Spring break in Emilia-Romagna, 3 super simple recipes I made this week, and our second Q&A video.
Plus, a bit of This & That.
Lots of meat, lots of cheese, and lots of tortellini were had over the past week on our spring break, stuffing-our-face extravaganza through Parma, Modena, and Bologna. It was our first trip to the Emilia-Romagna region, which is located in the northern part of the country and is one of the most celebrated food regions in all of Italy. Just over two hours from Turin, we drove to Parma and set up our base at a lovely B&B called Pio, located next to the Duomo. The owners, Massimo and Giulia, were friendly and easygoing, and they generously shared tons of great recommendations with us. Everything is close in proximity in this region, so you can easily take the train or drive to Modena and Bologna from Parma for easy day trips.Â
Of the three cities we visited, Parma was our favorite for its charm, beauty, vibe, and great food. Of course, it's definitely worth checking out Modena and Bologna for fantastic food experiences, beautiful architecture, and museums as well. You can't really go wrong in this region! In Parma, next to our B&B, there was a great spot called Banchini, which we highly recommend for coffee, pastries, gelato, and aperitivo. We had one of the best Negronis we've ever had there, perfectly balanced with a lemon peel and a nice orange slice. I’m obsessed and can’t wait to add this welcome addition to our Negronis at home. We also really enjoyed a local restaurant called Osteria dello Zingaro. It was great for the kids, too, which is always a plus for us. Another place to check out in Parma is a wine bar called Enoteca Tabarro. They have incredible natural wines, simple bites, kind staff, and a great vibe. If you’re a wine drinker, this is the must-visit Enoteca in Parma.
During our Modena day trip, we made our way to the Mercato Albinelli for a quick walk around before lunch at Trattoria Aldina. Mercato Albinelli is a large market of fruit and vegetable stalls mixed with cheese mongers, butchers, and casual restaurants. We love checking out local specialty markets and discovering new products whenever we travel, and having it directly across from our lunch spot also helped us keep Bruno occupied. Once Aldina opened, we headed up the stairs and walked into this old-school Modenese standby. The lunch was everything we had hoped for, simple, traditional, and delicious. Highlights were the tortellini en brodo, tagliatelle ragu, gnoccho fritto with prosciutto, culatello, and mortadella, and the pork fillet with aged balsamic vinegar. After lunch, we took the boys to an artisan gelateria called Bloom (Bruno approved) and finally headed to the Enzo Ferrari Museum to wrap up our day in Modena.
The next day, we drove to Bologna and took a leisurely stroll around the city before heading to our lunch reservation at All'Osteria Bottega. There is no shortage of praise for this restaurant, and we can verify that it was a very special meal with great food, wine, and a wonderful staff. They were extremely patient with the kids and never made us feel like we had to rush out. Everything was quite good, but we all agreed that our favorite was the veal cutlet with oven-roasted potatoes and Medicina white onions. Although this might sound straightforward, it was not, and the flavors were truly exceptional. A perfect trifecta combo to order together. You will need a digestivo and caffe after the meal as "light" is not a word in the Bolognese vocabulary of food. After lunch, we walked to the famous gelateria Cremeria Santo Stefano to finish off the day with some gelato.
Below is a list we have compiled for the region. Some of the places we mentioned above and others are recommendations we've received from fellow foodies and travelers who know what's up.
PARMA
Parma Ham Tour - Salumificio Ziveri Claudio
Parmigiano Cheese Tour - Ferrarini & Bonetti Factory
MODENA
Parmigiano Cheese Tour - Bio Hombre Factory
BOLOGNA
And, if you want to do a full food tour, this company came highly recommended.
Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Bowl
After a week of pure indulgence, my body arrived home desperately craving simple, nourishing food, and this breakfast bowl has been hitting the spot. Filled with lots of yummy textures, this sweet and tangy combo comes together in minutes and will give your body energy for the day without weighing you down. Customize with the fruit and nuts of your choice!
