Life with Pia

A Recipe on How to Make an Amazing Ceasar Salad Dressing

2009-05-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

A Perfect Way to Dress Your Salad

You have these wonderful greens in your fridge, have little time and just want to serve a fast meal that tastes really good and at the same time makes a healthy meal.

From experience you know that the meal does not always come out the way you want it and wonder why - your greens are too good to be spoiled and you dream about a formula to help you out right now.

This is where I, as a former Restaurant owner, chef and now among other things a cook book writer, can help you.

I am going to give you some basic rules relating to making a dressing that not only fits the salad but also enhances the different tastes.

First be clear on which kind of salad you are making:

If you add heavy ingredients like meat, cooked eggs, cut potatoes and other vegetables or fruits your salad leaves need to be strong. The greens need to be fresh and the color as dark green as possible.

Your dressing is the initiator of marrying the different flavors of whatever you have put into your salad. The more vegetables and fruits you ad to your salad the more flavorful your dressing needs to be.

Most people often have hearts of Romaine in their fridge as it keeps very well. This is what is used for a Caesar Salad so here is a recipe for the most necessary part of this dish:

Caesar Dressing: (4 servings)

* 3 cloves of garlic
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
* 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, can be red or white
* 1 splash of soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon of freshly pressed lemon juice
* 1 slice of fresh Parmesan Cheese

Peel and mince or chop finely the garlic.

Cook the two eggs in boiling water without breaking them for one minute and when cooled enough to touch break them into a smaller bowl or the salad bowl and stir them well until light in color.

Add the mustard and the extra virgin olive oil little by little.

Then add the garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce and the wine vinegar. I personally prefer a good red wine vinegar.

Mix everything well and you can add fresh ground pepper to taste.

I never add salt at this point as the Parmesan cheese in itself is salty and if you prefer to top your salad with Anchovy this is salty too.

The Parmesan cheese tastes and looks great if you can shave it, however it is also ok to use grated Parmesan Cheese.

Add your salad to the bowl and when you are ready to eat toss everything in the bowl with the dressing and top the salad with the Parmesan Cheese.

Make sure there is enough salad for the dressing in your bowl. Otherwise keep some of the dressing for another salad.

The consistency of the dressing has to be thin enough to blend easily with the salad chosen but not so thin that it immediately goes to the bottom of the salad bowl.

So remember this:

* Make sure your chosen dressing marries the flavors of whatever you have put into your salad bowl
* Choose a thinner dressing for lighter greens
* Always use fresh ingredients
* The more ingredients you have added to your salad, the more flavorful your dressing needs to be
* Do not add salt when you have salty ingredients in the dressing and/or the salad. You can spoil a great dish in no time with just a little too much salt.

Finally: enjoy your meal!

Best wishes,

Pia Balling

PS: Remember when making your dressing: Mixing different ingredients well is a question of balance, balance in taste and texture.

PIA BALLING is driven to make life a wonderful and exciting experience for as many people as possible by supporting health, body and mind through recipes, specialty foods, nutrition tips, personal growth programs and more. For more, please visit her websites at http://www.piaseuropean.com82 or http://www.youramazingpower.com83.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pia_Balling84

Pia Balling - EzineArticles Expert Author

Old World Authentic French Restaurant Does Exist in The Greater Phoenix-Scottsdale Area

2009-05-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

Pri-fixe and a la Carte Menu in Grand Style at Cave Creek's Le San Souci French Restaurant

Back in 1958 when there were more Saguaros than people in desert southwest, Monsieur Louis Germain, a renowned chef from St. Georges, France arrived in Scottsdale. He had just finished a stint at the famous "Perini" in Los Angeles, where luminaries such as Mr. Del Webb raved about his food. Despite all of the adulation, Germain chose to take his talents to Arizona. What would make him choose the desert over Hollywood? His love of horses - and the Phoenix Scottsdale area was the perfect location to follow both passions. Forty years later, Germain continues to create old world authentic french cuisine at "Le Sans Souci" in Cave Creek.

