Sunday, July 21, 2013

It's Gettin' Hot in Here

It.Has.Been.Hot. lately you guys! .. alright, it hasn't been as hot as it's going to be in a couple weeks (the triple digits are about to happen any minute now..) but it's still been hot enough to make everyone cranky and uncomfortable and cranky.
It's been hot enough that you've got to wonder how we ever manage to want to eat a casserole... or a roast ... or anything coming out of a crock pot, during the course of the year. The thought of ingesting anything heavier than a margarita  a glass of sangria  a beer in a frosty mug a shrimp cocktail with a bloody mary ...... for breakfast... makes your eyes cross.
Lots of salads are happening around here these days. Don't let yourself get in to a rut with the salads. Just because you're eating nice and light and fresh, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor.
Here are a few of my go-to's

 
Mushroom & Celery Salad w/ Shaved Romano Cheese
 
Thinly slice mushrooms & celery. Chop & add Italian parsley. Squeeze fresh lemon juice. Salt & Pepper to taste. Shave Romano to garnish. Let this one sit for a while to allow the flavors a chance to come together.
 
 
 

 
Roasted Beet & Mandarin Orange
(...don't start with me. you'll like beets... try it.)
 
Roast fresh beets (Don't be crazy and try to do this inside. It's hot enough. Do this on the grill). Peel & cut up beets, toss with mandarin slices. The picture above has Parmigiano Reggiano shaved on top, but I often use Feta instead.  The dressing is simply a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and a little bit of lime.
 
 
 

 
Deconstructed Guacamole
 
Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onion, Avocado, Radishes (...I know there are no radishes or cuc's in guac.. but I like the crunch in my salad).
Cut everything up, chop some cilantro, mix with fresh lime juice, salt, pepper. Serve in a taco bowl.
If you're feeling fancy you can also add shrimp
 
 

Now you've got your salads for the week.... so obviously you deserve a big 'ole chunk of this.. what?!  It's fruits!
 
xo
L
 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Beach towels? Check! .... Sunblock? Check! .... Bottle opener? Check! .... Koozie? .... um.. not check.

How long are you all nursing that drink anyway???

4th of July is coming up, gang!!!
I'm packing the liquor our bags for the beach and it's pouring rain outside my window. This weather is messing up my groove right now. Thankfully Noah's backing up the Ark and heading out of Dodge tomorrow, so good times should be had by all!
I love the beach.... and I especially love the beach for an extended long weekend. There will be sand, and flippy floppies, and disheveled beach hair, and clothes that don't match and lots of grilling and bbq'ing and s'mores'ing. lurve it.

Speaking of burgers and dogs..... I like to keep things pretty lazy simple at the beach. Here are my beach cooler must haves:
  • Beer
  • Sangria
  • Hornsby's Hard Cider
  • Watermelon
  • Pepper Steak Panini's
  • Peaches
  • Frozen grapes for the sangria to snack on

Let's have a conversation about the Pepper Steak Panini's.... When I was a kid my cousin and I used to go with my grandmother on these pilgrimage/picnic's her church would do every summer. I know you're shocked to hear that my little (4ft 8 (maaaaaybe?) grandmother was very involved in and  lived across the street from her church... p.s. she also lived next door to the priest. just sayin'... Nonna was securing her position.
Annnnyhoo. So my cousin and I would look forward to this trip every year for one reason... (aside from hanging out with the old Paysans who had been hitting the home made vino out of the jug a bit too hard all day and would start singing crazy Italian songs no one had ever heard of, but everyone knew the words to,  on the bus ride home..... I digress... ).  All year long we would talk about the Pepper Steak and the Cotoletta Panini's. Cotoletta is breaded chicken cutlets... those were good.. but nothing came close to the Pepper Steak. It's nothing fancy... but it's the stuff Italian dreams are made of. Here's the recipe.. there are no measurements because whenever my grandmother would be asked how much of whatever ingredient was needed she'd say "until there's enough".
Make it, and don't share

Pepper Steak

Cube Steak cut in to thin strips
Green Peppers
Onion
Garlic
Oregano
Soy Sauce
Worchestershire Sauce
Panini (or whatever hard rolls you have hanging around)

Brown the steak in Olive Oil... add peppers, onions, garlic.... sauté.
Add oregano, soy & worchestershire sauce... bring to a boil & let reduce for a bit. You don't want it too too saucy but you don't want it dry either. Let cool overnight and stuff in a bun when you're ready to eat.

