Doesn't this happen to you all the time? Friday night we were at A's cousin's home ready to sit down to dinner when there's a knock at the door. Who was it you ask? A priest dropping by to give us an Easter blessing - I know, only in Rome.
We had a great dinner with Massimo, Lucia and Domitilla (M & L are godparents to 'little a'). I eat to live but this family Lives To Eat. Massimo and his brother Marco are opening a fish themed restaurant in the coming weeks - not far from the Vatican (a bit more on this in another post).
Saturday we visited the fabric district in the 'jewish ghetto' not far from Piazza Navonna and Campo de Fiori (near Largho di Torre Argentina). Everything was closed. No, not because it was the sabbath but because we arrived at lunchtime. What was I thinking? I speak Italian but the lone store open was intimidating to me. All of the fabrics, mostly silks, were stored on moveable, elevated racks. You had to ask to view the fabrics - no browsing - no time given to ponder your choice - you have to think quick on your feet and make a decision. If other fabric stores in the neighbourhood have the same storage method I don't see myself buying much fabric in Rome.
We moved on to the book store across from Largho di Torre Argentina called Feltrinelli. The arts and crafts section is in the basement. If you love to cook then Feltrinelli has a great selection of books for you. If you love decoupage then Feltrinelli has a great selection of books for you. If you're looking for craft books on anything other than decoupage, then Feltrinelli is not the store for you. Unable to find a great craft book I turned my focus to craft magazines but I didn't find anything to my liking (lots of knitting, crocheting & decoupage). The magazine / newspaper kiosks are a bit like the fabric store - 'ask and they shall show you'. The craft magazines are usually displayed in an exterior window of the kiosk and you have to know what you're looking for because the vendor doesn't give you time to browse - he unlocks the window and gives you 10 seconds to decide on your purchase.
So you might think I was having a bad day - not at all; it was warm and the sun was shining, and lunch was next on the agenda. What you see to the left is only a small sampling of the pizza slices (pizza al taglio) available in the this eatery just outside Campo de Fiori. There's no need to recommend a pizza place in Rome - I've never had a disappointing slice (the same can't be said for Milano. The further south you go in Italy the better the pizza tastes).
I don't drink coffee but A plans his day around having coffee at Caffe Sant'Eustachio (in Piazza Sant'Eustachio) located between Piazza Navonna and the Pantheon. It's a known fact that they make the best coffee in Rome.
This is a craft blog so forgive me for talking so much about travel and food but there are just a few more things you need to know about Rome.
The best ice cream in Rome?
Giolitti - Via Uffici del Vicario, 42 (near the Pantheon). But you shouldn't take my word for it. If in Rome you should try every ice cream shop and decide for yourself. My favourite flavours:
fior di latte,
stracciatella,
kinder (as in Kinder chocolate) and nutella.
The best dinner I've ever had in Rome? Taverna Trilussa Trastevere - Via del Politeama, 23-25 (tel. 06 581 8918). My daughter has only said 'mmmmm' once in her two years of life and it was at this restaurant when she tasted their whipped ricotta. Ask for an antipasto assortment and then try either their ravioli mimosa or pasta all'amatriciana - oh sooooo good. I've never gotten past the pasta course so sorry, I can't recommend a meat dish.
Sunday we headed over to the flea market at Porta Portese. We've always wanted to visit but it's either been too hot (try to visit Rome outside the summer months) or we were travelling on a Sunday. In summary it was a waste of time. The market gets great write-ups but I was disappointed; I can get the same stuff at flea markets in any other city in Europe.
Would I ever go back? Only to scope out their antique market which we were too tired to locate, however, next time I'll skip the clothing market all together. Check out the crowd. They can't all be pickpocketers. Maybe they know something I don't.
We got back to Paris late Tuesday and since then 'little a' has had a fever, cough, cold .....
Stay tuned. I'm planning a Vacanza Romana Giveaway to celebrate my new blog!
A's cousin was in Paris Thursday night and he and a friend came by for dinner. I like having last minute guests because it prevents me from changing the menu 100 times. (I thought Umberto was vegetarian so I didn't make a meat dish - turns out he's not - oops) I usually serve at least one warm hors d'oeuvre and a few cold ones to accompany the 'apero', always champagne. That's not a pizza up top, it's cheddar cheese sprinkled on top of ready made quiche dough. I roll it into a log, slice i
t, then pop the cookie sheet into the oven and bake until golden (they're still raw in the photo above right). You can use hot dogs to make pigs in a blanket or in the past I've sauteed grated zucchini, onion and carrots and made a really good veggie roll. Below are the cold hors d'oeuvre which I served with a baguette: mini bocconcini (mozzarella), candied tomatoes, marinated olives, carrots, and hummus.
For the appetizer I made chèvre chaud (mixed greens with an olive oil / balsamic vinegar / dijon mustard dressing topped with toasted goat's cheese on baguette). It's so easy and it makes for a good presentation.
I bet you've figured out that by this point the only clean surface left in the kitchen was the stove top.
I forgot to photograph the cheese platter, I was so tired by this point; the dinner conversation revolved around politics (bores me) and religion (Umberto is working on getting a double PhD in Islamic studies. I'll have to introduce you to my favourite French cheese (Morbier) another time. For dessert we had a deeeeelicious chocolate raspberry (frozen, but nobody would ever have guessed) torte. I gussied it up with creme anglaise and fresh raspberries. Nobody had room left for the cheese course but we all managed to eat the dessert (not pictured of course because I forgot to photograph it). It was a really nice evening.
