I've been wanting to write something about Home Food for a while. Home Food is an association of home cooks throughout Italy, that welcomes guests into their homes for meals. These are not 'pop up' restaurants, or anything 'underground'. Just women who are keeping alive the traditions. It's a fantastic way to sample regional cooking, if you are coming to Italy. I got to know Home Food very well when I was working on the Italian segments for Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie. Rather than re-write everything I discovered, I'm posting this clip from the series.
It's pretty easy to reserve. Just visit there web site (which is in inventively translated English) and find out if there is an 'event' happening in a city you'll be visiting. If not, try writing them an email, and they will probably be able to set something up for you.
I’ve been thinking about cole slaw ever since my sister wrote about it a while back. She wrote about making cole slaw based on my father’s recipe, which includes using curry. They both seem to like a strong tasting, and spicy cole slaw. I guess this is ok when you are having grilled meats, or something simple. But we are having leftover chili for lunch, which is already spicy, so I wanted something a bit lighter and fresher to go along with it. This recipes is full of lemon, which gives it a brightness. But I also love an earthy element, so I used just a bit of the roasted pumpkin seed oil I picked up in London a few weeks ago. (and you can read more about the store where I bought it here) I usually try to add some sort of seeds, usually cumin or rye. But this time, I sprinkled crushed coriander seeds, which was - I must admit - a brilliant idea.
Lemony Cole Slaw
1/2 head of cabbage 1 scallion grated zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin seed oil 1 teaspoon dijon mustard kosher salt 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds
Core and slice the cabbage very thinly. Put in bowl.
Add chopped scallion, grated lemon zest and salt.
In small bowl mix lemon juice, oil, and mustard. Pour over cabbage, add crushed coriander seeds (roast them first, if you have the time)
Toss well. Taste and adjust for seasonings.
I like to let the cole slaw sit for about twenty minutes or so, to let the cabbage soften a bit. But don’t let it sit around much more than this, or else it turns into a mushy sludge.
For some reason we totally ignored our terrace this year. One reason was that we worked a lot on our garden in Todi. But that’s no excuse. Maybe it was because the wires that hold up the shade tarps fell down and we never got it together to reinstall them. Whatever the reason, the terrace is just a mess. So, now it’s fall, and even though this should be the time of year when we stop thinking about the terrace, I’ve decided to make big changes.
While I went out to lunch today, (with Michele and Charles Scicolone, if you want to know, at Taverna dei Fori Imperiali) Domenico stayed home and did grunt work. He ripped up leggy, ugly plants. He through out bucket loads of old, tired soil. He hauled out the old, musty tarps.
Now I am faced with big empty beautiful terracotta pots. My big change? To totally eliminate the decorative plants. No more roses. Ivy, get outta here. Scented geranium, you can stay, since in theory you keep mosquitos at bay. And of course, our six citrus plants have a home forever.
So, once I had had a coffee to offset the wine I had too much of at lunch, (thank you Charles!) we headed to Eurogarden to fill in the empty spaces. This is one of Rome’s largest, and most centrally located, nurseries. But, just in case you think this blog post is only for those of you living in Rome, think again. If you are a tourist, and have a garden, this is a great place to come. Yes, to look, but also to buy. Not only can you pick up nifty European clippers and tools, they have a wide selection of seeds. Ok, I know you’re not supposed to import agricultural goods, but everyone I know does it. If you’re nervous, then just mail them back to yourself.
Getting back to our shopping. Everything had to be useful. And by useful, I mean edible. So: Sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, tarragon and savory. I also decided that I still have time to seed arugula and radishes before the cold sets in. Actually, the cold never really hits our terrace, since it’s so protected. Hence the optimistic buying of basil.
For the last month or so we’ve been trying to diet in the Minchilli household. That’s why there’s been a bit less on the pasta and cocktail front in terms of recipes. Our diet is mostly about eating whole grains, and cutting out things like pasta, sugar and....yes, alcohol. My sisters are on this diet too, and so what with all the moral support and recipe swapping, we’ve actually managed to lose weight.
