” If you like food that tastes like you’ve been cooking your butt off all day and that’s simple to execute, then Florentina’s book is a must have! She gets what the old world’s traditions are all about; friends, family and some seriously simple food that will knock off your socks. ” -Chef Fabio Viviani
“Speaking as a bachelor who had rarely set foot in the kitchen, Florentina’s simple and sublime recipies make the daunting delicious. Not only do I make my own meals now, I’m actually entertaining the notion of entertaining in my own home! This is a major breakthrough!” Paul Edgewater~ International Best-Selling Author, Co-Founder BusyBeePromotions.com and America’s Promotions Powerhouse™
Someone smart once said “people make a plan and God laughs” .. Well something like that happened with “The Rustic Kitchen “ project.
I planned to release it free on Amazon two weeks ago and promised you all a copy, but once it came to the fine print it just wasn’t going to happen that way.
Long story short here is a Complimentary copy for you to DOWNLOAD - a collection of the most beloved recipes from Ciao Florentina.
If you want or need a Kindle edition it is now available on Amazon for a symbolic price as they wouldn’t approve a free listing.
I am working on an exclusive new book just for Amazon, no repeat recipes-to be released next year 2013 with complimentary downloads to all kindle users as well.
Bialetti Cookware Giveaway
While having a blast creating and testing recipes for “The Rustic Kitchen “ I’ve also been testing the new cookware from Bialetti, the really pretty red collection that makes my kitchen look magical this holiday season.
As much as I love all my cast iron pots and pans, I’ve really been looking for something lightweight I can use any day of the week that’s easy to handle, clean and does the job right!
From quickly boiling my pasta water to sautéing veggies to perfectly cooked eggs for breakfast, Bialetti has over delivered with its Aeternum Collection. Not to mention how easy it really is to clean thanks to the nonstick ceramic surface that is also Eco-friendly!
PFOA – FREE
PFTE – FREE
CADMIUM -FREE
I’m sure you must have seen chef Fabio Viviani using it on his popular cooking show Chow Ciao many times, And just because I like you to have a great experience in your kitchen as well, I partnered with Bialetti to bring you a fantastic holiday giveaway on top of ” The Rustic Kitchen Cookbook ” and give you the chance to win yourself a festive red sautée pan!
5 Bialetti Aeternum 10 ” Saute pans are up for grabs and 5 winners will be randomly chosen to receive them!
Bialetti Giveaway Rules :
1. Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite holiday dish is!
2. Like & share this post on your Facebook wall!
3. Get one additional entry for Every Single Comment you leave on this blog ! YES!
4. You must be 18 years of age with a U.S. or Canada shipping address.
This giveaway Ends on December 19th 2012 at midnight. The winners will be announced on this page and via e-mail.
This Giveaway Has Ended!
Congratulations to: Michelle Zanta, Anne Wallace, Heather Brown, Maria Elena, Nicole Voigh ! You will each be receiving your sauté pan directly from Bialetti !
Enjoy! Peace, Love & Food! -Florentina
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
For Christmas dinner my mum also makes a pan of Ukrainian cabbage rolls. They’re take effort to make and are a treat. We always jump on them and they disappear quickly. Yum!
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Downloaded my copy! Can’t wait to try these fabulous recipes!
I know it’s simple, but fresh cranberry sauce is what I always look forward to at the holidays! That and deviled eggs!
For me & my family, Cioppinno on Christmas Eve is our fave & has been for generations!
Downloaded my copy, I love fondue during the December holidays
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My favorite holiday dish is my grandmother’s dressing! It is so good!
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Whatever the Mrs. is making!!!
One of my favorite dishes is actually more of a morning tradition, enjoying a nice slice of Stollen and Panettone with coffee.
Peas Out!
~Cameron
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A good bowl of ozoni, which is a soup typically served with osechi ryori (traditonal japanese New Year’s food).
Love Christmas Eve dinner with the feast of the seven fishes! Nothing like calamari, baccala, seafood risotto.. and of course Nonna’s zuppa di pesce!
Thank you for the download! Love it…
oh yeah don’t forget the stufoli!