It is all at once amusing and strange to find this classic French restaurant in Cave Creek, one of the most Southwestern of Southwestern cities. Here in the old French style setting of romance you can enjoy a high quality pri-fixe lunch or dinner, all made to order, for a very reasonable price. You can even add a bottle of wine from the well composed wine list and not break your budget. The lunch and dinner pri fixe menus include: fresh home made bread; your choice of soup; a salad; entree of your choice; dessert from his dessert tray; and coffee or tea.

The a la carte menu is a bit more pricy but boasts several entrees prepared right at your table, like the "Steak Marchand de Vin" or "Tresor de la Mer" which is shrimp, lobster and scallops with sherry or cream sauce. Then you have Chef Germain's specialties of the house including "Poached Salmon with Mousseline sauce" or a "Dover Sole" made the traditional way, Frog legs with garlic butter sauce, Escalope de Veau "Oscar" (veal sautéed and topped with crab legs asparagus and béarnaise sauce) Grilled Rack of Lamb, and much more.

A la Carte you have to try his absolutely wonderful and nationally acclaimed "Grand Marnier Soufflé" or "Chocolate Soufflé". Or try something from his famous dessert tray like his popular very special cheesecake, traditional Napoleon's and French single dessert cakes, and also all his wonderful tarts made the original french way. You simply have to say "Yes" to taste these mouth-watering delights.

Monsieur Louis is very faithful to French classical, flavorful, old fashioned comfort food with consistency in menu choices, preparation, relatively reasonable pricing not to mention a great wine selection. A very pleasant place to dine, wine and chat and enjoy the wonderful "to order food". Le Sans Souci has separate rooms for parties. The special Sunday brunch is also worth your while.

In all, Le Sans Souci is a rare gem that is absolutely worth trying - all without having to fly to France! Dive into the quality of traditional fine French cuisine in of all places, the desert southwest. For more information look up Le Sans Souci, Cave Creek on the internet.

With my best food wishes,

K. Pia Balling

PIA BALLING is driven to make life a wonderful and exciting experience for as many people as possible by supporting health, body and mind through recipes, specialty foods, nutrition tips, personal growth programs and more. For more, please visit her websites at http://www.piaseuropean.com82 or view her blog here83.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pia_Balling84

Gourmet Recipes for the 21st Century

2009-03-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Gourmet Recipes for the 21st Century - Cooking with Olive Oil and Wine

Renowned European chef Pia Balling announces the release of her first cook book, "Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations - Cooking with Olive Oil and Wine", a series of recipes for health conscious living in the 21st century.

Do chefs ever retire? Do they go sky-diving or river rafting? What does a chef/owner do after selling her very successful restaurant?

For renowned chef Pia Balling, none of the above, although it was certainly tempting! Instead, writing a series gourmet cook books with recipes for some of her best European and Mediterranean dishes came first.

Announcing the release of Pia's cook book, "Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations - Cooking with Olive Oil and Wine", the first in a line of cook books to help readers learn how to create dishes that are good for body, ego, wallet and tastebuds!

"Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations" is more than just recipes and wine pairing instruction, it is a way of thinking and cooking that goes beyond the recipe and focuses on total health and well-being, enhancing both body and spirit.

This new way of looking at healthy Mediterranean cooking is derived from Pia's childhood in Denmark, her many years as a top tennis professional and refined as chef/owner of Pia's European restaurant in Carefree, AZ.

The recipes featured in "Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations" offer natural simplicity and bountiful flavors without using butter or fat. Instead, Pia offers dishes created with extra virgin olive oil and good wines, which is the heart of Pia's cooking. In addition, the book offers tips, strategies and insight on creating wonderful tasting food using common sense and basic spices.

"Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations - Cooking with Olive Oil and Wine" is available online at www.piaseuropean.com/book1.htm, http://www.amazon.com/ and other booksellers.

For more information, contact: Pia Balling at 480-321-6168 or via email at info@piaseuropean.com.

The rise of the Gourmet Pizza/Wine Bar

2009-03-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

"Let's have a pizza today!"

How many times have we said that as an easy option for a fast, no hassle meal? But this has gradually changed over the last year as fast food customers have begun to demand healthier and fresher alternatives.

While burger restaurant chains have adjusted their menus to meet these rising demands, including lowering the price of their burgers, the big pizza chains have been struggling. Rising cheese prices have not made it easy to compete.

