The sunset looked very promising last evening even though the temperature has dropped to zero again. Spring is right at the corner. The colors of spring are all over with the apricot blossoms and peaches blossoms, daffodils, violets, anemones etc. They are simply beautiful.

However, nothing much could be done in my kitchen garden because the soil is still soak with water. It has to dry first before I start planting potatoes, onions and other spring and early summer vegetables. But being impatience, I have sowed some other vegetables like turnips, beetroots, radishes and other simple mixed salads. I have found one garden shop that sells 'bio' seeds. I am not sure what are the guidelines that these seeds are following but I will surely take a closer look at these new developments.

Looking at these flowers and all the changing of colors around me really give such an intense pleasures. These small pleasures shall not be taken for granted. I think there a lot could be learnt from these beauty that Nature gives us. We are not blind but often we are blinded by so many things happening around us and therefore we seldom take a closer look at these 'unfolding' events right infront of us. With the impermenance nature of these beauty..... we will lose them if we do not do now.

The art of making handmade fresh pasta

A few days ago, someone has given me two duck eggs and I was very pleased with that gift. As I also had bought two kilos of artisan flour (non commercial one), I think it was appropriate that I make the best of that two items that I had in my hands. So, my daughter and I have decided to learn how to make fresh pasta from scratch. So, off we went to the house of Nonna Eva (she is 88 year old strong Italian lady) to learn the basic tagliatelle. The fresh pasta that we made was nothing equivalent to the store bought one. Immediately when we arrived home, I prepared the simple tomato sauce and we had one of our best dinners last evening. The procedure of making fresh pasta is very simple (we took around an hour to make more than a kilo of pasta) and I think, I am going to learn to make ravioli stuffed with spinach or pumpkin the next time around.

Snowdrops

It looks that the winter is here to stay and this phenomenon is sweeping through out Europe. We have seen abundance of snow and rain everywhere. However, I think everything has its own cycles. Now it is the 'wet cycle' so my winter bulbs are very happy in this condition especially the snowdrops. These lovely 'bell shaped' flowers are well suited in this condition and I have a few clumps under my hazelnut trees together with the hyacinthes and hellebores. I took these clumps on my Austrian trip a few years ago with my dear friend MM with her family. It was near Klagenfurt when we were about to leave a parking place, I saw clumps of snowdrops everywhere. I could not resist them and packed them up in the plastic bag and they are absolutely happy in my garden now.

Enchanted forest

Crocus

I had a morning walk in this enchanted forest this morning.The silence was so deafeaning as I could only hear my rubber boots stepping down the thick layers of dead leaves.The sunlight was so bright and the sky was azzure blue. The sensation of the 'silence' was so deep. I do not know the names of the trees but I could see some light purple crocus on the ground. They are so beautiful.

Snowing.....

It is finally snowing this morning in Rome after almost two decades since the last time the capital was whitely covered. The Roman landscape has changed drasctically since early morning. The tourists around the city have witnessed something that remain as one of their best memories.I love watching the snow falls, for me as if watching the cotton balls falling from the sky in a slow motion!

Climbing white rose

We are experiencing some fair of variable weather conditions so far this year. A large difference in temperature between one day and another could really make the body difficult to adjust and I do hope that my plants are coping well too. I really think that we as human species do have to 'acclimatizie' and adapt to these variations of weather conditions especially when it comes to the extreme situation.

The end of spring last year, I bought a climbing rose (white with simple 5 petals) which is called Rosa Bracteata Mermaid (Bianco Rifiorente). This is a repeated flowering rose. The plant was covered with so many white and huge flowers and seducingly beautiful. I just couldn't resist it as I could actually hear the plant as if it was crying to me and said... "please, take me home!". However, the price was quite steep for my choice of plant and my friend who came with me that day said nicely... look, we came all the way here and for only 20 Euro, just close your eyes and take it home.

Without thinking twice, I had already put the plant in my car and before I left the nursery, I asked the owner whether should I change the pot as I could see that the pot was rather too small as the roots were coming out through all the holes. He said 'absolutely yes'. Without any doubts, the moment I arrived home, I changed the pot to a slightly bigger (3 cm bigger) one and left it to my friend to take care of it as I was leaving for a vacation.

After a long vacation, I went to take back my plant from my friend and due to an extreme summer last year... the plant had suffered quite a lot. Thinking back, I should not have changed the pot because the roots were not able to grow well due to an extreme heat. Last week, finally I have managed to put it in the ground and i hope it will be OK. Come March this year, I will blend some banana skins and put it around the plant so it will encourage the flowering.

seventh heaven... luxurious indulgence

There is a pastry cafe in Campagnano which is worth to mention here. The work of the pastry chef is really being admired and appreciated by many especially by me. Claudio is extremely meticulous in his work and he really uses the best ingredients for his cakes and pastries. Personally speaking, looking at his works, he is up to the level of Pierre Herme' (Picasso of pastry chef)

Two days ago, I had 2 pieces of each..what are called 'sottile and opera' di tre cioccolato'. Sottile means 'thin' and this piece is actually 2 layers of walnut mousse with apricot compost in between with the last layer topped with halved walnut. Opera' di tre cioccolato consists of 3 layers of white, dark and normal chocolate. The first layer starts with thin almond paste and alternately follows with 3 types of chocolate and covered with thin dark chocolate ganache.

Eating these masterpieces with viennese coffee (double shot coffee with cream and chocolate shavings on top) gives such a luxurious sensation to the palate and eyes too!