Last year, there were many wildfires and so we were unable to go to one of the most beautiful spots on the Sicilian coast, Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve.

Lo Zingaro is on the Castellammare coast and has 7km of coastline which is all unaccessible via roads. Some of the beaches are only accessible via the water, or perhaps in another way like you can see below: by horse.

We had left our horses in our other pants, so we decided to make our way to the first beach, more than 1 kilometer away, on foot. Walking through the tunnel towards the beach. Inside the tunnel there was a traditional Sicilian cart but it was too dark to get a good picture of it.

There are some beautiful views on the walk, especially of the Castellammare coast. In the background, on the other side of those mountains is Palermo.

Getting closer to the closest inlet after the reserve entrance, Cala della Capreria.

A view of Cala della Capreria from above. The place was packed full of people, but it didn’t matter much seeing as how you were in the water most of the time.

If you’re thinking of going to Lo Zingaro, I recommend getting there as early as possible as they often shut down the entrance if there are too many people admitted. Also, if there are high winds or wildfires, they may also stop admitting people for safety reasons (as it happened last year). Wear some decent shoes as you’ll be trekking over a little bit of terrain and definitely bring water and something to eat as there are no services inside the reserve.

There is a small fee to enter.

The Official Lo Zingaro site (in Italian) www.riservazingaro.it and some information in English from the Comune di San Vito website.

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• About
• Fisherman and Fishmongers, Marettimo - Favignana, Sicily
• The Client’s Response
• Eating humble pie
• Erice, Sicily and Le Genovesi

I’m looking for a few people to give me feedback on the site before it’s officially launched.

If:

• you have a website/blog  or
• you’re interested in creating one or improving your own    or
• you want to increase your general technical knowledge and experimentation    or
• you’re interested in using the Internet as a tool to learn more about different subjects

you’re someone I want to hear from!

If you’re interested in filling out a survey or being part of the focus group, send me an email or leave me a comment on this post (fill out the email field correctly so I can contact you but don’t leave your email address in the comment itself). The information I’m collecting will remain anonymous but I need your email address to send you the survey.

It will take about 10-15 minutes of your time.

I’m also going to be looking for guest posts for this new endeavour, so watch this space!

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Subscribe to Ms. Adventures in Italy
• Che giornataccio
• Zing!
• 5 Ways to Be Macho in Italy
• One step back, but two forward

• November 11th - use real butter
• November 12th - Baking and Books
• November 13th - Ms. Adventures in Italy (me!)
• November 14th - Cream Puffs in Venice
• November 17th - Tartelette
• November 18th - Veronica’s Test Kitchen
• November 19th - Cannelle et Vanille
• November 20th - La Tartine Gourmande
• November 21st - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

I asked Anita to share a few things with us about her blog and her inspirations in cooking. Make sure you read Anita’s The Blog Tour! kickoff post on Dessert First with more information, and a great interview with Anita on Use Real Butter.

Ms. Adventures: Hi Anita! For many people, if they see this book in a bookstore, it may be their first introduction to your recipes, but you’ve been blogging for quite some time. Can you share two of your favorite/interesting recipes from your blog and two from other cookbooks that have inspired you?

Anita Chu: “Two of my favorite recipes from my blog are:

• Almond Apricot Frangipane Tartlets : I love this recipe because it is such a simple way to celebrate seasonal fruit and yet looks so impressive. Making puff pastry is a time-consuming process but my version of quick puff, or blitz puff, makes it easy to create these tartlets on a whim.
• Black Sesame Panna Cotta with Five Spice Peanut Brittle : One thing I love to do in the kitchen is combine my Asian roots with classic French pastry techniques. I love experimenting with different flavors and combinations - it helps me see recipes and ingredients in new ways.

Two favorite recipes from cookbooks that have inspired me:

• Bittersweet Citrus Tart with Jasmine Ice Cream from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert : This is one of my favorite cookbooks - I love the pure and simple, ingredient-oriented philosophy of Medrich. She has a unique knack for coming up with intriging new ways to use ingredients - and all her recipes are fabulous.
• Korova (World Peace) Cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Baking: From my Home to Yours : Like almost every other baking blogger, I adore Dorie Greenspan - her baking skills and generosity to her readers is truly inspiring. This was one the first recipes I made from her cookbooks and it’s still one of my favorites - amazing how she can take simple ingredients and turn them into magic.”

