FoodBuzz Festival 2011 Recap!

Blogging. Food blogging specifically. What's the big deal about it anyway? Well, it is a big deal... a big deal to those that love food, photography and the community it brings! Nearly five years ago, I started this food blog and it's evolved quite a bit over the years. Little did I know that it would lead me to some amazing opportunities.  However the most exciting part of blogging is the chance to meet amazing people who share the same joy I have with food and blogging. This past weekend I attended the FoodBuzz Festival out in San Francisco, CA. It was a weekend full of food, fun and wonderful friends. It was great to be among people who don't think it's weird to take pictures of food before you eat it...

I arrived in San Francisco early Friday, November 4th, before registration opened up. It was great to have a chance to settle into a hotel room and more importantly, meet Krystal of Mrs. Regueiro's Plate. When I met her, it was like we've known each other for years. It's crazy how much we share in common and in some ways, she's very much like a sister from another mother. We decided to take a cable car down to the infamous Fisherman's Wharf and enjoy lunch at Boudin. We both had the popular clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl (yes, I cheated with gluten laden foods, but how could I not?!) It was so worth it and although it was amazingly good, I could only handle so much sourdough. Next, we took a walk to Ghirardelli Square. It was quite a walk and climb up stairs but once we got to Kara's Cupcakes, we were in cupcake heaven. I was thrilled they had a gluten free vanilla cupcake so I took advantage of that - so good! But we can't forget the highlight of Ghirardelli Square... Ghirardelli Chocolate, of course! Krystal and I opted to have the salted caramel hot cocoa and enjoyed them with our cupcakes. As an added bonus, Krystal got serenaded a gentleman with his rendition of 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco'. I couldn't have wanted a more perfect start to the weekend in San Francisco.

Then it was off to meet the other food bloggers at the hotel. We hopped on the cable car and met up with Nikki of Pennies on a Platter and Jessica of Sunny Side Up in San Diego. I've met Nikki before but it's been quite awhile since we got together since she moved from Chicagoland out to California within the past year. It was so great to finally see each other after many emails back and forth prior to the weekend. Nikki, Jessica and I were roomies and had so much fun! When we got to our hotel room, we checked out our swag bag from FoodBuzz... lots of goodies and some I'll be sharing in future giveaways!

So after Nikki and Jessica settled into the hotel room, we met up with Jessica of My Baking Heart in the hotel lobby. Her mom, Ginger, joined us and together we hopped in a taxi down to the Ferry Building Marketplace for a late lunch. If you've never gone to the Ferry Building, you must go. Like now. It's a foodie's haven of various artisan eats. From olive oils, cupcakes, cheeses, cured sausages, gelato, and breads, there's something for everyone. I especially loved the gluten free breads of Mariposa which had sandwiches available made with Boccalone Salumeria meats. Finally, I was able to indulge in some fabulous gluten free artisan style breads!

As an added bonus, we ran into Martha. Yes, 'the' Martha. Martha Stewart was casually hanging out with her entourage and I managed to snag this pic. She's rockin' some leather pants and heels. Rawrr...

After the fun at the Ferry Building, we headed back to the hotel and relaxed a bit before getting ready for the Welcome Reception, Dinner and Blogger Award Ceremony. The reception was sponsored by Sabra hummus so there were quite a few appetizers made with hummus. It was also a great time for us to mingle with a few more food bloggers including Jessica of Forgiving Martha, Courtney of Pancakes & Postcards, Cate of Cate's World Kitchen and Courtney of The Granola Chronicles.

Another person I got to meet and hang out with was Joanne of Jo Boston is a Foodie. She is part of a Filipino dining group in San Francisco called KapaMEALya and I truly love their focus. KapaMEALya is about bringing family and food together... and in their efforts, highlight the rich Filipino culture and cuisine. I'm so glad I had a chance to meet her after exchanging a few emails in the past... and she's inspired me to host some Filipino dinner events in Chicago to share the KapaMEALya spirit here in the midwest!

After mingling, we all headed upstairs of the Terra Gallery for the reception. What a spread of amazing eats! There were so many things to choose from and I love that they accommodated gluten free diets. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything!

