I am sure you are aware of this fun game going around in the blogosphere: it is called the Seven Links Challenge! Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading beautiful posts about this game, where bloggers choose 7 of their posts that deserve to be recognized and talk about them. I was sooo excited and when Ray from Wok with Ray and Paolo from Quatro Fromaggio tagged me in their Seven Links Challenge post! Ray is a fantastic cook and very talented photographer and I urge you to visit his site. And what can I say about Paolo?! He’s writing the most informative and well written blog about the misrepresentations of Italian food in the world, something that all Italians abroad experience in our every day life. And he also blogs about delicious food and authentic Italian recipes! If you don’t know these great foodies yet, you don’t want to miss out, believe me. Being tagged by people you admire is a great honour! So, thank you so much Ray and Paolo! 🙂
How do you play this game? The rules are easy:
- The blogger who is nominated must publish his/her 7 links of his/her own blog for the categories below (Only one link for each category).
- The most beautiful post
- The most popular post
- The most controversial post
- The most helpful post
- The post that was surprisingly successful
- The post that did not get the attention it deserved
- The post I am most proud of
- The blogger then nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part in the challenge and it goes on.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? So here are my 7 links:
The most beautiful post: Panna Cotta Tricolore
This was the dessert I created to celebrate the 150 years of the Unification of Italy last March. I chose this post as the most beautiful because it includes MsM’s first picture to be accepted by both the most famous food photography sites: Foodgawker and Tastespotting. So it must be beautiful, right?
The most popular post: Macarons with white chocolate and mint ganache
Both my macarons recipes have proven very popular, but I chose the first one I published – Macarons with white chocolate and mint ganache because its popularity was not biased by any giveaway and it won FoodFrenzy’s Recipe Challenge for May 2011, the first challenge I ever won.
The most controversial post: Cocoa gnocchi with mascarpone and walnut sauce
Oh… I do not think I have ever written a controversial post… or have I?? So, I’d pick my Cocoa gnocchi with mascarpone and walnut sauce for the unusual and innovative use of cocoa powder in the gnocchi dough.
The most helpful post: Focaccia
I honestly think that the most helpful area of my blog is the Tips (link) section and above all the Techniques page (link) where I explain all the basic techniques on how to cook Italian food from cooking pasta al dente to make pasta, or pizza dough, or mayonnaise from scratch. If I had to choose a single post though, I would choose my Focaccia recipe where I explain how to make authentic Italian focaccia with step by step instructions and pictures. It is useful as it shows how real focaccia looks like… nothing to do with the bread-like, thick and dry focaccia we find overseas.
The post that was surprisingly successful: Fried Pizza
This will have to be my Fried Pizza recipe. It is an amazingly tasty dish, but I was still surprised by the amount of great comments and visits it got as it is quite an unusual way of cooking pizza! Thanks nonna! <3
The post that did not get the attention it deserved: Piadina and Crescione – Marco’s recipe
I think my Piadina and Crescione – Marco’s recipe would have deserved more attention. I guess the fact that I had published another recipe for piadina a few days earlier didn’t help… but this was a much more authentic recipe as it was given to me by my friend Marco and his nonna who live in the area where piadine were invented! So, please check it out! 😉
The post I am most proud of: Hello Kitty Cake Pops
This is easily done: my Hello Kitty Cake Pops! I was quite happy both with the Cake Pops themselves and with the pictures I managed to take. I had been worrying a lot about them before making them as they were my first attempt at Cake Pops, but in the end they looked really cute and both Victoria’s school friends and their parents loved them… so I guess I can be proud of them me!
And now, time to tag 5 more bloggers!!! Here they are… have fun ladies! 🙂
Carsley at The Deep Dish
Kankana at Sunshine and Smile
Purabi at Cosmopolitan Currymania
Sawsan at Chef in Disguise
Tiffany at Como Water
And thank you so much once again Ray from Wok with Ray and Paolo of Quatro Fromaggio for thinking of me! 🙂
kankana says
oh boy! that’s a fun game 🙂 so now I have start digging my archive..
Lindsey@Lindselicious says
Great round up of your posts Manu!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
Great roundup for you Seven Links. I did mine today too. It was fun to look back!
Kelly says
How fun!! Love all these dishes and YES your Hello Kitty cake pops were sooo impressive! 🙂
purabi naha says
That’s a great roundup, Manuela. I loved all these and enjoyed going through this post! Thanks for tagging me!!
I have never done a roundup like this and now I am so excited to do the same!!
Eva says
I love your photos. Congrats on being tagged! I think this summary is fantastic!
sawsan@chef in disguise says
Thank you so much Manu ..I have been watching this game on many blogs and wondering what I would choose if I was tagged
I really enjoyed knowing your 7 links 🙂
wok with ray says
Thank you so very much for your kind words about me and my blog as I am very proud to have tagged you. I am really greatful about this 7 link challenge because I found some of your posts that I have missed. I love the fried pizza. It is an instant drooler, Manu!
Have an enjoyable weekend!
~ ray ~
Parsley Sage says
Fortunately, I’ve seen most of these lovely posts before since I’m pretty much addicted to your site. I totally missed the Panna Cotta Tricolore the first go around though. AMAZING! No wonder you were the food pxxx goddess for those 🙂 Thanks for tagging me…guess I need to go snoop my site!
sarah says
I was wondering what this whole tagging thing was! Great posts Manu!! You have such a lovely blog!
Paolo - quatrofromaggio says
Manu, first off – great 7 links post! Very interesting read and it was great to find out about your ‘piadina and crescione’ – I agree that it deserved more attention (I also had missed it!)
Secondly, thanks so much for your kind words about my project and for the promotion – always very appreciated 🙂
Kim Bee says
Great job Manu. Love this stuff. Really gives us a sense of you.
Liz says
I think those panna cotta were one of your first posts I read! I was in awe of those beauties…and knew I’d visit your blog again and again! Great post!
Tina (PinayInTexas) says
Oh Manu, I love all the posts you’ve chosen for your 7 links! And even though I find all your posts beautiful, I agree with you that the Panna Cotta Tricolore is the most beautiful of them all!
Sukanya says
Hi just hopped here from Purabi’s blog…glad to discover your awesome blog..really..and those tricolor pannacottas are truly magical…will come often now 🙂
Sarah says
All of these posts look wonderful! I especially like the focaccia bread post 🙂
Tiffany says
GREAT round up! I especially love those gnocchi!!!! HUGS! And thanks for tagging me!