Have a safe & happy 4th everyone!!!
xo
L

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Roll me out of here

I'm back you guys! What a great trip! Got to see lots of family in Toronto and Montreal and eat lots L-O-T-S of food!

 Let's take a little tour...

First stop! Tim Horton's...  Tim Horton was a hockey player.. are we surprised that Canada's most insanely (really.. it's nuts) popular coffee house is named after a hockey player? no? I didn't think so. Extra large double double is the way most people order their coffee - 2 cream, 2 sugar. Boston cream donut filled with custard. Not cream or frosting. No exceptions. I cross the border and this is the first thing I want.




ohhhhh, the Montreal bagel... don't get me started. NY and MTL have had a rivalry over their bagels forever. I'm biased (obv.) Montreal's are the best. They are made by hand, boiled, then baked in a food fired oven. Ever have a bagel melt (MELT) in your mouth? Go to Fairmount bakery and get one right out of the oven. It'll change your life.


 
 

Ok, you guys... it's getting serious right now. We're talking Steamie's and Poutine. Montreal hot dogs are steamed & dressed with mustard, relish and coleslaw. The fries are thick and dirty. You can eat them plain... or with sauce (don't call it gravy. It's sauce.).. or you can have a poutine.. which is fries, with curd cheese covered in sauce. The Poutine (Poot-Sin... not Poo-Teen) is a 100% French Canadian shameful guilty pleasure dish. Don't be scared. It's incredible. Try it. It won't be the same because we can't get the right cheese down here, but it'll be close.



So we all know I'm Italian, right? This right here is a plate of my childhood. Death row meal? This is it. Fresh cold cuts - Mortadella San Daniele, Hot Capicollo, Proscuitto di Parma, Genoa Salami, Provalone, marinated artichoke hearts, tomato focaccia, roasted red peppers, stuffed olives, panini. I'm done.
 
 
 
So, while I was in Montreal my mother had a craving for French Macarons... so much for linacucina's vacay ;)  Mocha Macarons with ganache filling. Voila




I had the chance to hit up a couple restaurants while back in Montreal. Here's a shot of probably the most moist piece of swordfish I've ever eaten. No need to be complicated. A beautifully grilled piece of fish with capers and lemon juice will hit the spot every single time.




I don't know that I've ever known another city to do breakfast like they do in Montreal. Restaurants are often times just as busy if not busier for brunch, than they are on a Friday or Saturday night. I went out for brunch with a couple old ladies I know and I had Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with a Dill Hollandaise sauce. It looks like a lot.... but I only ate half of my potatoes.. the other half fell off my plate I'm looking at you J.W. ;)




...meanwhile, back at the ranch......  This is my all time favorite thing to eat for brekkie. My great grandmother who had 13 children and lived until she was 94 used to have this all the time. It's a toasted mortadella sandwich. We didn't (or very rarely) ever have bologna in our house. Our bologna was Mortadella. It's divine. Toasted Mortadella for breakfast is Italian grubbing at it's finest.

 
 
 
It was a great trip, and I loved seeing everyone and stuffing my face, but I'm glad to be back in NC... of course I couldn't come back empty handed, so as I sit here drinking my Timmy's out of my HBC mug dipping my maple cookies, I'm comforted in knowing that my freezer is packed with bagels and my pantry is loaded with cans of dark amber maple syrup, Cherry Blossom's, cornets de guimauve and ketchup chips  ;)