During the dinner, we got to hear from Jen of Tiny Urban Kitchen. She won the Project Food Blog contest hosted by FoodBuzz and she's quite an awesome person. She shared her personal story of how she worked with the less fortunate and when she won the contest, Jen donated her winnings to charity. Jen's truly an inspiration aside from a creative blogger!

Then the Blogger Award Ceremony took place, hosted by Joy of Joy the Baker and Marc of No Recipes. Various categories were highlighted and I was thrilled when Nikki was nominated for the Best Family Food Blog. Sadly, she didn't win but she'll always be a winner in my book!

Then it was time to indulge in dessert. Again, quite a bit of options and my favorite were the macarons. They served as another reminder that I need to get on my horse about making them... like yesterday. I have no excuse either since they are gluten free!

So here's where I messed up. The next day, Saturday November 5th, we started the day with a delicious breakfast at Federated Media - the headquarters of FoodBuzz. After breakfast, we heard a panel of talented food bloggers before breaking out into group sessions. The sessions were dedicated to various topics related to food blogging including photography, social media, blog design, etc. After the informative sessions, we headed to the Metreon for lunch. Rather than a typical lunch, FoodBuzz set up a huge 3-hour Tasting Pavilion where food businesses and companies came to provide samples of their products. It was a good event but I wished the expectation was better communicated. Attendees could have benefited from bags to carry the load of samples and goodies we received from the individual businesses. Businesses could have benefited from having a schpeel ready to better connect with bloggers and how they would like to work together. Overall, it was fine but I thought it could have been better executed. Sadly, I forgot my SD card for my camera and wasn't able to take any pictures of either the break out sessions I attended or the Tasting Pavilion. Thankfully Krystal took some great pics (featured below in the collage).

However, it wasn't all bad. A special surprise attended and it made everything all better! Chef Tyler Florence paid a visit at the Tasting Pavilion and  I have to give it up to my girl Joanne for snapping a pic of me talking with Tyler. I even scored an autograph of his latest cookbook, Family Meal: Bringing People Together Never Tasted Better.

After such a food-filled afternoon, it was back to the hotel to take care of our food coma. We then got dolled up for an evening at the Gala Dinner, featuring a cooking demo with Tyler Florence! When we arrived at the gala dinner, we noshed on some appetizers compliments of Alexia Foods. We mingled some more with fellow food bloggers including Mara of What's For Dinner and Nicole of Prevention RD and then sat at our table up front. Mara and I have met before since she's just outside of Chicago and Nicole have exchanged a few emails before the festival. It was so great to hang out as a group! We had awesome seats with a perfect view of Tyler himself. The meal he prepared featured thick cut pork chops, braised red cabbage and herb spaetzle. We didn't taste his dish, but I sure was craving pork chops afterward. As for our gala dinner, we feasted on a variety of appetizers, a bib lettuce salad with blue cheese vinaigrette, filet mignon and shrimp, and a trio of San Francisco inspired desserts.

Once dinner was over, folks slowly left the gala while us girls pretty much closed out the room! We spent some time chatting with Joy of Joy the Baker and got a chance to know her a little more. She's so down to earth with a fun quirky charm. She's quite an inspiration to many and I love that she's so approachable. It's nice to know that not all 'famous' food bloggers have let it gone to their head or carry a 'holier than thou' attitude.

Then it was the finally morning of the long weekend in San Francisco. Isn't this such a great hotel view of the city by the Bay?!

Ideally, we wanted to attend the FoodBuzz Farewell Brunch but because of the location and timing of our flights, we opted to sit it out. Instead, we got together and had a nice brunch at La Boulange, a quaint little restaurant within walking distance from our hotel. There, we reflected on the weekend over large bowls of capuccinos and coffee, amazing breakfast eats and bittersweet smiles. For some of us, it will probably be another year before we see each other again... and for others, we're anticipating another reunion soon in our local cities. We said our goodbyes to each other after brunch and it certainly was bittersweet. Regardless, from this weekend, we've all made some delicious connections and deepened our food blogging friendships.