And not only have the big pizza chains been attacked by burger chains, but also by smaller, independent pizza restaurants. "Grazie" in Scottsdale, AZ is a perfect example of this.

After only a few years, Grazie has expanded to three pizza/wine bars in the greater Phoenix area, each one tailored to its particular market. Most recently I visited the .D.C.Ranch location, which is more upscale.

Pizza/wine bars are sit-down places with a wide selection of wines, and beer is also served. Grazie is also a wine shop, so if you like the wine you had with your meal, you can buy a bottle or more to take home! The menu prices are reasonable and the personnel very professional and open to diners sharing their dishes.

We were four people and we ended up sharing two bottles of wine, one red wine and one white. Our wines were very pleasant for the price.

The salad we first shared was large, well presented and very delicious. The mixed greens were fresh and appetizing, with fresh red peppers cut thinly, parmesan cheese sliced thinly and a quality Italian salad dressing - you could taste the quality of the olive oil in the dressing, a very refreshing touch after often being served readymade, low-quality dressings that usually spoil the whole salad.

Following the salad, we shared three different pizzas and they were all delicious. Real gourmet pizzas with a crust that was just right for all of us, just the right amount of quality cheese, tomatoes without too much acidity and flavorful olives.

All in all a very uplifting gourmet experience for a decent amount of money in nice surroundings. Needless to say, we will be back!

Here are the locations for the three Grazie's in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area:

1: Old Town Scottsdale
2: Verrado
3: Canyon Village

I forgot to tell you that Grazie also has wine tastings on a regular basis that include your meal. Here is a link to their website:
Http://www.grazie.us/

Enjoy your visit when you go!\

Pia

http://www.piaseuropean.com/

Newsletter: Feeling Good In Stressful Times

2009-03-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

This past weekend has been just wonderful. Bella (she is my extra oversized Jack Russell Terrier) and I had a great workout. Just what we both needed to calm down and enjoy life!

These days it is easy to feel stressed - most of us have experienced an economic downturn. When something like this happens to me, I get into a period where I eat horribly - lots of sweets and rich food - drink far too much coffee, and munch on whatever is easy, like chips.

The result is I end up feeling puffed up and very uncomfortable, so I know it's time to change some of these automatic "bad habits" and start eating something more energizing. That is when fruits and lots of vegetables find their way into my fridge again, and luckily these days vegetables and fruits are easy to find in the stores.

My cooking, inspired by the northern Italian way of eating, is performed almost without any fat yet still yields rich flavors and is surprisingly filling and satisfying. By changing my eating habits back to this method of cooking, it takes me just a week to feel amazingly good, happy and content, and ready to take on whatever I want to accomplish with fresh energy.

An example of one of these nutritious and flavorful dishes - one that my family and friends love - is "Chicken Valdostana Style." See it below in your Recipe of the Month...

RECIPE OF THE MONTH:

Chicken Valdostana Style

This light and delicious dish comes from the Val D'Aosta in the area between Piemonte and France. Traditionally dishes from Val D'Aosta consist of meat and cheese, however like everything else, eating habits and dishes tend to change with the times and this delicious chicken dish is a great example...

INGREDIENTS:
(per person)
1 boneless chicken breast
2-3 Roma tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
½ onion
1/8 cup of dried porcini mushrooms
¼ cup of red wine
½ cup of flour
Chicken base, 1 pinch
1 teaspoon Cajun spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Chop the tomatoes, onions and the garlic and place in three different bowls.
2. Place the Porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with lukewarm water.
3. Heat the olive oil in the pan at medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become clear, then add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, chicken base, nutmeg and Cajun spice.
4. Now add the wine - use a wine you would drink or the wine you are going to drink with your meal - and the now soft Porcini mushrooms, saving the water from the mushrooms for later use if you'd like.
5. Simmer for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If the sauce reduces too far, add water, wine or liquid from the Porcini mushrooms.
6. Prepare the chicken breasts. Slit in the middle without cutting through and hammer it lightly.
7. Add a pinch of nutmeg and Cajun spice to the flour and turn the chicken breast lightly in the flour.
8. Place the chicken breast on top of the sauce and let them cook at least 5 minutes on each side until done.
9. Plate the meal: First place the chicken breast on the plate, then top with the sauce and do not hold back!
With this meal you won't leave the table hungry!

