#acquacottathecookbook

[lacucinadisandra]

And here they are my nettle tortelli (giant, floppy edged ravioli) inspired in their size by the wonderful recipe in the #acquacottathecookbook by the very talented @emikodavies Mine are with nettles in the pasta and in the ricotta I used for the stuffing. Their colour is amazing and the texture of the pasta is just as amazing, so gorgeous! ⠀ They re so stunning I want make them again and again....... ⠀ ⠀ #recipetesting #pasta #pastafresca #ravioli #nettles #winter (at La Cucina di Sandra, Cooking Classes & Food Events)

[sashawong33]

Welcome back to another episode of #5QuestionsTo series. This time I am in talk with a talented lady, who I’ve been longing for interviewing: Emiko Davies.

I met Emiko the first time during a gathering at Giulia’s place, when I learned that she was a food writer. And in the many later contacts , I have also known that besides her talent in cooking, she also has an art study educational background, and a good photographer. The interactions between her and her daughter Mariu always inspire me to encourage my son to start helping in the kitchen. Emiko definitely has become the one (and maybe she hasn’t know this yet), to whom I will go for advise on getting kids involved in the kitchen.

Following her first cook book Florentine, Emiko published recently her new book ACQUACOTTA, presenting a list of recipes from the southern Tuscan riviera Maremma. Similar to the region itself, the dishes there are as well “not the usual Tuscany you know”. Inside the book, recipes are categorized into 5 sections: woods, sea & lagoon, vegetable, farmhouse, sweet. You can find many vegetable and seafood recipes inside the book, which make it a good references for vegetarian and gluten free ideas, as well as a wonderful gift to anyone that enjoys cooking!

In this Q&A post, let’s hear what Emiko talks about her cooking inspirations, ideas on everyday dishes, as well as tips on food photography, etc.

Name: Emiko Davies Profession: Cookbook author Blog/ Website: http://emikodavies.com

  1. From the book and some previous interviews, I learned that you were majored in Art subjects at the beginning. What made you turn to food section? Does art education background contributes to your cooking inspirations?

I think I have always been a creative person, as in someone who needs to create, to work with my hands, whether that was drawing, printmaking, darkroom photography, restoration or cooking. I’m at my happiest doing things like that! And I see a close correlation between why I love the process of baking bread or pastries, for example, and creating an etching or developing a black and white photograph. They all require a bit of patience and what feels like a little bit of magic, too!

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone plenty of clinking of glasses, good food and merriment x

A post shared by Emiko Davies (@emikodavies) on Dec 31, 2015 at 3:19am PST

2. You mentioned in the book that one-pot dishes are preferred way of cooking in the Maremma area, and it ranges from seafood soup to lamb stews. That sounds amazing! As a Mom, I think one-pot cooking is such a great solution for preparing family meals: easy to prepare, spontaneous in the way that we can add in whatever we have/ prefer, and needless to mention that there are less to be washed!

Which of those one-pot recipes is your favorite for a lazy day meal?

Yes I agree entirely, it’s the ideal family meal! I particularly love the classic acquacotta, which is a tomato and onion soup. Once you poach the eggs in it too, it makes such a delicious and hearty meal with relatively little. And if you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can add some sausage in there too, or perhaps some cannellini beans. If you want more vegetables, anything leafy green goes well, but so do mushrooms or strips of red peppers, depending on the season. It’s so adaptable.

Acquacotta recipe (photo by Lauren Bamford)

3. I also like cooking. I think it is one of the most precious and beautiful thing you could do for the others. And I definitely would like to involve my son in the kitchen more when he’s bigger. I’ve seen from your photos that your daughter Mariu helps a lot in the kitchen. What is her interpretation of “cooking” at this moment? A fun game, or a daily errand, or a way of showing love, etc?

