our tastes, they are so good, I’m munching on them now while writing, then the New York Taxi Treats Shortbread, shaped like a New York taxi cab, 2 special lollipop, one peanut butter & jelly, and one lemon meringue pie.

Besides these, a sachet of an unusual white pomegranate tea, two brownies, one white and one black, and one chocolate cake. To round off, a bottle of Mamoun’s Hot Sauce, I can’t wait to try it! All this accompanied by brochures and notes of the shops where the goods were purchased, especially from the Chelsea Market, a recycled New York style plastic bag  and a delicious note made by Andrea herself with the NYC Underground tickets!

The second parcel comes directly from the land of this year Olympic games, sent by Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Again, surprises are not lacking, and the product that has characterized mostly my parcel is maple syrup!
I found some dried mushrooms, a packet of maple sugar (I can’t wait to use it in some candy), a sauce for Poutine – which I discovered to be a typical Canadian dish made of fries, topped with cheese curd and gravy -, a condiment made of maple and pepper (any suggestions?), sweet candies and some Northen Delights herbal tea sachets, which obviously I can’t wait to try!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Foodie Exchange: my first parcels!

You should be interested also in:

1. Foodie Exchange from Canada and.. an Easter egg!
2. Foodie in Rome, the day after

Who belong to all those little glasses filled with such a wonderful liquid, rich in flavors, aromas, sensations and emotions? MINE! Oh no, don’t look at me with those faces, with mocking irony, asking me with a naive look: but really you? Giulia the teetotaler? the one that at parties carries her bottle of iced tea and pretends it to be rum? Yes, it’s me! I – or rather Juls’ Kitchen – have been invited to the Distillerie Bonaventura Maschio of Gaiarine (TV) for a wonderful visit of the company, an interesting lecture on distillation and different great spirits of worldwide excellence, accompanied by a specific tasting.

When I first received the invitation from Made in Kitchen (and here the first huge thanks for a perfect coordination of the event by Giulia and Made in Kitchen) to take part to the event PRIME UVE EXPERIENCE DAY last Friday, I was a bit hesitant, afraid to cut a poor figure up there and above all being a complete teetotaler … and if the alcohol fumes knock me down after the first 5 minutes? and if I do not recognize the fuel from grappa? Then a pure curiosity and a childish enthusiasm for such an important occasion convinced me, and I was involved into the event by the perfect organization of Nicoletta, from the Maschio Distillery.

So, on Thursday night Juls’ Kitchen makes its cases and walks towards Treviso, full of expectation and excitement for the first official mission! On Friday morning the group of foodbloggers is formed and we are welcomed in the company by Anna and Andrea, sons of the owner who, with sympathy and genuine enthusiasm, introduce the company and its history. We enter the distillery and here the first surprise: a pleasant and captivating smell welcomes me, no smell of alcohol as in my nightmares .. everything works greatly! With the guidance of Mr. Stefano, master distiller, we visited the plant and we become protagonists of a distillation of prosecco grapes. What a responsibility!

From the words of Stefano we begin to understand the differences in between the many kinds of spirits, all due to different raw materials: the use of raisins allows water present in the grapes to dilute the distillate – it is Mother Nature that does it all! (a sentence that struck me very much, and have been fairly reported).

Then we move between the barrels. The sudden changes of temperature we feel confirms the words of Stefano: there is no control of temperature and humidity. This is because the distillate must live by all that was before, he keeps traces of its raw material. They use barrels that have previously contained the same vineyard. The distillate must breathe in the barrel, following the movements dictated by cold and heat: with the heat the distillate takes the sensations and flavors from the wood of the barrel, with the cold it closes on itself and comes together. If the distillate gains time after time its bouquet, it will release it gradually, moment by moment revealing its inner richness and complexity.

The visit to the company museum allows us to meet other distilling equipment, not only a bain marie equipment, but also a direct steam equipment (when the starting raw material is dry, as in the case of the grape skins) and direct fire equipment, the oldest method (in the case, for example, of wine, that is when the starting material is liquid). After the museum, we come back to the starting point of our visit and we discover that in the meanwhile the first precious drops of grappa have been produced. No need to pray us to taste them, uh?