Ms. Adventures: What appeals to you about desserts?

Anita Chu: “What I love about desserts is that they represent pure joy. When you make a dessert you are creating pleasure for other people, and when you eat a dessert you are indulging in that pleasure. I think there are few other jobs, or actions, really, in the world that so completely represent happiness. When I make a dessert I think about the flavors I enjoy, about the colors and textures that would go well together, about what I want people to think when they eat it. I really feel like it’s a form of art - edible and ephemeral, but art nonetheless.”

Thank you, Anita, for answering my questions! I definitely suggest picking up the Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable - I really enjoyed flipping through it and deciding which recipes to make. The (small) size is unique and I carried it around my kitchen as I was gathering up ingredients and checking the procedures, and I can see it being my go-to guide for future experimenting. Also, if you get a chance to look at it, I love the “guide” part of the book which means that every recipe is approached in a pragmatic fashion with a description, history and other notes! Brava, Anita!

On to the Chocolate Crinkles!

These were definitely popular amongst the bloggers on the Tour, and I knew I wanted to make mine stick out a bit so I decided to use some bright green pistachios from Bronte, Sicily (also used in my Chocolate and Pistachio Semifreddo with Cacao Nibs or Sicilian Pistachio Cookies) that I got at the Salone del Gusto and chop them up to roll the Chocolate Crinkles in them, as well as the traditional Confectioner’s/Powdered sugar version. To learn how to peel the pistachios, see below for a note on blanched pistachios!

Pistachio and Chocolate Crinkles Recipe

Slightly modified, from Anita Chu’s Field Guide to Cookies. The original version does not call for Bronte pistachios, but you can use them instead of the more traditional powdered sugar. Also, if your powdered sugar starts to clump up, sift it or break it up as the sugar needs to be quite loose so it cracks correctly. I gave one round of my cookies some “help” by slightly flattening the balls before cooking.

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar for rolling
1/4 cup Bronte pistachios, skinned and chopped in mini-prep for rolling (optional)

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a bain marie / double boiler or a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally until evenly melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs on medium speed for several minutes until thick and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture, and beat on medium-low until combined.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
4. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined.
5. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours or until firm enough to scoop.
6. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Roll 1-inch balls of dough in confectioners’ sugar, coating completely. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until they just start to feel firm. Cool sheets on wire racks for about 5 minutes before transferring cookies directly to wire racks with a metal spatula to finish cooling.

Bronte Pistachios and Getting that Vivid Green Nut - How to Blanch Pistachios
This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s worth it to get that clean, vibrant green color!

1. Boil some water and pour it over the pistachios.
2. Let them sit for only about a minute, then rinse them in a colander with cold water.
3. Rub the pistachios in your hands, trying to squeeze the nut out of the skin. You can also put them in a clean tea towel and rub to help the process.

I had a great time participating on the Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable Book Tour! And readers, stay tuned as I share another recipe from the Field Guide to Cookies next week!

Tomorrow, check Cream Puffs in Venice for another great recipe from the Field Guide to Cookies! Thank you Anita!

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• A New Project, and Needing Your Input
• Recipes
• Kitchen Sink, Everything Cookies Recipe: Oatmeal, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Walnut Cookies
• Dolce Italiano: Sicilian Pistachio Cookies
• Chocolate and Pistachio Semifreddo with Cacao Nibs Recipe

Some housekeeping:

• I’m participating in (Dessert First) Anita Chu’s The Field Guide to Cookies Book Tour! Check back this Thursday for a recipe from her fabulous book, and visit the other bloggers involved in the meantime!
• If you’re an Expat Blogger in Italy, and you don’t see your blog on my Expat Blogs in Italy list, contact me to be added!

One of the highlights of spending so much time in Puglia, and in Manfredonia to be more specific is my close proximity to one of my favorite gelaterias, Gelateria da Tommasino!

It’s an institution in Manfredonia, and while it doesn’t have a flashy patio for seating or even an indoors for when it’s raining, it’s always packed. Take this picture for example, taken this summer in August.

Not impressed? What if I told you it had been taken at 2am? Or that at midnight on a weekend, I found myself with the number 14 - a mere 42 people between me and my beloved gelato. I think the only time I’ve seen lines longer are at the Questura (police station) managing work visas.