 
 
xo
L


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Vay-cay-cay

I'm on vacation as of 2pm today and I'm not even going to lie.. I'm so excited I can barely stand it! Early (4am-URRRRRR-LEEE!) tomorrow morning we're loading up heading to "The North".  We haven't been home in almost a year and we're due.
First stop - Toronto. (lies... first stop - Pittsburg for a Primanti Bros sandwich. We're driving. True story.) The hubs' family lives in and around the T-Dot. We'll be staying with my inlaws at their horse farm. Love it. My husband and I have been together for almost 13 years and his parents have had horses on the farm the whole time. I still love watching the horses run and play in the paddocks. It never gets old. So magical.
Next up is Montreal to see my gang. There are no horses at my parents' place. There are, however, lots of crazy Italians... which, when you think about it, are as close as it comes to wild animals anyway. Same diff. Just with better shoes....and more gold chains.
I'll be taking photos and blogging about all the food I'll be enjoying which is going to contribute to the 15lbs I'm about to gain.. so stay tuned!
xo
L

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Elephant in the room

I know it might seem like it's been two months since my last blog post, but .... I've got nothing. It's been two months since my last blog post. Your girl's been busy, though! .. so maybe that gives me a bit of an excuse? notreally
It's wedding season and things have been non stop nutso since about mid-April. I've been knee deep in cupcakes, wedding cakes, stadium cakes, cooler cakes, photo shoots and naughty naughty bachelorette cookies. Here are just a couple of the sweet things that have come out of my kitchen in the last couple of months ... and no, you're not getting a photo of the cookies, you filthy bb's you're my kind of people








Things are going get back to normal for a little bit over the summer, so I promise you I'll blog more often.. at least once a week ... and if I don't, get on me! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter and call me out on it! I'll give you a discount on your next order if you catch me slacking off
xo
L

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Weddings, Reviews and Village Market

Oh, my poor neglected bloggy poo..It.Has.Been.Crazy. up in here the past couple of weeks! 1st of all it's very much the start of wedding season. It's a season. Winter, Pollen, Wedding, Fire, Wedding II, Christmas.  If you do anything associated with the wedding industry, these are your seasons.
In the midst of my lovely weddings, I was so flattered to have received two really fabulous reviews from some bloggers I had sent samples to.
The first was from The Triangle Explorer.  John has a really great blog. If you live in the Raleigh/Durham area, check it out. He's got all kinds of info about cool places to go and eat in the 'hood.
http://triangleexplorer.com/2013/03/18/linacucina-brings-italian-inspired-cakes-and-baked-good-to-raleigh/
He's also got another blog exploringcoffee.com reviewing all things coffee. A man after my own heart.
The second review was from waaaay across the country in Arizona. Jaclyn from SugarLoco.com was super kind in her review of the cookies I sent her.
http://www.sugarloco.com/2013/03/linacucina-pizzelles/
Most recently I've been thrilled to share that I now have products available at Village Market in  Lafayette Village in North Raleigh, just off Falls of Neuse. I am so excited about this new partnership. Village Market is like a little piece of heaven for me. The secret to really incredible cooking is using really incredible ingredients. You can find those at Village Market.  Come on by and check out what they have to offer. You can grab a linacucina snack while you're there and you might even see me camping out in their kitchen. They've been kind enough to let me use their facilities when I need them, which is really generous and maybe a little strategic on their part.. why do I get the feeling I'll be having lots of volunteer taste testers in the near future ;)
http://villagemarketraleigh.com/ 
xo
L

