Purple Mashed Potatoes + My Cooking Challenge

Cooking has never come naturally to me. Cooking to me can sometimes seem intimidating and overwhelming so I typically will stick with making things I know and can't mess up like pasta or my lunch go to of turkey bacon and eggs with tortillas. I want to start being a little more adventurous with my cooking skills and learn to be more confident with the dishes I serve. So I have decided to try cooking every dish in The Forest Feast by Erin Gleason. Consider her my Julia Child...

My boyfriend gave me her book for Christmas and I have made just one thing so far (Rosemary Roasted Nuts) and it came out really well, I think! As I am deathly allergic to nuts, I left him to be the judge! The book is AMAZING! It is so colorful and beautifully photographed, I could look at it every day. The book has great fresh recipes that are simple to make and great for someone that is trying to develop their cooking abilities. So here goes my attempt at cooking...

:INGREDIENTS:

6 purple potatoes*

1/2 C greek yogurt 

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 tspn garlic powder

salt and pepper

* I couldn't find regular sized purple potatoes and as I was leaving Mariano's I found a display with a variety of fingerling potatoes. So I stood there rummaging through the basket and picking out just the purple ones. Just a tip incase you can't find larger ones!

:RECIPE:

1. Boil 6 purple potatoes for 15-20 minutes(until tender).

2. Peel the potatoes. 

3. Combine in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mash until smooth.

4. Garnish with greek yogurt and chopped scallions and ENJOY! 

The recipe was incredibly easy to follow an they came out beautifully! 

5 Places You Can't Miss In Milan

It has been a little over a year since I moved back from Milan and as bloggers are flocking to the city for fashion week I thought I'd share some of my favorite places to visit!

1. Luini's - I've written about Luini's before but it's worth another mention! The BEST panzerotti in Milan. It's a fact. I had never heard of it before I got to Milan but by the time I left I'm positive I was 70% panzerotti. Get there early to avoid the lines but regardless don't let the lines deter you, they move quickly with the help of their suited up bouncers!

Via Santa Radegonda, 16 Milano Italy

Open 10am-8pm

Closed on Sunday*

*I had my heart broken a few times when I would forget it was closed on sunday.

Luini's website

2. Princi - One of my FAVORITE places to grab lunch. While they are probably better known for their breads and foccacia. I was always queueing up for their octopus salad. TO DIE FOR. There sweets selection can't be missed either. It's just around the corner from Duomo so you can always take it to go and sit on the steps of the church! There are also 4 other locations around the city!

Via SPeronari 6, Milano Italy

Open: 7am-8pm

3. Shocolat - One of my FAVORITE places for gelato is Shokolat. It's near Cadorna and only a 5-10 minute walk from Duomo. Of course I flocked there every other week for the nutella gelato, the gelato being merely a vehicle for nutella. 

Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 9 Milan Italy

Open: 7:30am-1am

4. Bastianello -  Thankfully I only discovered this pasticceria about a month and a half before I left Milan because I would have come home 10 lbs. heavier. Every pastry there is beautifully made and they taste just as good as they look! The sfogliatella being my favorite! Right off the San Babila stop. 

Via Borgogna, 5 Milan Italy

Open: 7-10pm

5. Magnum -  Naturally I would recommend 3 sweet shops. My final recommendation is Magnum. You get to be a little creative and invent your own bar and add exotic elements like dried rose petals and passion fruit! How could you resist?!

Piazza Santa Maria Beltrade, 1 Milan Italy

Open: 8:15am - 8:45pm

Go get lost in the streets of Milan and enjoy Fashion Week!

DIY : Metallic Art Project

Friday I was in the mood to be a little creative so I gathered my brushes, paint and canvases and got to work…

:SUPPLIES:

Brushes - any size

Canvas

Paint

Metallic Paint

* All can be found at Hobby Lobby*

Painting and listening to radiolab is exactly what I needed.

:Directions:

1. Paint the canvas with 2 coats of any chosen color. Allow 20 mins to dry. 

2. Take your metallic paint and apply it generously to either end letting the brush fall away towards the middle of the canvas. Apply 2-3 coats.

3. You're done! Easy, simple project to add to your art collection.

While I waited for the paint to dry I spontaneously was inspired to put these lights up in my room being the rolling rack. All it took was 5 minutes, a hammer, 3 nails and a little creativity! Since I hung them up, I haven't turned them off!

5 Things I Learned From Living In Milan

1. Milan never runs short on street markets. Every day of the week you can find a different market tucked away along the cobble stoned streets of the city. The weekday markets sell a variety of fresh produce, flowers and designer goods. You can go there looking for eggs and vegetables for dinner and leave with a live chicken. The flowers are always fresh and vibrant while the vendors that line the streets are friendly and always offering a smile.

The BEST market is held at the end of every month on Saturday and Sunday when vendors and locals flood the streets of Navigli with the most beautiful antiques, art and vintage clothes that will have you wandering up and down the canal all day. Luckily the streets are also equally as vibrant with their cuisine where you can find the best pizza and aperitivo for when your vintage hunting makes you hungry!

Mama Farina Via dei Valtorta 44 Milano

2. Carbs are your best friend. I actually already knew that before I lived there, but I definitely took advantage of it every single day in Milan. In Italy you just need to embrace carbs and appreciate every delicious bite of that brick oven pizza or penne arrabiata. In Italy you are expected to finish a whole pizza by yourself so when you sit down you better be up for the challenge! Mama Farina was one of my favorite local places to eat dinner near my apartment. I would have gone there every night but I wanted to make it seem like I had somewhat of a life so I would stagger my meals there to 1-2 times per week. The streets of Milan offer plenty of delicious options and sometimes in the most unassuming places, so don’t be afraid to wander and you might stumble upon the best pizzaiolo!

