Festival Italiano 2011 in Auckland, some images, senza parole :-)

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Festival Italiano!!!! Tomorrow!!!!!

How to make a low fat Spanakopita (with onion weeds, again!)

The first time I used filo, long time ago now, I learned to spread melted butter every two sheets of pastry. It seemed a lot but I didn't have the courage to skip this step. Then I started to put less and less (only for baklava I keep using lots of butter, but then you only get a tiny piece so that is ok, I guess :-), or to use olive oil, which felt more 'Mediterranean' than butter. But filo pastry is very low fat in itself and I wondered if I really needed to use fat... this version has no butter or oil, and yet it tastes great! 

Generally I use feta, spinach, garlic and cumin, or oregano. But while the onion weed abounds I thought "why not?", and made it with it.

I picked, washed and chopped some onion weed, using the bulbs, stems, leaves and flowers. I mixed with 600 g of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted at room temperature) and a big block of goat feta.

I used about 180 g of filo for this pie, half in the bottom, covered with the filling leaving a bit of a border, then I folded the borders in, and topped everything with the remaining filo sheets, tucking the borders under (like when you make a bed). I didn't spread any butter or oil between the filo sheets, instead I brushed the top and sides with water, so they didn't burn in the oven. This seems to be a common problem with filo pies, often the top gets really brown before the pie is cooked! I baked everything at 180° (fan) for about 30 minutes (didn't really check the exact time, sorry, but you can see it when is ready, the filo has colour underneath as well as at the top) and it was perfect!

With this recipe I take part in the event Healthy Cooking Challenge - Healthy Bakes

organized by Smita, and this month hosted by Priya.  Thank you ladies for this lovely blogging event!

Also, while I am here, I would like to share another review for Party Food for Girls which I really liked. Off to get ready for the big Italian Festival in Auckland (will post more about it later).

Ciao

A.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Can you hear this photo?

Photo by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Today is Black and White Wednesday, organized by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. I am thinking about those who cannot see these photos, colour or B&W alike, if I was a bit more gadget-wise I could have added an audio for it, but instead I will just leave you with a message I received from fellow Auckland blogger Moira.


I'm writing to invite you to get involved with a charity initiative involving my day-job at the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB): Bake a Difference for Blind Week.

One of the RNZFB's two annual appeals, Blind Week, runs from Tuesday 25 October until Monday 31 October this year. Funds raised will enable the RNZFB to continue providing essential blindness services to its members. Only one-third of the RNZFB's operating budget comes from government sources, so public support is vital.

Bake a Difference is a new part of Blind Week this year. The RNZFB is asking New Zealanders to organise their own fundraisers for Blind Week. The aim is to get as many people as possible to Bake a Difference by baking delicious goodies and offering these to others for a donation. Participants could bake for friends and family, a community group, club, or coffee group, or their workplace, church or school.

As a food blogger, there are two ways you might like to get involved:

1. Spread the word: tell your readers about Bake a Difference to encourage them to bake and get involved - perhaps sharing some suggested recipes! I've attached some key messages and a couple of photos that the Communications team at work sent me that you're welcome to use - let me know if you have any questions or need more details.

2. Bake your own difference: organise your own event to bake treats and exchange them for donations to the RNZFB. And write about it!

For more information about Bake a Difference, to register an event or to get hold of extra resources, you can visit blindweek.org.nz or call 0800 120 BLIND.

Party Food for Girls in the media, and YouTube

The Western Leader Newspaper came to our kitchen the other day, you can read the story here (there is also a chance to win the book, if you live in NZ), and then they took a video of Arantxa making fondant roses. I didn't quite realize that I was going to be quite so much in the picture... ops, and no make up! Arantxa spoke really well, I think, and this was her first (and only) take! Watch it on YouTube for a better picture.

Another review of Party Food for Girls is on Happyzine (click to read it online), and recently we were on Taste magazine and the Tatler magazine. More to come, I am trying to collect it all to send to my Mum in Italy :-).

Flowers and veggies from my garden, and writing about living in Oratia

I love all colours but I am not the type of gardener who would structure a garden to have it 'colour coordinated'. Mostly I like to see trees (the most important thing in my 'kind of' garden, and colours pooping up amongst the tree, everywhere, all types, all shades. And I like to bring flowers into the house too, something I am doing more and more now, since it is raining a bit too much these days and I cannot enjoy the flowers outdoors like I normally would.

The palette is very rich this month, lots of yellow, orange and whites..... 

... but also lots or pinks and reds!

