{Happy Fridays} An unexpected trip to Italy, ice cream in winter, gluten-free options in Rome & more!

“Happy Fridays” is a new weekly column in which I share my latest news, favorite recipes, as well as anything and everything exciting.

Photo credit: HEN-Mongoza

What’s New

• Have you visited Foodie yet? Foodie is a brand new culinary site with recipes and discussion boards and exciting upcoming features such as restaurant guides and exclusive chef contributions. I had the chance to be enrolled as a featured author, and I published 3 exclusive recipes on the site. Head on over to find out what they are!
• Edible Cities: I have an exciting new project in store for Food Nouveau! In a weekly column called “Edible Cities”, some of my favorite bloggers, authors and chefs will tell us about their favorite city and share a dish that left an everlasting memory. My goal is to allow everyone to discover new places and new dishes through the eyes of people they love. I’m happy to say many fabulous bloggers and authors have already accepted to be part of the project! I can’t wait to read their contributions and share them with you. Know a blogger, an author or a chef that could be interested too? Send me a line and I’ll give you all the details!
• Catania awaits: I can’t believe it – I’m heading to Catania, Sicily next week! This trip has come as a complete surprise, I will write more about it very soon. My flight was booked just this week so I’ve been frantically gathering info about the city. Have any tips? Please leave a comment or send me your recommendations!

Over on Just Recipes

Did you ever visit Food Nouveau’s sister site, Just Recipes? It’s a no-frills recipe blog on which I share the food I make at home. All recipes are delicious and easy (I won’t make you spend hours in the kitchen, I swear!) Here are this week’s new recipes:

• White Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownies: A delightful treat with a dense and chewy crumb and a delicate nutty flavor.
• Herbed Polenta Fries: Crispy, cheesy and brusting with flavor: what’s not to like?
• Parsnip, Pear and Maple Soup with Seared Scallops: A velvety smooth and luxurious soup.

Just Added to My “To-Make” List

• Very Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream: It took Peter, from Souvlaki for the Soul, to make me want to churn ice cream in the heart of winter. Bananas and avocado instead of cream and milk? So intriguing! I can’t wait to try it.
• The Best Chocolate Ice Cream You’ll Every Have: Alright, Cenk, from Café Fernando, can also make me yearn for ice cream in February. Seriously, how luscious and desirable can ice cream look? The pictures are borderline indecent!
• Wintery Spring Rolls: Spring rolls as travel food! I love the idea. Maybe I’ll pack these to enjoy on the way to Sicily!
• Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins & Capers: Roasted Cauli is one of my favorites – I find this combination irresistible!
• Thai Soba Noodle Bowl: This recipe was published a while ago, but I just got around bookmarking it. I can’t ever tire of big, piping hot noodle bowl, and this one hits the spot.

Worth Talking About

• I always like reading what people who visited Quebec City think of my hometown. Sounds like this journalist from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a good time!
• Yes, people have celiac in Italy too. My friend Eleonora just published a very useful list of gluten-free options in Rome. Gluten-free pizza in Rome? I’m in!
• I have instantly fallen in love with the brand new online travel magazine Wayfare. Gorgeous layout and pictures, fabulous stories!
• Two of my favorite authors, Dianne Jacob and Michael Rulhman, published simultaneous posts this week, debating what makes a cookbook successful. Fascinating read.
• I was a little late on this one, but viewing this poetic video filmed in Bali transported me. Indonesia just climbed to the top of my destinations list.

Have a great and delicious weekend!