Needless to say, I took a few turns around the park and came back to find my number was approaching.

So, how’s the gelato?

I’d have to say it’s in my Top 5 Gelaterias in Italy, and the prices mean that it will always have a place in my top rankings, and in my stomach.

Oh, did I not mention the prices? It is by far the cheapest (good!!) gelateria I’ve found in Italy, with cups and cones starting at just 1 euro! And these aren’t kiddie servings. The cone below was the next size up at 1.50euro. You can use the wafer as a benchmark for the size - I’ve never even ordered the 2 euro size.

If you can’t come to Manfredonia, don’t worry. Tommasino has their gelato, and more specifically their Ice Cream Cassata in many of the restaurants up and down the Pugliese coast.

If you do come to Manfredonia, a caveat: this gelateria is most definitely not open all day, so plan your stop accordingly. It usually opens in late afternoon or even the evening around 6/7pm, and is open until late night (2am or so).

Gelati Da Tommasino S.R.L.
Piazza del Castello
http://www.gelatidatommasino.com

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• More Italian Gelateria Stops on the Tour del Gelato!
• Tour del Gelato: Gelateria Marghera
• Join the Tour del Gelato!!
• London, A Menu for Hope, the Tour del Gelato
• Tour del Gelato: Grom in Torino

First he scores the outside of the wheel into the size wedge desired.

Then the seal is broken on the rind with a deeper cut and the cheese wedge, aptly named, is inserted at a critical point midway towards the center of the cheese wheel.

Another wedge is used to cut the rear part of the cheese rind and the wedge breaks apart with all those lovely pockets and crags intact.

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• 3 Cheese Pesto Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
• Parmigiano Reggiano Stuffed Onions Wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma
• 7 layer dip Recipe, Italian Style, for Crostini
• Spring Frittata with Peas, Leeks and Zucchini Recipe
• Baked Meatballs Stuffed with Roasted Garlic and Cheese Recipe

This year I was able to go to the 7th edition of the Salone del Gusto, organized by the Slow Food Organization and the Piedmont Regional Authority. This year it took place at Lingotto, just feet away from Eataly, so we made a stop there, too.

Click through to see more pictures from Salone del Gusto in Torino after the jump.

Hand-rolling cigars

Fichi d’India / Cactus pears similar to the ones I love and enjoy in Puglia - so colorful!

Who can identify this animal? Leave your guess in the comments!

Rolling out pasta continuously!

Getting approval from her co-pasta roller - thumbs up! (Ok, not really: in Italy they use the thumb to start counting, so she’s probably indicating 1 of something in a story, but I liked my version better)

Of course, it wouldn’t be a food convention without a little gelato. This was from the Gelato dei Presidi di Slow Food. It won’t have its own stop on the Tour del Gelato, but the Pistachio from Bronte gelato was excellent!

There were a lot of interesting, small producers like the makers of this pecorino cheese wrapped in walnut tree leaves and aged. It was almost as good as their cheese aged with wine cultures.

Lots of tasting, lots of samples (though some were more abundant than others). Sometimes you needed to find a quiet moment to reflect and plan the next path (and samples) you’d be following.

Corks decorate the ceiling, a view you might have been entranced by after a few tastings. Like me.

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• How Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Wheels are Cut into Wedges
• Pistachio and Chocolate Crinkles Cookie Recipe from Field Guide to Cookies
• Bicerin and Caffe Shakerato at Baratti and Milano
• Earth Day 2008
• Tour del Gelato: Grom in Torino

I haven’t shared many pictures of my trip back to the U.S. this summer, but for today, I’m going to share “5 Things I Love About San Francisco” - maybe they’re not the Top 5, ever, but they are definitely things I’m loving and thinking about today.

If you feel like playing along, you’re welcome to do “5 Things I Love About ______” on your own blog (with pictures!), and either comment here, or send me an email and I’ll add it to the bottom of the post!

5 Things I Love About San Francisco

(in no particular order)

5. Always having to look twice:

A split second later and I would have missed these two pirates that rode by on their makeshift bicycle/schooner with saber in hand.

This dog was waiting patiently for his owner to return, but he looked right at home in the driver’s seat of this British-paraphernalia Mini Cooper!

