Discovering the Magic of Buffalo Milk Yogurt: A Delicious Start to My Day

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Since mid-November of last year, I have actively embraced a journey that has significantly changed my life.  I’ve gained a deep understanding of the importance of investing in my health and well-being. This realization has led me to embark on a thorough fitness and nutrition journey that has truly transformed not just my physical health, but my entire perspective on life. I have learned the essential value of self-care and its lasting influence on one's overall quality of life.

Fast forward a few months, and I have witnessed incredible changes in my weight, strength, and energy levels. It’s astonishing what a little dedication and self-care can achieve, especially for us women over fifty!

However, my journey hasn't been without its hiccups. One morning during a workout, I experienced a bit of dizziness. Concerned, I spoke to my son, who's a personal trainer. He pointed out that I needed to hydrate more and stop skipping breakfast—the most important meal of the day. This was a game-changer for me.

Incorporating breakfast into my daily routine has become crucial.Recently, I began collaborating with Mini Caseificio Costanzo, a prestigious dairy located in Campania, well-known for its exceptional buffalo mozzarella. This dairy prides itself on using fresh milk from locally raised buffaloes, guaranteeing a genuine product with an authentic taste. Besides mozzarella, they also create other delightful dairy offerings such as ricotta and stracciata. They introduced me to their remarkable buffalo milk yogurt, which truly is a nutritional treasure. 

strawberry yogurt

blueberry yogurt

pomegranate yogurt

plain yogurt

I have relished creating delicious yogurt bowls with this yogurt, adorned with sliced bananas and seasonal fruits like blueberries and peaches. Not only are these bowls incredibly flavorful, but they also provide me with sustained energy throughout the morning. The combination of creamy yogurt and fresh fruits is both satisfying and nourishing.

Here are just some of the benefits of yogurt made with buffalo milk:

• Enhanced Protein Levels
  Buffalo milk boasts a higher protein content compared to cow's milk, which is crucial for preserving muscle mass as we grow older.

• Calcium-Rich
  It is abundant in calcium, an essential nutrient for maintaining strong bones and teeth.

• Vitamins and Minerals
  Buffalo milk serves as an excellent source of vitamins A and D, both of which are important for immune health and bone strength.

• Luxurious Creaminess
  The natural richness of buffalo milk results in a delightfully creamy yogurt experience.

Here’s a look at some of the yummy buffalo milk yogurt bowls that have joined me on my breakfast table.

1. Plain and Blueberry Yogurt Bowl: 

   
   
   

   • Start by adding a layer of plain yogurt and blueberry yogurt to the bottom of your bowl..

   • Slice a banana and arrange the slices over the yogurt.

   • Sprinkle fresh blueberries over the yogurt

   • Crumble whole wheat cookies and sprinkle them over the fruit.

   • Drizzle honey generously over the top to finish.

2. Strawberry Yogurt with Roasted Peaches Bowl:

   
   
   

   • Begin by spreading strawberry yogurt evenly in your bowl.

   • To prepare the roasted peaches, slice fresh peaches and lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and roast them in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 15 minutes until they are soft and slightly caramelized.

   • Once roasted, place the peaches on top of the strawberry yogurt.

   • Add a sprinkle of cinnamon over the peaches for extra flavor.

   • Crumble whole wheat cookies and scatter them over the top.

3. Pomegranate Yogurt Bowl:

   
   
   

   • Pour pomegranate yogurt into your bowl as the base layer.

   • Add a handful of fresh blueberries on top of the yogurt.

   • Crumble whole wheat cookies and sprinkle them over the blueberries for a crunchy texture.

Here's to vibrant bodies, sharp minds, and plenty of delightful buffalo milk yogurt bowls! Cheers!🥂

Saturday a Scuola, Chef Marco C. Merola, I Cook You Food Academy (Ce)

Chef Marco C. Merola

Saturday afternoon, about a quarter to 3.  It was my first day of school and I didn't want to be late.  I didn't want to be late for my first cooking class with Chef Marco Merola of I Cook You Food Academy in Caserta.  The school is located in a quiet parco just minutes from the Caserta Royal Palace. I sent Chef Merola a message when I arrived (just a few minutes late) and he came out and opened the gate.  It was my first visit to Merola's school.  A visit that was long overdue, so Merola gave me a quick tour of his school that has been around since 2010.  The school offers professional and amateur courses-like the one I was about to participate in.  A class on pies and flans. 
My apron and recipe book was on the counter - I introduced myself to my classmates, and the three hour class began.  First up?  Merola patiently led us in making a very tasty anchovy pie. Here's his recipe for this amazing appetizer.

