Macedonia (Fruit Salad)

Here is a refreshing recipe just in time for your 4th of July weekend!  This is a very simple recipe and you can really put anything you want in it (I decided to stick with red, white, and blue fruit).  When I was in Italy one of my cousins made it the same way I did here but also added kiwi and raspberries.  No matter what way you decide to make it, it is sure to be a hit!

Frittelle di Mele (Apple Fritters)

Its hard to believe that four weeks have already gone by and tomorrow I will be back in the United States!  In an effort to procrastinate packing my suitcase I am going to leave you with one last recipe from Italy, and I have definitely saved the best for last (I will be posting more once I get back home, so keep checking back).  I came to Italy with only one request from my dad, "have Elda teach you how to make apple fritters".  So this one is for you dad, as a thank you for funding not one, but all six of my trips to Italy! 

Portofino and the Cinque Terre

This last week has been pretty busy and I want to apologize for not putting up any new posts!  I had a friend from the United States who was in Italy come and stay with me for a few days, so we were busy enjoying the beach, shopping, and visiting different cities together.

Portofino

The first place we went and visited was Portofino.  Portofino, which is located a little more than a mile away from Santa Margherita used to be a small fishing town but is now where all the wealthy people come to vacation with their huge yachts, and I mean HUGE!!!

Tiramisu

Tiramisu, which literally means "pick me up" in Italian, is one of my favorite Italian deserts.  It is a simple cake that is made from savoiardi, a type of lady finger, dipped in coffee and topped with a sweet mascarpone cheese mixture.  My aunt serves hers in a single layer at her restaurant, but you can make your tiramisu as many layers high as you would like following this same recipe.

Minestrone

Minestrone Ingredients:
2 potatoes, cubed
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed (you can use half of a normal sized one)
2 zucchini, cut down the middle and then sliced
1 cup peas
1 can of cannellini beans
water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 cup ditali pasta (or other small round pasta)
1 tbsp pesto 

In a large pot combine potatoes, garlic, onion, eggplant, zucchini, peas, and beans.  Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add the bouillon cube and olive oil and stir.  Let simmer on the stove for at least three hours.  Taste stock and add salt to taste.  Before serving, add pasta and cook according to time on package.  Finally add pesto and stir.