Hands down one of my favorite holiday dishes is a simple appetizer my Mother used to make us…bacon wrapped green olives. So simple, yet so delicious!
my favorite christmas recipe is fresh cranberry salad
favorite holiday recipe is fresh cranberry salad
I do love experimenting with new recipes each holiday but here is one traditional family treat —Bittersweet homemade Chocolate Sauce served over Peppermint Stick Ice Cream. In recent years the Cranberry Bread Pudding with a dollop of Cream/Rum/Butter sauce is edging out the ice cream! My brother and sisters enjoy cooking but none of our children have the passion so who knows what traditions will live on.
If you ever need a recipe tester, just let me know. I have done so for Cook’s Illustrated and other cookbook authors. I just love an excuse to make more of your delicious food!
Thanks so much for your generosity, offering the cookbook download and the contest. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your site! I do wish you the best of everything this holiday and for the year to come.
cheers,
Anne
Thanks for the wonderful cookbook! Can’t wait to try some of the fab recipes….cooking three dinners for guests next week, so you know your recipes will be used- and loved!!
my favorite dish is to make gnocchi’s with my dad
I always look forward to the olive tray …. I’m a self admitted olive-holic. Happy Holidays Everyone!
I used to love getting up to the recipe for Grandad’s eggnog to share with my dad. Even though I don’t make it anymore I always think of him and the joy he had for Christmas every waking Christmas morning!
Thanks for the download-sweet!
Cornbread dressing. How can it be a holiday meal with it?
My family tradition is bittersweet chocolate sauce on peppermint stick ice cream. Lately we have been enjoying cranberry bread pudding with a sweet butter:cream sauce with a dash of rum.
Happy holidays and thanks for the cookbook download.
Oops, sorry for duplicate. Here is another holiday favorite, chocolate chocolate chip pecan rolls on Christmas morning. They are quick to whip up, don’t need a long rise time, and are so decadently good you can only eat them on special occasions but are always grateful it is time for another holiday!
Cheers!
Because some years we have turkey at Christmas when more family are home, another tradition is making a big pot of turkey curry soup with barley, carrots, potatoes and any leftover veggies. It is a lighter but filling option after our over- the-top dinner the day before and feeds a crowd.
I come from a family of grateful foodies! We love to use the excuse of a holiday to invent new traditions every year to add to our repertoire!
Alright, I confess that as kids our favorite tradition was the black piited olive tray! Our mother and father gave their blessings for the annual kid tradition of putting an olive on each finger, waving our hands laughing, and then eating them off one by one! Sometimes it is the little silly traditions that bring lasting joy.
Just when you think you have recalled all your family holiday food traditions, a new one pops to my mind!
My mother had a set of cast iron cornbread molds shaped like ears of corn. She only used them during the holidays, making it an extra special treat to enjoy cornbread in this way each year. She served cornbread with a small pitcher of warmed maple syrup, the real stuff– not the artificial stuff.
I inherited the pans. Now that I am thinking about this, I am going to have to track them down in the dark recesses of my cupboard and make them for Christmas in remembrance of my mom, a fun, creative woman who did not enjoy cooking but still made sure our holiday meals were special!
Thanks for the recipe book! I can’t wait to try a bunch of them out!
The Crispy Calamari looks amazing…
…and the Silky Pea Soup sounds heavenly.
The Creamy Polenta sounds yummy too – think I’ll add to its decadence and top it off with some grilled shrimp or scallops!
I love fresh Calamari Salad and have never attempted to cook it myself but your recipe comes across as very do-able for the home cook. I’m going to try this one out too! Think I might add some chili peppers to it too for some kick.
I think I’ll make the Shellfish Risotto for New Years! It’s rich enough to pair well with bubbly Champers!
The Chocolate Covered Orange Slices Treats sound like a fun project to do with my nieces & nephew for our cook with Aunt Michele night that’s coming up!