 

Milano Centrale 

Venezia

3. Milan is great hub to travel through Northern Italy.  Milan is a great city to use as your base for traveling around northern Italy. Every city from Cinque Terre to Venice is within a few hours reach. Even a bullet train to Florence will get you there in an hour! A beautiful train ride through the Swiss Alps isn't even out of the question for a weekend adventure. The main train station in Milan, Centrale, You could start your morning in Milan eating sfogliatella on your way to the train station and by the afternoon you could be walking down the streets of Verona eating 10 scoops of crema gelato. Who wouldn't want to spend their weekend exploring historic cities and devouring pastries and culture?

Luini : Via Santa Radegonda 16 

4. Luini Panzerotti will change your life. Every day people crowd the small street near the Galleria anxiously shuffling through the line to get his or her hands on these famous panzerotti. They take it so seriously that there's even a bouncer in full suit and tie ushering people through the lines as if they're escorting the president through the airport. Luini’s runs like a well-oiled machine. Once you get to the front of the line you have 10 seconds to order, pay and move along. If you have never indulged in panzerotti before I compare it to an empanada but about 10 times better. The dough is crispy and fluffy, while the inside is filled with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. It’s exciting and always a fun mid day adventure.

That's right, I MADE this!

The Mag Cafe in Navigli

5. Cappuccinos run through your veins in Milan. Espresso, real coffee is a lifestyle in Italy. My first day at the showroom I said, "of course I know how to make cappuccinos, yeah I'll make them for our high profile clients!" I had no clue what I was doing but by the end of my internship I had become a full-fledged barista. Starbucks would have been honored to hire me. The cappuccino culture there is borderline religious. The espresso is rich and the foam is always perfect. I could easily sit along the canals of Navigli at The Mag Cafe enjoying coffee, free wifi and reading material. 

Barcelona + The First City I Fell in Love With

Almost 14 years ago I first discovered Barcelona and I've been back twice to experience and explore the unique culture and architecture. 

My first time in Barcelona I remember I was 11 years old and crabby from just having experienced my first bout of jet lag and then we came up from the metro and I saw Sagrada Familia and my eyes bugged out with excitement. All of a sudden I no longer felt tired and irritated, I felt like an explorer who had just discovered an entirely new world and I couldn't get enough of it. 

At the top of Parc Güel you can take a survey of Barcelona's short skyline but what pops out is Sagrada Familia, whose construction began in 1882 (13 years after my house was built!)and it is STILL under construction. It has taken so long because the funding for it comes strictly from donations. 

Casa Batlló

Throughout the city you will find BEAUTIFUL, unique and kind of crazy architecture and its all most likely done by Antonio Gaudí. Probably my favorite building he designed was Casa Batlló. It is colorful and weird and looks like an exotic lizard. 

Colors are constantly exploding across the city whether it is in the architecture or on the street performers along Las Ramblas.

The Mercado de la Boqueria is tucked away along Las Ramblas and if you don't look hard enough you might pass up one of the most vibrant and lively staples Barcelona offers. When I studied abroad in Barcelona for 5 weeks I would visit the market once or twice a week just snapping pictures of the changing environment and of all the colorful fruits and candies most of the stalls sold. 

Had I not lived with a host family, I would like to imagine that this market would have become a part of my daily routine, shopping for that nights dinner or grabbing a snack before class because who can pass up Haribo candy?! 

Please excuse the tourist that got in my way!

If you didn't already figure it out, this market is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Barcelona because its not too touristy and you get the feeling like your a local doing your daily errands in this beautiful and colorful market. 

Barcelona will always spark a light in me and it seems that when ever I do talk to people about this city I get excited and passionate about describing the streets and culture and architecture. 

Baked Garlic Nuts + Living on the Edge with My Nut Allergy

I would never say I'm naturally gifted at cooking but I like to try and I don't even mind when I make mistakes. I was gifted this book The Forest Feast for christmas and I absolutely love it. It's a vegetarian book and while I do now eat poultry and fish, I haven't eaten red meat since 2005, except for a small slip up of a cube of bbq pork in Hong Kong and that was so that I wouldn't appear rude! The author created these incredible recipes and even more beautiful photos that fill every page with color and amazing composition.

My first attempt from The Forest Feast is the Baked Garlic Nuts. I should also point out that I am deathly allergic to nuts but I wanted to try the recipe out for my boyfriend who loves them so I kept my epi pen nearby just incase a freak accident occurred, which would happen to me seeing as I took a nasty fall two days ago and sent my phone slow motion flying through the air. I saw hit the ground hard and I still had time to look up and watch my phone doing summersaults and finally bounce a few times before landing under a car. We both survived though. 

I've NEVER seen or peeled this much garlic in my entire life, I thought the 20 garlic cloves might have been a misprint but that's what the recipe called for. However I will say you could easily get away with half and it would still taste just as delicious and leave you with half the potent breath!

RECIPE

20 peeled cloves of garlic *

1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 t olive oil

1/4 t truffle salt**

1 cup unsalted raw mixed nuts 

First: Mix and roast the everything BUT the nuts on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until garlic is soft and golden.

Second: Mix the nuts into the garlic mixture on the baking sheet and roast another 5-7 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl and add kosher salt to taste!

* Like I said before 20 cloves is a little intense so I would do maybe 10, but hey if you love garlic then go crazy!

** I didn't have truffle salt nor did I find it at the supermarket so I used regular kosher salt.

Then thats it and your kitchen smells super delicious afterwards! This is a super easy snack to make for everyday life or dinner parties, or if your like me a "lethal" snack to make and handle for your boyfriend. So if your allergic like me and like to live on the edge try making this great snack. Thank you Erin Gleason for this BEAUTIFUL book!