Around here, I say to friends and family, “Come over, let’s hang out, we’ll do casual… apps first, then we’ll eat!”

So let’s do casual, you and I that is.  What are you drinking?  Here you go I just poured myself a glass of Pinot Grigio. It is refreshing.

Come sit with me, relax, get comfortable…let me have a good look at you, wow are you a sight for sore eyes.  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  Gosh, the last time I did this was 2014; wow three years.  Way too long and yet it feels like yesterday; don’t you think….

Well never mind all of that, it’s in the past.    I hope that life is treating you well.

Welcome to my little corner of the virtual neighborhood.  I thought we would start with appetizers.   I am a huge fan of easy, simple, inexpensive, and yummy….

I love appetizers; I live for cocktail hours at functions, and weddings. Every time we, my family and I, go out for dinner, I always suggest let’s just do appetizers – It hasn’t happened yet; not with those three, but soon, I know they will give in.

Here, try this fried mozzarella sticks – (always a classic; right?)  I made the mozzarella sticks; the recipe is below.  For a dipping sauce, instead of a marinara sauce, I made a basil balsamic vinaigrette. I used a packaged mozzarella like a Polly O, Biazzo or a Galbani; I think in this case, it holds up better than the fresh mozzarella, which is so delicious in its own right.  By the way, all mozzarella is fresh when I use the term “fresh mozzarella” I am describing a  softer cheese, not as salty, and most of the time protected in a water bath. Fresh mozzarella is perfect sliced, accompanied with tomato and basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar,  and extra virgin olive oil, also known as a Caprese Salad;  it is also delicious on pizza, also known as a Margarita pizza.

Also on the table, are some olives, marinated artichokes hearts and roasted red peppers, easy entertaining?  All of these can be purchased at the deli section of your supermarket, bring them home and plate them.

The olives, I did add a chopped garlic clove, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil….

Please enjoy, shall I refresh your drink?  I hope all is well with you; wow three years. So much has changed in three years…and yet, in reality, the time is no different.

We all wake up each day, do what we have to do, go where we have to go, and then come back to connect with the ones we left during the day.   Our connection is sometimes too quick, and yet occasionally we are reminded that it is a true blessing.

So let me give you the 50-cent tour.   Are you ready; grab your drink?

Mangia, Mangia…no talk, has a new tag line – it is   “Ssh!…Let’s eat”.  Isn’t that cute, maybe today it should be, “let’s talk”, leaving out the Ssh of course.

I have a “Home” button that will always bring you back here, at the beginning.  There is a more detailed “About Me” page. The “About Me” page is about my family, and me; and it is how MMNT came to be.  I briefly explain what MMNT is now, and only touch on what it will be.  Because,  I can’t predict the future;  therefore, for now, I will do what I have to, nurture it, love it and hopefully watch it grow.

I dedicated one click to Mangia, Mangia… No Talk!!!  This area will feature posts that may not have recipes often, however, will always have a story to tell.  As a reference, this post will most likely be categorized there as well.

Not only do I have a recipe index, but I also have an added feature that lets me add a recipe card (with a print option) in a post – this is equal to getting a working ice maker in my freezer.  Score, I am in the 20^th century!

There is a contact form – please send me a note, contact me with ideas, or if you are interested in working with me or even featuring a product – please contact me and we can talk more about it.  I would love hearing from you.

Click here for the link to the “contact me” page – do you like it?  I think it is adorable!   I added this design, it comes from wicklessingreenbay.com – Thank you for allowing me to find it and use it too.

http://wicklessingreenbay.com/contact-me-2/

I have a search button at the end of these links; and added Social Media buttons on the top left-hand side of the page  – these buttons will send you to my very own  Mangia, Mangia…No Talk social media pages  – please follow these sites – I want to be your friend; LOL!

I will always feature three posts and will try to switch these out often.   My home page lists the latest posts by showing two with an excerpt each, and the third is a full post.  Click on the titles and the full posts will pop up.

The section that is called “My Diary”, I am not one hundred per cent on board with that yet, and will either get rid of it or use this feature differently – this section actually highlights a post of my choosing.

Following that is a section that lists “All Time Favorites” those posts I choose using Google analytics determining the most visited posts.   My options are endless, I can keep as is, or have it driven by categories such as   “Sweets”, “What to eat on a cold day” or even “life is a picnic”

At the very bottom of my page is my Instagram feed of all the food and dishes I post on Instagram.  Feel free to click on it and follow me….