Anchovy pie, potatoes and tomatoes x4

For the potato cream

100 grams of mashed potatoes
125 gr of vegetable broth
  20 gr of extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste.
pepper as needed.

For parsley oil

40 gr of extra virgin olive oil
  5 grams of very fine garlic
  6 grams of parsley



500 gr of anchovies (8 anchovies per pie)
  40 grams of cherry tomatoes to concassé
  80 grams of mashed potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper
  30 gr of provola cheese
  80 grams of potato cream
    1 tablespoon of parsley oil
breadcrumbs as needed

Clean the anchovies well and deprive them of the central bone, the spine and the small spines at the height of the belly, taking care to leave the tail attached.

Oil the molds and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lay the anchovy fillets, overlapping them so that they all converge with the belly at the center of the base of the molds.

Put 10 grams of mashed potatoes on the bottom of each pie, then the cherry tomatoes, provola, potato cream, aromatic oil and finally the remaining 10 grams of mashed potatoes.

Fold over the anchovy tails towards the center and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs.

Cook at 180 ° for 11 min.

I can't wait to try it at home!

The Fumarole, Chef Nino Di Costanzo, Dani' Maison, Ischia (Na)

1001 memories flooded my mind the moment the preparations for  final step  of Chef Nino Di Costano's Fumarole.  Location -  Ischia.  An island famous for its beaches, its spas...and its fumarole/geysers.  Particularly the ones located in Maronti.  My last visit  was several years ago - a weekend of relaxation, massages, and pampering. This time? This time my travelling companion was Sommelier Nicola Loiodice began to speak as my excitement rose.

He discussed the chef's inspiration for this dish, inspiration from the nearby beaches where the sand's temperature can reach up to 100 degrees Celsius!  Inspiration derived from the sea as he prepared a cod fillet ringside complete with steam, aromas, and emotion.

:-)

A Sneak Peek at Spring - Taverna Estia, Brusciano (Na)

When is the best time to visit a restaurant for the first time?  At the beginning of the season to try the new items on the menu?  In the heart and heat of the summer?  At the end of the season to get an up close and personal taste of the classics?
My first visit to Taverna Estia - located in the small town of Brusciano on the outskirts of Napoli - falls into the none of the above category.
My first visit to Taverna Estia - located in the small town of Brusciano on the outskirts of Napoli was several months after I introduced myself to Maitre Sommelier Mario Sposito poolside during an event last summer.
My first visit to Taverna Estia - located in the small town of Brusciano on the outskirts of Napoli was a couple of months after I met Mario's brother, Chef Francesco Sposito at event last December.
My first visit to Taverna Estia - located in the small town of Brusciano on the outskirts of Napoli was a few months after this small taverna/ristorante was awarded their 2nd Michelin star.
I arrived at 1 pm ish on a Saturday afternoon - just in time for lunch.  And I was in luck.  Chef Sposito(Europe's youngest bistellato- 32 years old in August) had been working on a new dishes for the spring and asked me if I'd be willing to try it out before he finalizes the menu.  He didn't have to ask twice!  I immediately found my place at a small table next to the window. A table come piace a me...my type of table, with a view of the terrace and a perfect view of the kitchen whose curtains were about to open.
Let the show begin.

Chef Francesco Sposito

It began subito when Maitre Mario Sposito alongside his wife Violetta Bobrova brought out the wine list, a plate of homemade pane and grissini, and what became my new guilty pleasure.  A small vase of algae chips.

 Taverna Estia's algae chips.  A salty savoury snack.  Ingredients are sea algae, rice, patience, and amore.

I wanted to concentrate on the meal, so I entrusted the wine choices to Sposito.  No problem for this highly recognized sommelier who placed down a feather light crystal wine calice and filled it with a glass of  NV Domaine de l'Ocre Rouge La Perle Noire, a French sparkling wine made with pinot noir. 

 It wasn't long after that the appetizers began to arrive, all under the watchful eye of Chef Sposito and his lively brigade.  

A colorful tray jam packed with numerous flavors and textures.  Like this soft green pea sponge with a sliver of pork cheek carefully laid on top.

Bread, butter and smoked anchovy.

A codfish bonbon.

A cannelino with caprino goat cheese and Bronte pistachio nuts.

It was time to change my glass of wine.  To my delight, a  Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio bianco 2011 by Sorrentino Vini.  

A Campania white which paired well with the next few dishes:

A beef emulsion with a foi gras granita, lemon and tarragon.

 With each plate, I was handed a little bit of background, of history, of preparation notes...of flavor.  I particularly rember being handed this plate.  Not sure where to begin.  A lot going on.  A squid ink bigne' filled with burrata cheese covered with a thin layer of squid.. Then, shrimp, mandarin orange slices, and a tarragon sauce.