We practically live in the kitchen, Mariu is always watching me cook and offering to help. Often, she will get an idea and ask to cook something herself – in particular she loves baking cakes and cupcakes, and this is always because she wants to give it to someone. A chocolate cake for her nonna, or strawberry cupcakes for her friends, decorated with icing and sprinkles, the works. The reason I know this is fully out of love is because she never once has eaten one of her sweet creations! Can you imagine a four year old that doesn’t like cakes or cupcakes?! I have one.

photo by Emiko Davies

photo by Emiko Davies

  4. These days a like-able #OnTheTable photo helps a lot in food blogging & writing. In order to get a picture-perfect dish, do you need to compromise in certain aspect (cooking time, colors of the ingredients, table set up, etc.)? Tell us some truth behind the food-photographer’s lenses!

I absolutely cannot stand wasting food, so I’ll never compromise on the food itself, it has to be delicious! But I usually cook during day light hours so that I always have natural light to photograph the dishes. Natural light just makes taking a good photograph so much easier. And I use some portable surfaces so that I can even photograph outdoors – my own kitchen is quite dark, even though I have a huge window that looks out to the garden, we have a lot of vines covering and hanging down over the front of the flat that act like a curtain!

I also try to use very neutral colours – beige, off white, light greys and white, which keep things minimal and make the food the focus. To have different backgrounds, I often buy a meter of fabric to have as a “tablecloth” – there is a stand at the Sant’Ambrogio markets that I often go to that sells lovely linen and cotton fabrics.

I'm craving simplicity and comfort right now. And for ages I've been particularly craving a bowl of zhajiangmian, a Chinese dish of thick noodles with a sauce made of pork or beef with ginger, garlic and shallots in fermented bean paste, topped with a garnish of fresh cucumbers. Each slurp (the only way to eat it) of this reminds me so much of my adolescence in Beijing. The idea is remarkably like spaghetti al ragu, or not far from it. Both are comfort in a bowl. #eastmeetswest

A post shared by Emiko Davies (@emikodavies) on May 2, 2017 at 7:28am PDT

5. Choose one of your favorite dishes from the Acquacotta book, and add an Asian twist in it. What would that be? LOL

Oh there already is one!

It happens to be the dish to try if you’re in Orbetello, an ancient dish that goes back about 500 years when the lagoon town was under Spanish rule. It’s made with eel (the lagoon is famous for it), usually, and is known as scaveccio, from the Spanish ‘escabeche’. Pieces of eel are floured, deep-fried then marinated in vinegar, white wine, garlic, chilli and herbs.

My first taste of it took me straight to my childhood in my grandmother’s home near Tokyo, and a dish that my mother often makes at home still, but with mackerel. In Japanese it’s called Nanbanzuke and it is also about the same age as scaveccio, a Japanese adaptation of a dish they learned from Portuguese merchants. It’s practically the same: pieces of fish, dipped in flour, deep-fried then marinated in rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili, sliced onions and perhaps thinly sliced carrot. It’s one of my favourite dishes, ever.

In Acquacotta I’ve done it with mackerel, which has a similar, meaty texture to the eel but is considerably easier to get and to prepare!

Cooking class announcement! June 17 I'll be teaching a class at the wonderful Latteria Studio in Rome with recipes from my latest #Maremma inspired cookbook, Acquacotta. We will handroll strozzapreti, cook a fisherman's stew, whip up a refreshing salad and make melon granita, all with a few laughs, some wine and then we get to eat it all too. For more info check my events page or the Latteria Studio website. {Fun fact: Acquacotta's recipe photos were shot on location in a secluded B&B @ilbaciarino in Maremma with props rented from @alicekiandra.adams' Latteria Studio and an all-Aussie team @laurenbamford @debkaloper @weaving @helenj97 @alicekiandra.adams 😍}#acquacottathecookbook

A post shared by Emiko Davies (@emikodavies) on May 4, 2017 at 3:57am PDT

5 Questions To: Emiko Davies Welcome back to another episode of #5QuestionsTo series. This time I am in talk with a talented lady, who I've been longing for interviewing: Emiko Davies.

