Hello Italian Food Forever Friends!

Wow, what a week it has been! We started our olive harvest Friday expecting to finish in two days as usual and it seems that the olive fairies were busy at work this year because we had 2 1/2 more olives than last year and we needed a third day to finish picking. We ended up with over 40 cases, or 2140 pounds of olives. Considering for two of the three days there were only three of us picking I am amazed that we picked that much though my aching body believes it! After visiting the frantoio or olive mill we ended up with over 130 liters of liquid gold this year, twice as much as last year.

Tomorrow we head to Rome, and we fly back stateside on Friday. We are really looking forward to resting up and seeing family again. It has been far too long! Next week, as soon as I get settled, I will be running a great contest giveaway with Moretti Beer, so check in for the fun!

And I need to say Happy Birthday today to Christy, my wonderful daughter and best friend who turns 40 today!

Pumpkin, Sausage, Sage Pizza ~ Perfect Pairing With Moretti Beer
October is national pizza month, and although I honestly have been a little too busy closing up our two houses and with our olive harvest to celebrate it as I wanted to, I did manage to create this pizza using some of my favorite fall ingredients. Pumpkin, sage, and sausage work together well, whether they are used in a pasta dish, a tasty stew, or on a pizza such as this one. I also included Taleggio cheese which is an Italian cheese that melts really well and has a subtle musty, yet delicious flavor. It is also my favorite Italian cheese! Get The Recipe......

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Soup
It's been very rainy and gray in Umbria these past few weeks, and once I feel the need to curl up in front of a roaring fire or layer up to keep warm, I begin craving a warm bowl of soup. Properly executed, it's enough to make you feel good on even the nastiest of days. You can use just about any combination of ingredients to make a comforting pot of soup, but I tend to focus on seasonal local vegetables, along with some hearty regional grains.

On a recent trip to the outdoor market in Deruta, I came across some gorgeous heads of cauliflower and ended up buying two. I used just one of the heads in combination with roasted red peppers to make this creamy soup, and it made enough for several lunches. Get The Recipe......

Apricot Panna Cotta With Peaches
Dessert is not something I eat every day, but when we entertain I always feel that I need to plan something sweet at the end of our meal to finish it off. Unfortunately, I also plan a number of courses that come before dessert that I want to share with family and friends, so that by the time we get to dessert everyone is quite full. That is why panna cotta is the perfect dessert when entertaining. You can prepare it from start to finish hours before you plan to serve it so you do not have to worry about fussing with it when your guests arrive, and it is very light. Just the right touch after a big meal! Panna cotta translates as cooked cream, and is simply a sweetened cream and milk combination that is flavored and then set into a pudding with the use of gelatin. Get The Recipe......