Cook from your heart and your food will be eaten with love

Today was all about food. I had too much in the kitchen.....too many red peppers and a huge eggplant that had to be used. What do you get when you put eggplant, onions, peppers together? Sicilian Carponata...a wonderful dish of fresh veg cooked in the best olive oil. Every ones Carponata is made to their own tastes.....many have olives and capers included...mines is more simple as I do not like olives.....yes I know...too bad for me....really sad as I have olive trees now in our orchard. Note: our wonderful olive oil we buy from Angelo Pavone..our contractor/gardener. Carponata is served in most restaurants here as a side dish...have yet to taste one I did not like.....even with olives included.

So what else did I have in the fridge? Some nice chicken drumsticks. I made a little marinade for them..olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup and some espresso coffee. Put them in the oven to bake and then made some risotto requested from Isabella...simple risotto with a little onion and fresh peas and lots of good grated Parmesan at the end. Also added to the lunch table was a bowl of homemade soup.

Lunch was served up in no time add some fresh bread bought at the bakers that morning and finish it off with some pears from our trees...again some full tummies and lots of smiles.

That evening we went up town to visit Mama/Nona and I took the left overs from lunch and we had a late supper. We lost Papa Mario last November 84 yrs old...and Mama does not eat well....so to see her enjoy my food was really lovely. I love to cook and I have learned a lot from Gino's Mum over the years. Now she is only cooking for herself she has lost her heart in the kitchen as she tells me...so when I cook and she eats some... even a little ....it makes Gino and I very happy.

Cook from your heart and your food will be eaten with love.