[lacucinadisandra]

Amazing lunch today for the launch of @emikodavies new cook book "Acquacotta". A wonderful event organised by @fullybookedwomen with Emiko’s recipes brilliantly interpreted by @tedesca72 @gertrudeenoteca⠀ These “Tortelli Maremmani” were to die for, loved the event. It was a pleasure to meet Emiko of course and so many wonderful women who love food. Thank you @sharleegibb for the correspondence.⠀ PS: I just love the book and cannot wait to cook from it.⠀ ⠀ #lacucinadisandra#toeatwellisanart#bestcookingclasses#thebest#fabfour#italianfood#foodie#tortelli#pastafresca#maremma#acquacottathecookbook#acquacotta#cookbookcollection#Italian#Tuscan#Tuscany#womeninfood#lunch⠀ ⠀ (at La Cucina di Sandra, Cooking Classes & Food Events)

[sashawong33]

Three years ago, in the middle of one night in June, I was woke up by a pain in my belly. Then eighteen hours later, I pushed out our son, and life was changed ever since.

It says that one can never understand the meaning of being a parent, until he/ she becomes one. This statement to me is 100% agreeable!

I used to “envy” those Moms that can stay home with their children all day rather than going to office work; now I think full-time Mom is the hardest job in the world. I used to be one of those persons that got annoyed by crying babies on the airplane; but now I can totally bear those loud cries and be fine. At the end, who could be more miserable than that Mom, who has to take care and calm the crying little one. In fact, whoever has the courage to hit on a trip alone with babies deserves a medal! 

With the Mother’s Day right around the corner, are you searching ways to show your appreciations and love to that super-powerful woman, Mom or wife (on behalf of your kid), in the house? Being a Mom, as well a wife, I’ve come up with 10 ideas on this section, covering different categories of needs of a Mom. Hope it gives inspiration in your gift selecting process, and let’s see what they are!

  🍲🍲🍲GIFTS FOR COOKING MAMAS 👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳

Being a Mom, we have less right to be lazy. Even though I would rather skip dinner, or just order a pizza and call it a day, I still need to make sure kid’s dinner is well prepared, nutrition wise and taste wise.

Cooking is our inevitable duty. And I love it! The first gift idea for Moms that enjoy cooking is:

🎁 Le Creuset Cast Iron Cocotte

It is a very versatile cooking ware, allowing you to make soup, pasta sauce, meat stew, etc. And I even use it for cooking many Chinese dishes, such as stir fry vegetables, noodles in soup, and steam rice. A very important character of the Le Creuset cookware is that it is capable to keep the moisture of the ingredients. I used certain pans of other brands to stir-fry vegetables, and I remember many times I need to pour some extra water into the pan/ pot to keep the ingredients from burning. But with the Le Creuset products, it seldom happens. I just put the lid on for a minute, let the heat and the moisture cook together, and then it is ready to be served!

Le Creuset is a pricy brand, and if you are considering to purchase the first piece of it, my suggestion would be starting from a cocotte. It is multi-functional, easy to clean, a save & win-win choice for the Mom, as well as for the husband and kids.

A 20cm cocotte is good enough to cook for a family of 3-4.

We're staying strong in our resolve to cook at home this month – how are you guys doing?! Inspiration for today: Casserole Roasted Chicken (recipe link in profile)

A post shared by Le Creuset (@lecreuset) on Jan 17, 2017 at 11:15am PST

It is true that it is a pricey brand, but as a gift to a Mom, who enjoys cooking, it is worthy! I bought my very first Le Creuset five years ago. Since then, there was no turning back! If I could, I wouldn’t mind to trade all my kitchen wares to Le Cruse products!

Now we’ve solved the problem of the cooking equipment, let’s move forward and think about WHAT TO COOK.

Although I enjoy making dinners for my loved ones, I often find myself in a situation of “don’t know what to cook”. Let’s be honest, even the most experienced chefs need to spend time to decide the menu, no need to say that Moms, who cook almost everyday, may scratch our heads and throw you question saying “why don’t you just tell me what you want to eat?!” And that’s where my second idea comes along:

🎁 A Cookbook: ACQUACOTTA by Emiko Davis

The recently published cookbook Acquacotta by Emiko Davies is my newly favorite, which I believe a great gift idea to Moms who are passionate about cooking.