The morning ends up with a classroom lesson on the different types of distilled of worldwide excellence And here there was yet another surprise! The tasting was primarily olfactory, and became a fantastic world tour on the notes of rum, vodka, cognac, Cachaça, tequila, whiskey and brandy. Thanks to the structure of the tasting glass, made up of 3 overlapping spheres, created by the harmony and balance of the golden ratio, you can appreciate and enjoy the scents that rise with the circular movement imposed on the content without the impact of alcohol that I so feared. The glass, according to the Maschio family philosophy, becomes, from being a mere container, an ambassador of our taste.

Let me express a final thought: a wonderful day, which allowed me to experience a world unknown until a few days ago, but above all, a day that put me in contact with the passion and the emotion in creating a product that encloses in every single drop everything that’s around, from the territory to the people. A final thanks to the family Maschio, Anna and Andrea, who had the sensibility to make the distillery an open place, a place of knowledge and communication for other foodbloggers like me. Thank you for the hospitality and hope to see you all soon!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Confessions of a former teetotaler

OHMYGODWHATANEMOTION! One year has gone by, but it seems like yesterday… yesterday I wrote my first post after a whole week of trials on layout and blogspot, yesterday I was racking my brains trying to understand the proper tone of voice. After many photographic attempts (if I only look back at those first shots!) and culinary experiments, here I am to celebrate the first year of my little child!

I still can’t figure out the reason that drove me to this adventure: I suppose it’s not just my cooking passion, since it was strong and living long before I met the world of foodbloggers. I suppose it wasn’t my passion for photography, because I wasn’t so good in taking pictures before Juls’ Kitchen birth – my belonging to my own family has been questioned frequently since my skills are so different from my dad and Claudi’s ones!

I think it was just the wish to have something on my own: on the threshold of my thirties, almost all of my friends have weddings, children, solid relationships or satisfying jobs. I was in lack of all of this, and still I am, so it was quite natural to channel my will to make something, my will to be someone, into something tangible, something to look after, something to care about, something to define myself, something to be proud of.

So, since when I’m moved I run short on words, it’s better to use images! You already know everything about me and my family, you just have to have a look at Juls’ Cupboard, built by my dad to contain all my cook books, spices, plates and table clothes… I know, I know, maybe you have rooms full of objects and devices for your blog, but after all it’s just one year and so I managed to close all my passion and all my joy into four doors.

(*) thanks Claudia for your shots, since mine were hunted by ectoplasms, due to the dark evening kitchen!

To cut a long story short, a little gift for you all. I made a tiny collection of recipes (just 9) choosing the best of these 365 days, and I gave them a pretty layout, to have a tangible souvenir of my first year. Maybe it’s a bit conceited, but in between my projects – as for everyone who has a food blog – there’s a cook book, as well! OK, I said it! Just download it clicking on the orange button!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

1st Blogiversary: one year in Juls’ Kitchen

You should be interested also in:

1. Red Velvet Cake and Happy New Year!

Yesterday was my first day at the gym. After a visit with a dietitian, a nutritionist, an endocrinologist and a psychiatric (it was all included) to understand why it was so hard to loose wight for me, the answer was only one: movement, movement, movement. I eat in a very healthy way, varying my diet, taking proteins, carbohydrates,  vitamins and mineral salts.  Once in a while a sweet or a cake, that’s all!

I’m doing exercise bike every day (or almost every day). I put an end to my swimming lessons because it was getting boring, after 3 years, and I’ll go swimming once in a while. What’s left? Gym with friends.

It was 10 years since my last time in the gym. Last time was last millennium. I used to listen to Celine Dion and Boyzone, my beloved actor was Tom Cruise and I used to study Greek and Latin at high school. We used to go to the gym with long tight pants and large, very large T-shirt. Looking at myself into the mirrors I had a terrible deja vu… I was so out of fashion! With my hair combed in a ponytail I was so similar to an high school student!