My flight wasn't until later in the afternoon so I spent the last couple of hours with Krystal and her friend, Yvette. Yvette was a great tour guide of San Francisco and we were able to stop for some pics at a few places. We checked out the 'Painted Ladies' homes in Alamo Square, made famous from the tv sitcom, Full House. We even said hello to Yoda, where we took pictures of the Yoda Statue at the Lucas Films Headquarters. Next was a stop at the Exploratorium and Palace of Fine Arts for more pictures. Then we drove through Crissy Field and took pictures of the city and Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Before we knew it, it was time for me to head to the airport... but not before I picked up some In & Out Burger! Overall, it was an amazing and memorable weekend and I can't wait until next year!

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Gainward GeForce® GTX–Register and WIN

Gainward currently has an ongoing contest where Gainward video card owners can get a chance to win a video card or a special edition Battlefield 3 Razer Imperator mouse.

Here’s the lists of prices to be won.

It’s very easy to join, all you have to do is register your Gainward Product here, and that’s it you are now eligible to win one of the prices.

Visit their official website: Gainward Phil.

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Language Level and Cognitive Function Recognized As Affecting Autism Disorder Severity

In Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders Lack Reliability Pysch Central senior news editor Rick Naubert Ph.D., (article reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psych D) reports on a new study by Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and  colleagues that examined the relationship between autism diagnoses and behavioral appearances at 12 university sites.  The found that clinical distinctions among subtypes of autism spectrum disorders were not reliable and speculated that regional variations could be affected by availability of services for those with autistic disorder in some regions. Conversely greater stigmatization associated with autistic disorder could also affect the type of ASD disorder received. 

As I interpret the Psych Central report on the study the study authors are asserting that the results support the DSM5's new combined Autism Spectrum Disorder which although creating a combined autism spectrum disorder also divides the spectrum by severity and functioning levels:

"The authors point out that their study results have implications for revisions of current diagnostic frameworks.

“Results support the move from existing subgroupings of autism spectrum disorders to dimensional descriptions of core features of social affect and fixated, repetitive behaviors, together with characteristics such as language level and cognitive function,” they conclude." (Underlining added, HLD)

Neurodiversity activists, including Mottron and Dawson, will not be happy with any mention of cognitive functioning dimensions or levels in connection with autism disorders. It will be interesting to read their statements opposing the results and the suggested implications of the Lord study.

It is also interesting to note that association with the lower functioning end of the Autism Spectrum, the Autistic Disorder category which contains the vast majority, the 70% of autistics with intellectual disabilities, is considered to be so stigmatizing as to affect the type of autism spectrum diagnosis given by health care professionals.  

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Βούλιαξε τις τράπεζες ο Παπανδρέου!

Βούλιαξε τις τράπεζες ο Παπανδρέου! Τις υποχρέωσε να πάρουν 55 δισ. ευρώ ομόλογα και τους τελευταίους 4 μήνες 10 δισ. έντοκα γραμμάτια για να πληρωθούν οι μισθοί και οι συντάξεις, στερώντας τα από την αγορά

Βούλιαξε τις ελληνικές τράπεζες ο πρωθυπουργός και τώρα θέλει να τις στήσει στον τοίχο, ότι αυτές φταίνε για όλα, για την έλλειψη ρευστότητας στην αγορά, ότι έχουν κλείσει τις κάνουλες, ενώ ο ίδιος είναι από τους κύριους υπεύθυνους που η... πηγή στέρεψε... Και δυστυχώς αυτή είναι η αλήθεια, που αν και τη γνωρίζει ο κ. Παπανδρέου, όχι μόνο την αποκρύπτει, αλλά και παραπλανεί τον κόσμο της αγοράς και όλο τον ελληνικό λαό, που κακά τα ψέματα έχει άχτι τις τράπεζες.

