If you’re like me, and you have to make a five hour drive from point A to point B, you’re probably looking for a point C. Somewhere in between where you can stop off and have lunch. We make the drive from Rome to Bari all the time, but never ever make more than pit stops along the way. While I love my Autogrill as much as the next girl, I always dream of wandering off into the beautiful countryside around Benevento to explore.
Why don’t we stop? Because we’re going down to spend time with Domenico’s mom, and we’ve usually left Rome later than we had anticipated on a Friday afternoon.We end up driving fast and furious to make it in time for a dinner of focaccia and panzerotti. And then on the way back, we're usually trying to avoid Sunday evening traffic leading back into the city.
Like many people, I have a love / hate relationship with Venice. Of course the love part is way stronger than the hate part. And the hate part really more like an annoyed part, and only has to do with a few streets and squares in Venice that feel more like Times Square with its crowds, than the magical watery city that I love.
The epicenter of the Venice that I make a point of avoiding is, or course, Piazza San Marco. I know, I know. It’s supposed to be one of the great wonders of Italy. “The drawing room of Italy” according to Napoleon. And even if it is the size of, oh - I don’t know, 12? - foot ball fields, the fields are today overrun by the worst kind of tourists. I hate to say they seem like they all just stepped off a cruise ship for 3 hours to see the city, but they all seem like they just stepped off a cruise ship for three hours to see the city.
But there here are things that draw me to the square. And no, they’re not St. Mark’s Cathedral or the Doge’s palace.
I love this social media stuff. I know you come to my blog for ideas and inspiration. But when I’m stumped, all I have to do is post on Facebook or Tweet a question and within seconds I’ve got answers, ideas and suggestions. Thank you all!
Example: A few weeks ago I was swimming in an over-abundance of green peppers from our garden in Todi. Back in May Domenico decided to buy about 10 plants of frigitelli, a small sweet green pepper. And of course they all became super productive at exactly the same time in October. After preparing the tender peppers the traditional Roman way - fried in hot oil - as well as using them to make pollo con peperoni and stuffed with bread crumbs, I was in the mood for something a bit different.
You’re probably either cooking or eating.
Or both.
Or maybe it’s that time of the day when you’re finally settling back on the couch, realizing just how much you ate?
I know you’ve probably got your Thanksgiving menu planned and shopped for. And most likely you’ve already started brining turkeys, chopping celery and rolling out dough.
But if you’re like me, and are convinced you may not have enough food, then here are some last minute ideas to make sure you have way more food than you’ll ever need. That’s the point of Thanksgiving, right? The leftovers.
I’ve definitely had soup on my mind lately. Not only has the weather turned cold (well, kind of) but I was also very inspired by the Zuppe presentation last week.
But since I’ve also been very busy lately, once again it got to be that time of night when dinner had to be on the table in an hour and I thought I had nothing in the house. I desperately wanted some kind of soup but I hadn’t soaked any beans, didn’t have any great stock and no fresh vegetables were hiding in my fridge.
However, as always, my pantry was pretty full. As was my ‘root cellar.’
One of the questions I get asked most often when I bring people into restaurants in Rome is “Is the pasta fresh?”
Usually, my answer is no. The pasta isn’t fresh. For the most part, the iconic pasta dishes that you find in Rome - carbonara, gricia, cacio e pepe - are almost always made with dried pasta. This is pasta that is made with flour and water, and then dried and packaged. Since this pasta is much less absorbent than fresh pasta made with eggs, it works better with these very simple, and non-saucy, sauces.
Spoiler alert: If you think that you may be, or have ever been, or just want to be on my Christmas list don't read any further. Because this post is all about what I’ll be giving everyone this season.
If, however, you are looking for a great gift to give out yourself, read away.
I had the great pleasure to attend the presentation and book signing of the latest book in the series that is being produced by the American Academy’s Rome Sustainable Food Project. Like the first volume, Biscotti, this little jewel of a cookbook has been authored by Mona Talbott.
I’ve been meaning to write about my time at the Salone del Gusto since I came back two weeks ago. It isn’t that I have nothing to say about it. Just the opposite. I have way too much to say.
The Salone del Gusto is Slow Food’s biggest event and takes place every two years. I’ve been to almost every one since they started, in 1996, so I think this is my sixth.
I remember the very first one I went to, in 1996, with my friend Evan. Among our many discoveries, were things like lardo di Colonnato, freshly pressed olive oils from Sicily, and chocolates from a new little company called Amedei. All sorts of things we now take for granted, but back then were true discoveries.
I usually plan out my blog posts at least a week in advance. But I didn’t really know what today’s post would be. Because I didn’t know the tone I’d want to project.
Would I be celebrating? Or drowning my sorrows?
Either way, I figured cocktails would come into play.
As it turns out I’m celebrating big time. I hope you are too. I am optimistic once again, that things can really change as we move into the future.
I’m a sucker for a well designed label. It often doesn’t even matter what is in the can, bottle or box. I will buy it if there is good design going on.
I’ve been known to snap up dozens of cans of tuna based on cute labels, and you all know my penchant for orange wrappers.
And while it doesn’t take much to convince me to buy a bottle of booze, my liquor cabinet is probably bigger than it should be based on my love of labels. I’m not talking about vodka, gin or rum, which I manage to go through quite quickly. No. It’s the whole digestivo and amaro thing that has gotten out of control.
Last week, when I got back from a week of eating my way through Torino, what I was really craving were salads and vegetables. You know what it’s like when you’re on the road. Even with the best of intentions, veggies are usually few and far between.
So after mentally committing myself to a week of vegetable-centric meals, time and weather intervened to throw me off track. Because to eat vegetables, you actually have to leave the house and buy them. Rarely do they miraculously appear in your fridge.
Even though I make it up to Torino at least once every two years, I never get to do and see as much as I’d like. The thing is, I head north to visit to the Salone del Gusto. Which means that I spend almost all of my time out at the Lingotto fair grounds, tasting my way through as many of the 1000 stands, exhibitors, workshops and food producers as possible.
It’s great. I love it. Don’t get me wrong.
But some of my favorite things about Torino often remain off my grid. At the end of the day I never have time to hang out in the center of town.
Which is why I went up a couple of days early this year, to pack in as much chocolate, plin, Baroque churches and museums as possible.
At the top of my list? Bicerin. On a rainy, cold afternoon, Sophie and I happily made our way to what has got to be the coziest bar not only in Italy, but in Europe.