And in the veggie garden? Not much now, but I do have a couple of cabbages :-). Actually, I prefer broccoli and cavolo nero, but cabbages are so pretty to look at that I have to plant just a few every year, and now there is so little choice that we eat them gladly.  Then I have carrots, lots of carrots!! Did I tell you that I eat the leaves also? The broad beans have flowers... still! Can anyone tell me how long does it takes for these flowers to become beans???? And a few leeks, but some are covered by mint, I need to free them or they will be strangled! And if you wonder about that newspaper... well, it keeps the weeds down, the snails away, and the worms warm :-).

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Finally, this month I have an article on Metro Magazine about living in Oratia, as part of a special feature about living in Auckland. If you also live in Auckland and have read the feature please let me know what you think :-).

Have a good week

Alessandra

Cupcakes and Sugarcraft Demo at Arcadia, and the Winner of Party Food for Girls

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Today Arantxa and I went to Arcadia Bookshop to present Party Food for Girls. The bookshop had a great tea party and cupcake display ready for us, and some eager girls waiting impatiently to make sugar flowers and decorate more cupcakes. Arantxa was very good at showing the girls how to create roses and rosebuds, and we had wonderful feedbacks from them, my favourite was: "This is a dream come true!". 

Girls of all ages joined in, from a tiny little 'fairy' to 'grown ups', and even a young gentelman! And you know what? He made a beautiful marzipan rose, very artistic! So there you go, Party Food for Girls can be for boys too! :-). And then our friend Valentina came to visit, and to make flowers, I forgot to take a photo of her and her creations (she was very proud of them!), I guess we got really busy chatting and catching up!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

What a great day! Thank you Doris and all the staff at Arcadia Bookshop in Newmarket!

And now for the winner of the blog candy!

First of all thank you for all your support, I was really touched by how many of you put the banner up in their blogs, 84! (even if the randomizers says 86... it seems to have two empty lines there), and I met many new bloggers, whom I am now following :-)!!! I copied all your names out on a word document (just to make sure that you had one chance each), and then I went on Random.org and clicked randomize! And the winner is:

List Randomizer

There were 86 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. 4. Tamtam
2. 74. sonia
3. 76. wagashi stories
4. 15. La Gaia Celiaca
5. 29. .B.
6. 26. Serena
7. 23. EliFla
8. 35. Rosaria
9. 48. Mamma Papera
10. 41. Penny
11. 73. LAURA
12. 83. Sarù @ Dolci Creativi
13. 59. Valeria
14. 57. Antonella
15. 45. Mary
16. 14. Gloria
17. 63. dolcetti&co
18. 32. simonaskitchen
19. 39. Simo
20. 64. piccoLINA
21. 2. franci e vale
22. 8. Saretta
23. 42. fantasie
25. 20. annabanana
26. 28. meris
27. 84. www.paoladany.blogspot.com
29. 25. Patty
30. 13. SONIA
31. 22. Ely
32. 38. Glu.fri cosas varias sin gluten
33. 49. Mil
34. 62. aTuttaCannella
35. 12. accantoalcamino
36. 69. laura.78
37. 36. dolci a ...gogo!!!
38. 70. Lui e Lei in cucina
39. 75. nonnapapera
40. 10. Vevi
41. 1. astrofiammante
42. 5. valentina brida
43. 31. Alessandra
44. 11. Aria
45. 56. Max
46. 16. Mon
47. 24. Cranberry
48. 54. LaVally
49. 19. Loredana
50. 44. I servizi del Clan_Destino
51. 72. Silvi
52. 71. monica@SemplicementePerfetto
53. 78. UnaZebrApois
54. 68. francy
55. 51. Sayuri
56. 53. Menta Piperita
57. 37. Gianni
58. 21. il cucchiaio magico
59. 34. Vale
60. 27. Ilaura
61. 3. Artù
62. 18. Fabipasticcio
63. 66. Pasticcioall'italianaenbarcelona
64. 40. Valentina
65. 77. Rosa-kreattiva
66. 43. Commis
67. 80. LaDolceIlaria
68. 58. matematicaecucina
69. 65. Valentina
70. 30. Claudia
71. 82. ciccioria
72. 7. Claudia
73. 50. DocCook
74. 9. Dana
75. 79. Anonymous (http://lescreationsdecry.blogspot.com)
76. 81. ANTO
77. 60. Mascia
78. 55. Satsuki010
79. 17. Red Nomad OZ
80. 61. accantoalcamino
81. 47. Antonella
82. 6. ElenaSole
83. 46. Bake Club
84. 33. Emily
85. 52. Lara
86. 67. Sabrina

Timestamp: 2011-10-01 05:32:39 UTC

Congratulations Tamara!!!

Tam, sono doppiamente felice perché dopo aver fatto il sorteggio mi sono accorta di aver messo il tuo nome solo una volta, mentre infatti tu avevi messo il banner su entrambi i tuoi blog!

