Patriotic Shot
July 1st, 2009

Here’s a shot for you while you salute the Red, White & the Blue on the 4th of July! Get together with your friends & family & enjoy.

Here’s a shot for you while you salute the Red, White & the Blue on the 4th of July! Get together with your friends & family & enjoy.

Ladenia is a local taste of Kimolos, a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea; “volcanic, mountainous island with white cliffs and roads is a perfect getaway for those who want some peace and quiet…. The food served on Kimolos is traditional Greek. You’ll find the taverns in Chora or the harbour, and the island’s speciality is a kind of pizza called Ladenia“.”Lathenia” (also called Ladenia) is Greek word for Pizza. Ladenia is like a pizza but without cheese, more like a bread dough topped with fresh tomatoes, onions, and olive oil”(from which it gets its name: “ladi” means “oil” in Greek)”, and baked until the edges are crunchy from the olive oil and the onions caramelized.

The heat is spiking up over 100 degrees here. A few minutes outside in the sun feels like I will get cooked. The summer is at its peak. So is it with the wonders of the nature. I cannot help but dive into the fruits & berries that the season has to offer.

Hooked on Heat is this amazing blog, & hooked to it I am. I am glad that Hooked on Heat got selected for the T&T, for this is what made me visit Meena for the first time.. She must have stopped blogging around the time I started, so I never got the opportunity to visit her till now.

A local street food of Italy, in the Liguria Region, Farinata is definitely a comfort food that feeds your soul too. It is thicker than a crepe, thinner than a pancake, more like a thin crust pizza base & can be eaten like a pizza - plain, stuffed or topped. Very similar to the Indian Lentil Crepes like Chillas & Adais, Farinata is a GLUTEN FREE delight, made of chickpea flour.

“Hello!
Buitoni and Foodbuzz are excited to announce that your excellent recipe has been selected as a runner-up in the Buitoni Riserva pasta sauce contest! Congratulations!…”
Above is the email I received from Foodbuzz a few days back & it made my day!

Summer is here & it is time for cold treats. It is been more than a month that I had been been freezing juice in the kiddie popsicle makers - they turn into wonderful cold snacks in the afternoon. The elaborate cooking in the kitchen has given way to light meals, more salads, & yogurt. I had been thinking & seeing ice cream in different places.. it is time now that I made some at home.

This Fried Chickpeas or Ceci Frito, is a classic Italian fried chickpea appetizer. I have to say, these are seriously good munchies, very addictive - especially when they are served crisp warm from the skillet. Fried they are, but not deep fried. They are actually sauteed in oil/Olive oil at high heat. Ceci Frito is a close relative to the Indian Sundals (Sundals are beans or lentils stir fried quickly with spices - mostly in the southern parts of India) - the process of cooking being the same but done with different flavors.

In the Mediterranean diet it is typical to begin the food with tantalizing starters to initiate the appetite. These appetizers are called Tapas or “Spain’s Little Meals”. Being Finger Licking finger foods, Tapas is meant to encourage conversation. People have the option to focus their attention on socializing rather than keeping themselves busy with managing a full course meal.

Another of my Mom’s recipe, which I have always loved & will always hold close to my heart. It is my comfort food - a simple spinach soup, with all in a bowl & one dominant flavor of fried garlic, & this had always been all of our favorite.