Επί δύο χρόνια ο πρωθυπουργός έβαζε τις τράπεζες να αγοράζουν ελληνικά ομόλογα και δεν μπορούσαν να αρνηθούν, γιατί αμέσως θα τις κατηγορούσε ότι δεν βάζουν πλάτη. Αυτήν τη στιγμή συνολικά έχουν στο χαρτοφυλάκιό τους όλες οι ελληνικές τράπεζες ομόλογα συνολικής αξίας 50 με 55 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ! Και σήμερα έρχεται ο Παπανδρέου με τη συμφωνία που υπέγραψε στις Βρυξέλλες (και προς στιγμήν είναι στον αέρα) και τους λέει ότι θα πρέπει να τα «κουρέψουν» κατά 50%, δηλαδή να χάσουν 25 με 28 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ! Ένα το κρατούμενο, που θα έλεγε και ο παλιός μπακάλης... Γιατί υπάρχει και συνέχεια. Τους τελευταίους τέσσερις μήνες η κυβέρνηση απαίτησε από τις τράπεζες να αγοράσουν έντοκα γραμμάτια. Και του έκαναν πάλι το χατίρι. Πήραν συνολικά έντοκα γραμμάτια αξίας 10 δισεκατομμυρίων ευρώ. Και μ' αυτά τα λεφτά πληρώθηκαν τους μήνες αυτούς οι μισθοί και οι συντάξεις του Δημοσίου. Τα χρήματα αυτά (55 δισ. ευρώ για ελληνικά ομόλογα συν 10 δισ. ευρώ για έντοκα γραμμάτια), ήτοι 65 δισ. ευρώ, τα στερήθηκε η αγορά, κόπηκε η ρευστότητα. Αν δεν είχαν καλύψει τις ανάγκες του κράτους (πληρωμή τοκοχρεολυσίων του εξωτερικού χρέους και μισθών και συντάξεων) τα 65 δισ. ευρώ θα είχαν πέσει στην αγορά και η ύφεση θα ήταν μηδαμινή και τα λουκέτα πολύ λιγότερα. Όμως υπάρχουν κι άλλα μαύρα μαντάτα, που εκτίναξαν την ύφεση στα τρία χρόνια (2009, 2010 και 2011) στο 17%. Είναι οι καταθέσεις που χάθηκαν από τις ελληνικές τράπεζες κι άλλες έφυγαν έξω και άλλες τις πήραν οι μικροκαταθέτες στα σπίτια τους. Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία των τραπεζών, υπολογίζεται ότι στα δύο χρόνια κυβέρνησης Παπανδρέου μετακόμισαν στα... ξένα 60 (ΕΞΗΝΤΑ) δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ! Τον περασμένο μήνα οι μικροκαταθέτες σήκωσαν από τις τράπεζες 7 (ΕΠΤΑ) δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ! Και δεν μιλάμε για μεγάλα ποσά. Οι αναλήψεις ήταν 3.000, 5.000 ευρώ και όλα σε μετρητά, που σημαίνει ότι ο φόβος και η ανασφάλεια για χρεοκοπία και δέσμευση των καταθέσεων, όταν μάλιστα κανένας δεν έχει εμπιστοσύνη στις διαβεβαιώσεις της κυβέρνησης, ήταν αυτά που έκαναν τους καταθέτες να πάρουν τα λεφτά τους, για τις άσχημες μέρες που έρχονται και φοβούνται. Αν αυτά τα 67 δισ. ευρώ (60 στο εξωτερικό και 7 τον Οκτώβριο που έμειναν μεν μέσα, αλλά σε... σεντούκια) δεν είχαν αναληφθεί από τους καταθέτες, τουλάχιστον το 25% (που επιτρέπει η Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος), δηλαδή 16,75 δισ. ευρώ, θα είχαν πέσει στην αγορά, που δεν θα έπνεε τα λοίσθια, όπως το ζούμε