Giverny, France…Inspiration for Claude Monet’s Beautiful Water Lilies

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

When we visited Paris, France, one of the tours we signed up for was a day trip to Giverny, France, and it was wonderful, as you can see from the photos I took while there.

We love the paintings of the Impressionist artist Claude Monet. Monet’s series of paintings of the beautiful Water Lilies is a favorite of ours, as it is for so many people, and it was at Monet’s home in the small village of Giverny where he was inspired to create these beautiful paintings and so many more.

Claude Monet lived in a house in the small village of Giverny from 1883 to 1926. A passionate gardener as well as an artist, he himself designed his flower and water gardens there, which are absolutely beautiful. These gardens inspired many of his famous paintings. He lived in this home with his family, and it was here he worked on his art for forty-three years until his death at the age of 86.

Michel Monet, Monet’s son and heir, left this property and more to the Academy of Fine Arts Foundation. It was through their support and others that it was restored to its original state. In 1980 the Claude Monet Foundation owned by the Academy of Fine Arts opened its doors to the public for the first time. All of this was created for the purpose of maintaining Monet’s home and gardens year round through donations, so that visitors can view them daily from April 1st to November 1st each year exactly as they were when Monet lived here.

The colors in Monet’s home are as vibrant and rich as the colors he chose for his flower and water gardens. Today as tourists stand in his home, they can look out the windows and view his colorfully rich gardens just as Monet might have himself. The vivid colors Monet so admired are evident throughout his flower and water gardens. The same rich colors seen in the Water Lilies series are evident everywhere, but especially in his Water Garden.

Standing on the green bridge in the Water Garden and looking out at the water lilies amidst various oriental plants and weeping willows is like stepping into one of Monet’s paintings. Just knowing you are walking where he walked and standing where he stood as he looked out on this beautiful view enriches the visual experience you have every time you view one of his paintings. The memory of the reality only serves to enhance the enjoyment of viewing his paintings once you’ve visited his home in Giverny.

When in Paris, France, I would like to recommend to any of you that you take a day tour to Giverny, France, to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet, especially if you love his Water Lilies series. It is definitely time well spent and forever enriches your personal enjoyment when viewing any paintings from this series and others as well. As you can see, even the photos I was able to take are beautiful, so imagine what it would be like to actually be there and see it all in person. I hope you have the opportunity to visit Giverny, France, sometime in the future if this trip happens to be on your wish list. If you do visit, enjoy!

Italian Braciole…Italian Beef Rolls with Imported Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

When I was a little girl, I watched my mother make Italian Braciole in our kitchen.

She would take the thinly sliced beef, lay it out and then spread a mixture across it made of grated Italian cheese, seasonings, and Italian bread crumbs. She would then roll the beef up with the mixture inside just like a jelly roll. She used toothpicks or sometimes string to hold them together while she cooked them in a wonderful Italian tomato sauce. The smells in the kitchen while they were cooking invited everyone in the house to imagine what a delicious dinner we would all share that evening. And without fail, dinner was absolutely delicious and appreciated by all.

When I grew up I decided to make some minor adaptations to this dish that I felt would only improve the taste and enrich the eater’s experience overall. In my family, changing recipes here and there was encouraged, and even became a sort of challenge between me and my dad, who was also a fabulous cook. My adaptation was really very simple. I chose to leave out the Italian breadcrumbs. To me, breadcrumbs were for the most part a filler that could be substituted in this recipe. Instead, I used more cheese giving my Italian Braciole a rich flavor from the imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese that I use.

Some people use imported Pecorino Romano, another good choice, but a slightly different taste than imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Try both and then decide for yourself which you prefer. Whichever you choose, buying a good quality cheese is key to this recipe’s taste. A number of other things can and have been added to Italian Braciole recipes, such as provolone, prosciutto, spinach, and more. In Italian Braciole you can use many things, but sometimes the simplest way is the best. So I am going to share with you my recipe for Italian Braciole, simple but definitely a family favorite in my home.

Italian Braciole…Italian Beef Rolls with Imported Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

2 pounds thinly sliced lean top round steak or flank steak

1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

For tomato sauce:

28 to 29 ounce can of tomato puree

6 ounce can of tomato paste

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon basil or use 1 tablespoon fresh basil cut up

1/2 teaspoon dried or ground oregano

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper (optional for those who want spicy)

1 tablespoon sugar (some people prefer to use 2 carrots finely shredded or chopped for sweetness)

Water about 1/2 cup or to desired consistency (1/2 cup red wine is optional)

For beef roll filling:

1 cup grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese

3/4 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon basil or use 1 tablespoon fresh basil cut up

Round toothpicks

Pasta of your choice (12 ounce packages work well if you like a thick sauce)

Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Take olive oil and spread over rectangular deep baking dish.

In a medium size bowl, mix together the tomato puree, the tomato paste, garlic, minced onion, basil, oregano, ground red pepper (optional), and water as needed, usually about I/2 cup of water, depending on desired consistency. Add in the sugar if you do not use carrots. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together, grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese, ground black pepper, minced onion, chopped garlic, and parsley. Set aside.

