AJS Team in Quarantine:: Laura Giannatempo

Hello, Everyone,My name is Laura Giannatempo, and I'm Annette's travel concierge. When you take one of her future workshops, you can ask me for advice about where to go, what to do and where to eat if you want to extend your trip in Italy.Right now, I'm not traveling, of course. I'm based in Brooklyn, and the hardest part of this quarantine for me has been not being able to return to Italy. I usually travel there several times a year to scout the best hotels, eateries, artisans and small, local businesses that are hard to find on your own.Since I can't travel, what do I do? I "dream travel." I go over old photos of trips I've loved on my phone or in photo albums—yes, photo albums. I took some of my earliest trips before digital photography and smartphones, so the memories are captured in good, old-fashioned prints. Reliving these past travels not only brings up great memories, but it also gets my juices flowing for planning future trips for when we're able to travel again.Also, I cook. A lot. Short of being there, there's nothing that channels a country or a region better than to cook something special from there. As you might have guessed, I cook a lot of Italian food. But I also like to dabble in other Mediterranean flavors and South-East Asian-inspired dishes.I've been cooking a lot of Ligurian food, lately. I'm originally from Piedmont, but Liguria is my second home. My aunt and uncle live in Genova, and I used to spend entire summers in a small town not far from Cinque Terre when I was young. I always loved the food: the incredibly fresh seafood, fished just the night before; the creative use of vegetables and herbs, even wild ones; and the ability to create amazing flavors with very few, simple but great-quality ingredients.One of my go-to Ligurian foods is farinata. With only 5 ingredients, if you count water, salt and pepper, fainata is one of the most versatile and satisfying snacks—and a true Italian street food. It's hard to believe that mixing and baking chickpea flour and extra-virgin olive oil can turn into something so delicious. if you don't believe me, you can try it yourself! Here's the recipe. Buon appetito!

Farinata (Chickpea Flatbread)Serves 4 to 6

You will need:- 2 cups chickpea flour- 3 cups water- 1 Tbs. plus 1/2 tsp. salt- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil- Freshly ground black pepperTo prepare:Place the chickpea flour in a large bowl and slowly add the water, whisking constantly to prevent clumps from forming. You’ll end up with a fairly liquid batter.Add the salt, stir, and let the batter rest, covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours at room temperature.Preheat the oven at 425F, With a large slotted spoon, remove any foam that might have formed on the surface of the batter and stir well.Pour the olive oil in a 17x13-inch rimmed baking sheet (preferably nonstick) and pour in the batter. Spread it with the back of a wooden spoon to cover the pan and to incorporate the oil. The batter should form only a thin layer, about 1/4-inch thick.Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the farinata turns a nice golden yellow. Let it rest for a few minutes and sprinkle on some pepper. Use a pizza cutter to cut it in slices. Serve warm and enjoy!Photo (shot on film): credited to Michael Piazza