Ciao Roma!!

Ciao mei amici!! I finally arrived in Rome and let me tell you, it feels like I never left. I feel like I'm home. I know my way around, I understand and speak some of the language, the people at my hotel remembered us from last year, it's just perfect. The weather is STUNNING. The past few days I've just been settling in before I leave for Florence tomorrow. We've been spending our time just wandering. One of the amazing things about Rome is you can you just wander and you never know what you're going to come across. A lovely piazza, a stunning fountain, a little café, musicians in the street, etc. I thought I would share some photos with you from the past few days. Once I get to Florence where I'll be attending cooking school, I will start posting recipes that I'll be making in class and at home.  I will also be posting on my facebook and twitter daily and will be sharing lots of beautiful pictures on my pinterest, so please be sure to follow me the entire way. And of course, I will posting here..recipes, photos, journals, you name it. Ciao for now!

They have different versions of nutella like we have peanut butter!

I have to tell you, I got a small mozzarella at the supermarket for 1 euro that rivaled most mozzarella sold in gourmet shops in NYC.




Yes, Baci Yogurt is a thing in Italy.

 

Insalata Caprese

Ciao a tutti!! When I’m in Italy, something that I really look forward to eating is a beautiful, fresh Insalata Caprese. It’s just a perfect meal. Milky and creamy mozzarella, plump, juicy tomatoes and sweet fragrant basil  with a drizzle of beautiful olive oil and sprinkle of salt. 

I certainly eat Insalata Caprese in America, but……they’re just not the same. The big thing for me…the tomatoes. Tomatoes in Italy are just amazing. The oil, air, water and sun in Italy all contribute to the extraordinary quality and taste of the tomatoes. When I was first in Ischia the summer of 2011, we brought some tomatoes at the local market, took them home and cut them in half and ate them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bliss. We had never had such good tomatoes. Honestly, they just taste different then what we have back home.

So..one day while wandering around Rome, literally, just wandering and seeing what we found, we weren’t looking for anything specific, just taking in all of the beauty, we came across a little trattoria and decided to give it a try. I ordered the Insalata Caprese and did not regret it. Another key to making a fantastic insalata is getting REAL mozzarella. Not the kind packaged in the supermarket. You need to find a place that sells fresh, milky mozzarella.

I know this may sound like the most, simple, easiest recipe ever and it is…but that’s one of the reasons I love it so much. You’ll be amazed at how something so simple, can taste so incredible. Buon Appetito!!

Insalata Caprese

3 vine ripe tomatoes (cut into ¼ inch thick slices)

1 pound fresh mozzarella (cut into ¼ inch thick slices)

1 bunch fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)

Salt and Pepper

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding some basil between. Drizzle the top of the salad with the olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper (quanto basta!). Enjoy!!

The Sweets of Roma: Tortine di Nutella

Ciao a tutti!! When you’re in Italy, you can’t NOT have candy and pastries. I mean, it’s kind of a law. Well, it’s not, but still. It really should be. Something I love about Italian sweets is how different the flavors are from the ones we have in America. In America it’s all about cookie dough and cookies and cream, in Italy, nut and fruit flavors are very popular. 

I've never seen a Chestnut Torta in a bakery, except when I’m in Italy. I’m a big fan of nutty flavors, so everything topped with pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pignolis and chestnuts is a nice surprise for me. I’m telling you….just looking in the windows of the bakeries was a treat. So, I thought it would be fun to post a Pastry Photo Tour of Roma!! I've also added recipes that I've tried and tested that were the closest to the actual experience. I'll be posting a new pastry recipes/photo every few days inspired by the beautiful pastries I enjoyed while in Roma. And in a few days, a Pastry/Gelato Photo Tour of Firenze! 