FRUIT AND YOGURT BREAKFAST BOWL
Serves 1
1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup blueberries
2 large strawberries, stems removed and cut into quarters
1/8 cup pineapple, finely diced
2 teaspoons of bee pollen
2 teaspoons of finely chopped pistachios
A drizzle of honey (optional)
A sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon (optional)
Start with a thin layer of Greek yogurt at the bottom of your bowl. Then, layer on the fresh fruits, bee pollen, and pistachios. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like and enjoy!
A Miso Ramen Everyone Will Eat
I'm always looking for easy weeknight meals that don't require too much fuss and that the entire family will eat and enjoy without complaining. As many of you probably know, this is often a challenging feat with kids! Luckily, everyone in our family loves ramen, so I created this super quick version that everyone can customize. The base is simple and light, so it's great for picky eaters, and the toppings allow the more adventurous eaters to build a flavorful bowl of ramen with bolder flavor and spice!
THE QUICKEST MISO RAMEN SOUP
Serves 4
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3-4 tablespoons white miso paste
Dried ramen noodles (4 servings, refer to your package for serving size and quantity needed)
Easy Topping Ideas: spinach, scallions, bok choy, canned corn (drained and rinsed), tofu or other protein, soft-boiled egg, cilantro, pickled ginger, grated fresh ginger, kimchi, toasted sesame seeds, furikake seasoning, nori, soy sauce, sriracha, chili crisp.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for the ramen. While you're waiting, prepare your broth. In a medium pot, heat the chicken stock and water on medium-high until hot. Once hot, whisk in 3-4 tablespoons of white miso paste. Taste. You can always add more paste if needed; you want to taste and add miso in small quantities, as it can get too salty quickly.
Once the pot of water for the noodles is boiling, cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Divide the noodles and broth into individual bowls. Place all the toppings on the table, and let everyone customize their ramen bowl to their liking.
Just put a fried egg on it!
This is the lunch Andre and I have been making the most since we arrived in Italy. We always have the ingredients on hand, and it comes together in less than 15 minutes. You just boil some broth or stock, add your pastina, cook until tender, and top it with a fried egg and Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It’s simple and super flavorful. You can’t go wrong.
PASTINA WITH A FRIED EGG
Serves 2
4 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups dried pastina
Extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs
Sea salt
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Black pepper
In a medium pot, bring your stock to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add your pastina and stir. Cook until the pastina is ready, stirring occasionally, as the pasta often sticks to the bottom of the pot. When you are a few minutes away from the pastina being done, fry your eggs.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a medium pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and once hot, crack in two eggs. Sprinkle the eggs with a little sea salt and fry to your liking.
Once the pastina has finished cooking, divide it between two bowls and top each one with a fried egg. Finish with a generous grating of cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Q&A with Andre and Barrett
Question #2: Would you discuss the emotional and psychological trauma of moving abroad?
This & That
A subscriber recently shared this Vietnamese Supper Club in London with me and I am dying to go!
We are back on our smoothie routine! Here are three we have been making: Mango + Greens Smoothie, Healthy Orange Julius Smoothie, and Blueberry Cherry Smoothie.
In no way a paid advertisement, just wanted to share that we have been using Parasec for a few legal business things and it has been so much better than our experience with LegalZoom. When you’re a small business, it doesn’t always make sense to use an attorney for filings and form updates, so this service has been awesome to do so but still with a human connection and reasonable pricing.
You guys are adorable thanks for the video. The language barrier alone is so exhausting! I lived in Brussels for 3 months. I went to help a friend who spoke zero French remodel this amazing old house by the Godiva factory. Navigating dealing w stuff like getting a dumpster for construction debris in French was challenging. Getting sick and having to take public transportation and walking with a fever to multiple stores to get everything I needed for the next few days mentally took me to a dark place- lol. But by the end of the trip I was dreaming in French. It takes A LOT of energy to navigate and doing it with kids? You are rock stars! I did it knowing my cute apartment I had lived in for years was waiting for me. Mexican food was waiting for me. Food without heavy sauces was waiting for me (Belgium food is SO RICH 😬). People idealize moving to another country but like everything it has it’s benefits and drawbacks. Here’s a question for you: What do you miss most? And what do you love/ prefer the most about being there? Anyway, you are amazing and Barrett you’ve always been one of the most competent human beings I’ve ever known. Love you 😘