σήμερα. Και όταν αυτή είναι η τραγική αλήθεια, έρχεται ο κ. Παπανδρέου και στήνει στο απόσπασμα τις τράπεζες ότι δεν χρηματοδοτούν τις επιχειρήσεις. Από τι λεφτά; Από αυτά που πήρε το ελληνικό δημόσιο, με εντολή της κυβέρνησης, για να κλείσει τις δικές του τρύπες και το κρύβει από τον ελληνικό λαό; Στη μόνιμη κατηγορία του πρωθυπουργού, που τις τελευταίες μέρες συχνά επαναλαμβάνει, ότι οι τράπεζες φταίνε για την ύφεση στην αγορά γιατί δεν χορηγούν δάνεια, υψηλόβαθμα στελέχη τραπεζών απαντούν «με τι λεφτά, αφού όλα πήγαν στα ομόλογα και τα έντοκα γραμμάτια, που μας ανάγκασε η κυβέρνηση να πάρουμε, η δε απόσυρση καταθέσεων 67 δισ. ευρώ περιόρισε ασφυκτικά τη χρηματοδότηση της αγοράς». Τέρμα οι χορηγήσεις! Τα πράγματα μάλιστα χειροτέρεψαν από τη στιγμή που ο πρωθυπουργός εξήγγειλε τη διενέργεια δημοψηφίσματος. Κλίμα αβεβαιότητας και αστάθειας έπληξε την αγορά και την οικονομία. Με αποτέλεσμα οι τράπεζες με τους διευθυντές των υποκαταστημάτων να ειδοποιήσουν μικρές και μεγάλες επιχειρήσεις ότι σταματάει κάθε χρηματοδότηση (δάνεια, πλαφόν για μεταχρονολογημένες επιταγές, ακόμη το factory των τραπεζών που «προεξοφλούν» τιμολόγια πελατείας), που σημαίνει ότι τα πράγματα στην αγορά παίρνουν δραματική μορφή, αφού το ρευστό κόβεται... Ανάλογα είναι και τα μαντάτα από το εξωτερικό. Πρώτες ύλες και διάφορα είδη δεν φορτώνονται, αν προκαταβολικά δεν έχει εξοφληθεί μετρητοίς όλη η αξία! Εγγυητικές ελληνικών τραπεζών δεν δέχεται καμία εταιρεία του εξωτερικού! Μια χαρά, κύριε Παπανδρέου, τα καταφέρατε... 400.000 μαγαζιά δεν... χρειάζονται Στο μεταξύ, με τη μεγαλύτερη ευκολία ακούς στελέχη των οικονομικών υπουργείων να λένε ότι πρέπει να κλείσουν 400.000 καταστήματα. Κανένας δεν αγωνιά, δεν διερωτάται τι θα γίνει όλος αυτός ο κόσμος των αυτοαπασχολούμενων –γιατί βασικά οι μικρές επιχειρήσεις είναι οικογενειακές– 400.000 Χ 2 με 3 άτομα, 1.200.000 συνολικά, που θα βρεθεί από τη μια στιγμή στην άλλη δηλαδή στον δρόμο, στο πουθενά... Αυτό δεν τρομάζει κανέναν εκεί στην κυβέρνηση; Να δεχθούμε ότι ήταν φούσκα οι χιλιάδες μικρές επιχειρήσεις. Φταίνε μόνο εκείνοι που τις άνοιξαν, χωρίς να υπολογίσουν τι μέλλον έχουν; Τα δανεικά ποιος τους τα έδωσε; Οι τράπεζες δεν έβλεπαν ή το μόνο που τους ενδιέφερε ήταν να «πουλήσουν» και μάλιστα ακριβά χρήμα; Η κυβέρνηση, ο ηγέτης, η Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος, γιατί δεν χτύπησαν την καμπάνα; Συνειδητοποιούν ο κ. Παπανδρέου και ο κ. Βενιζέλος τι σημαίνουν 400.000 λουκέτα; Τι ερείπια θα προκαλέσουν; Πόσες ζωές θα κινδυνεύσουν; δημοσιεύθηκε στο ΠΑΡΟΝ ΤΗς ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗΣ 6-11-2011