Friday, March 22, 2013

Bread and Yeastophobia

I have a confession to make. I used to have a serious fear of yeast. Terrified. I was a big scaredycat and avoided baking anything requiring yeast for years. No breads. No pretzels. No cinnamon rolls. No way. Nooooooo. Way. Why go through all that trouble? There's all kinds of steps involved.. there's proofing... rising.. bubbling.. festering.. living.. breathing... all kinds of junk.
My change of heart about yeast came about 6 years ago.
In 2007 my husband and I moved to Raleigh from Toronto (we lived there for 3 1/2 years before we got here). Before then we were in Montreal but you've heard this before. When we got to Raleigh I remember one Sunday as I was making a sauce (we say sauce in my family... not gravy. because that's just crazy.) I was thinking that we could really use a nice crusty loaf to go with dinner. Then I tried to figure out where the local bakery was. I couldn't find one. Sure the grocery stores had 'artisan' bread but I was looking for a really fantastic bakery like I was used to back home. Truth be told, I started linacucina because I was hungry. For real.
That's when I began making my own bread. It actually started with focaccia. I missed my red and white pizzas. I had a mission. Eventually I got the hang of it and now I bake some sort of bread at least once a week.
Don't be afraid of the yeast, gang! It's super easy and totally worth the time and effort. If not only for the way your house will smell while your creation is baking in the oven.
Whether you're kneading dough with your own two hands (that's how I do), using a mixer or a bread maker (cheater.)  - Ok.. I'm a little bit kidding about the bread maker and cheating. I've had bread done in a machine and it's really not horrible. If nothing else, it's super duper convenient. It's like the crockpot of the breadmaking world. Set it and forget it.
Whatever you decide to make and however you decide to make it, do it. Give it a try. Really. You'll love it and you'll wonder what the big deal was in the first place. Plus it'll give you major domestic diva points when you go around telling people how you bake all your own bread. *hair flip*
Breadtopia and The Fresh Loaf are some great resources for beginners. Check them out!
xo
L

Rustic Loaf
 

 
 
Challah
 
 
 
Red & White Focaccia
 
 
Croissants
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, March 11, 2013

Getting Married and Hating Cake

It makes me a little bit sad to think about it, but there are actually folks out there who hate cake. Can you believe it?! It's like the people who hate chocolate. Or ponies. How does that even happen? It happens. And it's ok. I promise I won't take it personally.
More often than you'd think, I get a call from a couple wanting to know about my wedding cakes and almost in the same breath they'll tell me that they don't actually like cake, but they need one because they're getting married. Why? Who says?
I did a little digging about where all this cake business comes from. What's the symbolism? WELL... according to Wiki, back in the day the Romans (...and we all know how the Romans can get..) used unsweetened barley bread. The groom would break a piece of bread in half over the bride's head (really? crumbs in the hair? are we happy about this?) symbolizing "breaking of the bride's virginal state and the subsequent dominance of the groom over her". ....oh laaaawd. First of all I was barely able to type this because I was giving the side eye to that dominant Roman.
Later on, the barley bread (yum?) was replaced by white wedding cakes which, again, symbolized the bride's purity.
In 2013, are we still thinking the cake is symbolic? Notsomuch. These days the cake is not much more than 1. a showpiece and 2. a dessert.
If you're looking for a showpiece and a dessert, cake is not your only option. I know I've said this often, but it's your day and you should do what you want. If you don't like cake... and if your family knows you don't like cake.. why on earth would you want a cake at your wedding? Do something else. I'm doing more and more weddings where couples are opting for cobbler, or an assortment of pies or pastries. I've even had some do cookies. I've even had some not do anything sweet at all! I've done focaccia, cheese and fruit tables.
There are so many options available for all you Cakey Go-Hately's out there. Don't be afraid to switch it up!
xo
L

 
Pastry Selection
 

 
Focaccia
 
 
Chevre Stuffed Strawberries

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Do People Really Use an Egg Slicer to slice Strawberries?

Does that happen in real life?
I recently saw a commercial on Entertainment Tonight BBC News or maybe it was an article in Cosmo The Wall Street Journal or probably Us Weekly The New England Journal Of Medicine or something... it was an ad showing how you could supposedly make your life easier by using an egg slicer to slice your strawberries. Are we doing this, you guys?  I don't think I know anyone who even owns an egg slicer to begin with . Is this task that hard?
I'm a little bit fascinated by kitchen gadgets. In general, I'm not a fan. Not because I don't think that some of them are useful. It mostly boils down to laziness. Is the time saved using this gadget worth me having to then wash this gadget and it's itty bitty parts and wires and little holes. I'm not a fan of dishes more than I'm not a fan of gadgets. 
I do own a garlic press, I won't lie. It's a really nice garlic press. I used to use it all the time.. back when I thought I needed to press garlic. I've grown since then, you guys.
Buy yourself a chef's knife. Spend a lot of money on it and get a good one because it'll really be the only thing you'll need for most tasks. A good knife will change everything. Really.
There are some gadgets which are quite useful, though, and I probably couldn't live without them. Favorite gadget? This thing.
It probably has a name, but I can't remember what it was. It's a peeler that Julienne's as I peel. I'm not fancy enough or have enough patience to julienne properly, so I use this thing.

