Last night I put my infused oils to work or should I say to play. I threw a little cocktail party for one with Marinated Olives, Sweet & Spicy Roasted Almonds, crudités with Pinzimonio dip, Popcorn with Rosemary-Infused Oil and one (or several) glasses of Pinot Grigio. Delightful!
Although, I must be honest- I have yet to develop a taste for olives and at my little party they were unfortunately the neglected guests. The almonds however, are a new favorite of mine. Sugary with a spicy kick from the red pepper flakes. Sweet and spicy have to be one of the best pairings. Better than Brandgelina. I guess that would make them Swicey?
Moving on…
So as fun as my solo cocktail party was, I woke up this morning with such excitement you would never know I probably overdid the vino the night before. For me, this sort of enthusiasm is reserved for just a handful of things including glossy magazines arriving in the mail, Dunkin Donuts’ vanilla chai, getting out of work early, mani/peti/massages, getting just about anything for free and… chocolate.
Which brings me to our next recipe. Pause for dramatic effect… Nutella Sandwich. For those of you unfamiliar with this mouth-watering spread, Nutella is a silky smooth combination of hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa. I highly recommend you incorporate it into your diet immediately.
My first introduction to Nutella occurred in my elementary school cafeteria. Thanks to her Italian mama, my best friend Jeannette would never be caught dead with a PB&J or a simple bologna sandwich on Wonder Bread. Oh no. Each lunch period was more colorful and interesting than the next when I sat next to Jeannette. Then one day she pulled out the most decedent lunch our table had ever seen- a chocolate sandwich.
At the time I had no idea what Nutella was and Jeannette certainly didn’t share with us that it wasn’t all that unhealthy. She just smirked and nibbled knowing that she had the sandwich we all would trade lunches for- hell, we’d trade our My Little Ponies, our I Heart Joey McIntire oversized buttons, or even our Punky Brewster Trapperkeepers.
Alas, I was never packed a Nutella sandwich. No, it went right on my mother’s list of things that all the other kids could have but for me “it would rot my teeth.” This list included Oreo cookies, orange soda and fried dough. My heart still aches with desire at the sight of a fried dough vendor. But I digress.
Giada’s Nutella sandwich was everything I hoped it would be. Two slices of crunchy ciabatta bread grilled to perfection and tenderly embracing that ooey gooey chocolaty goodness. I should eat this every day! But no, that would cheapen it and this is anything but ordinary. This is a lunch you savor and save for the most special of days like a pilgrimage to the holy land.
If you haven’t noticed I really haven’t taken on much of a challenge yet. I am well aware that some infused oils, appetizers and chocolate paninis aren’t impressing anyone. I assure you, this weekend I am ready to take on my first Everyday Italian pasta dish. Wish me Buona Fortuna!
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