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RETURN TO MILAN

ROAD TRIP


“Road Trip!” he yelled, fists pumping the air as his foot pressed down on the accelerator and the car hit the open highway. “Road Trip!” they echoed gleefully, thrilled to be on the road and heading back to Italy, their home, their favorite place. Snuggled into their chosen seats, packed in amongst too many suitcases, umbrellas, rubber boots, crumpled, well-worn maps strewn around under seats and crammed down into side pockets and bags overflowing with boxes of cookies, bottles of water and bars of chocolate, they were on a great adventure, just the three of them, father, mother and son.

The long and winding road. Nantes, Angers, Clermont Ferrand, Lyon. Pull in quick quick to gas stations along the way, tank filled, dash in quick quick for a sandwich, a pop into the restroom then back into the car cradling cans of coke and tiny paper cups of steaming, bitter coffee, the better to stay awake during those long, tiring hours. Bursts of conversation punctuated by laughter, accompanied by the noisy crinkling of maps, chattering about their past life in that craziest of countries, Italy, trying to awaken memories of deep-dish pizza eaten da Marino, bustling Pace with the grilled swordfish, platters of antipasti and gooey crespelle eaten amid the noise of clattering cutlery, fussy waiters scurrying from table to table, clients loud and voluble as only Italians can be. Or schoolfriends, playmates, Ricky and Lorenzo, Fabio and Davide, Alessandro and Pietro; or their changing lives, moving out to the countryside, that rambling house nestled in the fields outside Villastanza and the tiny village school, or playing in the open spaces, free, with Kikka; Ettore, their adopted grandfather, Beppe and Nonna Anna, birthday parties outside with friends old and new. No, as much as he tries, those memories of days past, a young life, elude him, fly by quickly, blurry like the landscape swiftly rushing by now outside the car window.


The long and winding road. Lyon, Albertville, Torino, Genova. The rest of the time they are lost in their own worlds, their own thoughts; she dreaming of time past, the city she loved when the boys were small, dreaming of living there again among old friends, markets overflowing with lush produce, heady with the pungency of so many cheeses, heavy with breads and pasta, their own private manna. He, the son, possibly fearful of an uncertain future, not one memory of his early years to bolster and warm, a lost childhood haunting him; now stepping as a young man into the unknown, heavy with the weight of adult responsibility. And his father, joyful to be heading back to this much-beloved country, excited to visit his old stomping grounds, dine at favorite restaurants, stroll those streets they knew so well and spend time with still-dear friends, yet worried about the future and his own uncertainties, the questions it holds, unable to let go for even a week.

The long, interminably long and bumpy road. This exciting adventure, this pleasurable road trip turns into road trip from hell, pushing past Genova towards Pisa then Pistoia and news of flooding, a landslide, la frana, has them turning back, forced to retreat and head north, retracing their steps. Piacenza, Parma, Modena, Bologna, hour upon added hour, the time long and oppressive, exhaustion setting in, yet on they push, From Plate to Page waiting for her arrival. Bologna then news of roads closed due to the landslide, traffic jams on the autostrada down to Florence, so they cleverly turn down the Statale which will carry them straight to Pistoia, their final destination of the day, only to find that a mere 75 kilometers takes hours upon hours, traveling at a snail’s pace, and they arrive late, exhausted, bedraggled, struggling to recapture that lighthearted mood, yet relieved and excited to finally be there. And she flies into the waiting arms of Ilva, Meeta and Jeanne and finally, finally JP meets them face to face and all is well.


From Plate to Page come and gone, flown by all too fast, work done, friendships made and back in the car they go. Father and son had spent a glorious four days visiting, chatting, bonding, as hasn’t happened for a long, long time. Both passionate about history, together they trod on sacred Etruscan ground, stood in the shadow of towers and cathedrals, snaked up rocky passages into lost little villages perched atop stunning views, vines and trees spreading out forever at their feet. Pizza and pasta shared while talking of the past and the future, preparing the young man for his coming months immersed in this ancient, contemporary, vibrant culture.

Firenze to Milano, our old stomping grounds, a fast and breezy road trip and back in better spirits. The conversation flows, topics buzzing around our heads like bees on a summer afternoon, swatting one-liners and souvenirs back and forth, a verbal tennis game, punctuated by long, drowsy moments, each lost in our own thoughts, as the landscape flashes by and the cars dash madly around us. Milan looms larger than life, our eyes wide like children entering a fairgrounds, feeling our way forward from memory, pointing at sites and sights both familiar and new. The city has gone mad! Roadworks and construction projects trip us up at every corner, streets now closed off, only accessible by local residents; we get lost, find our way again only to be teased, entangled, tripped up once again until we finally make our way to our lovely little hotel in the center. And three days begin.