But for today....Tortine di Nutella. That's right. Nutella. Who doesn't love nutella? I'm not sure I should tell you how many of these babies I ate while in Italy. Honestly....I had one almost every night. I'm not even kidding. Clearly, I love nutella, as you may recall from my Nutella Chronicle Post. Every bakery has their own take on this classic tart, so I figured it was only fair to try everyone's version!! Right?!?! These are little flaky shortbread tartlets filled with a deep and rich nutella ganache. 

They. Are. Amazing. No lie. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!! 

Tortine di Nutella

Buttery Shortbread Pastry Crust

2 cups all purpose flour

14 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. chilled heavy cream

1 tsp. salt

In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, egg, sugar, heavy cream and salt and pulse until the dough gathers into big clumps.  Put the dough on a clean counter surface that is lightly floured and gather it together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough. You can use whatever size tart pans you like, piccolo, medio or grande. Press the tart pans into the dough for your crust. Put them in the oven on 300 degrees and cook for 6 minutes. They will not be completely done, but you will be baking them again when filled with the nutella. Now prepare your nutella ganache...

Nutella Ganache 

1 cup of nutella

4 ounces of good quality milk chocolate, I like to use Perugina chocolate bars

1/2 cup heavy cream

Chopped Hazelnuts to top the tarts

Prepare the nutella and chocolate in a small mixing bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Add the nutella and chocolate to the heavy cream and mix until silky and smooth. Now get the tart/tartlet crusts (whatever size you picked) and carefully spoon the nutella into the crust. Put back in the oven on 300 degrees and bake for another 6 minutes. Take out and add the chopped hazelnuts to top of the tarts. Boun Appetito!!

Bella Roma: Part Due; Shopping and Pasta all Norma

Ciao a tutti! Every time we travel, we make a point of leaving a few days to just wander so we don’t get too overwhelmed, I think this is usually a pretty smart choice, at least for us. So, today we decided to walk and browse in and out of some shops. My mother always told me about a department store that she went to on her first trip to Italy with her best friend when they were younger. The store is called Upim. It is basically the Italian equivalent or a Target or JCPenney. My mother and I found it on my first trip in the summer of 2011 and I was very eager to get back. This Store is so much fun!! They have clothing, makeup, accessories, home décor, jewelry…pretty much anything that women love!

I love shopping in Italy and getting brands and designers that are not available in this country, I know that may seem silly, but I get a kick out of it. I especially love buying Italian makeup and shoes! Unfortunately at Upim, you're not allowed to take pictures, so I have none to share with you. Now, enough about the shopping, let’s get to the reason why I’m here: FOOD!! 

After all that shopping, we worked up a good appetite. On our last trip, we were lucky enough to find a little outdoor café just a couple of blocks from Upim, so we decided to have lunch there again, we even had the exact same meal.

Fried Zucchini Flowers, my weakness

Pasta all Norma and a few Fried Zucchini Flowers. You just can’t go wrong. Pasta alla Norma is a favorite of mine. I love eggplant, so the chance to pair it with pasta and  ricotta salata…..mmmmmm. And it doesn’t hurt that it is also named after Vincenzo Bellini’s opera, “Norma.” The story goes that in the 19^th century, Nino Martoglio, a Sicilian writer, poet and theatre director, was so impressed when he first tasted the dish that he compared it to “Norma,” Bellini’s masterpiece. It is a classic Sicilian dish from Catania, a city on the east coast of Sicily.

If you haven’t tried Pasta all Norma, I highly recommend it. What can I say? It’s just a wonderful dish. I hope you enjoy my version, please let me know what you think!

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma. Doesn't it look yummy?!?

2 medium eggplants- cut into little cubes (you pick exactly how little)

7 tbsp. olive oil

Salt & Pepper (quanto basta!)

Onion- minced

1 tbsp. red pepper

4 cloves of garlic-minced

1 large can of tomatoes (I always use San Marzano tomatoes, in my opinion, they’re just the best!)

Handful of fresh basil

1 pound of rigatoni

1 cup of ricotta salata

Preheat your over to 400 degrees. Put the eggplant in a bowl and drizzle with 4 tbsp. olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss. Put the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast for around 20 minutes or until lightly caramelized, but not burnt!!