This is perhaps my favorite photo of my entire trip. A sign in Noah’s Bagels that politely states to their customers there is “No Need to Tip” - absolutely refreshing and definitely unique. I am definitely spoiled living in Italy - I can’t remember the last time I tipped anyone for anything. In San Francisco I was often at odds with my friends because they were giving 20% tips to taxi drivers whose “performance” narrowly killed us each time.

4. Dungeness Crab and Food Bloggers.

Maybe those two things can’t get grouped together in your mind, but in mine, they can. These fried Dungeness crabs were one of my favorites dishes the night I had the honor to dine with 11 wonderful food bloggers during the BlogHer conference in July, many of whom live in the area. If you want to discover some great Bay Area food bloggers, Sam from Becks ‘n Posh Nosh consistently presents some Bay Area blogs.

Finally I can say it was great to meet all of you! (Thanks to Elise for picking that great place!): Claire from Cookthink, Lydia from the The Perfect Pantry, Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen, Kathy from Panini Happy, Sean from Hedonia, Shuna from Eggbeater, Susan from Food Blogga, Genie from the Inadvertent Gardener, Elise from Simply Recipes, Amy from Cooking With Amy, and Jennifer Jeffrey. Kalyn did a great job of rounding up posts from other food bloggers at BlogHer.

I’m not sure if we’ll be able to swing a visit this December, since I haven’t been back during crab season in 5 years, but if we do, I’ll be having a crab a day until I go home.

Of course, the Peking Duck wasn’t too shabby, either.

3. (Good) Street Performers.

They’ve got rhythm, they’ve got unique style, and they’re always entertaining. I love turning a corner and getting a free concert or breakdance show.

2. The Culture.

At a local bookstore display for “San Francisco Culture,” I thought the selection of books was appropriate, except for the cover of BUTT; the model is curled up into the fetal position. They may want to re-shoot that one.

1. Walking Down Market Street in Early Morning.

Since the streets are empty, it’s a delicious silence and the arriving light draws my eyes up to it as it filters through the high-rise buildings and makes the leaves of the trees appear a glowing green.

What do you love about San Franciso, or another city? Play along! I’m sure I’ll have more to love and share with you about San Francisco in the future.

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• A BlogHer Giveaway
• A San Francisco Interlude
• A little Nutella, a lot of Bologna
• My Latest News
• –New to Ms. Adventures in Italy?–

The best thing about your birthday is, of course, using it as an excuse to use the phrase “since it’s my birthday” a few times. Luckily, when I get my way, often others benefit. Such is the case with these cookies. I decided the pantry could use a bit of an emptying from my “Food Hoarder” ways.

It’s a little similar to Food Blogga Susan’s Food Shopaholics Anonymous but I hoard my purchases and gifts. Being an expat puts your cupboard on a whole different level as some ingredients like mozzarella di buffala and basil are plentiful, and others are not. I start a lot of my food shopping with “Just in case….” - Who knows when I’ll need to use that agar-agar or those black sesame seeds? What about the little silver codettes or the ranch dressing? Better leave them until next recipe.

So I went flying in the face of my food hoarding ways to make these cookies and tackled my cupboard - a bag of peanut butter chips? Zing! Ghiradelli chocolate chips? POW! Walnuts, Quaker oats, coconut….

Who wouldn’t love these cookies?

In honor of the mish-mash of ingredients, I’m calling them a hybrid name as well….Kitchen Sink, Everything Cookies…with Food Hoarder and Birthday Girl thrown in there, too…..since it’s my birthday (or it was when I made them!)

Kitchen Sink, Everything, Food Hoarder, Birthday Girl Cookies: Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chip, Coconut Cookie Recipe

They are a little more caramelized and cook up darker than you might expect from a traditional chocolate chip cookie since the dark brown sugar plays a bit part. Don’t worry, they are good to the last morsel. I suggest having milk or water nearby while eating!

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks / 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla

1 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

2 cups white oats (Quaker if you got ‘em!)
1 cup (about 90g) unsweetened, shredded coconut
80g walnuts, chopped/chunked into pieces
12oz/340g chocolate chips
10oz/283g (1 2/3cups) peanut butter chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Beat the butter and sugars together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for another 1-2 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda together with a whisk or very briskly with a fork to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add this mixture slowly to the eggs and sugar mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together all the “extras” - the coconut, oats, nuts and chocolate / peanut butter chips.
4. Add to the wet mixture and mix using a wooden spoon until all ingredients are mixed evenly and there are no dry ingredients floating freely. Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie/baking sheet lined with parchment.
5. Cook for 10-12 minutes (watch carefully if you have the convection oven/fan on like me) and take out the cookies when the edges begin to turn golden brown. Let cookies sit for 3-5 minutes on the cookie tray, then remove to cooling rack.