Mario suggested that I swipe a little of the tarragon sauce as I eat the shrimp. To get that perfect balance of flavor.

Next:

Spinach in two versions:  fresh and spongy.  To accompany a lightly sauteed red mullet and a red turnip sauce.

New course, new wine...We went to Northern Italy for a 2011 vintage of pinot grigio..

Two pasta dishes.  Two pasta assaggini:  Beginning with a dish that whose aroma's brought back memories of my early days in Italia.  Mortadella.  Everyone's favorite sandwich meat.  Here, the staff made a pasta flavored with  pistachio nuts from Bronte.  On the side a smooth creamy mortedella mousse, powdered burnt leek, fresh pistachios and pistachio oil.

Sticking with pasta, Chef Sposito sent a dish out that the my camera loved as much as I did.

 Fettucce pasta cacio e ova - a cacio cheese and eggs sauce with slices of black truffles. And the cheese did not stand alone...A seabass tartar held its own on the side of the plate.

Spring had something to say in Sposito's second courses as well.  Beginning with sea bass with asparagus and a thin layer of pork cheek on a mussel sauce and an onion confit on the side.

Then, maybe the dish of the day... a scallop and fennel salad on a bed of creamy fennel al pastis.

Dessert?  I usually pass, but.  Ok.  Maybe a small tray of piccoli pastries.  And as usual, my eye and hand went straight for the chocolate.  Like this chocolte rosemary truffle  (which earned its own post! ) and a chocolatey macaroon. 

Meal over.  What is really 5:30 pm?  I guess so.  I enjoyed a  long and pleasurable conversation with Mario, his mother,  and wife Violetta, We talked about the upcoming season, lunch in the garden, jazz nights. I then headed into the kitchen to say goodbye to the kitchen brigade, salutare the chef.  A quick see you later/I enjoyed myself/grande/grande/ciao was basically all that escaped my lips, since the staff was in full swing getting ready for yet another sold out Saturday night.  

Chef Sposito shook my hand, a quick smile, then added - "On your next visit, I'll have you try some of our classics..."

Next visit?

When is the best time to visit a restaurant for the second time?  At the beginning of the season to try the new items on the menu?  In the heart and heat of the summer?  At the end of the season to get an up close and personal taste of the classics? 

Taverna Estia
Via G. De Ruggiero, 108
80031 Brusciano (Na)
081 519 9633

Fantastic Firsts - Calamarata 4 Stagione with Baby Squid, Clams and Mozzarella di Bufala Dop

 So I was looking over the website for Le Strade della Mozzarella to be held in Paestum (Sa) May 6-8,  and my eyes couldn't help but notice that Pastificio Leonessa decided to host a contest open to food bloggers. Create a recipe for a pasta dish using mozzarella di bufala Dop.  
Mozzarella di Bufala Dop.   Buffalo milk  mozzarella.  Here in Campania we have the good fortune of having this stringy paste cheese whenever we want it. I'll be honest.   I usually eat it plain..  Sometimes  with tomatoes.  Sometimes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Sometimes fried.  But 'touring' some of Campania's top restaurants I've noticed that this latticini has made its way into all types of dishes.  From appetizers, to first and second courses, and even desserts.
Am I a food blogger?  Well, I do blog about food.  So here's my simple colorful recipe...just in time for spring.

Calamarata 4 Stagione with Baby Squid, Clams and Mozzarella di Bufala Dop

Ingredients for 4 :
400g Calamarata 4 stagioni
600 g baby squid, cleaned and cut into rings, tentacles left whole
800 g clams in shells, rinsed to remove any dirt
2 cloves of garlic
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
300 g  mozzarella di bufala dop ( frozen over night and then grated 10 minutes before needed)
chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, this should take a bout 14 minutes.  While the pasta is cooking,  heat 3 tablespoons of oil and garlic in a saucepan.  Remove the garlic, add the clams and steam open.  Add salt to taste.  In another saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic. Remove the garlic, add the baby squid and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add salt to taste.  Do not overcook, or they will become tough.  When the pasta is cooked, drain conserving a little of the water it was cooked in to the side.  Add the pasta to the clams and toss. Then add the sauteed baby squid, chopped parsley, and if needed, a little of the water so the pasta doesn't become too dry.  In fact, this will produce a creamy sauce.  Add the grated mozzerella di bufala.and continue to toss, toss, toss.

Pairing?  I'd suggest a fresh Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, or even a Falanghina dei Campi Flegrei.