Comunque adesso dovrai farti tradurre le ricette dai tuoi figli, o magari ti bastera’ guardare le foto e capirai cosa fare!!! Mandami il tuo indirizzo per favore (per email) e spero che il libro ti piacerà!

Per concludere volevo dire una cosa a tutti i blogger italiani: sono felice che il libro vada ad una blogger italiana: devo dire che i blogger italiani sono sempre molto generosi e felici di sostenere altri blogger e le loro iniziative, cosa che qui ancora non succede. Quindi grazie, grazie davvero a tutti, mi fate sentire a casa anche se sono lontana!
Un bacio
Alessandra

Cooking with children at school, and another demo tomorrow at Arcadia Bookshop

Oratia District School,  Room 17, clockwise from top left: Italy, Scotland, Holland, Japan

Yesterday our local primary school was presenting a special international day. In my boy's class the children choose to represent four countries: Italy, Scotland, Holland and Japan. I was there with other three mums to help making the food, of course Max thought that doing Italy was going to be 'too easy' so he choose the Japan table and I made sushi rolls with 8 very enthusiastic children (while more children stood by and watched, getting to eat all the end bits and the pieces that weren't 'perfect'!). At the end we all went to see how the tables had been set up, and they were so colourful and happy!!! It was such a great day for the kids, the Italian table had pizza and vino (grape juice really!), the Dutch table had pancakes and biscuits, and the Scottish table had shortbread and fudge. The children were all dressed up too and had made some great visual displays. So creative!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

This morning I was baking again, I made and decorated a few cupcakes to take to Arcadia Bookshop tomorrow. Arantxa and I will be there from 12 to 2 pm demonstrate how to make sugar flowers, and sign books, so if you are in Newmarket please pop by to see us!

Arcadia Bookshop

26 Osborne St, Newmarket, Auckland.

09 522 5211

PS: Tomorrow I will announce the winner of the blog candy, keep tuned!

Cutting mint

Once again today is Black and White Wednesday, organized by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. I have been cutting mint, I have far too much in the garden and it is taking over! Green is not an easy subject for black and white, but it looks interesting with the darker green colours of the bush in the background, and with the suddenly "very white" scissors, who captured all the light!

I am posting this now and it is Wednesday in New Zealand, but my Blogger seems to work on US time, so it always appear as a Tuesday post... anyone can tell me if there is a way of changing this? Thank you :-).

Photo  by Alessandra Zecchini © 

Miniatura di frutta con Aceto Balsamico di Modena e petali - Fruit miniature with Modena Balsamic and cherry blossoms

I like small things, even my food I prefer it small.  I like small plates with small tastings, miniature bites, doll houses' type of things... and this month's MT Challenge gave me a chance to go for small again. The theme was fruit salad (with some rules to follow on cutting, sauces and so on), something that I have no problems with really, as I love fruit salads! 

I went a bit 'Japanese' this time because the fruit that is often served at the end of formal Japanese meals is great to look at: small amounts, the presentation as important as for any other course, and as simple as possible. 

For the dressing I used some Aceto Tradiozionale Balsamico di Modena, not to be confused with Aceto Balsamico di Modena (they are two different products) and it goes well with all the fruit used here, including bananas. And to accompany, no ice-cream or similar, but I dared to be different and went for fresh petals... if you choose them go for pink, cherry or peach, and yes, they can also be dipped in the ABTM and eaten,  I did it (but I don't know many other people who regularly eat flowers like I do :-).

Ingredients:

for each person:

2 slices of banana (sprayed with a little lemon juice)

2 small balls scooped from a kiwi (green)

2 raspberries

2 small balls scooped from a kiwi gold (yellow)

1 tsp ABTM

cherry or peach petals

The utensils: a knife, a little scoop for the kiwis,  a flower cutter for the banana (I used a Japanese one for cutting vegetables like flowers), small bamboo skewers. To assemble just look at the pictures. Serve with the ABTM.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Tortelloni with feta and herbs, NOT gardening, and more cupcake demos

iPhone art by Arantxa Zecchini Dowling©

Well, it is Sunday and it is raining again! I really need to work in my garden and these wet weekends are not helping. My seedlings are coming up though, I will sell some at the Italian Festival in Auckland on October 9, I have this Italian pumpkin, some cavolo nero, borlotti, Venice runner beans, Genovese basil (giant) and San Marzano tomatoes, so if you are planning an Italian veggie garden this year come to the Italian Festival :-). And now for a fun pasta project to do with kids on a rainy Sunday!!!

Tortelloni with feta and herbs

For the fresh pasta recipe just click here, for instruction on how to roll the pasta with a pasta machine click here, and to fold the tortellini just look at the pictures below. The filling was improvised: a bit of feta cheese, some breadcrumbs, and a few chopped herbs (Italian parsley, chives, basil, but anything goes). 