My other favorite gadget, is this.
 
I love it because it's Bakelite and it's vintage and I collect vintage & antique kitchen stuff. It's incredibly awkward and not really efficient, so I never use it. Once in a while when I'm feeling nostalgic I'll bust it out and make some pudding with it. My mom had one when we were kids and that was my job when I was little. Now that I'm 25 (I'm not 25) I'm no better at keeping the pudding in the bowl and not all over my kitchen counter. I still love it.
What's your favorite gadget?

Friday, February 22, 2013

Of Food and Language and Culture and Preservation



I’ve been quiet this week, gang, and I’ve got to tell you the reason. Before I do so, let me first warn you that this post is going to be a little bit long and mildly self-indulgent. I’m not going to talk about my products or try to sell you anything. Instead, let’s talk about food and culture.
I think you can learn a lot about a culture through their food. Something that I always notice is that food and eating and mealtime is a social event, no matter where you go or where you came from.
If you go to Prague and swing by a pub for some Schnitzel and a Pilsner, you’ll see lots of conversation & lots of laughter. To look around at these folks, you’d never think of the past they came from. If you were familiar with their history, you would look around at these folks and know how resilient they are. People can come in and shake things up and beer will still be called Pivo. And they will serve you.
If you go to Italy you’ll see people eating at long tables filled with food. There will also be smiles and laughter. Everyone sitting at that table, related or not, will be family. If you sit and eat and we share a meal, we’re family. Family is what you learn about the culture. It’s everything. Calamari is Calamari. And they will serve you.
If you go to France, you’ll see restaurants with Michelin Star ratings. Michelin Stars are awarded to the best of the best in the culinary field. Something to take away from this culture is the appreciation of art. Of all kinds. Food is an art like any other. You’ll go to a 3 Michelin Star restaurant and ask for Escargot. And they will serve you.
I grew up in Montreal. Montreal is a (the best) Canadian city in the province of Quebec. I am so lucky to call Montreal my hometown. I had the best of all worlds growing up. Quebec is a French speaking province.. so I had the luxury of the French culture, an Italian family, and I married a Czech. Although I’m Italian I’ve never felt that, by living in a French city or having Indian, Hungarian, Greek, Jewish, English (I could go on forever) friends, my culture was in any way threatened. No. I’ve always felt that having the good fortune to be brought up in such a metropolitan city was an absolute privilege. Nothing less than an absolute privilege. You can go to Montreal and you’ll see food from all over the world. Really. Montreal is a major foodie city. We’re not big ‘chain restaurant’ people. Montrealers love the diversity. We’ll eat anywhere. We love trying new things. We love the ethnicity. We love the authenticity. I love going to an Italian restaurant and hearing Italian spoken in the kitchen. In a French speaking province which is part of a mostly English speaking country, language has always been an issue. There are some (certainly not all) who are terrified that their culture will somehow be lost if we don’t make everything the same. It’s a little crazy. Yes. And, so is asking an Italian restaurant to call Pasta by any other name on their menu.
xo
L

