Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe

A Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe From Home Style Austin

Tomato Bread Soup

Found during my family’s holiday travel to Tuscany, this recipe makes great use of a household staple living beyond its freshest of days; stale bread. The end result? A delicious dish that will warm the belly. And the heart.

This recipe was inspired by Gabriella’s Journal; a book celebrating aromas and flavors from the rustic culture of Tuscany.

Foodie Tip:

 If you don’t have any 2-3 day old stale bread, you can cut fresh bread into bite-sized squares and place into your oven and bake at 225°F until crunchy. Do not use soft bread for this recipe!

Ingredients: 

6 Tablespoons  |  Olive Oil
2-3  |  Garlic Cloves, Cut Into Small Pieces
1  |  Celery Stick, Chopped Into Small Pieces
3-4 (1 ¾ cups)  |  Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped (tomatoes may also be peeled)
6-8  |  Basil Leaves, Torn By Hand Into Small Pieces
To Taste  |  Salt And Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2 ¼ Cups  |  Boiling Water
1 ½-2 Cups  |  Stale Bread, Cut Into Bite-Sized Squares
To Garnish  |  A Fresh Basil Leaf For Each Serving
To Garnish  |  Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Shredded

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, the garlic cloves and the chopped celery. Stir until the garlic is soft and add the chopped tomatoes, the basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.

2. Pour in the boiling water and fold-in the stale bread. Boil, covered, for about 40 minutes over a very low heat, gently stirring occasionally.

3. Serve soup hot in a bowl and top with a basil leaf and some shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Yields: 3-4 Servings

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

Austin Realtor Joe Paul Reider

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

 Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Valentine’s Day The Home Style Way

  Valentine’s Day 2014 Featured Post  

Our Heart’s At Home

Our finest suggestions follow for how to make your own bang-up Valentine’s Day evening for your special ones in your very own home sweet home! Plus, discover our picks for two “Best Romantic Wines” perfect for Valentine’s Day and beyond!

We’ve paired our favorite music, appetizer, main course, desserts and wines with some great “at-home” movie recommendations sure to melt hearts. Fun doesn’t start outside the home – it starts inside the home, with you! Let’s check out this year’s menu board:

Home Style Austin's Valentine's Day Menu 2014Below are the easy-to-follow instructions for a great Valentine’s Day (click the links for the recipes):

A Mercury Glass Project From Home Style Austin

1. Set the mood with some great music by legendary greats like Andrea Bocelli or Frank Sinatra. Need a little candlelight? This DIY project for some mercury glass candles will surely put some sparkle in their eyes.

The Best Romantic Wines of 2014 By Home Style Austin2. Pour some red. We’re diehard fans of the two great lands of Texas and Tuscany so we’ve selected two great reds that perfectly embody the deep, bold romanticism ideally suited for Valentine’s Day: the Super Texan® from Flat Creek Estate and the Piccini Chianti DOCG from Tuscany, Italy. Both wines are tastefully affordable and available at fine wine and spirits retailers like Twin Liquors throughout the Austin area.

A Bruschetta Recipe From Home Style Austin

3. Tickle the tastebuds. For the antipasto, check out my favorite tomato bruschetta recipe which will surely impress. Take note: In the recipe I’ve included my special secret for how to serve this dish extra-special!

4. Make it movie time. Right about now it’s probably a good idea to turn down the music and pop-in a movie. The Home Style Austin team picked three movies sure to keep hearts happy – Lady and the Tramp, The Princess Bride and our personal all-time fave Under The Tuscan Sun. Why not make it a triple feature and make it a night to remember?

I Used My Red Sauce For This Valentine's Day Inspired Dish

5. Make it red. We bring on the main course with my delicious red sauce atop spaghetti. If you’re watching Lady And The Tramp, you’re probably feeling pretty awesome right about now. Pssst! Cupid’s Secret ~ If you’re one of the first 10 Texans who promise to send me a pic of your own Valentine’s Day meal, I’ll send you a heart-shaped cookie cutter used to make my spaghetti dish and our rice krispies treats! Pinky swear. Here’s how

Sugar Dusted Cupid Cups By Home Style Austin

6. Score sugar points! Perform the evening’s perfect touch with some super easy-to-make sweets including Valentine’s Day Rice Krispies Treats or our signature Cupid Cups. Treats made from the heart? Pure gold!

Until the big day, keep your heart in check – visit our Pinterest “Holidazed” pinboard with some Valentine’s Day inspiration for you and yours … we’re adding new pins until the big day!

“Home” truly can be found wherever we hang our hearts and we hope these tips make your Valentine’s Day 2014 the very best ever!

Happiest Valentine’s Day from your friends at Home Style Austin,

Austin Realtor Joe Paul Reider





~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

A Valentine's Day Rice Krispies Treats Recipe

A Strawberry Heart From Home Style Austin

Orange Fennel Salad Recipe

An Orange Fennel Salad Recipe by Home Style Austin

Wrapped in smoked salmon, this simple recipe was shared with us by my Italian host during my recent trip to Tuscany.

I’m a fan of anything FRESH … probably why this is one of my new favorites. Best of all there’s no cooking involved!

Ingredients:

1 Medium  |  Orange, Cut Into Wedges
1  |  Fresh Fennel Bulb, Sliced with Layers Broken Apart
6 – 12 Ounce Package  |  Smoked Salmon
To Serve  |  High Quality Olive Oil
To Taste  |  Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

What To Do: 

1. First peel the orange and trim off the ends. Then cut the orange along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and let them fall into a bowl or plate. Discard the orange remnants.

2. Place some of the fennel and an orange wedge on top of a salmon slice and wrap.

3. Arrange on a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.