From 'La Mole' to Penge

Monday evening was our last night in Italy and we had a 'proper' dinner to end the holiday, and also to celebrate (2 days early) our 14th anniversary.

We went to the very popular and lively Ca' de Vèn housed in a 15th century palazzo, just a stone-throw away from Dante's tomb and Piazza del Popolo.





Emilia-Romagna has the reputation for being one of the best regions (some would even say 'the' best) for food in Italy and I'm pleased to say that dinner exceeded the high expectations.
We chose the 'menu degustazione': 5 courses with 5 different wines (and for a very good price - 37 euros each).



In order:











I must say that the food was just scrumptious, all 5 courses. And the wine too.

But the best part - as always - was to be with my Adrian (london1952). Happy Anniversary Darling! And thank you for making my life so special!

The Jubilee 4-day Bank Holiday week-end has been so far a washout. 
As the weather is grey and rainy, I didn't really mind not going to see the river pageant - it would have been a different story with a blue sky and the sun. When it's grey, the Thames is even greyer. 
Call me a fair weather subject! lol

At least the rain is good for the garden, after almost 2 weeks of dry and hot weather.
This is the back garden yesterday before the heavy rain started







Last night neighbours Peter and Sim came for dinner.

We toasted HM the Queen with a bottle of Fortnum & Mason Jubilee champagne, courtesy of my friend Franco (he sent us a Jubilee hamper for Christmas).



I made bread sticks with 3 different toppings (garlic, sesame seeds, sea salt)

(I was very pleased with my baked goods, and they all went)

Starter was a simple pasta with a sauce made of capers, mint and tuna - and olive oil and lemon juice (a recipe from the Aeolian Islands, off Sicily)


 
which was remarkably good.

Main course was a Golden Jubilee Salad with a side of Jersey Royals

The salad was good but perhaps there was a just a little too much lime juice or coriander.

Adrian made a fantastic panna cotta variation with rum and coconut milk to create a superb pina colada panna cotta!


I could have eaten a second one! And perhaps even a third.

This week we have had two sets of friends round for dinner.

On Wed evening, it was Martin and Utku's turn; they live 2 roads up from us and it's always lovely to see them.

As it is Utku's birthday today, Adrian had baked a chocolate marble cake with chocolate icing and Utku was absolutely delighted with his surprise.




Today Ross and Jim came round in the afternoon to judge the front gardens around the estate. 
Apparently there are going to be a few changes from last year but we don't know anything more at this stage.

Here the two judges and Adrian are enjoying a G&T (I think it was their second one) before dinner



Adrian made a perfect pannacotta for dessert: not too soft not too firm, just right.



And here's after the cheese & biscuits (and non-stop wine for them) - we all feel so overfull!

The weather has been simply marvellous: cloudless sky and rather warm with a lovely breeze. It hadn't been this nice and hot since April.

Saturday was mainly spent getting ready for a dinner party: we invited 2 couples (one straight: Peter and Sim, one gay: Bobby and Neil) of "neighbours" (they live 2 roads up from us) with whom we had spent a lovely evening a few weeks ago on the open garden day.

The menu was all vegetarian:
- gazpacho w/ rosemary focaccia
- potato and pea frittata
- insalata di peperoni arrosto (roast pepper salad)
- summer vegetable risotto w/ rocket and roast tomatoes
- creamy apple pie
- red fruit salad

Adrian's creamy apple pie 

was once again superb, and I was very pleased with my risotto.

Dinner and the evening were great! Our guests got here just after 7 pm and they left at 2:45 am!!
There were a few empties: 2 bottle of ready-made sangria and 8 bottles of wine! 

Some sangria was left in the jug and I thought it was a good idea to drink it, just before bed.

Adrian was a sweetheart and did the washing up: so we ended up going to bed at 4 am. As we both said, we cannot remember when we have been up so late, I think probably not in the last 9 years!

I didn't wake up with a hangover because I didn't really drink much but I've felt tired all day long (and so has poor Adrian). It's been a rather subdued day for both of us, but we managed to go up to Crystal Palace to a junk shop to buy an old desk for the PC and it was delivered this evening.

And now off to bed!

On Saturday William (aka Wills) invited us round to his place in Blackheath for dinner. Another 2 friends of his, Michael and Sal(vatore) were there too... it turned out to be a great evening!

I tasted my first haggis which was really good (despite the unusual look!)

(I thought it tasted a bit like my Mum's ravioli filling, though the ingredients are very different).

We all (apart from me, the epitome of moderation!) had loads to drink: wine, whisky, and many "rusty nails" (a cocktail made of whisky, drambuie and ice).It was a very merry night, that's for sure!

At 1 am somebody rang the doorbell... we all thought that it was the neighbours upstairs, coming to complain about the noise (but we were not that raucous); it turned out it was William's next door neighbours. They saw the light on and decided to come round to ask if William had seen their cat, gone missing 3 days earlier! They had been out to some bar in Clapham, and I think that once they realised that there was some party next door (and probably booze), decided to join us.

We got home at 3 am and poor Adrian was totally plastered!! He had to sleep with a bucket by the bed, but luckily he didn't have to use it.

P.S: Poor William was woken up the following morning at 10 am by the upstairs neighbours (I swear to you, this is not normal in London!). The missing cat was dead in William's garden, mangled by a fox. Good thing that we didn't see that before the haggis!! LOL!