One of the elements in this diet (which has such a stupid name I refuse to write it here) is eating brown rice as our daily source of carbohydrates. Let me tell you, brown rice gets old real quick. So I’ve been substituting other grains, which I figure is just fine.
One of my favorites is farro. There is an entire discussion about how to translate the word and weather it is emmer, or spelt or.....you can follow it here.
Suffice it to say it tastes great. It’s nutty and chewy and holds up to all sorts of vegetables and sauces. I like it as much cold as warm, and it’s great in soups. I know it’s more expensive in the States than it is here, which is why I always bring it as gifts. So make sure you pick some up if you are visiting Italy. Domenico is designing a house in Lugano, and he was driving through Piemonte the other day, and stopped at a farmers market. He came back home (700 kilometers) with an entire crate of gorgeous red peppers. (Peperone Quadrato d'Asti, you can buy the seeds here.) So I decided to use them in this colorful, Lemony Farro Salad. Of course, feel free to experiment. If you con’t have peppers, use any sort of crunchy colorful vegetable - carrots, zucchini. Also, play around with the herbs. I only had parsley on hand, but I’m sure chives, or mint would be delicious. Even if you're not on a diet.
Lemony Farro Salad
2 cups farro 1 red pepper 2 tablespoons capers 1/4 cup green olives 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 stalk celery 1 lemon 1 tablespoon of olive oil salt and pepper
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add farro and cook until tender. This will usually take about 40 minutes.
Drain and let cool, and place in bowl.
Chop the red pepper and celery into small dice. Add to the farro.
Add chopped green olives, capers, chopped parsley and toss.
Grate the rind from the lemon and add, then juice the lemon and add the juice.
Add olive oil, salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Toss well and serve.
By now, all of you know that food plays a central role in my life. And while it’s obvious that I am usually reporting on all this good stuff from Italy, maybe you don’t know how I got here? I’ve been coming to Italy since I was a child (and lived here for a few years in the ‘seventies) but it wasn’t until 1988 that I moved here for good. Why? Because I was working on my dissertation on Italian Renaissance Gardens. (And then, of course, met and married my Italian architect husband...but that’s another story)
So, while food may be the most obvious topic of conversation on this blog, gardens continue to play a key role in my life. And when I can combine the two - food and gardens - I am a very happy girl.
In Italy eating ‘al fresco’ is a no brainer. Whether it’s under a shady pergola in the Umbrian countryside, or at a trattoria table in Piazza Farnese, eating outside has got to be one of Italy’s greatest pleasures.
Eating outside in London? A bit more complicated. But maybe since it is such a rare treat, it is that much more precious. During recent trips up to London I had two excellent al fresco dining experiences that I would highly recommend.
Marylebone Picnic
I’ve already told you about the great breakfasts we had last week in Marylebone. But on our way back to our hotel one day, we were feeling ‘peckish’ and so stopped in at La Formagerie. This is a jewel of a place, with one of the best cheese selections in town. Next to its large walk-in cheese cave, they’ve managed to pack in a vegetables, coffee and pastries and even serve lunch. Unfortunately the few tables they had were completely full, so we got two lattes to go, plus a big hunk of lemon cake. The sun was shining so we headed just a few yards away to the Paddington Street Garden.
I’m always astounded how well kept gardens are in London, and this one was no exception. We had a lovely bench, all to ourselves, looking over the neatly trimmed green. Paddington is one of those pocket-sized gardens that are scattered all over London, which make it so easy to picnic.
Chelsea Physic Garden
Several people had told me about the Chelsea Physic Garden, so I was really happy when my friend Meg suggested we head there. The garden dates back to 1673, when it was planted as an apothecaries garden, and has been open to the public since 1983. It is still very much a botanical garden, and contains plants from all over the world.