Heat the remaining oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, around 10 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic; continue cooking until the garlic softens. Add tomatoes, some of the basil, salt and cook for around 6-7 minutes.

Boil some water for the pasta. Once it is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, around 9 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the tomato mix. Stir in the eggplant and toss, add the remaining basil and a little salt. Garnish with ricotta salata. As always, I LOVE to hear what you have to say! Boun Appetito!! 

Bella Roma- Part Uno; Castel Sant’Angelo and Seafood Pasta

Rome. When I first came here to study opera in the summer of 2011, I didn't quite know what to expect. My mother had been before and loved it and of course I have a lot of pride in my Italian background, but I had never been out of the country and was a little nervous. But, like most people that visit Italy, I instantly fell in love. It may sound like a cliche  but it’s true. I feel in love with the culture, history, the people, the food and just everything about being in Italy. I mean, what’s not to love?  

The second I landed back home, I was literally counting the minutes until I got to return. And luckily, just a year, 5 months, 11 days and 7 hours later, I got back to Italy. Not only was I going to get to experience Roma, but Firenze as well. On my first trip, we spent 6 nights in Rome and two weeks in Ischia and I loved every second of it. This time, we would be spending 2 and half weeks in Rome and a week in Florence.

Today, we decided to cross the Tiber River and go to one of my favorite places in Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo. One of the reasons I love Castel Sant’Angelo so much is that it figures prominently in Puccini’s “Tosca.” It is the prison and execution location of Mario Cavaradossi, as well as where Floria Tosca throws herself from the rooftop after learning of Cavaradossi’s death, as she is trying to escape from Scarpia’s henchmen. As she stands on the edge about to kill herself, she sings “O Scarpia, avanti a dio!” and the theme of the hauntingly beautiful aria “E lucevan le stelle” is played. Every time I visit, I feel the need to sing the last line all the way at the top (only if no one is around of course.)

Castel Sant’Angelo is the tomb of Hadrian and was later used by popes as a fortress and castle. It’s very fun walking around and finding little nooks and crannies to squeeze into. After exploring for a few hours, we decided it was time for lunch and ate at a little restaurant right off the Tiber. As soon as we glanced at the menu, we knew we had to try the gnocchi with fresh seafood. 

Homemade gnocchi with shrimp, clams, tomato and arugula in a garlic wine sauce. We also shared a Caprese salad. The pasta was incredible. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, just the way homemade gnocchi should be. The seafood was delicious and fresh, the sauce a wonderful fragrant combination of the wine and garlic, mixed with the seafood flavor and a little juice from the tomatoes. It was heavenly. While I don’t know the exact recipe of their version, I did try recreating my own once I got home, so I am happy to share my recipe with you. I made homemade gnocchi, but you can obviously use pre-made. Enjoy!!

Gnocchi with Seafood

1 pound of clams

1 pound of shrimp

1 package of gnocchi

¼ cup of olive oil

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

4 cloves of garlic, minced very fine

½ cup of white wine

6 baby tomatoes, chopped in half

Handful of fresh arugula

Start off by cooking the clams with ½ a cup of water until cooked. Keep the liquid. Remove the meat from inside the clams and throw out the shells.

Start boiling salted water for your pasta. Once it has begun to boil, add the gnocchi. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Add crushed red pepper and garlic. Once the garlic has begun to brown, remove from heat and add the white wine and around 6 ounces of pasta water to the sauté pan. Put it back on the stove to heat.

When the pasta is almost done, remove from the water and add to the sauté pan. Save the water!! Add more liquid to the sauté pan depending on how creamy you want the sauce. Add the clams and shrimp and finish cooking with all the seafood until nice and al dente. Add the chopped tomatoes and arugula. Serve immediately. Enjoy with a glass of Prosecco. Buon Appetito!!