WINE:
I suggest the Primitivo di Manduria (Luporano) from Italy. The Luporano Gutturnio
is refreshing and enhances the taste of the porcini mushrooms.

You can also choose a Merlot from California or a Pinot Noir from Oregon.

Enjoy your meal!

--------------------------------------

One of my goals is to give YOU great and fulfilling information about gourmet food, health and well-being. Give you the expert advice you are looking for and answer your questions, so I'm happy to introduce:

ASK PIA
Click here to email me a question about food, health and well-being
and I will respond personally with the answer. The best question will receive a gift certificate for any of our products sold at http://www.piaseuropean.com/
Answers to your questions will also appear in the next newsletter.

Warm regards,
Pia Balling
http://www.piaseuropean.com/

Love affair right here in Carefree and Cave Creek

2008-12-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

LOVE AFFAIR RIGHT HERE IN CAREFREE AND CAVE CREEK.

WHERE THE ROUGH WILD WEST AND THE REFINED LUXURIOUS USA FIND EACH OTHER.

Sometimes I don’t know why in the world I am still living in the middle of the Sonoran desert close to the small towns Carefree and Cave Creek.

Maybe the reason these areas intrigue me so much is that Carefree and Cave Creek have an exceptional mix of the old wild west and the luxury modern USA both seemingly living very well together.

Curiously enough the desert is also what you could call the American golfers dream. Here you find The Boulders golf resort with the El Pedregal center, The Tonto golf course and resort, Carefree Resort and their golf course and the largest of the surrounding subdivisions “Desert Mountain”. The last is an enclosed luxury area of eight thousand acres with large individual million dollar homes. On top of that five different golf courses and ten restaurants plus a tennis club with 3 hard courts 5 great clay courts and two beautiful grass courts that at any time can measure up to the grass tennis courts at Wimbledon.
The nature is kept beautifully. The restrictions around the homes are holding up the “natural” standards and thus also keeping the natural animal life intact. Coyotes and Bobcats are not unusual and the smaller animals are like taken out of a Walt Disney script – or I guess it is the other way around!
The signature golf courses with lots of grass are all designed differently by the famous golfer Jack Niclaus. The courses are with variating difficulty and the six clubhouses have all the facilities you can imagine.
When you are tired from getting in and out of the golf cart you have a large choice of restaurants: Everything from regular American food, Southwestern Cooking, Mexican spicy to Italian delicacy.
Everything you buy, eat and drink is added to your monthly account as all the facilities only are available to the people who life at Desert Mountain plus their guests.
This is only one of the many places here where you, undisturbed by the outside, can enjoy life fully.

Carefree is a close by very small town with a small beautiful park and a famous Sundial in the center. The park is surrounded by small local stores, restaurants, coffee shops and wine bars and the charming Spanish Village with an outside top roof bar and eating area. Of course I am not forgetting the new fire station and the even newer very charming electrical “gas lamps”. And the people of Carefree and Cave Cree are serviced well by “Basha” the closest supermarket in Carefree.

Cave Creek is like taken out of an old film script – at least to me-
Very old bars and roadhouses make you feel like you are right in the middle of an old cowboy film just waiting for Clint Eastwood to ride in.
In the morning I can have my latte at the aged Coffee Company and in the evening I can enjoy the rustic band at Harolds roadhouse and watch the cowboy hats jump up and down on the dancing floor, no conversation necessary or possible. Or I can go to some of the better restaurants in the area mostly influenced by the southwestern cooking and also more like the restaurants you find a lot of places in the USA except for Tonto’s Restaurant.

My only problem is that I like Mediterranean gourmet food and only one place makes authentic southern European food and that is the French restaurant Le Sans Souci where you can eat as if you were right on the French Riviera.

Another factor that to me make these small towns nice to live in is that wherever you go you always meet people you know. You can always enjoy a chat about anything and nothing. Having the larger town, in this case Phoenix, close by with a 45 min drive and theater, ballet, music, museums, large sports events etc. is only a plus.

