25 ways to wear a scarf

Come home, Mona Lisa!

Again Louvre refuses to exhibit the most famous painting in Italy, Uffizi  Gallery. http://www.english.rfi.fr/node/97439
The last time Italy had seen Mona Lisa was exactly 100 years ago, in 1911, thanks to great Italian patriot and a thief Vincenzo Peruggia. It was the only time the painting was stolen, and so simple - Vincenzo was a carpenter and Louvre employee, he entered during the work hours, hided in the closed, took the painting, hided it under his coat and left. Like this! He was a patriot and thought that Mona Lisa should be in Italy, exhibited in Italian museum. He was caught 2 years later, trying to sell it to the directors of Uffizi Gallery, Florence (by other version - to the Florentine antique dealer Alfredo Geri). Mona Lisa made a tour around Italian museums and came back to France and Vincenzo went to jail. But only for 6 months, judge kind of felt for the guy and, actually, so do I. I wish Mona Lisa was here, at the end of the day she's Italian.

Read if you interested Monalisamania
Top 25 crimes of the XX century

Granita! GRA-NEE-TAH!

The best summer sweet-treat is created here, in Italy and it calls Granita. It's basically the ice-flakes with your favorite flavor. Which one is it? Coffee? Lemon? Strawberries? Mix of the fruits? You can create any without special tools like ice-cream maker or what-so-ever. The things you will need is measure cup, large, shallow pan and a freezer. Easy-busy!
Here is some classical recipes

Strawberry granita

1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups sliced hulled strawberries (1 pound whole berries) plus additional berries for garnish

Stir first 3 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend 3 cups strawberries in processor until smooth. Add sugar syrup and blend until combined.
Pour mixture into 13x9x2-inch nonstick metal baking pan. Freeze until icy around edges, about 25 minutes. Using fork, stir icy portions into middle of pan. Freeze until mixture is frozen, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Cover tightly and freeze. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.) Scrape granita into bowls. Garnish with berries and serve.

Espresso Granita

2 cups hot espresso or very strong coffee
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Bittersweet chocolate shavings

Stir espresso, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9 x 9 x 2" metal baking pan. Freeze for 1 hour. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover; freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape granita vigorously to form icy flakes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil; keep frozen. Give it a quick scrape before serving.

Beat cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Divide granita among bowls or glasses. Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Just-right recipes are from http://www.epicurious.com/

Special days

Well, I will not write about my special days, it's Rome we are talking about now. Living in UK or US, or Russia, you probably will expect restaurants and shops open 7 days a week and without a lunch-break. Not in Italy! Let's see:
Sunday - Domenica - is a great holiday every week, all local shops and most of the non-touristic part of the center will be closed.
Monday will shut down local restaurants and bars, as well as small shops.
Tuesday is very special as well - fresh fish arrives to the shops and supermarkets.
Thursday - after 1 pm most of the local shops will be closed (don't ask me why)
Friday - fresh fish arrives again (so, you can buy it Tue-Wed and Fri-Sat only)
Is it already special enough? Next time I'll tell you about working hours :)Not so simple there either!

Caron

You know, that in big zoo they collect empty perfume bottles to give to the big cats. To keep them mentally occupied. Some sort of thing it is for me as well. I just can't pass the profumeria without entering and giving a sniff to smth. So, automatically I know almost all new perfumes on market. Unfortunately, the tendency is frightening, almost all new arrivals are chemical, boring and boring one more time. And thanks to IFRA, old ones are getting redone or canceled. Now it is old classics - Caron Roses - Or et Noir, Infini, Bellodgia, Rose, Pour un Femme. Sad. I will definitely try to find and stock Bellodgia and Infini in extrait, they worth it.

Blogging

It's a weird thing about blogging: when you write a lot - you always have ideas for new post, sometimes a lot of them, but when you drop it somehow - after a bit you mind is blank, like a piece of paper, you steering to the monitor and don't know what to do. Anyway, I'm back and promise to write.

Italian hand gestures

If you are getting ready to visit Italy - watch this and prepare. If you don't  - watch this just because it's fun!

vive, vive la Befana!

Last week we had another January holiday, it was Epiphany's Day or Befana. And were expecting gifts again!
Befana is an old witch, who travels on the broomstick at night around the country and delivers gifts (we all are broke after Christmas, so the gifts are usually chocolates and other sweets) for good children. Have you been good?
As to me, Befana doesn't look Christian at all, I'm really surprised, she got herself the way into the calender. The legend tells, that when Three Wise Men went to see Jesus, they lost their way and stopped at the house of an old woman. She didn't know the way to the Jesus either, but gave them the shelter for the night. Three Wise Men offered Befana to go with them, but she refuses, telling that she has too much work around the house. After, she changed her mind, took all the sweets she had and went to see Jesus herself. As we can see - navigation isn't her strong side, she is still looking for Jesus, giving all children sweets and hoping, that one of them may be The King.

The Epiphany's Day means that  winter holidays are over, all decorations are off and no more sweets in the sock over the fireplace. Sad

Black Books

I'm watching the first episode of "The Black Books" AGAIN, it's knock-out stuff! It's like my third time and it is still funny and I miss Britain like hell!

Coming soon!

We did it, we open our very own restaurant in Rome, Parioli! This week is "settimana bianca", when most of the italians travel around, so we took it to test a menu on ourselves and friends, put together the wine-list and so on and so on, in two words - to understand the things that you see only when you are open. Funny thing, the working hours - we are open from 6.30am till midnight, 7 days a week. The bastards me and my hubby are - we insisted on it. This maybe a surprise for people, who don't live in Italy, but almost no-one does it like this.
Bars are open usually from 6.30am to make a breakfast till 12, re-open at 4pm to serve aperitif till 8/9pm
Restaurants are open around 11am till 3pm to serve lunch and re-open at 6/7pm till midnight for dinners.
We will do it all :) Everybody welcome!