Tomorrow J-Fur and I leave for a week and a half mini trip that will take us to Chicago (for Lollapolooza and Dan Deacon), DC (for dinner), and Pennsylvania (for a wedding). Not wanting to leave any leftovers behind we decided to go out for dinner. This meant a visit to Mazzaro's Italian Market.Mazzaro's has everything you could wish for: freshly made pasta and sauces, Italian coffee, baked goods, prepared foods, exotic cheeses, hot sandwiches, and free flowing olive oil. They also have a huge selection of wine and meat but we never visit that part of the store.
I made m
y way to the deli counter to order an Eggplant Parmesan Sub for myself and a Caprese Sandwich for J-Fur while she disappeared in the direction of the bakery. I make a pretty good Caprese Sandwich. Thanks to Joy I also make a mighty fine Eggplant Parmesan. But what Mazzaro's offers that I can't compete with is their bread. I refer to it as 'el pan de dichotomies' because it is both crusty and soft and thick, yet thin, all at once. If I could make bread like that, I would never travel forty minutes across the Tampa Bay just to eat Eggplant Parmesan. I might never leave the kitchen. But alas, I cannot, so Mazzaro's it is.J-Fur returned, as I was still waiting for our sandwiches to be made, with a
boxed slice of carrot cake. For the past two birthdays I have made a carrot cake for her because it is her favorite. Two years ago the recipe she handed me created a really heavy cake that wasn't very moist. This year, using a Betty Crocker cookbook, I made a much fluffier, moister cake. She wasn't completely satisfied because the icing was geared more towards my taste (less sugar more cream cheese) than hers (double the sugar baby). Mazzaro's cake had no such problems. It was moist, fluffy, and nutty. The icing was a perfect balance for the two of us. Not to sweet, not too cream cheesy.After our dinner, before our long drive, we decided to head to St. Pete beach, swim, and catch the sunset. Don't tell my mom but I didn't wait for half an hour after eating before I went swimming. She wouldn't be happy to hear that.
As the sun went down songs of celestial bodies danced in my head. These are my songs of sunrise, sunset, night, and day.
Rainbow Arabia-Harlem Sunrise
Sunset Rubdown-Silver Moons
Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun-Never Always Good (free magic)
When I lived in Racine WI, we used to go to Tenuta's Italian Market. The wonderful smells that greeted you at the door! One time when I was there I was humming Mia Bambino Caro and the owner came up behind me and began to sing it! We had impromptu opera in the aisles of the deli. What a wonderful memory!
ReplyDeleteI probably should've included that on the playlist...That is one thing about this place that I didn't go into too much. The aroma that greets you is so pleasant...I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I certainly like the smell when I pass that section.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great place. That cake looks delish. Have a great trip. Love those songs.
ReplyDeleterainbow arabia + cake =best thing ever
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.indiepit.com/2009/08/05/the-rising-rainbow-arabia/
Sounds like fun! I always love a good Italian market!
ReplyDeleteI agree Kristin. Thanks for the site.
ReplyDeleteJenn DZ This is a great market.