What would you put in your Kitchen Sink - Everything cookies???

Some other Kitchen Sink - Everything cookie variations

• Everything Cookies from Sunday Nite Dinner
• Kitchen Sink Cookies from Martha Stewart
• Chocolate Chip, Toasted Pecan, Coconut Cookies from Erin Cooks
• Kitchen Sink cookies from Alice Q Foodie
• Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies from Coconut & Lime
• Everything Out of the Cupboard Cookies from Cook and Eat

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Recipes
• Made in America: Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
• Chocolate Macarons Recipe
• Pistachio and Chocolate Crinkles Cookie Recipe from Field Guide to Cookies
• A New Project, and Needing Your Input

For those of you wondering how Gina DePalma, pastry chef of Mario Batali’s Babbo and the object of tribute for our O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month contest is doing, she is currently going through her last rounds of chemo, and although she has been “feeling super cruddy,” her spirit remains as strong as ever; Gina insists that “[i]t’s all good, though, and as long as it kills cancer, I am down with being bald, nauseous and tired!!”

Isn’t she amazing?

Here is a note she sent to Jenn, Michelle, and me after following the O Foods contest:

The O Foods event was simply amazing. I don’t really know how to tell you how much this has meant to me. I am showing your websites and the round ups to the team at my hospital - Mount Sinai Medical Center - later today when I get my weekly blood test. When I told them about it, they were so excited and happy to see such a strong show of support for ovarian cancer. We all agree that there simply isn’t enough attention to this awful disease. There is a direct correlation between the tremendous amount of public attention and funding given to breast cancer in the last decade and the vast improvement in survival rates. Now, we really need to do the same thing for ovarian cancer. I am super selfish. I want to live, so I want there to be an ocean of teal out there along with the sea of pink.

Mount Sinai’s team is the biggest and best gynecological oncology group in the Northeast, and is quickly becoming one of the best in the country. My doctor is the chief investigator in the nationwide drug trial I am enrolled in. As soon as I start to feel better, I am going to start some efforts at raising funds for my team, so they can continue to expand their research in both prevention and treatment. I’ll have more information on that, and maybe we can put something together in the spring. Mount Sinai is launching a new support website for ovarian cancer patients, and maybe we can do a round-up of the recipes for them to put on it!

Ladies, I wish I could find the words to express the love I have in my heart for you. Please, please post my eternal gratitude to everyone who participated on your websites. I am sorry I am so weak and that typing is so hard for me right now, or I would hit each blog myself.

Thanks for being such good friends to me and to all the women out there who have ovarian cancer, feeling a bit lost and forgotten. It means eveything to know that you and so many others care!

With love,
~Gina

With much love from our side, too, Gina!

Maybe we’ll be able to help Mount Sinai with an e-book of the O Foods recipes….stay tuned! You can still help by donating to the O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness page on FirstGiving

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest
• Pesto Garganico: Almonds, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto Recipe
• O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Round-up, Part 2
• Best Gelato in Rome: San Crispino Gelateria’s New Location
• Dolce Italiano: Mosaic Biscotti

Make sure you check out Part 1 of the O Foods for OvarianCancer Awareness Round-up at Bleeding Espresso and and Part 3 - Awareness at The Leftover Queen and the winners!

As I write this, O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month has raised $415 at FirstGiving!! I really want to thank first the people that have dedicated time and effort to help spread the word and participate, and also to the donors who, because of our efforts, have decided to support such a worthy cause. And don’t let that stop you. Whenever you’re reading this, you’re welcome to

click through to the O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month FirstGiving page and make a donation!

We’re going to leave the donation page active the rest of the year and we’ll keep checking back on it. Help us spread the word! Stumble the round-up pages!

In case you missed it, your hosts also contributed to O Foods!

• O Foods: Oatmeal Carrot Date Bread, the Banana Bread Alternative! from the Leftover Queen
• Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins and Onion, Oregano & TimO Focaccia from Bleeding Espresso

And I contributed with Pesto Garganico: Almonds, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto

Now on to our bloggers! Thank you to all of you!