 Also, yesterday Arantxa and I went to Milly's for a cupcake demo, and I completely forgot to take photos! I just remembered when we were packing to leave, and I took the photos of the leftover cupcakes, Arantxa was going to a birthday party in the afternoon and she took them there. The birthday girl's parents were so impressed that they gave her a box of chocolate to thank her :-).

The miniature cupcakes went to her brother Max, he loves tiny cupcakes! Next appointment is at Arcadia Bookshop on October 1st. It is a real cupcake month, even if the book is not only about cupcakes, this seems to be what girls really love! And Arantxa has been drawing lots of cupcakes on my iPhone too :-). Are you a cupcake person? 

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini, Artwork by Arantxa Zecchini Dowling ©

More stuff with onion weed and Parenting Magazine

I have been telling friends about onion weed these days, everybody seems surprised (and happy) that you can eat it, especially those who gave up growing spring onions because they seem to take so long for what you get. And onion weed is free and plentiful! I kept telling everyone to use it as a spring onion without realizing that most people here use spring onions just chopped in salad, and that'a about all! So now for more suggestions for onion weed, and spring onion! After reading about the creamy onion weed pasta sauce (here) you may like check this old post as well for more images of the plant and its uses, and in the photos above there are some more things I have been cooking this week.

On the top left my nabe (pot) with simmering Yudofu, one of my favourite tofu meals for chilly evenings:
In a capable pot I put water with some dried kombu (about a large sheet broken into 3-4 pieces), and a few dried shitake mushrooms to simmer, and after 20 minutes I added some soft tofu cut into squares, salt (I have a nice Japanese unrefined salt for it) carrot sliced to look like flowers, and onion weed (bulbs, stalks and leaves cut into 'longish' pieces). I added the flower just before serving. To tell the true the tofu should be then taken out of the broth and eaten with a sauce and relishes, but as a family meal we eat the lot in bowl, broth and veggies too, except for the kombu seaweed, which I discard.

The other three photos are of chickpea flour fritters: I chopped the onion weed (the whole plant, but kept a few flowers for decoration) plus I added some finely chopped spinach, chickpea flour, salt, water and a drizzle of olive oil. When the batter was ready I remember that I have lots of pitted black olives to use, so I chopped up a few and added those too. I fried the lot and the fritters were incredibly tasty! I will make them again, in the next few days, they are incredibly easy and the kids loved them.
These meals are vegan and gluten free.


And for today press news,  Arantxa and I are in the Spring edition of Parenting Magazine, and there are three recipes from the book Party Food for Girls too. Have a peek next time you are in the supermarket or newsagent.

Ciao
A.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Milly's this Saturday, a lovely snippet from a blogger friend and... Party Food for Boys?

Ciao all, this coming Saturday, 24th September 11.30am-1pm, Arantxa and I will be at Milly's in Parnell for a cupcake decorating demo, for more info please click here and scroll down.

Also I would like to thank Barbara for writing a snippet about Party Food for Girls in the Busy Cook page of the The Poughkeepsie Journal. You can read it here. Thank you Barbara, you are too kind!

And now a bit of a thought: at the book launch some people asked "And what about a party food book for boys?" My publisher asked my son what he thought, but he just shook his head and said: "Not interested."

Hehehe, as a matter of fact it was his 11th birthday on Monday, so Sunday we packed a picnic for the zoo (but it rained, so we went to see the Aqua exhibition at the museum instead) for him and four other boys (plus Arantxa, of course). The king of the party made his orders: a big slab of pizza (just cheese, tomato and oregano), a chocolate cake decorated simply with world flags, and tortilla chips with home made hommus (two kinds, plain and sundried tomatoes). We added some plain cupcakes and fruit, but nothing 'iced', decorated, or flowery! 

Well, it is true that for a picnic you cannot carry lots of ornate food easily, but his tastes are really directed towards 'simplicity' even if we stay at home. I think that the most ornate cake I made for his birthday was a Treasure Island's one when he was 8, for a Pirate Birthday Party (all the kids dressed up drinking fake rum (juice) from goblets and playing pirate games... it was so much fun!) and the rest have always been "make your own pizza" parties, parties with pizza, and picnics with pizza...  And the cake is always a chocolate cake. 

What about the boys in your life, what do they like for their birthday parties? I am curious now :-).

Photo  by Alessandra Zecchini © 

Growing my own food.

For Black and White Wednesday, organized by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook I took a photo of my seedlings. This Italian bean plant is three days old, and yet so tall compared to the cavolo nero next to her (or was it the Roman broccoli? I forgot in which pot I put it in!). The green colours are still incredibly pale at this stage, and I thought that they would make a good contrast with the black soil for a black and white pic.

Photo  by Alessandra Zecchini ©