My new favorite magazine is "Bene..Italian Life & Style".

I have spent my entire saturday morning reading it...I love it to pieces...the photos, the travel section, the recipes, the articles. It is the best. The cover shots are great...Winter issue cover is of a gorgeous fedora with article tags: KISS like an Italian, Get lost in Italy's Untouched Islands

the website is wonderful too: http://www.benemag.com/

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

and I found a link to a great bloghttp://mylifeitalian.blogspot.com/:

But...it makes me totally jealous and hungry. Readers beware...wonderful site, beautiful pictures and great information. And RO...you will cry when reading it...she is am American that moved to Italy and blogs her life daily.

This dinner is great if company is coming and you only have an hour to get ready.

Menu
Fresh Fettucini with mushroom cream ragu
Belgium endive, sundried tomato and purple onion salad
bread, wine, water
pizza

Ingredients needed

fettucini (see note)
one container dried mushrooms
one container of sliced portabella mushrooms
one can button mushrooms (rinsed and drained)
1/4 cup cream
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
1 leek
2 cloves garlice
1-2 cups of wine
water
Parmaggiano cheese (grated)
salt
pepper

belgium endive (3 heads)
few sundried tomatoes in olive oil
balsamic vinegar
purple onion

OK..the pizza was bought (I love to make pizza but the fast way is to buy it and in South Philly there are many great places for pizza)

Fettucini : there is a store on 9th street called Taluto's that cut fresh pasta sheets to the shape and size and amount that you desire. I bought 1 1/2 pounds of fettucini. I love papardelle the best and fettucini is second. Use boxed if you cannot find fresh or frozen.

I always keep dried mushrooms in the cupboard. These were porcini's.

One container of dried porcini, reconstitued in hot water (about 3 cups), reserve water after draining

One package of cut, fresh portabella's

One can of button mushrooms: drained and rinsed.

1 leek, cleaned and chopped: (rachel Ray cuts off ends and chops and then puts in bowl of cold water to rinse...this works very well)(to drain, pull out of water ...instead of pouring in strainer...that way the sand stays at the bottom, rinse bowl and repeat...this takes 3 minutes or less to do).

2 cloves of garlic

In about 1/8 cup of olive oil (this is all I ever use) soften cleaned leeks and chopped garlic without burning.

Add drained mushrooms and other mushrooms

cook for 5 minutes, add 1 cup white wine, reserved mushroom water, and a cup of water. Cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Make a rough (how do you spell that???)in the microwave...3-4 tablespoons of butter with 3-4 tablespoons of flour..mix well..add to mushroom mixture.
Add 1/4 cup heavy cream, parmaggiano cheese, salt and pepper.

Remove half of mixture and set aside
Add cooked fettucini to mixture and mix, serve with reserve mixture on the side so the pasta doesn't absorb all the mixture.

The salad is just all the ingredients cleaned and sliced with the chopped sun dried tomatoes on top, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Remember to salt and pepper your food (mildly) at each step (when you saute the leeks and galic, in the fettucini water, at the end of cooking adjust your seasonings.

This served 6 easily and was delicious.

He answered his door in minutes. Immediately the odor of cats waifed through the open door but I saw a big smile and a welcoming gesture and felt at ease. I am getting used to many things I never thought I would. I knew my eyes would start to itch in about 20 minutes and they'd feel like grit all day. I am allergic to cats.

The house was sparse. Worn area rugs thrown over worn wooden plank floors. One sofa. One small TV. 5 bowls on the dining room floor with spilled cat food and water. Dust. Lots of dust. Lots of cat hair. A small table and two old mismatched chairs. Mr. P was small and thin. His trousers hung on his hips fastened with a belt made from a piece of rope. No white shirt. No suspenders. His nails were trim, his person clean. He lives alone and takes care of himself and his cat companions. He travels by van provided by the company I work for or by bus.

I was there to check his oxygen. He was having some trouble with shortness of breath these days. Mr. P had a couple of oxygen tanks on the first floor that were dusty and old. The tubing was cloudy. I couldn't get them to go on. New portable tanks and a visit from a respiratory therapist would get this all working again. The oxygen he used in his bedroom at night was working well probably because he used it all the time. I replaced the tubing with new, clean equipment and disposed of the other.

Can I see your medications? "Sure", he answered with a smile. Thereafter he clicked back up the stairs and momentarily returned with a few medications. Mr. P has been on hemodialysis for the past few months. I explained to him if the machine removes too much fluid he may feel over tired and his shortness of breath may be due to some dehydration; or low blood count also causes one's breath to be short when walking, or climbing stairs. His diet is sufficient, he is compliant with his medications, he follows his physician's orders well. I did mention I thought he was very spry and didn't seem short of breath, now, even after the stair climbing.

He thanked me and said "not bad for 100 years old". I was completely surprised. He looked about 85 ....I checked my sheet and noted, for sure, in April Mr. P would be 100 years old. I made a note to call that respiratory therapist ASAP. He beamed and smiled as he noted my surprise. I noticed he smiled a lot. I smiled back and really wanted to hug him.

God Bless Him.

I thought...with the right attitude and a sense of determination aging does not always have to be so dreary. Smiling helps, I'm sure.

Can I live to be 100? It won't hurt to try. "Smile more"...added to the list of resolutions.

" God be with those who explore
in the cause of understanding:
whose search takes them far
from what is familiar and comfortable
and leads them to danger or terrifying loneliness.
Let us try to understand their confronting or
unusual language; the uncommon life of their emotions,
for they have been affected and shaped and changed
by their struggle at the frontiers of a wild darkness,
just as we may be affected, shaped, and changed
by the insights they bring back to us.
Bless them with strength and peace.
Amen"

from "Prayer Tree" by Luenig

"Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."