Year: 2021

Zucchini dish

carpaccio di zucchini inspired by our family dinner at cucina

Cucina is one of our favorite restaurants. Slowly, it has turned into our go-to place for birthday dinners, especially when they fall in the middle of the week and we don’t have enough time to cook something special. Our order typically includes pizza and pasta. Bombolotti al Sugo is a favorite, and we all like to share the Frito Misto as our starter. We rarely order dessert, since the cake and presents are typically waiting for us back at the house. A few weekends ago we were there again to celebrate Patrick’s parents’ wedding anniversary and got to try some new dishes, including Funghi Ripieni, Carpaccio di Zucchini, Insalata con Bettole, and Donna’s Amazing Almond Cake.  I liked the Carpaccio di Zucchini so much, I had to try to recreate it at home. And guess what? It turned out pretty good. So, I’m sharing my recipe with you. But before I do that, I need to highlight that the key to getting this dish right is to move quickly. And, to make the salad look as pretty as the one …

making ice cream cones is easy!

When it comes to ice cream, I’m not sure what I like the most, the ice cream or the cones. Every time I go to Fairfax Scoop, our favorite ice cream shop in town, I wonder how difficult it would be to make sugar cones at home like the ones they make at their store. Would I need to have special equipment? This thought crossed my mind again last Sunday as we drove through town on our way to the supermarket. Sarah was driving, so I was able to use my phone to google a bit and found a recipe that looked pretty easy. It was almost 90 degrees outside and ice cream sounded like a good idea. We got the ingredients at the store and got started right away after we got back to the house. Making sugar cones sounded a bit intimidating, but honestly, it was super simple! All you need is a bowl and a whisk and something to prevent the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet. I used a silicone mat but …