On the side of all of this, is a side bar that includes a smaller welcome to my virtual home, a formal invitation to join MMNT, and subscribe to a weekly newsletter.  The newsletter will highlight my latest posts –  I set this up so you will get this once a  week presenting  3  new posts each time.

On certain pages, I included a box linking to my MMNT Facebook page; and I am thinking of adding a box highlighting my Pinterest. (Psst, I love, love Pinterest).  I will also like to add a translation button sometime soon.

Throughout the site I peppered in a few advertisements; I urge you to check out what is being introduced in these ads. I am not going to lie, I do get some credits with every click… it’s just another way to get some help.

So there you have it my new digs… a lot of time and effort went into this site – I plan on doing the same going forward.   My new home was made wonderfully and easily with, the Kale Pro WordPress Template.  I hope you like it…

Please sit, enjoy the appetizers, or join me in the kitchen; I need to get dinner set-up and completed; I am certain you are hungry….

[lt_recipe name=”Mozzarella Sticks….” servings=”4 to six people or more when doubling the ingredients” prep_time=”15 MINUTES + 30 MINUTES” cook_time=”15 – 30 MINUTES ” total_time=”45 MINUTES” difficulty=”Some-what Easy” summary=”great as a snack, easy appetizer, or a dish on the side.” print=”yes” image=”https://www.mangiamangianotalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20160205_195644.jpg” ingredients=”1 sixteen ounces of packaged mozzarella;;2 eggs beaten and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper;;1/2 of a 1/2 of pinch of salt and black pepper ; (the mozzarella is salty no need to add; more salt, but I want  a light seasoning in the egg mixture);;1 cup of flour ; ;1 cup of plain bread crumbs; season the breadcrumbs with a sprinkle of garlic powder and a sprinkle of Italian herbs;; 1 tablespoon of garlic powder (for the breadcrumbs) ;; 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning (for the breadcrumbs) ;; 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese (for the breadcrumbs);;1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegetable oil ( eyeball it like I do.); ;” ]line the  flour, egg mixture and bread crumbs right across the counter …;;Season the breadcrumbs with the garlic powder, Italian season and parmesan cheese ;;Cut your mozzarella to form sticks 1/2 of inch cuts from the top to bottom if you place the mozzarella  in the landscape orientation , you will end up with 4 or 5 slices.Lay each slice flat and cut 1/3 of an inch size you should end up having 3 to 4  pieces looking like sticks, continue with each slice cutting to form  sticks, try to keep them uninformed, adjust if you have to – you can end up  with about 20 to 21 sticks ;; next coat each mozzarella stick with the flour, shake excess flour off, dip each stick in the egg mixture ; then dip the mozzarella in the breadcrumbs (a second coating is not necessary yet optional, if you go for a second coating you will need to use 2 or three more eggs ;;once all the sticks are breaded, place the sticks on a plate, or baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and either place them in the freezer or refrigerator – for about 30 minutes or longer. ;; prepare to heat the oil in a frying pan; set up a tray lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil;; to test if the oil is hot, sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs when you see some action then the oil is ready. ;; fry in small batches, on each side until golden brown – don’t over fry to avoid any breakage or leaks. You might get one two that will take the bullet for the team, just go with it. ;; place each mozzarella stick gently on the paper towels to drain the oil. These can be served with a marinara sauce or a hot spicy tomato sauce. I served the mozzarella sticks with a reduced basil balsamic dressing.[/lt_recipe]

[lt_recipe name=”Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette” servings=”small batch dipping sauce” prep_time=”10 MINUTES” cook_time=”0″ total_time=”10″ difficulty=”easy ” summary=”a quick and easy dipping sauce” print=”yes” image=”https://www.mangiamangianotalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170812_203237-480×384.jpg” ingredients=”1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar ;1 clove of garlic chopped ;a small palm-full of crushed red pepper;3 to 4 basil leaves thinly sliced;1 pinch of salt;1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil” ]combine all ingredients in a bowl ;stream in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking everything together;for a reduction type of sauce cook all ingredients over low heat until the vinegar is thick and a consistency of a syrup.[/lt_recipe]

Mangia, Mangia…No Talk!!!