Pia

2008-12-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I want to start this newsletter by thanking everybody who joined us at Le Sans Souci in Cave Creek Arizona for our very special wine tasting. I was so pleased to see and feel how everybody fully enjoyed the wonderful wine we served and I was overwhelmed by the many great superlatives about all of the wines.

The Cantine Lodigiani's MALVASIA vivace (less sparkling than frizzante) - the bottle with the intriguing blonde on the label - is one of the medium sparkling white wines everybody loved.

Another is the MALVASIA AURORA frizzante that is a wonderful sparkling wine and a great starter for an evening. Extremely popular already. Served in a champagne glass it is a sure success.

The third white wine you tasted is the always dependable ORTRUGO also from Cantine Lodigiani. This wine is superb with any dinner, is the driest of the whites and is irresistibly likable by almost everybody.

These three white wines melt on your tongue, are relatively light and give you room for more than one glass of enjoyment.

One of the red wines is the naturally sparkling GUTTURNIO that is a wine widely enjoyed in the northern part of Italy. It takes taste from what you eat and is beautiful with pasta and meat and is on top of that a red wine that is intriguing with fish.

The other red wine is the majestic Primitivo di Manduria LUPORANO. This is a wine that can stand up for any wine connoisseur and has already become a bestseller. You just have to try it. Remember to let this wine air for 20 min or decant it well.

I can't stress enough that these wines come from some of the special wineries in Italy with limited production single - vineyard, single grape, Estate bottled wines and we are the lucky ones to get them.

At the wine tasting we gave a new-wine special sales price to everybody attending and YOU as a subscriber to PIA's Newsletter will also get the same chance the next eight days. This means you get a chance to get this wonderful wine and more for the coming holidays.

If you are not already a subscriber to PIA's newsletter click here to subscribe from our home page and enjoy all the great advantages this gives you. In addition to special pricing on the wines, subscribers also get access to the special holiday prices on all of our new and exciting products.

And as an extra bonus for subscribing to the newsletter, you will also receive free recipes and tips and be able to submit special questions to Pia who will answer with each newsletter.

(Of course we will keep your email address in the strictest privacy and will never provide it to anyone else. You will only receive communication from us and you can always opt out at anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.)

And The Winner IS:

The winnner of our wine tasting drawing for a dinner for two at Le Sans Souci is......
PEGGY KIESEL! Congratulations!! Please email us at info@piaseuropean.com or call 480.595.3923 to redeem your prize!

Question of the Month:

I have chosen the following question because we are so close to Thanksgiving and we will all likely be eating our traditional turkey.

Question: How do I make sure that my Thanksgiving turkey does not get dry when I cook it?

Answer: My Thanksgiving turkey is never dry and here I give you my turkey cooking secret:

Clean and make the turkey ready for stuffing. I always use at least two to three lemons pierced several places with a fork and not the traditional stuffing. The lemons absorb a lot of the surplus fat. Then with a brush cover the turkey with some olive oil and repeat the process with Dijon mustard.

Place the turkey in a large pan that can get into the oven. Start the oven at maximum heat and when it is hot let the turkey cook for 10-15 minutes. This is critical as the crust of the turkey keeps the moist inside the meat and that is the whole secret!

After the 10-15 minutes turn the heat down and add white wine to the pan, you can mix it with some water, and let the turkey cook the normal time. Halfway the cooking time I remove some of the surplus fat from the pan (keep it for the sauce) and add to the pan sliced potatoes turned in a mix of olive oil, salt, pepper and lots of rosemary. If necessary add more wine/water.

If you want you can add cream after taste to the potatoes 10 minutes before the turkey is finished cooking.

When the turkey has finished cooking take it out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before you start cutting. This way you keep as much of the moist inside the meat and you are able to serve a moist turkey everybody will love.

The surplus liquid you use for the sauce that you can make in a separate pot, if the taste is not strong enough for you add some chicken soup or base. Take care not to add too much - it can get too salt and spoil the rest of the food. When the sauce is almost ready you can add a tiny bit of cream.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

..........