Settling Simon into his new home is top priority as is making a side trip to the grocery store. Then on to Pace, that bustling, family-style restaurant near our first apartment, where we would take the boys every Friday evening for dinner. Arriving just a smidgen too early, I peep in the window and excitedly announce that nothing has changed: the same waiters, albeit older, grayer, are setting up the tables and the trays of antipasti, the same old gentleman, the owner, stands guard, surveys, controls, while the other gentleman sitting behind the cash register counting out bills and making notes in a ledger is one and the same. We laugh, anticipating our meal even more, knowing that each plate of pasta, each serving of carpaccio will be just as it was almost fifteen years ago. And we are reminded that here, in Italy, nothing really ever changes, at least not the good things. Or politics.

And on and on goes the weekend: perfect slices of steaming pizza al trancio, by the slice, and thick squares of tender focaccia studded with olives eaten while standing on the sidewalk in front of our best takeaway Pizzeria da Gino; more pizza al trancio, this time dense, chewy, thick deep-dish slices dripping with gooey cheese slathered over spicy rich tomato sauce from da Giuliano; a wander through our favorite market on Piazza Wagner where nothing has changed except a few faces, yet there they are, my favorite men, Vittorio and Franco, behind the cheese counter and we greet each other noisily, happily, while Simon, grown now, tall and lanky, almost fifteen years later, stares on, bemused and embarrassed to be made much over! And they laugh and hand us heavy, pungent chunks of freshly cut Parmesan cheese, just like old times. Ah, the food of Italy, rich and warming, homey comfort food in every shape and form, clean, simple yet fragrant and flavorful, the best the Italian soil has to offer!


Movies! Let’s go to the movies! We press in among the crowd huddled together in the vast yet close plush lobby of the cinema after having pushed our way through the swarming throng around the Duomo and the Galleria on a gray Tuesday afternoon. Tin Tin! In Italian! We love going to the movies in Italy and Simon is pleased to prove to us that, yes indeed, he does understand every single word. And to complete the trip, a fabulous, steaming panzerotto around the corner da Luini, now gone upscale in their wild popularity. And a surprise visit to the old millinery studio where I trained, hugs and laughter and loads of chattering with Nadia and Laura. And I am so pleased to see that Gallia & Peter still remains.

With Jasmine

And we hug Simon arrivederci, addio… until we see each other in just a couple of weeks. And we climb in the car and drive home, back to Nantes, feeling just a little lost, just a tad homesick. Nostalgia for those wonderful times past spent in a city, a country we love pushing us through the mountain tunnel, the violent winds and the heavy rains. To each his or her own thoughts, dragging us on, hour after hour, as night settles upon us and darkness swallows us up. We feel so at home in Italy and wonder when we will be able to go back again…for good.

Where to eat in Milan, Italy:

Panificio da Luini via Santa Radegonda, 16 Milano panzerotti pugliese fritti e al forno

Ristorante Pace via Washington, 74 Milano ristorante toscano

Pizzeria da Giuliano via Paolo Sarpi, 60 Milano pizza al trancio

Pizzeria da Marino via Lodovico Castelvetro, 6 Milano pizza al trancio e cucina toscana

Pizzeria da Gino corso Vercelli, 9 Milano pizza e focaccia al taglio e cucina take away

Gelateria Grom 5 delicious locations in Milano

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Blueberry Cheesecake Cups

Oh, how I love cheesecake. It's creamy, rich and can serve as a blank slate to incorporate other sweet and savory flavors. But let's focus on the sweet version, shall we? I'm thrilled that I've got a recipe for these Blueberry Cheesecake Cups... and it's one that can be easily made as gluten free! This is currently my favorite sweet treat recipe at the moment because the base recipe is so versatile. Baking these in cupcake form versus a whole cake is also great for portion control. Well, kinda, unless you get carried away (like me)...

If you think cheesecake is intimidating to make, no worries. This one is as easy as they come! Using a combination of mascarpone cheese and cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, eggs and just a touch of flour, the cheesecake filling comes out creamy and light. It's not too dense and that's due to the combination of cheeses. The recipe below involves blueberries, but feel free to use whatever other berries you'd like as a topping... or even enjoy them plain! Now this is a crustless cheesecake cup recipe so another option is to make a simple graham cracker crust to place on the bottom of each cup before adding the filling. A tablespoon in each lined cup is perfect. If you can find gluten free graham crackers (thank you Colin!), try it in place of the regular graham crackers for a totally gluten free version.

