Carnevale Cheese

Today is Day 115 of living in a snow globe. The only cure is to crack open that snow globe with rich, welcoming food. This weekend was the family Carnevale dinner: 3-cheese appetizers wrapped in toasted hazel nuts, stuffed mushrooms, vegetable pizza, strawberry-arugula-spinach salad with warmed honey-balsamic vinaigrette, linguine with pesto and pizza du grane. (Somehow missed the frappes/bugies this year). All in generous amounts.

I thought it was enough food for 7. The cheese balls alone will fill you up!
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Then my mother surprised me with this:

Artichoke gratin. Made with cheese, egg yolks, cream, garlic, oil, butter ... oh my. You tear at the artichoke dripping with thick buttery goodness and make a mighty mess. Garlic oils drip from the tips of your fingers - this is caloric bliss. And if you keep a running conversation with yourself as I do - just just keep telling yourself, "I'm eating a vegetable! This is healthy!"

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But that's for a later post. Dream of it for awhile. It's worth the wait.
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Today we say "cheese." And I am part mouse. (Don't tell the cat.) I inherited the mouse gene from my mother.

This post is about cheese balls. It contains my beloved ricotta, creamy mascarpone and just-a-tad-biting-gorgonzola dolce - to keep you on your toes. These cheese delectables didn't even mind being upstaged by my mother's artichoke gratin. They held their own. Until there were none left to hold.

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They made me feel luxurious - indulged. And after 115 days of looking at snow, I plan an indulgence every day. Because our first crocuses are at least a month away.

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Italian Cheese Balls - makes 10

(Adjust amounts according to taste and number needed)

1/2 cup toasted hazel-nuts - smashed a bit

1/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup gorgonzola dolce (a younger, sweeter gorgonzola than the aged ones)

*garnish: a scattering of fresh Italian parsley leaves - other herbs would also work

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Italian Cheese Ball Preparation

1. Skin and toast your hazelnuts. (I boil them for 10-15 minutes in a quart of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda to get the skins off. Drain them and shinny those skins off of them in a towel. Then roast them in a 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes to dry them and toast them).
2. Put in a plastic bag and pound some of them. Put them on a plate for later.
3. With a beater, blend your cheeses. Chill for 20 minutes to make them easier to handle.
4. Roll them into walnut-sized balls and then roll them in the roasted/toasted hazelnuts.
5. Put on plate, scatter fresh herbs and serve. Or put plastic over the plate and refrigerate for up to four-six hours (maybe more - who knows - they never last that long).

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And I had more than one reason to chortle in my joy this weekend. My short play Mythajawaba has been chosen as one of six plays for Sundog Theatre's 2011 Scenes from a Staten Island Ferry. I have history in Staten Island (school and first apartment) and spent a lot of time on that ferry. I really had fingers and toes crossed for this one (so much so the toes may be permanently disfigured). It's ...quirky - a total steal of Ulysses and the sirens - only now the siren is in the New York Harbor. And even more reason for chortling is - it's looking good that I will go to NYC to see it around the 15th of April.

I'm still going down in weight - even with cheese balls and artichoke gratin so something is going well. (I think you must burn a lot of calories stressing over play acceptances.) The topic this week was recommended reading to help you stay on track. As a manic reader (send me titles) and the proud new owner of a Kindle (love having thousands of books at my finger tips) - my reading is for sheer pleasure. I actually escape from my point-counting, caloric days and don't read for weight-loss inspiration. I am someone who needs to escape. The thing with "mindful eating" is to really figure out what works for you, and if reading helps - read! If eating cheese balls helps - eat cheese balls. Why don't you eat these!