At last I want you to know that I have already received several thank you e-mails from people participating in the wine tastings and I am very happy and grateful for that - It is always wonderful to see that the work you do is appreciated.

PS: Remember that if you live in the Carefree area you can pick up your orders and save the shipping. Just select "In Store Pick Up" from the shipping options at checkout or send us an e-mail at piaseuropean@cox.net or call at 480.595.3923

Warm regards,
Pia

Newsletter November 17, 2008

2008-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

Find greatness in simplicity.

These days very few people are concentrating their thoughts on food as such. The concern is rather how to get the usual food on the table.

Sitting down crying about the now even pricier filet mignon, New York steak and even chicken breast or fresh tuna, or that the room service did not have your Beluga Caviar but just the regular cheaper fish eggs does not help. However this can be your unique opportunity to make some beneficial changes in your initial habits, especially around food.

Maybe we sometimes focus overwhelmingly on how much a food item costs instead of how good the item is. Either because we think it is good as the price is high or we don’t buy it because the price is high. Either way right now jump at the opportunity to check what it is you actually get for your money.

It is important how you treat your body, how the food affects your daily life, how it makes you enjoy your meals and puts you in a good mood.

We have to eat every day and spend a lot of hours thinking about it, preparing for it, treasuring our meals.

No matter what we might as well make it an incredible experience whether it is a “simple” meal or a very “fancy” meal. Most times the simplest meals are actually the tastiest, the best and guaranteed enjoyable.

See my new recipes here

Earlier this week we also came out with some new products like an Extra virgin olive oil with Basil. The idea is totally Mediterranean and the taste is just great. This oil mixed in a pasta or on top of a Caprese is an absolute success.

Check them out

And if this is not enough have a sneak peak at Pia’s Mediterranean Inspirations cookbook. You will find some very simple and yet extremely tasty recipes here.

To your enjoyment of good food,
Pia

PS: I can’t stress it enough: Your success in preparing food begins and ends with simplicity. Do not miss out.

Visit Pia's European at The Carefree Art & Wine Festival!

2008-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Carefree Art and Wine Festival is back Friday, October 31st to Sunday, November 2nd. Friday/Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm. There will be plenty of good art and wines to choose from all over town.

We are going to be represented outside Los Portales Mall in the Town Center with lots of products, free tastings and Pia's new cook book: "Pia's Mediterranean Inspirations".

Enter our FREE DAILY DRAWING to WIN one of our special new Gift packages that can also be sent anywhere in the USA at your request.

Come join us for a wonderful weekend full of great experiences and lots of fun!

Pia's European
Sunny Bella Ltd

PS: We now have an office/store downstairs in Los Portales Mall where you can pick up your purchases from us on the web. Please note our hours beginning in November: Friday and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm.

For web-orders: www.piaseuropean.com

Life with Pia

2008-10-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

MILLIONAIRES ON THE LOOSE

I love surprises so when Henry told me between one turn and the other at 110 miles an hour on the Italian Riviera Highway that we were invited to his brother Giorgio's birthday on his yacht in Porto Cervo, I was so pleased that I totally forgot to be scared about the speed and the turns.

Porto Cervo is in Sardinia, on the Costa Smeralda better known as the Emerald Coast. It is here big yachts worth many millions of dollars dug in for vacation and where their owners enjoy - among peers- being themselves.

The town is created by the "who is who" of the world many years ago and even if it in fact is Italy, it in reality seems like another planet. If you think that Monte Carlo is hype, forget it, the Billionaire Club is in Porto Cervo as well as the present "who is who" of the world. Of course, to get to another planet you need a rocket and a crew. Trust Henry’s brother Giorgio with that!

We started our trip in Italy where Henry, his mother and I were picked up at the private airport LINATE to fly with Henry's brothers private 125 HS twinjet with ten seats to Porto Cervo. Henry always explains me all technical details about cars, planes and boats and if I could just remember a little of it I would be an expert.

I must admit I felt great being met by the captain and co-pilot at the entrance of the airport. The entire luggage, the paperwork and the three of us went through security as VIP- the only potential terrorist could have been my mother in law, but she is in too good shape at 83 to want to kill herself just to get rid of me!

