Sunday, October 11, 2009

Columbus Day Dinner in the Snow

It's coming. And it's measurable. I woke up to the above Saturday morning (October 10th!). Bye-bye plants. Bye-bye summer happiness. Adieu. No matter that autumn is my favorite time of year and there is no autumn this year. No matter that I look like Igor as I approach - slouching and dragging my right foot behind me. No matter. I can cope. The pumpkin lights are out. Pumpkins truly look grand in the snow. So, Columbus Day is a snow day - no biggie, right? Surely somewhere in the Italian Alps there is snow. I shall make-believe I'm there. Half my life is composed of make-believe.

And speaking of Italy and the snow, I have gotten so caught up in - blithely cooking whatever suits my fancy that I have forgotten the purpose of my blog - which was to reach into my sometimes tempermental, worry-wart, enthusiastic and dramatic Italian genes and rediscover my heritage.

So I shall begin anew and do just that. I am the Italian food examiner and I devised an easy meal for Columbus Day: Calabrese appetizer, Gresio chicken cutlets, broccoli with toasted bread crumbs, and spaghetti with garlic and oil. Feel free to take a peek - and I am looking for advice. The head of the examiners say, "No humor, nothing personal, not a blog." But to me - everything is personal. My plays (even the silly ones) are personal. What do you think?
http://www.examiner.com/x-25270-Minneapolis-Italian-Food-Examiner

25 comments:

Heather said...

love the article! everything looks so yummy :)

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

Looks great to me. Should we be checking there for you?

Barbara GF said...

Great to see you published in a newspaper, Claudia. And with your sunny, creative disposition, what's a little snow so early? This as I march out to my frost-ridden garden in search of any remains. Happy Columbus Day, Amica!

Nancy said...

Great article and menu! Perfect for a chilly Columbus Day. I could eat spaghetti aglio e olio every day.

OysterCulture said...

Oh I hope it might look a bit like that when Thanksgiving comes round - we're headed to the TC for my annual pilgrimage to MN, and I confess I miss seeing a bit of snow.

Congrats on the article - you definitely have me hungry for Italian and I look forward to reading many more in the future and happy Columbus Day to you!

Reeni said...

I can't believe you have snow already!! What an injustice to Fall. What a dinner filled with deliciousness!!

Heather S-G said...

No humor!? That in itself is funny. But, I love it anyway...and I love peasant food. I would love a loaf of bread, a platter of this and a bottle of wine!

chow and chatter said...

oh wow snow your recipe looks great

JJP said...

That's how I make the cutlets (though when I was little, Grandma made them with veal from Leo's) and Michael thinks they are the best thing I have ever made!So easy and I use the Progresso, but I don't dip them in milk. Perfect meal!

Claudia said...

Thanks for the support, all - and I will be doing my blogging here and non-humorous, "just the facts" over "there." I am excited though.

Jen-Julia: Everyone did the cutlets with veal in the "old days." My mother still does!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the Examiner article, your Columbus Day meal looks terrific! Delicious chicken cutlets!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

How cool Claudia that your write for the Examiner! That looked like a delicious and easy family meal to make. my husband is Calabrese so we love that appetizer, and chicken cutlets were always among my children's favorite entrees.

I know the middle of the country is getting hit with cold weather! The Farmers Almanac predicted it!

PS I love ballet also but my husband falls asleep at it ..lol We've only gone to a couple but we get an opera subscription ever year. Love the Italian operas!

theUngourmet said...

I've heard it's been quite cold over your way!

How cool! I've been writing for the Examiner as well. I just jumped over and took a peek. Nice!

velva said...

Okay, it appears that the snow has arrived early this year. Does seem that the pumpkins would feel a bit out of place.

Congrats on the article published in the newspaper.

Kim said...

Snow, already? It sure looks pretty though :D I loved your article. It just dawned on me that it is Columbus Day, I totally forgot. I guess that's why I didn't get any mail :D I love all the dishes, but the broccoli sounds delicious with bread crumbs and parm- yum!

Barbara said...

Loved the article, congratulations!...and spaghetti sounds like a perfect meal to me.
Am envious of fall weather, not so much the snow however. I sure hope you still have some fall left and don't jump immediately into winter. Still in the 90's in S. Florida.

Katy ~ said...

Claudia, I enjoyed your article. I feel as if I know a celebrity!

Too early for snow, groan. Maybe Christmas Eve! Then I want it to go away again.

Miranda said...

Wow. That is crazy. It is 100 here in FL...I am ready for some relief. But I do not miss the snow...

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Snow....oh I'm just not ready for snow. But we've got rain here in the mountains. Rain, rain, rain. That's all it does. We're going to rot soon.
Love the article too. Congratulations.
Sam

Daziano said...

Here we had snow flakes the day before... Happy belated Columbus day! Here in Canada it was Thanksgiving.

Good article BTW!!!

Proud Italian Cook said...

Congrats Claudia on your writing for the Examiner! As for the snow, I'm not ready for it at all, already been wearing my winter coat!

Juliana said...

Oh! That is nice...love the article!
And the food looks yummie!

Daziano said...

Hi Claudia! I just read your comment in my blog... Thank you! I wonder why you have had problems commenting... Please tell me if that happens again (although I'm not sure if I'd be able to do something...) Ciao!!

joe@italyville said...

oh no... snow! it got here too. The Patriots played in it this past weekend! might be a long one. Hope you're well Claudia!

My Little Space said...

But there always something to do durng winter! And what's your favourtie activity during winter? Claudia is a food examiner, right!So, did you do that on our recipes too LOL? =)he he...just blaughing!