By Ari, on June 23rd, 2011%
After leaving Roma, we hopped a train and headed to Firenze, or Florence. The walk from the stazione ferroviaria (train station) to our B&B was made more confusing due to a lack of working phones. Way to go, Verizon.
After settling in, we ate a late lunch (even by European standards) around 3:30 or 4 pm. There’s a little sandwich place just around the corner from where we were staying. At Noe, a decription of roughly 25 paninis are displayed on a hand-written menu right outside the shop. I went for a classic “Ari” sandwich of turkey, brie, caramelized red onions, and some “spicy sauce,” which actually just tasted like sun dried tomato oil (fine by me!). John’s sandwich had roasted pork, spinach, cheese, and caramelized onions. Continue reading Firenze
By Ari, on June 21st, 2011%
As I sit 30,000 feet in the air, I have to admit that I’m secretly hoping the pilot will turn our plane around and drop me back off in Italia. Unfortunately, life is waiting for us back in the States. My hubby (get used to hearing that name!) has a new job which he starts this week (!!), I need to find a job, and most importantly, we get to see our puppy again. He’s been living with a close friend of ours for the last two weeks in MA, and we have been dying to bring him home. Continue reading Roma
By Ari, on June 4th, 2011%
Did I mention I’m getting married tomorrow?! It feels like only yesterday I was calling my friends and family to tell them we got engaged (and this was in Fall of ’09!). Now, in less than 24 hours, we’ll be married!
Au revoir, ciao, and I’ll see you when we return from Italy in . . . → Read More: June 5, 2011
By Ari, on May 19th, 2011%
Hello, friends! I apologize for my recent hiatus from Tasty Retreat. Unfortunately for you, it’s going to continue a while longer. The wedding is just around the corner and I’ve found myself busier and more flustered than expected.
I’ll try to post a few more times before the big day, but then it’s off . . . → Read More: Still Cooking, Just Busy…
By Ari, on March 14th, 2011%
In honor of Pi Day; in honor of our 8-year anniversary; in honor of the fact that warmer weather and farmer’s markets are just around the corner, I bring you blueberry pie.
 Continue reading Pi Day Pie
By Ari, on March 1st, 2011%
If you could only imagine what went down in our small apartment on Sunday, you’d be laughing with me. We divided up our pots, pans, and kitchen utensils; we split the oven and stove, and worked on separate sides of the apartment. The flip of a coin determined who got our “nice” cutting board (John) and who had to suffer with the less impressive, wobbly one (me).
I have to say, we really pulled it off. Not only did we have a blast (yes, we’re that couple who loves cooking together), but also we ate some very tasty food.
Before I show you pictures and announce the winner, I should tell you that our 2-hr time limit was… stretched a little. Given the space restraints and the amount we were trying to get done, we ended up serving our appetizers and entrées for “lunch” and our desserts for “dinner.” We needed a break (read: a nap), and our stomachs were too full to even think about dessert before dinner.
Also, we had to clean up the catastrophic mess of dishes we left from earlier in the day.
*Side note: maple syrup sticks to everything. Continue reading Victory is Sweet
By Ari, on February 25th, 2011%
The time has finally come. Tasty Retreat’s first Iron Chef battle will take place this weekend. And the theme ingredient?
Maple syrup.
The rules are simple: three dishes, two hours, one winner.
The prize is still to be determined, but the judges have promised to be impartial. (Hah! The judges are . . . → Read More: Battle Maple Syrup
By Ari, on February 7th, 2011%
I wasn’t expecting 2011 to be so… challenging.
I started off the New Year with a bad case of the flu. Nothing to get mad about – it happens (though it had never happened to me before). Unfortunately, being sick and taking days off to recover don’t translate well to working in a restaurant kitchen.
…and so as of the 1st week in January, I was no longer employed. Continue reading New Year Update
By Ari, on January 28th, 2011%
In some relationships, love is expressed via the giving of flowers or expensive jewelry. In my relationship, I wake up to texts from John saying he left me a present on my camera, and I see this:
Salami and egg omelette on a pretzel! So glad we understand each . . . → Read More: He Loves Me
By Ari, on January 5th, 2011%
Before we jump into 2011, let’s highlight the best of 2010. This was a big year for me, food-wise. I moved to NYC, after all. While our bank accounts may not approve, John and I were able to sample more delicious food than ever. Here is a list of our favorites: Continue reading Best of 2010
|
|
|