The plane was ready to start the moment we were seated in the comfortable seats and of course with the air-conditioning running right away. That way of flying is great, 10 seats, you can lie down if you need a nap or go into the cockpit for an incredible view of the Alps and Apennines, after that just time to see Corsica and Sardinia and we land at Olbia Airport.

We were picked up by Henry's brother and after thirty minutes of beautiful scenery we finally arrived at Porto Cervo. We dropped the car and walked to Giorgio’s Westport 130 footer!!! Impressive three decks and a half of luxury and comfort. Life could be harder of course, but the nine people crew and Giorgio’s wife made their best possible to make us forget how hard it is. Observing people and boats while lunching on the main deck is a great experience. Lunch was delicious, the table was beautifully decorated by Giorgio's wife, and she enjoys fully the art of interior decorating and is very good at it.

Boats float on water and if the sea is not in a good mood also big yachts move even if they are in a harbor so it sometimes is better to sleep on land. This is why we, pushed by the stormy winds, ended up at the Porto Cervo Sheraton. We enjoyed a hotel room where the price per night per person is like a monthly salary for a normal american - that is without breakfast! But who cares when a coke or a latte is fifteen dollars.

Inhaling the exclusive atmosphere of the charming Village at Porto Cervo with its shops, restaurants, expensively dressed vacationers and the many large boats was an adventure. At night it looked even more beautiful, but then I love the warm air, the sea breeze and the lights from the boats and the surroundings that are so beautiful and give an elated feel of romance and mystery.

Even more exciting having a wonderful dinner at the Hotel Restaurant situated right on the sea. Great food, exclusive Champagne and not the least wonderful company made the day perfect.

We fully enjoyed our days at Porto Cervo and it was much too fast it all ended by Henrys brother taking us to a relaxing and fun family lunch on the way to the airport.

On the flight back to the mainland we stopped in Rome before we finally arrived back at Linate.

All in all an outstanding experience. There is nothing like family, I just love it!

Life with Pia

2008-09-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

FINDING GOLD ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA

GPS can be so much fun especially in France on the Riviera with narrow streets that bend - no North /South or East/West- and little towns. The GPS even talks so Henry and I asked it to take the shortest way to the Tennisclub at Juan les Pins where we had a rendez vous with an old friend.

We started out being directed through the most narrow streets up and around one of the medium size mountain sides. It was surprising and fun getting the opportunity to admire beautiful houses with superb views and enjoy the look over the bay of Nice, We also a few times had to find a place to pull the car aside to give room for other cars coming roaring towards us to pass on what normally would be a one-way-street.

When the GPS finally said: "You have reached your destination" we looked at each other and laughed. We had just made the most beautiful ride and stopped at a place that certainly did not look like a tennisclub. However as adventure is a sweet part of life we parked at the one and only available space and walked down a narrow dirt road that seemed to lead somewhere. The GPS has spoken so it had to be here!

At the end of the dirt path it widened and we saw a patio dressed up with tables,chairs and parasols overlooking five really nice, red clay courts. We could not believe it at first to find this beautiful tennis club.

A dog as large as a pony greeted us warmly accompanied by the very nice hostess of this private club. We fell for the place right away.

It was then we realised that by mistake we had plotted in the wrong name of the tennis club we were supposed to go to but we chose to stay as we felt we had found "gold".

The courts were great, it was wonderful to get out to play some tennis- finally- with Henry. After the game we sat down with the charming couple managing the club. We enjoyed a bottle of Italian wine we had in the car, actually the Malvasia wine I have mentioned in my cook book you can find on www.piaseuropean.com.

I can warmly recommend to take a trip in the car with the GPS on the french Riviera and don't worry if you plot in the wrong destination- you will find a wonderful place anyhow. Maybe even find "gold" as we did!

On the French Riviera

2008-08-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

It is sunny, windy and the Mediterranean Sea is as blue as it can only be at the French Riviera.

Henry and I are taking a car ride along the coastline road passing beach restaurants with parasols, tables, and “chaises longues” and offering various services. We enjoy the beach and cliffs and watching the many people taking pleasure in a day by the Sea.

