“Idee per un paese”

My class began this project last year while I was in the USA. For this reason I joyned the project called “Idee per una paese” (literally “Ideas for a town”) but with a slightly different task. While my classmates were designing a building’s wall, I had the job to create a decoration for the river that passes through the town.

So I started to make some sketches and try to find a shape that could fit with the sorroundings. My job was to find a perfect shape that could decorate the stream of the river but at the same time to have a function.

This was my result:

At the end, I chose to try to insert triangular shapes along the sides of the river. These shapes are made of cement and have the function of slowing down the water of the river and have a particular angolation that can stop rocks on the edges so people can see the different rocks of the river.

Finally, I made a model with cardboard and little rocks painted in white. I think this really looks good and gives a new point of view where to admire the beauties of nature!

This project took about 2 years but we could say that it was worth it!! At the end we even made a book with all of our projects in it! Making this project was really fun and helped us to improve our imagination and art skills.

xoxo

PARMESAN CONTAINER

During my third year of school, our teachers asked us to pick one design object to reproduce by ourselves. They gave us some magazines where we could find our object.

I decided to reproduce a parmesan container made by a famous designer.

This project was made by the actual bowl and its cover. The project took about 5 months and it was made all with wood.

This project took so long because I had to create different pieces divided and just at the end glue them together. For example, I had to create the handle by itself with the CNC machine  because its difficulty.

Even though this project was a little difficult to make I really enjoyed doing it because it helped me to try myself on new tasks and new experiences.

This is my final object! Hope you like it! xx

BADLANDS AND BLACK HILLS

The last days I was in the United States, I had a little tour of the Badlands and Black Hills. I was really excited for this trip, and it was surely worth it!

We had a quite long ride with the car, but that’s pretty usual going around the States since this nation is huuuge.

After about 8 hours we managed to arrive into the Badlands National Park and it was so beautiful!

Right in front of the Badlands Park sign

We went for a walk around the trails through the panoramic sites, look how beautiful it was!

Then we had a stop at Wall, to stretch our legs and eat something. It was a town for real cowboys, look at the picture I got there! 😉

At the end, we finally reached Rapid City and went towards Keystone, where our hotel was, right beside Mount Rushmore.

In the following days we had a lot of fun, we visited Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial, explored caves, rode a horse, saw a battle between cowboys in Deadwood,had a walk around Devil’s tower in Wyoming, ate delicious food and saw a real buffalo!!

Here some pictures of what we did!!

Right underneath Mount Rushmore

Underneath Devil’s Tower

 

Shooting cowboys in Deadwood

Riding a horse near Keystone

I had a looooot of fun in South Dakota and Wyoming. I found them really nice States even if they are not the most famous one. They have the best natural environment I ever saw and having the chance to visit it was the best thing that could happen to me.

I really suggest to go and visit these States even if it seems like there is not a lot to do.

Remember: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read a page”.

xoxo

Ed Sheeran concert!

During my exchange year I had the opportunity to have new experiences. On September 15, 2014 me, my host-sister and her friend, went to this concert in Minneapolis. We were waiting for months this day and we couldn’t wait anymore. It was so exciting! The spots we had were on the floor, right in front of the stage, so we had to wait quite a while in queue outside the doors, until they opened them up.

We had to wait the beginning of the concert for about an hour, until the guests of the concert, Rudimental, came on stage to have their performance!

Rudimental on stage!

I always like to listen to music, so even if I didn’t really know them I liked the way they did their music!

After about 40/50 minutes they finished and we waited for another 30 minutes.

Finally, Ed Sheeran came on stage between the screams of everyone. I always listened to Ed Sheeran’s music, but hearing him live is a whole new story!! Omg, I can’t even describe it, it’s like magic. You don’t even realize how fast time goes, and before you know it, the concert is already over.

I really had a blast at this concert and I can’t wait to go to another concert and relive the same emotions.

Representing Italy at the concert!

Let me know at which concerts you have been!

xoxo

CAPE VERDE, AFRICA!

Cape Verde is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean.

I went there 10 years ago so I was quite little but I still remember the beautiful landscapes that you could see there.

I remember these HUGE waves and pristine beaches with white sand…. it was so quite but at the same time the silence was broken by the waves on the rocks. The water is so clean that you could always see the sand underwater while you were swimming.

We went for a walk into the town near our hotel.. the poeple there are so nice and kind, we bought tipical african masks and some little souvenirs for our friends and relatives.

The food was amazing, so different from our food, definitely more tasty and spicy!

If you have the possibility, go visit some african countries because I think they are the most beautiful and  cultural diverse from everywhere else.

Hope you liked this jump into african culture!!

xoxo

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM!

Hi everyone! Today I want to tell you about my London trip, while I was in England for a study trip.

I was super excited for this trip, even if I went to London several times, you can always find new places and new things in London!!

When we got in London the first thing I did was to take a picture of Big Ben, it’s so beautiful!

Big Ben!

Then, we went for a walk around London, visiting the most famous attractions like Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square…. it was quite a long walk, yeah 🙂

The London Eye

During our walk we stopped in different places for some free time, I went into m&m world shop, near Trafalgar Square.

Inside the m&m world

Then, we went into Harrods for some more shopping, this place was huuge, we definitely had no time to see all the things that were inside it!!

Then we had time to visit some museums. I decided to visit the Victoria and Albert museum and the National Gallery, they were so big and so beautiful, I wish I had more time to see everything!

Certainly I recommend to visit London, there are a lot of things to see and you will never be bored in this beautiful city!

xoxo

Crazy America

If you’re never been in the USA maybe you don’t realize how crazy everything is.