It bills itself as a ‘secret garden’, and very much feels that way. It was like walking into another time and place, and is so far removed from the nearby hussle an bussle of city life that it felt like a mini vacation. Even though Meg and I had already lunched at Daylesford Organic, we had made sure to leave room for ‘cake’ at Chelsea Physic (although I'd love to go back for lunch). I chose summer pudding, served with a dollop of clotted cream, since it just seemed so English. Another typically English element was the fact that it started to pour while we were sitting at one of the cafe tables set up in the garden. We carried our treat inside, and then continued our tour of the garden in the drizzle, which was actually sort of wonderful.
La Fromagerie 2-6 Moxon Street Marylebone London W1U 4EW
Chelsea Physic Garden 66 Royal Hospital Road London SW3 4HS
Back in London again this past weekend, this time for a
benefit gala that Domenico’s clients had kindly invited us to. Seemed like a good enough excuse, and certainly a good cause. We flew up Ryanair, (never again!) and stayed in a Montagu Place Hotel. While I wasn’t thrilled with the hotel (rooms teeny tiny, even by London standards) I loved the neighborhood. When my sister used to live in Primrose Hill we would always walk down through Regents Park to Marylebone High Street, which is filled with cute shops and cafes.
Ten years later and the neighborhood has gotten even better. I was particularly impressed with the choices for breakfast. Don’t you love going out for breakfast when you are traveling? Yes, room service is great, but there’s nothing more conducive to feeling at home than buying the local paper and settling in for a Full English Breakfast.
Canteen was right around the corner, so we headed straight there on Saturday. This is their third place in London, and is as wonderfully designed as all the rest. If you don’t know it already, Canteen serves very good, high quality yet simple, local and seasonal English food. What more could you want? They are open all day long, and very casual. It’s mostly comfort food, and that means breakfast whenever you want it. I had eggs benedikt, which was served on a extra thick, homemade english muffin, the poached eggs perfectly cooked. Sunday morning we were actually all set to head back to Canteen, but since they don’t open until 10am on Sundays, we went to Coco Momo instead. Set right on Marleybone High Street. I’ve always wanted to come here for lunch, which is supposed to be excellent. I’m happy to say the breakfast was superb. I had the English Breakfast, which included a big fat grilled portabello mushroom in addition to everything else you’d expect. Domenico had a fluffy, buttery croissant, served with homemade jams. I know I shouldn’t complain when it comes to food in Rome, but why can’t someone open a place where you can get good simple food - including breakfast - all day long? A place where you can linger over the newspaper? On the other hand, we do have better coffee.....
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I eat just about anything, and willingly. After a while that gets to be a problem. So, for the last week my sisters (Robin and Jodi) and I have been trying to diet. Yes, we are doing one of those weird fad-sounding things (Fat Smash if you must know) but since it seems pretty healthy, I thought ‘why not?’ Since it eliminates a whole range of foods I usually buy, cook and eat without thinking, it’s forced me to be more creative with a limited list of ingredients. I’m actually enjoying the challenge.
So, it was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation to attend a raw vegan meal last night. While I’m only on this Fat Smash thing for a few weeks, I was really curious to see how someone could survive - and enjoy - eating only uncooked vegetables FOREVER! I mean, such a limited repertoire of not only of basic ingredients, but the fact that you can’t cook anything. Really?
Even though I was skeptical, I accepted the invitation since it was hosted by my friend Sienna, and she is usually pretty trustworthy on the food front. Her friend Boris was coming to town, and was planning a Gourmet Raw Food Vegan menu, with inspirations from Bali, where he had just spent some time cooking.
I first met Boris at a yoga class (which seems apt) and he has since left his regular job in Rome and moved to Berlin to devote himself to being a gourmet raw chef. And gourmet is the key word here. While there are a lot of raw devotees out there, Boris is trying to bring it to a new level. No cut up carrot sticks here. He uses every trick in the book to wrangle various fruits, nuts and vegetables into extraordinary gourmet menus.
