Pie Time

It was the week before thanksgiving, but I just couldn't wait, I had pie on my mind.

While spending some time working the counter at a lovely neighborhood dessert shop I discovered a few things:

1) Working for a guido who thinks he's smarter than you is not that much fun
2) I look pretty good in a little hat
3) I really love muffins and chocolate pecan pie.

I decided it was time I used my baking skills to tackle the pie Paula Dean style and I gotta say, it was the easiest pie I've ever made. My mom is a pro baker and we always made everything from scratch in my house, but when I discovered ready made pie crusts I got a little lazy. All the rolling and refridgeration seemed like too much after a long day at work, so I decided to go the lazy route care of Pilsbury. I went with the deep crust and it was definitely the right choice. At that point all I did was fill the crust with pecans (about 1.5 cups) and pour in the filling which consisted of:

3 eggs
1 cup of dark corn syrup
1/2 cup o' sugar
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. of melted unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

I would have added in some bourbon, but sadly I didn't have any handy at the time. I popped it in the oven at 350 for about 50 minutes and this is what I got:



It was pretty good.

Happy Baking!

Mangiare come una donna grossa

Firenze, Italia: The Duomo - lovely. The David - adorable. Let's be honest, I'm here for the food. 

To my friends and family I am known as an avid carnivore. But more than anything really, I am a carb-o-holic. Pastas, breads - these are things I could never live without. And frankly without them, I don't see a point of existing. So for this Thanksgiving, my family and I flocked to Italy, a place known for wood oven pizzas, neverending amounts of pasta, flowing wine and...gorgeous men? (To be honest, I hardly noticed - my priorities were scoping out the endless plates of prosciutto, mozzarella, gnocchi and eggplant parmesan that fluttered before my ever-enlarging eyes). When in Florence...on vacation...during Thanksgiving, all the dieting and etiquette rules get thrown out the window. "Would you like some more butter and sage sauce over that squash ravioli?" Sure, why not? "How about some more cheese to top that cheese you got there?" Why yes, of course. When you're in Italy, go big or go home.


As you may know, wontons have an inherent tendency to take photos of their food. So when a family of wontons get together over the holidays to indulge themselves in one of the world's best cities for food, you know quite well what to expect. This is how we wontons do it.

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plating the papardelle

Our first dinner was at a little restaurant near the Ponte Vecchio called Trattoria Nella. The place was run by two brothers who sat us at our table and immediately directed our attention to their specials. We ordered one of everything in addition to a few or six other dishes. The best part about this place was how tiny this restaurant was and how intimate our dining experience was. We were able to watch the chef plate our rabbit papardelle merely moments before it entered our mouths and drove our taste buds absolutely insane. And so it begins, the feasting (get your bibs ready):

papardelle with rabbit

That night, we were all about the primis. Sure, we ordered some chicken and some roast beef, but we dove headfirst into the lovely world of pasta that was presented before us. On to the next: 

casarecce with ragu

the best freaking eggplant parmesan ever!

So ends night one of the wonton Firenze invasion. Check back soon for more Italian flava...