I devoured the book Bella Figura written by Kamin Mohammadi
It "spoke to me" on many levels and the author included Italian recipes at the end of each chapter...I am going to keep it and put it on my cookbook shelf!
I was so inspired by her descriptions of the food
that I made the pasta dish for dinner at the cottage.
Kamin describes the Italian city of Florence and the hills and villages of Tuscany so exquisitely that I felt that I was right there with her...
I am not going to give away any of her "secrets" but I did take away some very important tips that I will be incorporating into my daily regime.
I highly recommend this book...
Look at these fresh heirloom tomatoes!
Seriously flavourful and an easy salad to prepare...
you could dress it with a smidgen of good quality olive oil or do as I did.
I used Julia Childs' basic vinaigrette that I mix in a Bonne Maman Jam jar.
'Tis the season for Farmer's Markets and fresh produce...
I love the variety and availability of these roadside stands
my basket is stuffed full to the brim
overflowing
with healthy tasty veggies.
The bounty of beach combing is the expanding collection of sea glass.
Fresh air and exercise are benefits of this hobby.
Clam Shells with barnacles dot the local beaches.
The twinkling light bouncing off the Salish Sea
a million diamonds dazzling....
the melodic waves are licking the shore
the seabirds are swooping
the cacophony of songbirds is music to my ears
contentment found in the beauty of nature
to slow down
to notice
to be silent and observe
these are times that I treasure
for they present me with
opportunities
for reflection and gratitude
Do you find solace in the beauty that surrounds you?
Are you able to be still, sit quietly and absorb the gifts of Mother Nature?
We had a busy weekend here in The Humble Bungalow Garden...
there is a bounty of flowers
a riot of roses blooming
the wee hummingbird babies can be seen in the nest...
two very tiny beaks pointing skyward waiting for food from their parents.
Hope you have a lovely week.
Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog...
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
23 comments:
I LOVE this post - thank you. I hope you have a good week, too.
Your review has inspired me to buy this book. Looks like my kind of read....and I love Italian food. Your pasta dish looks scrumptious. And, oh, what can I say about those tomatoes. Just finished dinner and they made me hungry again.
Went immediately online and put the book on hold at my library - thank you for the recommendation I can hardy wait to read it!
What a thrill to see hummingbird babies! We have 2 hummingbirds that are quite aggressive trying to feed from the Delphinium and Larkspur. Your tomatoes look so delicious!
:-))
I hope that you enjoy Kamin's memoir...I really enjoyed reading it.
Hope you like it Adrienne...
Oh the babies are so sweet...we hope to see more of them as they fledge.
I must see if I can find the book here in Italy, I would like to read it in English, otherwise I will order it online. I think you would enjoy to read "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes, and if I remember well, it also has recepies.
Your pasta dish looks delicious and the salad with the stars- shaped, sliced tomatoes looks so beautiful.
I love your blog; it reminds me to slow down, to breath and to enjoy the beauty that surrounds me. Also you are very aesthetic and it is very pleasant to look at. Thank you Leslie.
Greetings Maria x
The book looks great--I'd rather have a bella figura or sprezzatura than be conventionally pretty (one you can acquire, the other you have to be born with).
We are still waiting for tomatoes. We can get them from Spain or Morocco, but they have different ideas about pesticides and fertilizers than the French do so I'm holding out.
Oh yes! I find peace and solice in Nature. It feeds my everything!
Hummingbird babies-how lovely!
I've enjoyed reading Bella Figura-thank you
Dottoressa
I love your blog and Instagram posts. Always beautiful, and your pics of food inspire me to eat better! Please keep on bringing beauty from your part of the world! I also ordered the Bella Figura and can't wait to read it.
That salad looks beautiful! We've been eating pasta more often but in smaller helpings. That book looks interesting. I've been reading for book clubs and I need to read for fun. M. and I are off for our annual driving trip soon. I've 11 more days to work and I think that will be enough although I really enjoy the children. Nature, garden and fun reading are in my future.
Thank you for those kind words about my little blog Maria...it's encouraging when someone like yourself, lets me know that they enjoy reading it!
I read Frances Mayes Under the Tuscan Sun and also watched the film, loved them both and I am ooking forward to reading her latest Women in Sunlight.
The book Bella Figura should not be too difficult to find as it is a new release.
Our greenhouse tomatoes are just in flower this month and our strawberries are not ready either...fresh produce is always worth waiting for...such intense flavours.
My thoughts too!
They've been fluffing out their wings in the nest so they may be getting ready to fledge...so exciting to have them in the garden.
I rely on books and magazines to inspire me to cook from scratch and buy local fresh produce...its far too easy to let my lazy side take over and slip into the habit of buying prepared foods! Hope you enjoy the book!
The portion sizes are a great idea! A reminder that we can enjoy pasta if we keep an eye on how much of it we serve ourselves!!!
Year end and a lovely summer holiday will be a delightful reward for all your hard work...the children were fortunate to have you on staff at the school,they will miss you but retitrement awaits with its many rewards.
GOOD TO KNOW AS I'm off to BUY THAT BOOK NOW!!!!!!!!!!!XX
Hope you like it !
I needed to thank you for this wonderful read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it.
I have got you bookmarked to check out new things you post…
Post a Comment