I can’t help but laugh that nobody even bothers to look when a great looking, almost naked woman stands up to apply sun lotion on her uncovered breasts. The men around her on the beach don’t even blink – only the passers-by like me and Henry and other tourists look and enjoy the view as part of the Riviera and the fresh sea air.

We take our time - actually we have to - because the traffic goes slow as people want to park to go to the water, lie in the sun, get tanned and because parking places are scarce. French police is not particular during the summer as there otherwise would be nowhere to place the many tourist cars. With only one lane each way you have plenty of time to enjoy the full show.

We decide to stop at Juan le Pins where Henry caught sight of a parking spot inside the boundaries of a small harbor. As an extra there were plenty of parasol covered restaurants on the sidewalk looking down over the harbor.

After a long walk and looking at many menus we decided on La Sirene presenting a Mediterranean menu. Starting out with a bottle of Badoit – for me non sparkling and for Henry with some fizz - and a bottle of French local Vin Rose’ we took our time to order our overdue lunch.

Like any decent French Restaurant the waiter brought baguette bread before the meal and with the wine. I can tell you we enjoyed it fully. Henry decided on the “tartare” and I chose an “Avocado Salade avec Arugula and parmesan cheese” apparently the most popular salad on the menu.

Henry’s “tartare” was made the French way: the fresh scraped or chopped beef is mixed with olive oil and French mustard a mix that changes the color of the meat and makes it very soft. Typically French, La Sirene normally serves the tartare with capers and relish to add aftertaste and with a side of French fried potatoes. In this case also a small side of salad. The raw meat was presented at the table before it was mixed and Henry was very happy with his dish. The French fries were crisp, soft and not too fatty.

My dish turned out to be a rather large salad with tasty Arugula leaves, just right ripe Avocado cut in larger long pieces on top of the Arugula leaves, mixed with fresh cut Parmesan cheese and a sweet and enticing peeled fruit tasting like pears cut in smaller pieces. The dressing was extra virgin olive oil and balsamic Vinaigrette. Plenty of everything and the taste like a dream. Do I have to say I emptied my plate!

All being so delicate we could not resist dessert and chose to share a recommended chocolate delight cake. Topped with part of a glass of Poire Williams it became so soft and beautiful that it really was a delight.

It was all so great that we had to finish this meal properly with an Espresso for Henry and a Cappuccino for me. And I finished the last of Henrys Poire Williams.

After a tourist drive and a long harbor walk a wonderful late lunch at La Sirene at Juan le Pins is something I can recommend!

Newsletter July 2008

2008-07-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how fast time passes! Sometimes I think it was only yesterday that I had the pleasure of seeing you - my clients and very special people - at the Restaurant in Carefree Arizona.

Lately I have met many of you in Carefree and surrounding areas and almost everybody asks me if I am going to open a new restaurant and if so let you know where it is. Of course anything is possible, but in the absence of the restaurant I have made it easy for you to be a super chef in your own home by writing a cook book:

"PIA'S MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRATIONS", Gourmet Cooking with Olive Oil and Wine

It has been fun for me to write the book and to promote all-natural foods and I am happy that now you can make some of these easy, simple and delicious tasting dishes in your own home for family and friends.

Every dish has a wine pairing to enhance this food the Mediterranean way.

I am making this book available to my loyal customers and friends at a very special price, much lower that at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Also as longtime customers you will receive a FREE item from my "Pia's European Food" line of products with your purchase.

CLICK HERE to find out how to get your book and free gift

Here is some more news from the desert dry heat about how we are discovering new areas to fulfill your exclusive needs.

Enrico has already imported his first container of Italian delicate wines sold to restaurants, stores and also available on my website, http://www.piaseuropean.com/ . At the moment he is in Italy finding more wonderful wines - his area of expertise - I trust he is going to leave some of the wines available for you!

To your health and success as a Mediterranean chef in your own home!

Warm regards,

Pia

Welcome to Pia's European News Page!

2008-06-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've updated my website to include this new blog to keep you up to date with everything going on at Pia's European.

Here I will be posting interesting articles, scrumptious recipes, new product introductions and notifications of specials that I am offering through the website.

Please visit often for our latest news and thanks for visiting Pia's European!