Love the Acquerello Carnaroli Rice for risotto http://www.gourmet-delights.com/store/italy.html
My favorite holiday dish? There are many and the flavor of each is greatly improved by the company of family and friends. So, pick one? How about a new favorite- a crustless pumpkin pie with home made dairy-free ice “cream”? Of course, I wouldn’t mind a moist mocha dark chocolate brownie with a freshly pulled latte, either! Mmmmmm.
Downloaded the book – so excited!! My fave Christmas meal is the Stuffed Cabbage rolls paired with some polenta- a romanian must!! Congrats on making this culinary treat and thank you so much for sharing with us!! Much love!
My grandmother’s cranberry sauce.
It’s a perfect day for trying out your Stuffed Peppers recipe!
Alright, I am still mulling holiday traditions!
Eggnog. And a platter of the nicest quality shrimp with cocktail sauce set out Christmas Eve. Along with Christmas cookies. Speaking of Christmas cookies, as onerous as it somehow seems, right up there with dusting, it was always mandatory to make those rolled out Christmas cookies. My mother had a big bag of assorted cutters she had randomly collected over the years. It was a thrill to dig through the bag to select our favorite shapes to cut out.
I think rituals bind us to our memories, make us remember thanks to tradition those moments of celebration even years later. And I am grateful for each holiday memory!
Hope you are your loved ones will cook together and create lasting holiday memories!
Anne
On an interesting note, I have a young man renting an apartment at my house. His family is Japanese.
Americans will find this hard to believe but a Christmas tradition in Japan is Kentucky Fried Chicken!
People go as far as ordering two months in advance to be sure to have some of the Colonel’s finest at their holiday feast.
Who knew???!
The stuffed peppers were fabulous! Wish I could upload you a picture of the finished dish. YUM!
I love Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Ravioli with a red pepper cream sauce. I also like home-made cranberry relish with some freshly grated carrots.
Planning Christmas dinner and am flipping through your recipes with excitement!
Since you asked for our holiday traditions in terms of food, I asked my family members to respond.
My sister said her favorite food tradition is to get up Christmas morning and make breakfast with her children before opening gifts. She said usually it is French toast because it is easy. She does the French Toast casserole where you put all the soaked slices in a pan and baked.
They also make halved oranges and grapefruits, cutting around each segment. Then the tops are sprinkled with sugar and topped with a cherry and put under the broiler to warm slightly. They eat the grapefruit and oranges. Then do stockings while casserole cooks. Next they all eat breakfast as a family. Finally, when the kids are about to go crazy, they all go together and open gifts. By that time any relatives who are staying at hotels have slept in a little and eaten at the hotel if desired and can arrive for present time relaxed before the madness ensues.
I think I want to go eat at J. Barsanti’s home this holiday! Sounds fantastic.
My brother said his favorite holiday food tradition is to sneak in the kitchen in the morning after Christmas dinner and eat huge spoonfuls of our homemade bittersweet chocolate sauce cold out of the jar before anyone catches him! Who knew?? Ha, ha!
I’m getting excited for Christmas morning….think I’m going to attempt the Banana Crepes!
Merry Christmas Florentina! Thanks again for the great recipes that we’ve been enjoying during the season because of you. I can already see some of them becoming regulars in my monthly meal planning. Cheers! Michele
Another holiday food tradition given to.me from my sister to share — my sister’s husband wakes up early and serves my sister a Mimosa in bed Christmas morning. He said it is his way of thanking his wife for all she does to make Christmas Day perfect for the family.
He also gives her a new pair of earrings wrapped in fun ways with loving handwritten comments on the gift paper. The box is on the tray with the drink. My sister has a special Christmas earring collection now after 21 years of marriage.
Happy holidays to all! Hoping everyone shares old traditions and begins new ones this season thanks to your blog’s inspiration!
Christmas morning is always Eggs Benedict, Fruit and Irish Coffee or Mimosas, kiddos have OJ.. After having to hand over holiday dinners to my mother in law for years- I finally got my chance.. favorite’s are Roasted Chicken with Veggies and Rigatoni Bolognese.. I keep changing it up, but my kids and I love me doing it here- can’t go wrong!! I love your cookbook and have pinned a bunch of your recipes pretty girl. Happy Holidays:-)
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