Pečene jabuke s mrvičastim nadjevom od badema - Baked apples with almond crumble - Mele al forno con il crumble alle mandorle

Jutro je svanulo baš zamagljeno i mutno, i mrzlo i sve se uokolo smrzlo. A smrzli se i krovovi i željezne ograde, i balkoni i ceste…i tlo. Sigurno se i grbavo, staro stablo divlje jabuke smrzava u parku. Nisam ga stigla jutros niti pogledati. Na križanju su ulice bile užurbane više nego obično, jer je mraz zamutio i vjetrobrane automobila i zamaglio ih toplim dahom. Baš sam i ja jutros bila smrznuta i u nekoj sumaglici, toplo isparavanje daha mi je zamutilo pogled, jutarnja žurba mi je zamutila misli i nisam se sjetila baciti pogled na staro, grbavo stablo. Ne znam da li je jutro dočekalo s ono malo lišća koje je na njemu do jučer lepršalo ili je i zandnje lišće izgubilo pod teretom vlage? Tako sam zamućeno projurila pokraj stabla divlje jabuke, kao što su zamućeno dani studenog projurili i studen su donijeli tik tih zadnjih par dana u mjesecu studenom koji studeno zvuči kao što studen nosi. Kad mraz i magla oviju zoru i sumrak, znak je da se bliži početak prave zime, zubate zime koja štipa dušu i pogled i mrzne topli dah koji nam muti pogled na jutro.

Basil pesto – Pesto al basilico – Pesto od bosiljka

I remember a sort of green condiment for pasta that my mother’s friend once brought to us from Italy as a very precious gift for us. She recommended how to use it and she was sure that we would like it as much as she did, but when we tasted it for the first time I was so disappointed, I didn’t liked it at all. My mother couldn’t convince me that it was tasty and she wanted to make me believe that she like it sooo much! I didn’t trust her, because she is not a good liar, so we kept the remaining pesto for a long time in the refrigerator before we threw it away definitively.
I grow to like basil pesto when I moved to Italy and I’ve spent my first Italian summer in Tuscany. We often had pasta with basil pesto for lunch, it is so quick and easy to prepare. Moreover during summer months you can find plenty of fresh basil on the market, you don’t have to grow your own basil plant in vase, if you don’t have garden or balcony. What is the secret to fall in love with basil pesto? Well, to do it homemade and fist enjoy the flavour and perfume the basil emits while you mash it, second you enjoy its beautiful taste!
After so many years, now I know the reason why we didn’t liked it the first time we ate it. It was not freshly prepared, but the one from the supermarket. Maybe it was the best one you can buy, but nothing can be compared with the basil pesto you prepare in your kitchen. Something was missing in the recipe we’ve got from our friend: potatoes and a squirt of quality olive oil. Our first pasta with basil pesto was not awful, it was edible, but the one we eat nowadays is divine.

Rose-water poached peaches with quinoa – Pesche schiacciate sbollentate nell’acqua di rose con quinoa –Pljosnate breskve poširane u ružinoj vodici s kvinojom

I was so attracted by this recipe that I couldn’t wait even for the weekend, so I did it the day after I read it. And I did well, because it is absolutely the “summer desert” I was looking for.
If you like peaches and flavour of red roses this dish will surprise you with the sweetness and its exquisite taste. This is a top season for peaches and it was not difficult to find doughnut peaches – small, flatten and sweet fruits with a white pulp. The combination with the rose-water is the perfect one, there is no need to add other spices to it, it is already so naturally perfumed and flavourful. Replacing the rice from the original recipe was a good choice, because I don’t like sticky rice and quinoa has grainy texture that I prefer. What about the smell? It’s beyond words, you must try it!