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I’ve infiltrated one of my favorites places in Puglia to share another behind the scenes look next week.

Anyone have a guess where I went? Or what’s in the photo?

• Inside a Pugliese Taralli Maker: Taralli con lo zucchero
• Warm Fuzzies and Chocolate Easter Eggs
• A Perfect Barbecue in Italy
• –New to Ms. Adventures in Italy?–
• An Army of Orecchiette on a Sunny Day in Puglia

I mentioned Quinoa in April when I talked about LiveStrong Day, and when I made another dish this weekend using Quinoa, I had no idea I would be writing with a similar motive again today.

I know Bri from Figs with Bri very little, but I often stop by on her blog. Her story and her fight is something that immediately resonated with me.

We are not just food bloggers. We are a community. And it’s great to see that community moving to do something, like a Menu for Hope, and Click for Bri. Get well soon, Bri, and keep fighting.

Read more about her struggle and how you can help.
——

This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.

She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri

Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site. Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.

You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.

Quinoa and Farro salad with Salmon, Artichoke Hearts, Tomatoes and Basil

Note: I used half quinoa and half farro for this salad, but you could use one or the other or in the proportions you desire or to make it gluten-free.

This is a perfect, a bit more fancy summer salad than the ever-popular white rice salad with tuna and pickled vegetables popular here in Italy. The important part is to keep you out of the kitchen and use what things you have in your pantry and have a cool meal available when hunger strikes!

Some ingredients you could add / substitute if desired: Borettane onions, Garbanzo beans, Asparagus, green beans, olives, tuna (instead of salmon), mozzarella, salted ricotta, sunflower seeds or pine nuts.

Quinoa
Farro
Fresh or canned salmon
Artichoke hearts
Fresh tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Quality olive oil

1. Prepare farro and quinoa according to package directions, being sure to rinse them thoroughly first. I actually cook both of them together.
2. Allow the farro and quinoa to cool. Toss with high quality olive oil, and mix in chopped tomatoes, fresh basil and other ingredients. Taste and add desired salt at this point.
3. Slice artichoke hearts and chunk salmon into the salad, mixly gently to keep chunks intact. Serve immediately at room temperature, or cool for a hour or so in the fridge.

• Quinoa and Salted Ricotta for LiveStrong Day
• Summer Means Aperitivo in Italy
• A salad to make an Italian child run to its mother
• Meeting Italian Men in my Local Market
• Eat to live, ready to die?

I think peanut butter is about as American as Apple Pie. In fact, peanut butter and apples go really well together (though I’m not sure I’d like the pie). Most Italians are instinctively repulsed by peanut butter, labeling it as “grassissimo” (very fat!) and “pesante” (heavy/rich), and of course, they’re right.

But when peanut butter is eaten in small quantities, it doesn’t have to be bad for you!

Since peanut butter is getting a bit easier to find in Italy (as opposed to previous years of it being almost nonexistent), I thought it would be nice to share one of my favorite cookie’s recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies for today’s La Buona Cucina Americana : being hosted by Judith at Think on It. Be sure to check the list of recipes of American dishes in both English and Italian. My last entry for this was Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans.

The most important thing about Peanut Butter cookies is the signature criss-cross imprint on top of each cookie. I have no idea what the history of this crisscross is, only that you must do this, and it nicely decorates an otherwise boring-looking cookie. I am not posting the recipe in English since it’s based on this Peanut Butter recipe from Betty Crocker, though I did not use shortening nor chill the mix for 2 hours before cooking.

Other Americans reading, why don’t you share what you do differently to your Peanut Butter cookies?

Biscotti al burro di arachidi

Basato sulla ricetta Peanut Butter Cookies da Betty Crocker : invece di usare lo strutto vegetale (shortening), ho aumentato leggermente il burro di arachidi

175g peanut butter / burro di arachidi
100g granulated sugar / zucchero
100g dark brown sugar / zucchero di canna con melassa
50g butter / burro
200g flour / farina
1 egg / uovo
3/4 teaspoon baking soda / cucchiaino livieto al soda di bicarbinato
1/4 teaspoon baking powder / cucchiaino livieto in polvere
1 pizzico sale

Riscaldare il forno a 190C. Mescolare i burri, gli zuccheri e l’uovo insieme. Aggiungere la farina e i lievitanti e il sale. Rotolare la pasta in palline di 3cm. Metterli su una teglia per i biscotti. Con una forchetta, appiattirli leggermente facendo una croce / incrocio su ogni palline.

Infornarli per 9-10 minuti, e lasciarli raffreddare sulla teglia per 5 minuti e poi rimuoverli dalla teglia.

• Chestnut Flour Chocolate Chunk Muffin Recipe
• Chocolate Macarons
• World Nutella Day Recipes: Clusters, Mousse and Cupcakes!
• Supporting the Olympics through Chocolate
• Dolce Italiano: Sicilian Pistachio Cookies

Thanks everyone for comments on my Latest News…it’s going to be exciting!

And Wow! over 80 comments for a free jar of an organic Nutella-substitute! You guys really want these! Congrats to Mandy, Comment#58, winner of a free jar of Deanocciola flavor of your choice! Send me your address! And stay tuned…I may have a giveaway for another!

We have some good friends who have a “casa in campagna” a house in the countryside outside Rome. When I was there in May, I worked so long outside people thought I had spent my weekend at the beach! It reminds me of home since I didn’t grow up in a city proper, but outside just city limits on a little “mountain” of the Santa Cruz foothills. I enjoy laboring on their land, eating and drinking things they’ve grown or received from neighbors, and thrive without television (though I sneak in a few electronic books).

Through them, I’ve discovered the Feijoa fruit and enjoyed some spectacular views. Hopefully someday we’ll turn it into a B&B so some of you can enjoy the views in person.

Who can guess what these baby plants will become? This year I hope to come back at harvest time. I usually seem to miss it by a few weeks.

The view is a bit drier this time of year (May) than the gorgeous picture I took one November.

Are you growing anything? What are you looking forward to harvesting when they’re ready?

• Taking a Break in Rome’s Campagna
• Spring Frittata with Peas, Leeks and Zucchini Recipe
• Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Light(s)
• Italy Running Events
• Goodbye to Summer