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Easter Traditions

The good times have rolled! Yesterday was Mardi Gras, gang. Mardi Gras is your last chance to party before the beginning of Lent. If you didn't get it all out of your system yesterday, the next 40 days and nights are going to be rough going for you, my friend. The good news is that at the end of your 40 days of giving up swearing, soft drinks, chocolate, wine, your sanity, the luxury of your choice, is Easter. 
We do Easter big in Italian families. It's right up there with Christmas for us. The whole family gets together and we eat - this never happens otherwise (lies.it happens every sunday).
Traditionally a roast lamb is served... except in my family, where we had pasta. We always had pasta. Why get complicated when we all wanted the pasta anyway. For Easter, though, we'd probably have Al Forno (in the oven w/ mozzarella oozing all over the place) which would make my cousin Marco especially excited - he's difficult. My grandmother used to put lamb in her sauce, though... so we've got that base covered.
For dessert we'd probably also get some pastries from the bakery around the corner from my grandmother's house. Most likely there'd be Cannoli, Lobster Tails and Sfogliatele. Cannoli are tubes of pastry filled with either sweetened ricotta and mini chocolate chips, or custard. The Lobster Tails are long horns of super duper flaky pastry filled with Italian Pastry Cream (my dad's favorite), and the Sfogliatele are like a smaller version of a lobster tail but instead of the pastry cream, they're filled with sweetened ricotta.
We'd always have Anginetti, which are also known as 'Italian Lemon Drop' cookies. They're light and a bit sweet, and a bit tart at the same time. Let me tell you this... my love for Anginetti didn't really come to fruition until much later in life. I'm a custard kind of girl. Custard and brownies are my weakness - FYI . Just in case we're ever on a gameshow and you need to know what my two weaknesses are.
 Now that I'm doing the baking, I've rediscovered Anginetti. I want my son to be raised with the same traditions (=food) I was raised with. These cookies were always around. Poor little things. As a kid I took them for granted. Now that I'm 26 (lies.) and have a family of my own, I've started making them. They're lemon. If you love lemon, and even if you hate lemon, you will love these airy, pillows of sunshine. I really can't get enough of them.
xo
L

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Wedding Favors

Bomboniere, or favors, are gifts given to guests as a 'thank you' for being part of your special day. Traditionally they are accompanied by Confetti (Jodan Almonds). I spent five minutes days googling researching the  history behind Confetti... they are supposed to symbolize the 'bitterness' (almonds) of life... and the 'sweetness'(candy) of love. They're usually bundled in groups of 5 representing Happiness, Health, Longevity, Wealth & Fertility.  Who knew? I think Wiki just made that up. No one ever eats those things - except for my sister. It's good to always have at least one person in the family to dump your Confetti on. I kid. I'm only hating because they take forever to make and I can't do it. No one can ever make them as pretty as the store bought ones anyway, so save yourself the headache.
Times, they are a changin' in the wedding favor department. For one, not everyone does favors anymore. A nice change is that instead of letting your guests leave with a dust collector and some candied almonds, couples have started making donations to their favorite charities on behalf of their guests. I have nothing bad to say about this. I think it's a socially responsible thing to do and really really thoughtful on the bride & groom's part. I would rather leave a wedding with a note letting me know that a donation to a charity has been made on my behalf than get another ceramic figurine to stick in my credenza.
If you're not a crazy hippie making donations (I KID!) another wedding favor tip is to give your guests something useful. The best bomboniere I ever got? A pie server, an ice cream scoop and a napkin holder. Seriously. I use these things all the time.
These days budget is always a concern. Weddings are expensive. After paying for the venue, caterer, dj, photographer, dress, tux, officiant, yadda yadda, yadda yadda... the last thing you need is to start uninviting your dad's co-worker's sister (why is she invited again? where's that seating chart??? MOM!!!).
A great option is giving away food as a wedding favor. Everybody loves to eat! It shows your guests that you appreciate that they took a shower, put on the shoes that hurt their feet, and wore a tie to be at your wedding and it won't break the bank. I do a lot of wedding favors. I've done everything from caramel & chocolate covered pretzel rods to boxes of mini cannoli. Prices start as low as $1 per favor and can be customized to fit your theme & colors.  Here are just a few examples..
xo
L
 
These were for a Sweet 16
 
 
 
 
These can be customized with labels matching your wedding theme
 
 