Everything is bigger, roads, cars and, of course, food. Food is crazy, portions in every fast food or restaurant seems to be meant for 2 or 3 persons ( at least from my view). I was pretty shocked when I first saw the packages of chips and the jar of milk. I was so surprised that I even took a picture of them:

Look how big they are! Then I tried to open the fridge and well, that’s what I found:

SUPER BIG!

The positive thing is that there is a big choice of food and drinks. Candies are the best in the USA, some of my favorites are Skittles and Sour Patch! ❤

What do YOU think? Let me know your favorite candy! 🙂

xoxo

PIZZA!

Italian pizza is the most famous italian food all over the world, wherever you go you will always find an italian pizzeria where you can eat an amazing pizza!

Of course, to try the true italian pizza you have to come in Italy but you can also find pretty good places all over the world.

Like the rest of Italian food, Italian pizza is best—and most authentic—when it’s made with fresh, local ingredients. I’m not talking the microwaved dough and synthetic cheese that you see now both in Italy and abroad, but something completely different.

The best way to try it, short of going to an authentic pizzeria with great ingredients and a wood-fired oven? Make it at home! 🙂

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

• 600 mL of warm water
• 7 cups (1kg) flour, type “00”
• 2.5 – 3 tablespoons (25 grams) of fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons (7-8 grams) of dried yeast.
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons sugar

METHOD

1. Sprinkle the yeast into a medium bowl with the warm water. I don’t mean hot, and I don’t mean cold… I mean warm! That’s the kind the yeast likes best. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

2. Place almost all of the flour on the table in the shape of a volcano.

3. Pour the yeast-and-warm-water mix, along with the other ingredients, into the “crater” of the volcano.

4. Knead everything together for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, keeping your surface floured.

5. Grease up a bowl with some olive oil and put the dough inside. Turn the dough around so the top is slightly oiled.

6. Cover the bowl and put the dough aside to let it rest for at least four or five hours.

7. Preheat the oven to about 400°F, or about 200°C.

8. Dump the dough out of the bowl and back onto the floured surface. Punch it down, getting rid of any bubbles.

9. Divide the dough in half and let it rest for a few minutes.

10. Roll each section into a 12-inch disc. Now’s your chance to decide how thick you want your pizza to be! Do you want it pizza alta or pizza bassa? Just remember, your crust will puff up a little bit as it’s baked!

11.  Transfer the dough onto an oiled pizza pan or baking sheet.

12. Add tomato sauce and any other ingredients that you like (like ham, olives, capers, rocket salad, or tuna).

13. Bake each pizza for about 10 minutes, then add mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated) on top.

14. Let the pizzas bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.

15. Remove your pizzas from the oven and, for a real Italian touch, garnish with a few basil leaves.

Enjoy! xoxo

Tiramisù ♡

When you come from Italy, one of the first desserts that you eat is a “tiramisù”.

Tiramisù literally means “pick me up”, “cheer me up”, or “lift me up”. It is a popular coffee-flavored dessert here in Italy. It’s made of lady’s fingers (savoiardi in italian) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa.

Its origins are often disputed among Italian regions such as Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piemonte, and even my own region, Trentino Alto-Adige.

The funny thing about this recipe is that I learned to make it while I was in America, not even in my own country.

Now, I’m going to teach you how to make it!

Here’s what you need:

• strong black italian coffee just enough
• 1/2 cup of rum
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 250/300g mascarpone cheese
• 1 or 2 large packets of lady’s fingers (savoiardi)
• cocoa, for dusting

Method

1. Separate the yolks of the egg and blend them together with the sugar. Put the egg whites in another bowl and beat until stiff.
2. Put the mascarpone cheese, the egg whites and the sugar with yolks in a large bowl all together. Whisk until everything is completely combined and have the consistency of thickly cream.
3. Get your serving pan ready. Put the coffee into a shallow dish and add a spoon of sugar and the rum. Dip in a few lady’s finger at a time, turning for a few secs until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these into your pan until you have covered one layer in the pan, then spread over a layer of the creamy mixture. Then repeat the layers until you have finished the cream.
4. Cover and chill overnight in the fridge. To serve, dust with cocoa powder.

Enjoy your tiramisù!

TOMATO SPAGHETTI!

Everyone has tried pasta at least once in a lifetime. Pasta is the most eaten food in Italy (and not only) and is the most well-known food all over the world.

Today I’m going to teach you how to cook a classic tomato spaghetti dish.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

• a bunch of fresh basil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes, or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• olive oil
• tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 500 g dried spaghetti
• 15 g parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Pick the basil leaves onto a chopping board (reserving a few baby leaves to garnish), then roughly chop the remaining leaves and finely chop the stalks.

2. Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. If using fresh, cut the tomatoes in half, then roughly chop them or carefully open the tins of tomatoes.

3. Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the onion, then cook for around 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.

4. Stir in the garlic and basil stalks for a few minutes, then add the fresh or tinned tomatoes and the vinegar.

5. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, then continue cooking for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in the chopped basil leaves, then reduce to low and leave to tick away. Meanwhile…

7. Carefully fill a large pot three-quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a tiny pinch of salt and bring back to the boil.

8. Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions – you want to cook your pasta until it is al dente. This means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of a bite and firmness to it. Use the timings on the packet instructions as a guide, but try some just before the time is up to make sure it’s perfectly cooked.

9. Once the pasta is done, ladle out and reserve a cup of the cooking water and keep it to one side, then drain in a colander over the sink and tip the spaghetti back into the pot.

10. Stir the spaghetti into the sauce, adding a splash of the pasta water to loosen, if needed.

11. Serve with the reserved basil leaves sprinkled over the top and use a microplane to finely grate the Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle over.

Enjoy your spaghetti! xoxo