The recipes are from the south Tuscany region Maremma. And similar to the region itself, the dishes are as well “not the usual Tuscany you know”. Inside the book, recipes are categorized into 5 sections: woods, sea & lagoon, vegetable, farmhouse, sweet. You can find many vegetable and seafood recipes inside the book, which make it a good references for vegetarian and gluten free ideas!

Recipe from Acquacotta cookbook. (photo by Lauren Bamford)

And what makes Moms happier is that there are many one-pot stew recipes included! Wow, how helpful that can be! Being a Mom myself, I know exactly how it feels when those days after sending the kids out for school, after the room cleaning and laundry in the morning, you just want to have quietly read something over a cup of coffee, making a good use of those precious 2-hour free time. One-pot dish is a good solution in reducing some efforts in cooking! Throwing in the ingredients, and let it simmer! What’s even better?! Fewer cookwares to be washed! YEAH!

It's the little things, like signing your cookbook in one of your favourite bookshops, that finally makes this book-making journey feel real and not just all a dream! {Signed books available in Melbourne at @readingsbooks and @booksforcooksau} #acquacottathecookbook @hardiegrantbooks

A post shared by Emiko Davies (@emikodavies) on Mar 1, 2017 at 5:01pm PST

An interview with Emiko is coming up to my #5QuestionsTo series. To know about the food writer’s thoughts on home cooking inspirations, as well as food photography, stay in tuned!!!

🎁 Last but the most heart-warming gift idea: Hand cream.

Keep our hands moisturized is important, especially for cooking Mamas! Soaking our hands in water eventually makes them dry and chapped. Thus treatments to Mama’s hands are needed.

I have extremely dry skin on my hands. Every winter, I find cracks on my fingers, which are painful and unpleasant to look at. For such reason hydrating has always been my number 1 requirement when choosing a hand cream. So far my favorite has been the hand cream by SHISEIDO.

The texture is cream in a perfect balance, not greasy nor liquid, and with the little orange urea granules inside. And when you put it on hands, it immediately melt and soak into your skin, make it moisturized and smooth.

So far I havn’t find it in any store in Florence, I always ask my friends coming from Hong Kong to smuggle 1-2 boxes for me. But luckily the Amazon sells it, so give it a try.

  💄💄💄 GIFTS FOR BEAUTY & SKINCARE ADDICTED MOMS 🛀🛀🛀

All Moms are beautiful, and all of them deserve good skin treatments daily. Focusing attentions on kids and taking care around the house doesn’t mean that we need to give up or stop caring our looks. We look good, we feel good. We feel good, we are happy. And if we are happy, our family is happy!

Here are some gift ideas for those Moms, who care a lot about their skin and have passion about their makeup looks. The first idea in this category are

🎁 Facial masks by Dr. Jart+ and TONYMOLY

Both brands offer different packages focusing on different problems of your skin. Apply the mask on a clean face, wait 10-15 minutes before taking it off. Then put on skincare products and hit the bed for a beauty sleep! What I like to do is putting a piece on after a shower while waiting for my hair to dryAnd then I will do something around the house: put the toys into places, do the laundry, prepare a shower for my baby, etc. When the time is up, I take off the mask, dry my hair, then do whatever needed to prepare the baby for sleep.

Scopri un nuovo, rivoluzionario modo di prenderti cura della tua pelle con le maschere di Dr.Jart＋. La più avanzata tecnologia dermatologica coreana abbinata agli ingredienti più sicuri: 9 maschere tutte da provare! #Dr.Jart #skinGoals #mask

A post shared by Sephora Italia (@sephoraitalia) on Nov 6, 2016 at 4:01am PST

Pomodoro, alghe o aloe? Non stiamo parlando del menu di oggi, ma delle maschere in tessuto I'm Real di Tonymoly che saranno in grado di soddisfare le esigenze di ogni tipo di pelle! Quali sono i tuoi must have beauty da mettere in valigia? Raccontacelo con l’hashtag #SephoraBeautyToGo! ✈️ #travel #summer #makeup #instamakeup #cosmetic #holiday #travelsize #beautyroutine #tonymoly #koreanbeauty #facemask

A post shared by Sephora Italia (@sephoraitalia) on Jun 26, 2016 at 6:08am PDT

The formula is easy to be absorbed, not grease at all. With a gentle massage after taking the mask off, it can be easily soaked into your skin. And what I like about paper mask is that they are portable. In case you are traveling, take a few pieces with you and use whenever you want during the trip!

