Italy or EAT-aly?

I travel for food.

Ok, add wine to that 😆

[Alert]: This blog will be a visual torture for foodies...

I have personally seen each of them, smelled them, felt them, and experienced the entire metabolism. They have passed through my body, enriching it with calories and emotions.  Each of them contributed to making me a better person, in some way.

Believe me, this is the spiritual Indian talking; 

....there was Nirvana in every bite.

Let us first look at some of the beauties before diving into more (con)text and experience. 

Scroll slow, imagine, feel .......do not kill me.

😆

Let us zoom into photo no. 7: 

Orecchiette con Salsiccia e Spinaci (the name itself is like music)

Orecchiette; It is a small ear-shaped pasta from the Puglia region of Italy, traditionally made from Semolina flour. I had the good fortune of visiting the region, learning how to make it, tasting it in its home ground, bringing some back, and cooking it in my kitchen in The Hague. 

Italy is beautiful. I chose to visit Puglia without knowing much about it. The decision was purely based on The Primitivo (bow my head and salute). The more Primitivo I drank here in The Netherlands, the more my urge to visit that region grew ('more' gives you an idea, let's not count bottles).

The Oricchiette journey started in the village of Molfetta, a small village in the region. We found this fantastic workshop of Adrianne, and we booked tickets without a second thought. The couple taught us how to make orecchiette from scratch. We shared stories as we tried our best to make these 'tiny ears' from the semolina dough. Cooking is not about a recipe; it is the experience. It is the connection created when two Indians share their culinary journey with two Italians and vice versa. 

The fun is in realizing that we are not so different. 

We share the same passion, love and curiosity to create good food.

.....and eat!

In my kitchen:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orecchiette until soft.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium flame. Saute the chicken keema and chopped onion. Cook 8–10 minutes until browned and softened.

Stir in chopped garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins.

Add spinach and cook for a few mins.

Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet. 

Toss well, adding a splash of pasta water if needed.

Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese and olive oil before serving.

Mamma Mia!!!!

Eat-aly, I will be back!!

😀