Thursday, February 7, 2013

It's Almost Wedding Season & We're Talking About Trends

While I am happy to provide my clients with some holiday/birthday party/Thursday evening/just because it's raining/or sunny snackery, a very large part of my business comes from the wedding industry.
Wedding cakes, cupcake towers, dessert tables, wedding favors. If you need something sweet for your big day, I'm your girl. Spring is always a busy time of year for weddings. The weather is usually gorgeous and things are fresh and in bloom and new beginnings are happening all over the place.
Trends are big in bridal. They come and go, and because of that a lot of couples are hesitant to step out of the box. The "what was I thinking" concern is a valid one. Meh... I say go for it anyway! Trust... take it from the girl who had a traditional Italian wedding reception in a hall. There was nothing out of the box about my wedding. Don't get me wrong. Loved my wedding. Had a great time. I'm even still married to the guy I invited to it ;)  
My point is that I see a lot of couples during our consultations, who spend more time discussing what everyone else would like to see happen at their wedding. I know planning can get overwhelming, but my advice is to remember that this day is primarily about you. It's your party & you should sit on hay bales and have a masquerade carnival Vegas night if you want to! The worst that can happen when you look back at those photos wondering 'what was I thinking' is remembering that you were thinking 'Right after these photos of me and the bridesmaids 'pretend laughing' are done I'm about to bust moves like a rockstar and get my Stanky Leg on!'
xo
L

Here are some examples of trends done well. (...if I do say so myself ;)

'Country Chic' - Simply elegant, really romantic


'Celestial' - Stars in the night sky. Not all cakes have to be white


'Speakeasy' - 1920's Flapper inspired cake


'Modern' - Clean lines, contemporary, geometric


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

It's Nutella Day!

It IS! It's a real thing! For true this time!! http://www.nutelladay.com/ see?!
There aren't many things that are as much a part of being a kid in an Italian household, as Nutella. Do you hear me? NUTELLA. not "choco/hazelnut spread". We go name brand when it comes to Nutella. No exceptions. When most kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in school (way back when you were allowed to send your kid to school with *gasp* peanut butter).. I had Nutella. It's like the Italian ketchup. We put it on/in/next to everything. Nutella in cookies.. Nutella on toast.. Nutella gelato.. Nutella croissant. Things are better with Nutella. True Story. If there was any question about my love for Nutella, check out my website or my facebook page. I've got Nutella in all kinds of stuff.
.......speaking of Valentine's day ...... here are a couple examples of Nutella divinity that we would all love to see wrapped in a big red bow on the 14th ;)
xo
L



Saturday, February 2, 2013

My Favorite Things.

so we're on to day 2 of blogapalooza. I thought I might write about some of my favorite things tonight. I think that if I tell you a bit about the stuff I love, you might get a better flavor for me as a person (does that even make sense? probably not. where's that wine?)..
I don't know if I even really believe in favorites. I've never been a 'favorite' or a 'best' kinda girl. I never understood the concept of a 'best friend',for example.. I never really had a 'best friend'. I love all my friends. My motto has always been, you want to be my friend? fab. you don't? it's a million minus one, sweetheart. Move on. I don't lose sleep. Same thing with food. Do I have a favorite food? Not really. I love all food - ok.. organ meat, notsomuch. Unless you're talking about the chopped liver from Snowdon Deli... in which case, I'll make an exception (don't be grossed out.. slap that puppy on some dark rye and top with some caramelized onions and it'll change your life. really.).
I remember that as a kid growing up, whenever it was our birthday, my sisters and I (I have two - who are both older than me(lies.)) got to choose anything in the world we wanted for supper. My choice was always cold cuts. really.of anything in the world... I could have had chinese takeout, even! (chinese takeout was the fancy take out.. way more fancy than ordering pizza). I wanted fresh sliced cold cuts. I'm not a complicated girl.
Favorite pasta? Linguine... or spaghetti... I'm a twirler. Love the twirl. That being said... I'm pretty sure angels cry whenever people cut their spaghetti. If you're not going to twirl it, please order something else.
Favorite wine? (wait - I drink wine???)  Wet.
Favorite Holiday? Christmas. I'm obnoxious about Christmas. It is my absolute most favorite time of year and there is nothing in the world that makes me happier than having an entire house full of people. This past Christmas my husband's whole family came down from 'The North' to visit. There were 12 people in my house and I loved every single second of it. loved.it. .... my husband, meanwhile, may have broken out in to hives.. not entirely sure. I wasn't paying attention.
My parent's house was always the party house. Most Holiday's were at our place. My mom got that from my grandmother. My maternal grandmother was a party animal. Nonna Kitty (Katerina) could rock it like nobody's business. Her favorite song was 'Just a Gigalo'. I can't even tell you how many times that woman would be the only one on the dance floor busting moves to that song. So, I guess being the hostess with the mostest is in my genes.
 I can tell you that starting up linacucina is directly related to this. Hosting people and feeding them and having a part in making memories for them. That, is definitely my favorite.
xo
L