Blueberry Cheesecake Cups
recipe adapted from Cat Cora

1 1/ 2 cups mascarpone cheese, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup plus about 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
Whipped cream (store-bought or homemade) for garnish; optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the middle. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour, scraping the bowl to make sure it is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the lined muffin pan, about 1/2 - 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the top of the cake is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow cheesecake cups to cook in the pan for 5-7 minutes before transferring them to cool on a wire rack.

While the cheesecake cups cool, in a medium bowl, combine the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest. If using fresh berries, crush a few with the back of a spoon to encourage juices to form. Taste the fruit and add additional sugar as needed for the proper sweetness.

When ready to serve, spoon the blueberries over the cheesecake cups and dollop of whipped cream.

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Severity and Everyday Functional Impairment in the DSM5's Autism Spectrum Disorder

In his recent Nature  journal article Dr. Laurent Mottron repaints autism disorders in the image of his mentor Michelle Dawson, and the handful of high functioning autistic persons (represented by Mottron as being typical autistics) who are also providing research assistance to Mottron and his research team. Almost all media coverage of the Mottron commentary has consisted of breathless expressions of admiration for Dawson and Mottron. The media has by and large accepted the Mottron commentary without critical analysis and without reservation.  I was interviewed by Sara Boesveld of the National Post about the commentary. She was very courteous and provided an opportunity to offer some counterpoint to the Mottron comment even if my input was reduced to the following paragraph which was then, apparently, provided to Michelle Dawson for rebuttal:

"Harold Doherty is a New Brunswick labour lawyer whose son Conor is “severely autistic,” barely communicates and expresses odd behaviour. He’s sure Conor will never be able to work and he’s worried what will happen to his son should he ever die and be unable to care for him.

“You can’t talk to a parent with a severely autistic child about the ‘power of autism.’ That’s nonsense,” he said. “And what they’ve done is they’ve tried to paint autism in a way that’s not realistic across the spectrum and they’ve misled the public by doing so.”

Ms. Dawson said it’s unfair to categorize someone as low functioning or high functioning. She and Dr. Mottron believe many tests that are used to determine level of functionality are inappropriate. Less commonly used tests such as Raven’s Matrices, which doesn’t require verbal instruction to complete, can actually reveal very high intelligence levels."

I had tried during my discussion with Ms Boesveld to indicate to her that functioning levels in autism disorders are not simply related to IQ tests, that they relate to the functioning levels in the real world, in daily life. I gave as a specific example the fact that autistic children have a tendency to wander away from home and school, sometimes with tragic consequences.  That information did not appear in the National Post article. The article noted my description of my son as severely autistic in quotation marks and published Michelle Dawson's personal opinion  that it is unfair to categorize someone as low or high functioning. 

Neither Michelle Dawson, nor the National Post, appear to be aware of the description of the new Autism Spectrum Disorder in the  proposed new version of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Health Disorders, the DSM5, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association.  The DSM5 combines the various disorders referred to in popular discussion as the Autism Spectrum, including Autistic Disorder, PDD-NOS and Asperger's into one Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although the DSM5 creates one new Autism Spectrum Disorder it includes as a mandatory condition of receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, in Condition D,  the requirement that a person's "symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning" The DSM5 then  divides the new Autism Spectrum Disorder by severity:

I describe my son as severely autistic and low functioning because the professional assessments and diagnoses "autistic disorder, profound developmental delay" support those descriptions. I describe my son as severely autistic because of his limited communication, his limited demonstrated understanding of the world or the dangers the world presents in daily life.  I describe my son as severely autistic and low functioning because I have cared for him 24/7 over a period of almost 16 years, because his safety, security and well being depend on receiving 24/7 care and because I love him too much to hide the daily and serious functional challenges he faces in life.

I do not think it unfair to speak honestly about the severity of my son's Autistic Disorder.  Apparently the drafters of the DSM5 do not take issue with my use of such language even if the "learned" Michelle Dawson does. 

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