Another product that can make our personal beauty-care life easier is:

🎁 The Nail Polish Dryer by MAVALA

The most difficult thing in a manicure process is not squeezing out some time to sit down, cutting the nails, putting on the nail polish, but the waiting for them to dry! Gosh, it is annoying. Sometimes I feel that there are so many things waiting for me to do, but I couldn’t do anything.

With MAVALA nail polish dryer, this waiting process can be shorten into few seconds! After applying the final top coat, wait until it is all set, then spray the dryer onto the nail, E Voila!

Another product in the beauty-care category that deserves a shout out is Lipstick, my personal favorite beauty product. In many cases when Moms go out, there is no much time, nor the necessity to put a full make up on. So a nice lip color can be a good touch to our face, and it can be a nice highlight of our look.

Hydrating formula, long-lasting, statement (even bold) color are usually my go-to criteria in searching a lipstick.

🎁 My favorite brands for lipsticks include: NARS, YSL, Tom Ford, etc.

My first birthday as a Mom, with my dear husband and 3-month son. Lip color by: YSL ROUGE PUR COUTURE SATIN RADIANCE

An elegant & natural color on my wedding day: Tom Ford CASABLANCA

  👠👠👠 GIFTS FOR FASHIONISTA MOMS 👗👗👗

When it comes to clothing, what Moms usually look for are pieces that are comfortable, easy to pair, and practical. We bend over, hold babies up too many times every day, garments that are too tight or with delicate details wouldn’t work for us.

🎁 A good piece for our lower body is a stretchy legging by CALZEDONIA

What I like about CALZEDONIA’s leggings is that they look like a serious pair of jeans. But in reality, they are super easy to wear. You just need to pull it up, no bottom or zipper is involved. And you pay for leggings, not jeans! Double-win!

Play it safe and Play it cool with our Leggings. You just have to choose the perfect pair! [MODP0743] #calzedonia #ItalianLegwear

A post shared by Calzedonia Official (@calzedonia) on Jan 21, 2017 at 11:46am PST

🎁 Another easy and chic solutions are: one-piece dress (for Spring & Summer), and a long coat (for Autumn & Winter).

I adore one-piece outfit since long time, and after becoming a Mom, I’ve been loving it more. It saves so much time for me to think about what to wear and how to pair; plus it seems an option to me that never goes out of style.

    In the cold season, a good alternative is a long coat covering from shoulders to knees. The minimalist silhouette of a long coat make us look tidy. And we can basically throw on anything underneath it, and still look chic from outside. LOL

Taking a walk in Genoa with my little one. Long coat by Sandro Paris.

  💆💆💆 MOM, WHO JUST NEEDS A REST ☕☕☕

Above all, what we, Moms, need the most from the loved ones are care and love, sometimes a rest.

🎁 So take her off from all the work for a day, book her a massage/ Spa, do grocery for her, or give the baby to grandparents/ babysitter and take her out for a dinner, etc. 🎁 Or if you want to make it even more special, order a photo album with all the nice photos printed. Make her a hot beverage and go through the nice printed memories together with her.

Select some nice photos of the family, and make them into a photo album on Artifact Uprising (instagram: @artifactuprising). That would easily make her day.

Don't wait – sun's setting on this sale. Tomorrow is your last chance to save 10% on photo books, prints and more. Just use code SUMMERCATCH.

A post shared by Artifact Uprising (@artifactuprising) on Jul 13, 2016 at 8:05am PDT

Hope these ideas help in your brain storming process in gift choosing for Mother’s Day. As a Mom myself, these are all coming from my personal experiences and summary. And I hope who are reading this post find it inspiring in presenting love to the most beautiful woman in our life!

To all the Moms out there: wish you happy and healthy all the time. 💕

Wondering what gift to buy for Mother's Day? See my 10 ideas that may help #MothersDay #gift Three years ago, in the middle of one night in June, I was woke up by a pain in my belly.