10 Roman Gems

It has been a long time since I lived in Rome and I definitely start to feel "Romesick" if I go too long without my fix.  Having spent more than 4 years there, I rarely do the standard tourist thing when I return  - you would be hard pressed to find me waiting on line at the Vatican Museums.  Been there, done that, more times than I care to remember.  Rome is home to me and being in your hometown means going to local haunts, but also taking the time to appreciate the culture - though in a different way than one who is passing through for a weekend.   Here is a list of things that I love to do/see/visit when I go back to Rome.  Honestly, many of them revolve around food and drink but as they say....when in Rome....

• Borghese Gallery - I know, not exactly off the beaten path but I cannot resist this gallery. The sculptures by Bernini are exquisite.  If you go, make sure you book ahead of time or you will have a hard time getting in, especially in high season.  Following the visit (which is limited to two hours, you can walk through the Villa Borghese, a gorgeous urban park, and continue on to the Spanish Steps.
• Santa Sabina - this Early Christian church is located on the Aventine Hill and is worth the trek.  It is beautiful in its simplicity and is situated next to the park called the Orange Grove which affords a stellar view of the city.
• Granita di Caffe  - you will never be able to have a frappuccino again after tasting this decadent treat at the Caffe Tazza D'Oro near the Pantheon.  It is layers of frozen, sweetened espresso and fresh whipped cream.  Enough said. 
• Parco Celimontana - in the summertime (late July and August) the jazz club Alexanderplatz moves outside to take advantage of the splendid Roman summer nights.  The build a stage in the middle of a beautiful park near the Colosseum and offer nightly music and dining.  
• Antico Enoteca della Croce though there are many many winebars in Rome, this remains one of my favorites. Located near the Spanish steps, it is popular with locals and tourists alike.  Sit at the counter and have a glass from their extensive selection along with a plate of antipasto.  This is a perfect way to end a day in Rome. 
• Chiostro di Bramante Bramante's Cloister located at Santa Maria della Pace (Piazza Navona area) offers great exhibits and concerts.  It is worth checking out the schedule if you are going to be in Rome.
• Trattoria San Teodoro - this has always been and remains my favorite restaurant in Rome.  Located in a quiet neighborhood behind the Capitoline Hill, it is a popular spot for politicians, soccer players and various Roman celebrities.  The food is fantastic.  Be prepared to spend a lot but relish this special treat.  If they are available, have a carciofi della Giudea (Jewish artichoke). This is a typical Roman dish that they do better here than anywhere.  My brother still talks about those artichokes from his trip 10 years ago!
• Pizza Bianca - when your feet are aching from walking the cobblestones for miles and you need a midmorning break, head for Campo dei Fiori to the Forno for pizza bianca (white pizza).  This is pizza dough topped with salt and olive oil.  It comes out of the oven in a big slab and you can choose as big or small a piece as you would like.  It hits the spot and you can continue your trek through the Eternal City.
• Capitoline Cafe - on the Capitoline Hill, next to the museum shop there is a cafe' with a terrace and a magnificent view of Rome.  Go here for a prosecco in the late afternoon.  The light at sunset is sublime and of course, there's the prosecco....
• La Cremeria - the debate over the best gelato in Rome is a never ending one - San Crispono, Palazzo del Freddo, Giolitti, Gelateria delle Palme - but my personal favorite is La Cremeria at the Pantheon.  I don't actually go there for the gelato but for the cremolata which is like a sorbet but so much better.  In one cup you can get up to three flavors of fruit ice.  buonissimo!

Word of the Day

Hello all!  Today's word is primavera.  It means spring.  Although this morning it did not feel much like spring as we had snowflakes in the air, I know the good weather is just around the corner.  Spring in Italy is fabulous  - not so hot or crowded as it is in the summer and one can truly feel a reawakening.  Gastronomically speaking it means some of my favorite delights - asparagus, fava beans, artichokes.  If you have never had an Jewish artichoke in Rome, you have not lived.  There is nothing simpler or more delicious.  The whole artichoke is fried in olive oil until the leaves are crispy and golden and then it is sprinkled with salt and served as an appetizer.  Go to Rome and get one - NOW!  The experience will be a true celebration of La Primavera (also a pretty nice work of art by Botticelli in the Uffizi by the way.)  

I don't like tiramisu.

There, I said it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.   I don't know why I don't like it, I just don't.  It seems almost sacrilege for an Italophile like myself to admit this.

While I am not a fan of the dessert, the process of making it is wonderful.  I love to cook and appreciate the time and precision of a dessert such as tiramisu.  Every cook has his or her own technique and recipe, no one does it exactly like another.  Last May I took 7 clients to the Villa di Riboia for a cooking class.  This is a private home nestled in the hills outside of Florence.  Milvia showed us how to make an exquisite sauce for pasta and in it she cooked our second course of involtini. While that was cooking she made us some bruschetta and a tiramisu that even I have to admit, was like no other.  The kitchen was the epitome of calm the entire time. It was incredible. Milvia whipped up some delicious spinach to serve with the involtini and while the pasta was cooking she took us on a tour of her villa. She was amazing, but very set in her ways. We sat when and where she asked us to, we tasted when she said taste, sipped wine when she said it was to be (even though it was only 10:30 AM) lent a hand when she asked for it. At one point while she was making the tiramisu, she said (through me as I translated), you can make this in the morning before your dinner party and put it into the refrigerator until it is   time to serve.   So one of the women in our group piped up and said "or you could make it the night before, right?"  I translated for Milvia and I have never seen such a horrified look on someone's face. So clearly, the lesson here is, you don't make your tiramisu the night before.  But if you choose to do so, your secret is safe with me.  Here is the recipe:

Mamma Milvia’s Tiramisù

5 eggs, separated

500 grams mascarpone

5 Tbs. sugar

Add a pinch of salt to the whites and mix until they form stiff peaks. Set aside

Mix sugar and yolks with a mixer.  Add mascarpone and mix until well blended.  Slowly and gently fold in the egg whites until you have a smooth dense liquid.

1 1/2 cups freshly brewed espresso

2 Tbs rum (more or less)

3 tsp sugar

Mix the above ingredients together. Dunk pavesini (or lady fingers) in the espresso mixture and place in a 13 x 9 baking dish making them fit in tightly to completely cover the bottom of the pan.  Pour 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Sprinkle with bittersweet chocolate shavings.  Add a 2nd layer of the cookies (this layer does not need to touch).  Pour another 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the top and shave with chocolate.  Repeat with cookies, mascarpone and chocolate.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Notes:

If you can find the ladyfingers that are crunchy rather than soft, they seem to work better.   I found them at Whole Foods but a good Italian market will have them too (in that case look for pavesini).  Buon Appetito!

Tastefully yours,
Ashley