Thursday, 10th September 2009
Résumé of a vacation and a visit to the movies
We are back again. After two weeks in Gargano/ Italy the normality has returned to my life but with one difference: I am really relaxed.
If I think about that beautiful place I can imagine to spend my life there and do my writing at a place which seems to be made particularly for artists and all those people who need for their creative work places with such a charisma and beauty.
Everything is to be found there what you are dreaming of, like beautiful ancient houses, the fantastic lake, serpentines climbing up the mountains ending in a beautiful view over the Lake Garda and after dark the sea of lights, illuminating the coastline, the lovely maintained gardens, the nicely decorated verandas and the planting creeping up the frontages of the houses and not to forget all the small roads winding through the village like lovely snakes.
Here are some impressions which I took along for you:
To let these beautiful days of recreation end in a true way I am presenting an original Italian pizza which I am calling simply “Gargano Pizza”.
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Ingredients and directions:
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Put… |
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1 |
cup |
of warm water (80 to 110°F) |
into a bowl. Add… |
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½ |
tsp |
salt |
and mix with a spoon. Add… |
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1 |
tsp |
yeast |
and mix and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Gradually add… |
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3 ½ |
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cups of all-purpose flour |
and… |
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3 |
tbsps |
olive oil |
and start mixing. When the mixture gets too heavy to mix, start kneading the dough with your hands. Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. If the dough cracks it is too dry, add water bit by bit until if forms a nice coherent ball. If your doug feels more like batter, it is too wet and you need to add flour bit by bit. If you need to add water or flour, do it by small amounts. Place dough in a large bowl and cover it with wet kitchen wrap. Let the dough rise for about ½ hour at a warm place, then kneat it again. Let it sit for about 20 min. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, put a bit of flour on top and roll out. Put it on a baking sheet. Punch some holes in the dough with a fork to let the air escape while the pizza is in the oven. Now top pizza with... |
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diced tomatoes |
and… |
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some basil |
and… |
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sliced olives |
and… |
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sliced sweet peppers |
and… |
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minced garlic |
and… |
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1 |
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mozzarella each pizza |
and bake the pizza in you oven at 400 - 450° F for about 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is light brown. Then top pizza with... |
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Prosciutto |
and... |
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coarsly grated Parmesan |
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After I settled in my old life again , somebody told me about a new movie called : “Julie and Julia” with Meryl Streep. As I was very much interested I moved in.
Here the story:
Just before and due to her 30th birthday Julie fell into some kind of depression. (AMY ADAMS). Searching for a new direction or interest for the time after, she found something what gives her not only satisfaction but even real passion. She started cooking.
In the following year she cooked all 524 recipes of Julia Childs (MERYL STREEP) most famous cooking book–classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. All the experiences she made she posted it on her blog and the fan-community rose constantly at the Cyberspace. Nora Ephron (“Sleepless in Seattle” and “e-m@il for you”) who wrote this scrip, too, and even directed this amusing movie which based on the award-winning novel “Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen” of Julie Powells. Starring was the wonderful Amy Adams (("Verwünscht", "Der Krieg des Charlie Wilson") and Meryl Streep ("Mamma Mia!") who got already several times the famous “Oscar”. She played the role of the eccentric Julia Child, who changed and revolutionized the American cuisine during the fifties.
(source: sonypictures)
Summarising the movie I can say the first part was due to the well known comedy talent of Meryl Streep, very amusing and it is worthwhile to be seen. The second half was a bit lengthy. And at the end many questions were still open, as example: is Julia returning to Paris or what has become of her? I think it would have been a perfect end of the movie if Julia would have met Julie.
My final conclusion is: this movie is a “can” but not a “must”.
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