Lay out the thinly sliced strips of beef. Spoon onto the beef a good layer of the cheese mixture. Once done, begin rolling gently starting from the narrowest end. Once rolled, like a jelly roll, put two toothpicks in each roll to hold together the beef roll. Place rolls parallel to each other in the olive oil prepared baking dish, one next to the other. When all rolls are done, take any leftover cheese mixture and sprinkle over the rolls. Then pour tomato sauce mixture over the top of the rolls covering all of them and filling the deep dish with the remaining tomato sauce mixture. Top it off with some freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Bake uncovered for one hour at 350 degrees in the oven. I have a Teflon sheet on the rack below my baking dish for any tomato sauce splatter while cooking. Cook pasta al dente during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time for the Italian Braciole. Timed right, the pasta should be ready to drain just prior to taking out the Italian Braciole. Put the beef rolls in a serving dish and mix the remaining sauce into the cooked pasta.

When the Italian Braciole is plated, serve it with the pasta and Braciole sauce. Top it off with some freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese to taste. Add a loaf of good bread or focaccia and a side salad for a truly delicious meal. We enjoy having a nice glass of Toscana or Chianti wine with our meal. However, you decide to serve this dish, you will never be disappointed in the meal itself. You can have the Italian Braciole with a vegetable, like Italian green beans or spinach cooked in garlic and olive oil, or the pasta of your choice. You decide. Hopefully, you will be able to have this wonderful dish soon and see for yourself why it is a family favorite in my house. Enjoy!

Italian Marinara with Pasta…Easy to Make and Delicious to Eat

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

One of the easiest dishes to make in any Italian household is pasta with Italian marinara sauce.

When I was growing up, mom and dad would make Italian marinara sauce any time they needed to cook up a delicious meal in a hurry, whether for unexpected guests or just a fast week day meal. Both my parents worked once I was in school, and sometimes things got hectic around our house, so mom would put together pasta with Italian marinara sauce when needed.

If I went to a restaurant today for the same meal, with the salad she made and Italian bread, I would pay good money. But whatever they would charge would not make it good enough to replace the memories I having of eating this simple meal with my family. At an Italian family meal, everyone talks and laughs together while savoring the food set before them. Enjoying the people around you is as important as savoring the food. Sometimes it got loud with several people talking at once, but I would never trade those memories for anything.

Food and sharing meals is a large part of the Italian culture. Growing up, I watched my parents set down a table of food whenever we sat down together, whether for a meal, the arrival of unexpected guests, or just when we were sitting and discussing something as a family. Many extended family members would stop by often, knowing fun and laughter would accompany the delicious food my parents would bring out for all to share. Mom and dad were loved by all of our friends, neighbors, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Every one of them enjoyed my mom’s delicious cooking and my dad’s great sense of humor. This recipe is more than just a meal to me. It’s a memory of my family sitting together and sharing food, conversation, and laughter. When I share it with friends and family now, it makes new memories possible and old memories fresh in my mind.

Italian Marinara with Pasta…Easy to Make and Delicious to Eat

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium to large onion sliced or chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 to 2 cups fresh mushrooms slice or one 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon basil or use 1 tablespoon fresh basil cut up

1/2 teaspoon dried or ground oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar (some people prefer to use 2 carrots finely shredded or chopped for sweetness)

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

6 ounce can tomato paste

Water (1/2 cup red wine is optional)

Freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Pasta of your choice

Sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add the seasonings to this and stir together. Then add tomato puree or crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water as needed, usually about I/2 to 3/4 cup of water, depending on desired consistency. Add in the sugar if you do not use carrots. If using carrots, sauté the carrots with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Let the sauce begin to bubble and then cover the pot lowering the heat to simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or longer, stirring every so often.

Be ready to boil the pasta of your choice once the sauce is ready or nearly ready. By the way, if you lay a wooden spoon across the top of your pot of boiling water for the pasta, so it will not boil over. I was surprised myself, but this works well. When the pasta is ready, drain your pasta and add you sauce, gently mix the two together. Then serve with freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Looking for an easy meal to make on a on a busy week day or on a lazy Sunday afternoon? This meal is delicious and makes it easy to bring a little bit Italy into your home. Serve it with a tossed salad and some hearty bread or focaccia of your choice. A Chianti, a Sangiovese, or a Toscana all compliment the flavors of this meal. If you do decide to make this recipe, be sure to add laughter, conversation, and good family fun when you bring it to the table and then, make a memory! Enjoy!

Learn from yesterday, live for today…

Life experiences are what make us who we are today. Come share what I have learned from my experiences about cooking, traveling, and more, and enjoy!

Monthly Archives: June 2013

Giverny, France…Inspiration for Claude Monet’s Beautiful Water Lilies

Italian Braciole…Italian Beef Rolls with Imported Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Italian Marinara with Pasta…Easy to Make and Delicious to Eat