Tears, Russell Crowe, & Panna Cotta
Hello my friend,
I woke up to raindrops dripping off the clusters of grape that are outside the kitchen window. Little droplets are hanging from the ripe peaches too, bidding me to come and harvest them in the mild weather. Best of all, I’ve got a steaming cup of coffee in my hand and my gardening overalls on… it’s shaping up to be a fruitful day indeed.
But before I head out to the beautiful garden oasis that awaits, I wanted to share with you a few highlights from this past week: I produced perhaps my most favorite video that I’ve ever made and I hope (especially those of you who have been with us for a long time or are parents yourself) find it as wonderful as I do. I also ate some delicious homemade yogurt panna cotta, I watched my favorite movie of all time, and I spent plenty of time reading. But more on all this below. Enjoy!
Something I watched…
Sometimes… I must go. Somewhere else, beyond my garden full of weeds and overflowing garbage can. Even if it’s for pretend, for just a moment, I want to travel to somewhere that ushers me in, where, for that moment, it is beautiful. In such moments, I seek to revive my heart with sounds and visions that excite me, wetting my appetite for life.
A teeny bit of escapism is all I’m asking for.
“So the house is falling apart, and the vineyard makes undrinkable wine. Excellent.”
Even as an Italophile, I cannot deny the magic that took place in 2006 when Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott made A Good Year in France. It is, by all accounts, my very favorite movie in the whole world.
Today, even though I was feeling a bit burdened by the to-do list, I made time to enjoy the movie while I was preparing dinner — along with a glass of beautiful, chilled Sicilian wine. I laughed, I cried, I spoke the lines alongside the characters, and delighted in the heart-vibrations it sent through me.
Does anyone else find themselves going back to old movies again and again?
The nostalgia, beauty, joy, and delight of this movie are palpable, and I’m here for it.
Something that made me cry…
You may hear my overflowing emotions about this week’s video in my shaky voice, though I fought hard to keep it steady during recording. I poured my heart into filming it, collecting clips and thoughts as if they were jewels to be packed away in a treasure chest. I’m not sure if I’ve ever loved a video more than this one — dang, it feels good to be back making what I LOVE!
I must ask — if you don’t yet subscribe to our YouTube channel, will you please take a quick second to do so? Each “thumbs up,” share, follow, and comment means the world to our little family business. Grazie mille.
Please do let me know what you think of the video in the comments. I hope you can feel the magic.
Something I used…
There’s hardly a day that goes by that I don’t need to sweeten the mood around here. I often reach for beautiful music, nostalgic movies, delicious food — or in today’s case, some beautiful fragrance — to do just that. The reed diffusers that I stock in Limone (natural fragrances all made in Florence, Italy) last for months and months… but as it happens, the one in my bedroom ran out this past week. I was joyous to replace it so that the beautiful scent could keep the aroma of our bedroom sweet and luxurious…
These are a very special item in our home: the scents are remarkable and have come to identify different parts of our house. Our bedroom is, and always will be, Peonia in Fiore.
Something I ate…
Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta with Summer Berries
I can’t really think of a tastier summer treat than one that highlights beautiful cream, yogurt, and whatever ripe fruit you have on hand. Gelatin is easily sourced, great for your body, and lasts for a very long time in the pantry. If you don’t keep it on hand yet, this is a great time to! For a firmer panna cotta, add a bit more gelatin and let the mixture chill for a longer amount of time (overnight works great). For a looser panna cotta, pull it from the refrigerator a bit earlier and enjoy. Spoiler: it’s delicious both ways.
Ingredients:
2 ½ teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup cream
½ cup maple sugar or sweetener of choice
1 vanilla bean, split open
Pinch sea salt
2 cups plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
Summer berries, for serving
Honey, for serving
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream, maple sugar, vanilla bean, and sea salt. Stir to combine as you bring the mixture to a simmer. Turn off the heat and discard the vanilla bean.
Add the gelatin mixture to the warm cream. Whisk well to combine until it’s completely dissolved.
Add the Greek yogurt to a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the warm cream mixture into the yogurt, using a whisk to combine the mixture well
Pour the yogurt mixture into ramekins, a baking dish, or a bowl of your choice. Place the panna cotta into the refrigerator and allow it to set for at least 3 hours.
Invert the panna cotta out of the dish, if desired, and serve with fresh summer berries and a drizzle of honey. Alternatively, the panna cotta can be enjoyed directly out of the dish it was chilled in. Serve cold.
Something I read…
“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back.”