As twenty of us gathered on Sienna’s terrace last night I could definitely feel the fear. It was mostly coming from the husbands, who were all grumbling about carrot sticks and tofu. And dinner hadn’t even begun yet. (not to mention that tofu has not place in the raw world.)
But cranky hubbies were soon quieted by small little rounds of cucumber topped by cashew ‘cheese’. The Jackfruit Kaffir Lime Lassi was a bit weird, but since we were all encouraged to byob, there was plenty of wine and beer. Once seated, the show began. And I say ‘show’ since so much obvious effort had gone into the meal. Each dish was presented and plated beautifully, and Boris graciously explained the why and how behind each item.
For starters we had Chinese Style Dumplings, which included the only non-raw ingredient, rice paper wrappers. Stuffed with a mix of pureed cashews and spices, the little bundles were packed full of flavor and not only tasty but very filling. The grumbling hubbies began to relax.
The main dish was Boris’s take on Gado Gado, which involved preparing 12 different vegetables and condiments. I know he was up until 1 the night before at Sienna’s preparing this, since I could hear his industrial strength blender as I fell asleep. (Sienna is my neighbor) The plates looked gorgeous, all multi colored and a mix of different textures. Although at first it seemed like so much salad, in the end everyone admitted they were stuffed and many couldn’t even finish.
But somehow we all managed to find room for the dessert, a Cardamom Coconut Halva, with a Mango Coulis, which may have been my favorite course.
I would usually leave you all with a recipe at this point. But I think there should be a warming about not trying this at home. The meal was certainly delicious, impressive and filling. And I’d love to try it again. But replicate it on my own, at home? I don’t think so. It seems like way too much effort. I’ll leave that to the gourmet raw chefs for now. So Boris, I hope you come back again soon.
This Saturday we made a quick run up to Todi, from Rome. Our house is rented out, and Saturday is change-over day, so we only had a few quick hours check on things, root around the vegetable garden and pick some figs. (more on that later) Even though any visit to our house is a pleasure, it’s also a bit of work. There is always something that needs to get done. That’s why we love, love, love going to our friend Laura’s house up in the country.
Laura’s house feels like our own home, but since it’s not, we can totally relax. There are no chores looming! So, on Saturday rather than head straight back to Rome, we made a detour and stopped at Laura’s for a mini-vacation. Even though we were only there for four hours, we managed to fit in a great meal, a wonderful nap and a refreshing swim before heading back to Rome.
Sometimes I pitch in and whip up something at Laura’s but this time her excellent cook, Paola, had prepared an extraordinary stuffed rabbit. It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. (I know, I say this all the time) Crispy on the outside, juicy and full of flavor on the inside. With Laura’s own wine to wash it down, no wonder we needed a nap afterwards.
How do you stuff a rabbit , you ask? Well, it’s pretty complicated, so here are the photos of Paola in action. Rather than write out the recipe, I’ll just add captions. First, Paola had to bone the rabbit. FYI, rabbits have LOTS of small, niggly bones. So it was an extraordinary feat!
Limp, boneless bunny, waiting to be stuffed. There's actually not much meat on a rabbit, so the stuffing turned out to be major.
Paola cuts up a dry loaf of bread, and lets it soak for a while in water.
A few eggs, and LOTS of salt. Umbrians like things salty.
Sauteing cut up chicken livers and a few sausages in a pan, then tipping them into the bowl with the eggs.
Remember that soggy bread? Paola squeezed the water out, then used it to sop up the sausages and liver juices, and in it goes with the stuffing.
After laying twine under the rabbit, Paola gently spreads the stuffing on top.
Making sure none of the stuffing escapes.
Carefully tying the knots. She started in the center then worked her way out.
Tucking in the ends.(Plus, a lot more salt)
Tied up tight, nestled in the pan, bathed in rosemary, garlic and olive oil. And more salt.