	Susan from Food Blogga gets sweet on us and makes her risotto fit for dessert! Dessert RisottO with Wine Poached Figs! Grazie, Susan!
	Ilva from Lucullian Delights makes good use of a muffin tin to make her innovative OH! ONION OMELETTES - Frittatine with Onion, balsamic vinegar and thyme. I’m coming over! Thanks, Ilva!
	Arfi from HomeMadeS, way out in New Zealand, contributes a dish that could be great any time of year (or perhaps even breakfast this morning for me!): PotatO Rosti with Thyme Sauteed Mushrooms Grazie, Arfi!
	Jerry from Jerry’s Thoughts, Musings, and Rants! topped an Orange and beet salad with some yummy blue cheese! Grazie, Jerry!
	Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen combined two really great ingredients : Oatmeal and pumpkin to make some nutty Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars! Grazie, Aggie!
	Elly from Elly says Opa! bakes up something that will warm your insides in these coming winter months: a FarrO Bake with spinach and mushrooms! Grazie, Elly!
	Stacy from Stacy & Brian’s Adventures in Life makes a hearty PortabellO Frittata that could make a great appetizer or main dish! Grazie, Stacy!
	Amy from Destination Anywhere takes a staple side dish and gives it a bit of kick with her Green Beans with PistachiO Grazie, Amy!
	Judy from No Fear Entertaining makes an Olive Tapenade and pairs it with some lavash for a delicious appetizer! Grazie, Judy!
	JoAnne from LitleQueen Rules spices up our O Foods with Chicken GumbO Soup that I would make today if I had okra nearby! Grazie, JoAnne!
	Ms. Liminal from Notes from Memphis features my beloved Orecchiette (little-ear pasta) with Rapini some ricotta salata (another favorite!) Grazie, Ms.!
	Terry from Got No Milk makes a spiced-filled Roasted PotatO soup with whole grain toast points for a quick meal on an autumn night. Grazie, Terry!
	Maria from My Place in the Sun contributes a traditional Vizcayan recipe from Basque Country, located in Northern Spain with BacalaO a la Vizcaína (Cod Vizcaya Style). Grazie, Maria!
	Teresa from Mexican-American Border Cooking makes something I’m infinitely curious to know how it tastes - Oranges and Sweet PotatO in Red Chile! Caliente! Grazie, Teresa!
	Swati from Chatkor, and joining us all the way from India adds PotatO Cream Cheese Methi Parathas and Palak Paneer - I’ll take a homemade paratha any day! Grazie, Swati!
	Jayasree from Experiments in Kailas Kitchen adds a corny and chocolaty twist to ordinary oatmeal squares to make Oatmeal Chocolate Squares Grazie, Jayasree!
	Valerie from City Girl Lifestyle makes one of her favorite dishes to raise awareness : goat-cheese, Herb Mashed PotatOes Grazie, Valerie!
	Jen from a2eatwrite makes Jen’s Rocking Oatmeal, an excellent breakfast option that “sticks to your ribs” with raisins, peanut butter and honey. Jen, I’d probably throw in a splash of milk like your husband :) Grazie, Jen!
	Laurie from Dalla Mia Cucina managed to fit a lot of O’s into her recipe with Orange Roughy with Sauteed Olives, Capers & TomatOes with some saffron rice! Grazie, Laurie!
	Terry from Notes from One Mom utilizes one of my favorite O Foods with Caramelized Onion Toasts - I can sit and eat caramelized onions by the bucket, so hopefully I’d leave a few to scoop onto the toasts! Grazie, Terry!
	Nags from Edible Garden contributes a fresh alternative to a green salad with Indian Paneer cheese and TomatO Salad - if you like Greek salad, why not try it with Indian flavors instead? Great idea! Grazie, Nags!

Take a look at the entries, make some comments, and above all, thank these bloggers for their time! Come back Monday for the winners’ announcement! If you have a message for Gina, you’re welcome to leave it in the comments!

---
Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• A Special Thank You from Gina DePalma for O Foods Ovarian Cancer Awareness
• O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest
• Pesto Garganico: Almonds, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto Recipe
• Best Gelato in Rome: San Crispino Gelateria’s New Location
• Fresh Lemon Pasta with Spring Peas and Mint