A "Little bit of Italy" in Chipley

It’s been exactly one month.  A month since God blessed us with the vacation of a lifetime…Italy!  I have wanted to go for most of my adult life.  So, for my retirement, Greg said, “Let’s go.” We decided to not delay it. Off we went for 11 wonderful days.  It was everything I dreamed of and so much more. I’ve seen pictures but that doesn’t prepare you for how breathtakingly beautiful it is.  We stayed in central Italy for a week and then went south for a week, to the Amalfi Coast. Although it’s only been a month, I’m starting to feel a “little” nostalgic. To help with this sentimental mood, I cooked a similar meal to the one I had in Rome and sat back and watched Romeo and Juliet on Netflix.

Several weeks ago I thought about incorporating a little Italian culture into my own home.  I decided I would go to the little market in my small town and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables each week.  I started to walk but decided it was too hot.  It was very hot in Italy but without the humidity.  If I walked to the market here, by the time I got back I would be soaked from head to toe. But not there, we walked a lot everyday and I never really got sweaty.

  Today I went and got an eggplant for dinner tonight.  I ate eggplant several times while we were in Italy; eggplant Parmesan and pasta in Rome our last night in Italy and sliced eggplant baked with olive oil cooked by Rosetta our gracious hostess at the villa in Magione.  I came up with my own variation of eggplant casserole (Italian style).  I cut up an onion and sauteed it in olive oil.  I cut up some yellow and orange peppers and sauteed them too.  I cut up the eggplant in cubes and cooked it until soft with the onions and peppers.  I added a little more olive oil.  I crumbled up buttered crackers (Ritz) and Parmesan cheese to taste.  I don’t use a measuring cup, I just add until I’m satisfied and taste as I go.  I sprinkled with a little more Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. (Our mozzarella cheese doesn’t come close to theirs.  There cheese is the best cheese I have ever tasted.)   I then cooked it in the oven at 400 degrees until bubbly hot.  I also cooked some thin pasta until tender.  In a frying pan I sauteed some minced garlic and olive oil.  I added the cooked pasta to it.  We also had a salad of mixed greens and spinach with sliced fresh strawberries and feta cheese drizzled with vinaigrette dressing.  I think I could teach the Italians a little something about how to make a salad.  The salad that we had there was a bowl of lettuce. Oh well, you can’t be perfect! (But...they’re pretty close)  Add a glass of wine, light a candle,... instantano… I’m back in Rome. 

 I am enjoying a limoncello!  Yummy!

To further my sentimental mood, I watched Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with actors Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld (all of it except for the very end, it’s too hard to watch.  If you’re a romantic, you know what I mean.)   It is such a good movie though! I cried.  It really took me back to Italy, even if the movie did take place during the Renaissance period. You have never seen such gorgeous churches as you will see there. Although the setting of Romeo and Juliet is in Verona, Italy which we did not visit (we were about 4 hours away), the architecture is still consistent throughout Italy. 

Just one of the many gorgeous churches.  I think this was in Siena.

Well, that’s enough about Italy for now.  Just one more view of the most magnificent countryside I have ever seen!

I have so enjoyed reminiscing!  Arrivederci!
sammie jean