Then, the music. I’m so good when I move into my kitchen: bake, whip, blend, stir and smell, I’m harmonious and nice to see. But when I dance, or do gym, or step… oh My! I’m not like Madonna on a dancefloor, not at all! All I was thinking was an old Italian comic duo, Cochi and Renato, have a look here if you wanna have an idea! I DEFINITELY NEED A SLICE OF CAKE, A RICOTTA TART PLEASE!

Ingredients for the short pastry:

• flour, 300 gr
• sugar, 150 gr
• softened butter, 150 gr
• egg, 1
• baking powder, 1 teaspoon
• grated orange peel

Ingredients for the filling:

• cow ricotta cheese, 250 gr (soft cheese as cottage cheese)
• icing sugar, 100 gr
• grated peel of 2 limes
• juice of 2 limes
• eggs, 2
• pine seeds, 50 gr

Making short pastry. Beat the egg in a dish. In a bowl sieve flour and baking powder and make a well. Add softened butter, sugar and orange peel. Then pour in beaten egg. Combine all the ingredients with your hands: the dough will resemble breadcrumbs. Keep on kneading and form a firm ball dough. Wrap in cling film and keep in the fridge for a while.

Making the fillin. Whip eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar, lime peel and lime juice.

Making the tart. Use a large round baking tray and line it with short pastry. Prick tall the surface with a fork and pour in ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with pine seeds. Bake in preheated oven to 180°C for 40 minutes, until it will be firm and deep yellow colored.

Now I’m feeling better, even tough my legs are in pain! Next week will be better!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

First gym, then a cake!

You should be interested also in:

1. A cake for dummies
2. Crepes Cake
3. Grandma Menna’s Kitchen: rice cake

After a long month made of sun and sea, of castles, highlands, green glens and fish&chips, then again of  home and daily routine, after a month of interesting experiments, my birthday, Saturn Return, new and old friends, after having written this post hundreds of time in mind, finally I’m here!

This is just a first hello, I’ll be back with my holidays stories and my dishes as soon as possible. We have at least three Tuscan recipes waiting! Com’on, let’s start again!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

I’m back again!

This is the time. This is the time to surrender to the hot weather, to the balm-crickets, to the jasmin smell in the evening air, to the guidebooks I have still to read and study, to my new camera, eager to be tried, to the new places I’m going to visit soon.

This is the time to go on holidays! I won’t close at 100% as I’ll keep on posting my Tuscan recipes, and I’ll be at work for some more days. But, since I have a slow connection at home, I’ll be back posting regulary at the end of August. Maybe I’ll peep out with a travel post or a fresh summer recipe sometimes.

A long Sicilian weekend is waiting for me: Geraci Siculo (PA) and Trapani with my Couchsurfers friends. Then, Scotland for 9 wonderful days, at last! And after that, a bit of home lazyness!

If you want to keep in contact with me, or send me a virtual postcard, you’ve got my e-mail address… for the moment…

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

P.S. Today my ‘almost niece’ has born! Welcome Giada, I wish you happyness, health and serenity!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Holidays, at last!

Here some shots from the first Fettunta Party of Tuscan Foodies: laughs, chats and good food… a wonderful evening!

Some good things to eat:  CorradoT’s crostini, savoury cakes with zucchini&bacon and  sun dried tomatoes&olives from Furfecchia’s ability.

My parents and Corrado with Annamaria, his kind and gentle wife.

Chiara, fun, creative… and some other good things to eat, including Grandma Menna’s apple pie.

Corrado, super chef and creator of our meeting, the Fettunta Party; Claudia, the official photographer, and dad, at the bbq for some grilled vegetables.

Some other shots from the Fettunta Party, Livio, aka San Bernardo, young gourmet and my garden by night.

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Fettunta Party – The day after

You should be interested also in:

1. Fettunta Party 2010
2. Fettunta Party 2010 – A few shots
3. Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mad Hatter Tea Party

Welcome in my new house! Fancy a slice of cake?

Make yourself at home and tell me who you are!

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

Welcome!

So, I want to thank Giulia, Made in Kitchen Community Manager, because we have been immediately on the same wavelenght, and Babs, source of inspiration and courage, because it seems we have always known eachother.

Post di: Juls' Kitchen

…and the adventure begins!