Finally, after two hours in the oven, the bunny's done. Yes, those congealed burnt pieces at the bottom of the pan were heavenly.
It wasn't easy to cut in neat slices. But who cares? (That's Sophie in the background, making sure nothing goes to waste).
Once the rabbit got to the table there was lots of begging.
More begging.
Just so you realize how splendid the day was, the view from the table.
I spent last week in London, with Sophie, looking for a ‘flat’ since she’ll be going to ‘uni’ there next year. While house hunting, we rented our own little flat, through Airbnb, which was in a great location. We were in the heart of Soho, on Greek Street. While it got a bit noisy on Saturday night (we were above a pub) I loved being in this neighborhood.
While I did some half-hearted restaurant research before we left, I wasn’t very thorough. Sophie and I were pretty tired at the end of each day, and so just stayed in the neighborhood. That said, we ate excellently. Soho, it turns out, has some pretty great restaurants these days.
So, since I am a list kind of girl, here is my most recent London Restaurant List.
The Golden Oven One evening it was just pouring. Not that London drizzle, but a downpour. We were starved, and Sophie was craving Indian, so I went online and found out that The Golden Oven, located half a block from our flat, got rave reviews from customers. Even though it was literally steps from our door, we arrived dripping. But after the owner kindly dried us off, he suggested that we just trust him, and he would bring us good food. I rarely do this, but was so happy I did. We had the most amazing Vegetable Korma I’ve ever had. Full of freshly grated coconut and just a bit of honey, it wasn’t even on the menu. Not expensive and the owner made us feel so welcome we are sure to go back there again. 22 Bateman Street
Hix My friend Meg suggested Hix, which I had never heard about, but gather is quite well known. Fantastic, art-filled space (Damien Hirst etc.). The menu is traditional English, revisited, and delicious. I had a duck salad full of both tender pieces of meat and crispy bits of skin, followed by the best fish fingers I’ve ever had, served on a bed of minty mushy peas.
Mike, Meg’s husband, had the famous Hix dish Heaven and Earth: A ball of blood sausage on a bed of mash. Make sure you try one of the Jelly Shots for dessert. Yummy!
Take a look a the club downstairs, which is quite cozy and perfect for a drink. 66 Brewer Street
Arbutus A few people had mentioned Arbutus, but told me I’d never get a reservation on such short notice. While walking around one day, we just stopped in and reserved for the next night. Truly excellent, simply prepared food in a relaxed, cozy setting at reasonable prices. Also, I loved the fact that they had several bottles of wine under 20 pounds, not easy to find in London. Both Sophie and I had the Beet Salad with goat cheese, which we loved. Next I had the Cod, which was served with four of the best cockles I’ve ever had in my life: barely heated, little bits of the sea. 64 Frith Street
Pho We passed by here one day, on our way home, so decided to try it that night. I was so glad we did! They have four locations in London, and the Wardour Street had just opened, and so was 10% off their already extremely reasonable prices. To start off we had the Vegetarian Spring Rolls (they were out of the Pork, which I think is an excellent sign!) and the Mango Salad, which was crunchy, salty, spicy and sour. Everything you want in a Vietnamese salad. The place obviously specializes in Pho, and it was extraordinary. I had mine with Meatballs, Sophie ordered Brisket. I also had a beer and the bill came to 22 pounds! They don’t take reservations, but it’s worth the short wait. 163 Wardour Street
Gourmet Burger Kitchen OK, this is not a real restaurant. In fact, it’s part of a chain with about 20 locations throughout London. But if you’re craving a burger? You’d have a hard time finding a better one, even in the States. The beef is 100% Aberdeen Angus and the buns are home made and excellent. 15 Frith Street
Since Sophie will be in London for the next three years, I plan on visiting often. So I'll update this list, but please feel free to add your own favorites. I'll look forward to trying them!
