tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6955688931665386368.post-51635671580170245552008-01-07T00:29:00.000-06:002008-12-09T20:32:01.900-06:00We ate so many great things last year. Some while we travelled in Italy and lots that we made ourselves. This tasty plate was one of the many delicious antipastos we had with our aperitivo. Might have been in Reggio Emilia or maybe Lucca.Or it might have been in the airport in Rome! Even in the airport you can get great food. I always take pictures of what I eat when I travel. (so I remember and cuz it looks so pretty)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRLetciI/AAAAAAAAAM4/xFCTOPvwBzg/s1600-h/antipasto.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRLetciI/AAAAAAAAAM4/xFCTOPvwBzg/s320/antipasto.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152619646153486882" /<br />></a>This artichoke was grilled under a red hot brick at the restaurant Evangelista in Rome. I could eat one of these every day.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRbetcjI/AAAAAAAAANA/FpAbBaZdsmU/s1600-h/best+artichoke+ever.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRbetcjI/AAAAAAAAANA/FpAbBaZdsmU/s320/best+artichoke+ever.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152619650448454194" /></a>I finally made a perfect loaf of bread. Super crispy on the outside and moist and crumb-y on the inside. The crust made crackly noises like Rice Krispies in milk as it was cooling on the counter. It's fun to hear your bread snap and fizzle.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRretckI/AAAAAAAAANI/8uIZdSkBO_w/s1600-h/bread.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRretckI/AAAAAAAAANI/8uIZdSkBO_w/s320/bread.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152619654743421506" /></a>And I have a li'l fig tree in a pot which allowed me to gather about a pint of figs. They are one of my favorite fruits. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRretclI/AAAAAAAAANQ/-cC8_VPLlGk/s1600-h/figs.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIRretclI/AAAAAAAAANQ/-cC8_VPLlGk/s320/figs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152619654743421522" /></a>And, I made some pizzas. One time I made three that were perfectly circular in shape...now they always turn out more...organic looking. But they are tasty. This one is a four cheese and mushroom. Can't go wrong with that.<a hef="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIR7etcmI/AAAAAAAAANY/QxQKHoq-D9A/s1600-h/fungi+pizza.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HIR7etcmI/AAAAAAAAANY/QxQKHoq-D9A/s320/fungi+pizza.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152619659038388834" /></a>We also had this amazing dish of spaghetti with bottarga (salted roe) while on our way to Giuseppe and Jessica Camuncoli's wedding in Tuscany. I think it had three ingredients in it and it was one of the most intense, complex, yet direct dishes I've ever eaten. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HLzretcnI/AAAAAAAAANg/G3sHWInqiiE/s1600-h/bottarga.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HLzretcnI/AAAAAAAAANg/G3sHWInqiiE/s320/bottarga.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152623537393857138" /></a>Soon after we returned home from the lovely italian wedding, my tomato plants bore fruit. Before long we were up to our ears in heirlooms. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQTretcoI/AAAAAAAAANo/7OVni44oMZU/s1600-h/mo+tomatoes.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQTretcoI/AAAAAAAAANo/7OVni44oMZU/s320/mo+tomatoes.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152628485196182146" /></a>We ate them nearly every day. In September, we hosted our dinner club and plied our friends with ubertomato harvest. Sliced up with roasted garlic basil and parmesan and arranged in tarts, I had our first course. These were on their way to be baked in the oven. They tasted like pizza, but with a pie crust. The colors are unbelievable. (I'm also a fan of purple, red and white carrots.) <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQTretcpI/AAAAAAAAANw/1PWYVNdpYCo/s1600-h/heirloom+tarts.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQTretcpI/AAAAAAAAANw/1PWYVNdpYCo/s320/heirloom+tarts.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152628485196182162" /></a>And sliced on fresh bread with smashed avocado and salt and basil.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQULetcqI/AAAAAAAAAN4/iZcnURsY4h4/s1600-h/summer+sandwich.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jMmH2sKzDHs/R4HQULetcqI/AAAAAAAAAN4/iZcnURsY4h4/s320/summer+sandwich.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152628493786116770" /></a>I saved lots of seeds and I can't wait to plant them again.<br />Yeesh it's late. I have to get up in 6 hours. More food another day. And I totally forgot to post the photo of my lovely Christmas gift. And my painting of tomatoes...But, I yam so tired. And muh shoulda jernts hoit!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6955688931665386368-5163567158017024555?l=jillthompson.blogspot.com'/></div>Jill Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15509422922384561500noreply@blogger.com4