Friday, February 1, 2013

Here we go!

Ok, bb's! Here it is! I'm finally starting a blog. There have been many of you who have been nagging asking me to start a blog forev. So here we go. We're doing this!
Let's start at the beginning... picture it - Montreal. January. 1987(lies.). A sweet baby girl is born in to an Italian family. Italian from every angle.... my mom's side is Sicilian (don't mess.) and dad's side is from Petrella Tifernina, a village in the Province of Campobasso which is south of Rome. Mom was born in Montreal, but her parents weren't.. Dad was born in The Old Country and came over on the boat plane when he was little.
All my life, food has been in the picture. We're eaters, us Eye-Talians.... and drinkers. but we'll get in to that later.
Food = Love = Celebration = Family. Don't get confused. If you're celebrating anything with us, you're family. You don't need to be born in to the crazy to be considered family. Crazy is a good thing, though. Crazy is passion... and I'm not talking about passion as in "I stopped using aerosol hairspray because the environment is my passion" (yawn.).. Passion as in,  I can have an hour long conversation about which is the more 'king' of cheeses - Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano(obv, the King).
Food is always a topic of conversation. It gives me the warm fuzzies. I think that if food, or rather, the appreciation of great food, wasn't a part of my upbringing, I would be a sad sad girl. I truly can't even imagine it.
There's no secret sauce or fancy technique needed. The best food in the world is peasant food, in my opinion (it's my blog.. all of this is my opinion - so that's the last time you'll hear read me saying IMHO). Get yourself the absolute best ingredients and there's no way you can go wrong. Tomatoes, cucumbers and basil from my garden... the deepest green olive oil you can find, and some red wine vinegar can make my eyes roll in to the back of my head.
I tip my hat to the guys who went to culinary school and who can put together amazing dishes that look like they should be in a museum. Truthfully. That takes incredible talent, tremendous patience, an impeccable palate and discipline beyond my imagination. I will go to your restaurant and I will be humbled and in awe of your creativity. Seriously. I really really respect those guys & I think that the majority of their diners take for granted everything that goes in to their work (don't just toss aside the garnish folks.. it's usually there for a reason). That's not me, though. I never went to culinary school. I have never taken a cooking/baking/cake decorating class in my life. Really. Not even a class at my local craft supply store. The closest thing I've ever come to formal instruction is a frantic email about black piping to my sister's friend who actually did go to school and actually does own a successful bakery (xox Myriam). Everything I've done and do is self taught - with the help of my late aunt and grandmothers who I channel regularly while I'm cooking (don't look at me that way!).
I'm just a girl who comes from a big fat Italian family who loves to feed people. If you have been one of my customers, you have become part of my family. I remember every single one of you, what your event was, and what I made for you, and I have been as excited about your wedding / shower / baby / birthday / graduation / football party / store opening / charity event as you have been. I really have.
So there it is. My very first blog post. This is me. Lynn, from linacucina. Please be patient with the design of this page... I only started it a minute ago & it's going to change a bunch before I'm finally happy with it. I should also warn you that I'm a serial run-on sentence-er/fake word-er/over user of quotations-er/commas where they don't make sense-er...and I also drink wine. A lot. And probably usually right before I write a blog post. I'm telling you right now, I'm a little rough around the edges most times. Please don't be upset at me for it. I can't help it. I'm Italian & I can't use my hands to express my point in a blog. ;)
xo L