The Best Meal You'll Eat in Rome......without saying a word

For my Food and Media class this semester, my group has been creating a documentary about Fresh Food Markets and how many restaurants in Rome still use these markets as their primary places to buy ingredients. We have been working in Campo di Fiori and with a restaurant called Trattoria Der Pallaro, just steps away from the market. We found the restaurant listed in a Rick Steve's Travel book, and little did we know that after just 6 hours of filming with the owner Giovanni, we would fall in love. Giovanni and his wife own this tiny place that Giovanni and his father have built from the ground up. They have lots of love to share and Giovanni is probably the most adorable little Italian man I've ever seen. This past Tuesday, we were finally able to eat dinner at the restaurant. It was an experience I will never forget.

First it is important to know how the place works. There is no menu, just whatever they are serving that day. As a sign in their restaurant says, "You will eat what we want to feed you". The menu is given to you at a set price and you enjoy your meal family style. And what a meal it is.....

Our antipasti consisted of bread, olives, cheese, prosciutto, salami, lentils, and assorted fried meat and rice balls. That was just the appetizer. I had a hard time restraining myself to eat a normal appetizer portion because everything was so delicious. I have never been a huge fan of lentils but I must say, I had no problem dumping them on a piece of bread and scarfing it down.

Next came the primi, we were given a dish full of pasta, but split between two kinds. Half was the Roman traditional Carbonara, and the other half was a simple pasta with red sauce. I have tried lots of Carbonara in Rome, including my own home made, and I must say this was hands down the BEST I've tasted. The pasta with red sauce was also delicious and I had no problem clearing my plate. And I loved that I got to try a few different things and even though I was eating a lot, at least I was trying multiple things.

The secondi was a selection of meats, vegetables, and potato chips. Since potato chips are pretty much my favorite thing in the world, I couldn't turn down this fresh, homemade goodie. I was also able to try both of the meats which were different, but perfect all the same. Amongst the vegetables was also the traditional Roman artichoke, and Trattoria der Pallaro probably has the best there is.

For dessert we had a homemade tort, the kind we were also able to taste in our filming, so we knew what was coming. I was more than happy to swipe the extra piece for the table as well as my own. After our dessert we were given a small glass of fresh mandarin juice to cleanse the pallet, and of course you can't forget about the red wine and water that was always available. While the meal did cost us 26 euro, a little more than I normally spend for a meal, it was worth every penny and I would even have to say I would pay more for the wonderful experience and the even better food!

Focaccia, Pesto, and Focaccia with Pesto!

I spent this weekend hiking in Cinque Terre. Now the scenery itself is so beautiful that quite frankly, the food could be terrible and it would still be one of the most visited places in Italy. But since it is still a part of Italy, the food is in fact fantastic as well. Cinque Terre is located in the region of Liguria, with its closest  major city being Genova. Genova is known for quite a few regional food specialties, the most popular of which are Focaccia bread and Pesto! You barely have to go 2 steps before you can find a store on the street selling either pesto or fresh from the oven Focaccia bread. You can even find these things at a Tabacchi!

Focaccia bread, as found throughout Italy, is usually just made with bread (similar to that used for pizza) with herbs and oil. However, Focaccia bread near Genova is a whole new beast. You can walk into any given place on the street and find dozens of varieties to choose from. Some include meats, some cheeses, some vegetables, some a mix of everything, and even some with pesto!

One of the greatest things for me to discover about Focaccia bread, after scarfing it down all weekend long, is that it really isn't all that difficult to make. There are tons of recipes out there, just google Focaccia recipe and you'll find something good, but this is one of my favorites. You can see a brief description on this page, then click "Get the Recipe" at the top for the list of ingredients and procedures.

Is your mouth watering yet? You're looking at Trofie with Pesto, a dish that can be found on literally every single menu in this region. The pasta, as well as the sauce, is specific to this region and they really know how to do it right. I will admit I am not much of a Pesto person in general, but after tasting the real deal, I may be turned pesto lover. I love this particular description and recipe for the dish so it is something you can try to replicate at home. They even include pictures of how the pasta is twisted and made so you can try it yourself if you can resist the temptation to just buy it from the bag. It's a tricky pasta to make by hand, and for me I prefer to enjoy it in a restaurant who knows what they're doing, but there are a few good youtube videos available to help you along if you're brave enough.

For those of you more like me and may just be interested in making the pesto, the food network offers a good recipe I've posted here. Signing off from the land of Columbus.....Eat well and enjoy your pesto!

Pizza Pizza Pizza!

This past weekend I visited the Cilento Region of Italy with my school group. The entire purpose of our trip was to be immersed in the Mediterranean Diet and boy I'd say we did just that. 3 days, and about 10 pounds, later, I feel like I have a grasp on how pizza, pasta, and cheese play a role in the Mediterranean Diet.

Aside from some sightseeing, everything was based around food. We visited two Mozzarella di Bufala farms and were able to taste it and see just how it was made. I was on Bufala overload by the end of the trip but even now I will say it truly is fantastic.

We also were able to visit a sea port to see fisherman bring in their fresh catch of the day. I was able to try a shrimp and it was the freshest, most delicious thing I've probably ever had. It's easy to get grossed out by the barely living fish, but the fact of the matter is that people come to the port to by them like this and then cook them right away, giving them the fresh, tasty, and good for you meal that has kept them so much healthier for so many years.

And now the pizza. I had pizza a grand total of 4 times in 3 days and I can't even say that I got sick of it.    At first glance I could not imagine how pizza could be good for you, or such an integral part of such a healthy diet but if you do it right, it is actually a great choice. Even this article will back me up, and talks about pizza preventing Cancer! Good thing I had tons of it this weekend then. We visited a pizza factory where we were able to see how it was made and try about 5 different kinds of pizza with various ingredients and types of dough. I also got adventurous and tried a pizza with a fried egg. Being adventurous certainly paid off as it is one of the best things I've ever had! (and don't worry, I do realize that I claim every new thing I try is the best thing I've ever had).

I must say, knowing that all this pizza, Italian style of course, is so good for you, I am really interested to get a recipe from my cooking teacher. I could get used to having an Italian style pizza for a meal and calling it a healthy choice!

From Pizza to Paella: A Trip to Spain

Taking a break from my usual talk of Italian food, I spent this past weekend in Barcelona, Spain...where pizza and pasta come right from the box, but fish is served fresh from the source. So, I did my best to consume only Spanish food and as much seafood as possible. And let me say by making this choice I was not disappointed.

For my first meal in Spain, lunch in fact, we went to a small cafe on the water. Since it was warm weather I went for a tuna fish salad, something nice and cool. It was not as I was expecting...like a tuna fish salad would be at home, but it was even better. As shown below, the tuna, so fresh I could barely stand it, was served on tomatoes and a bed of lettuce and onions. Even though the heat can sometimes take away my appetite I ate every last bite.

For dinner that same night I kept with my stand and we ate at a seafood place. The name of the restaurant was Somorrosto, and I have my Let's Go Europe Book to thank for finding such a great place.

The first thing to understand about Spaniards is that they eat their dinner very late, even by Italian standards. We got to the restaurant around 9:30 and had to wait and were not seated until 10:15....because the restaurant was so crowded. Even then, people were still sitting down to start their meals as late as 11:30.  To read more about Spanish eating habits, take a look at this great article from Spanish Lifestyle Magazine. Anyways, once we were seated, we were quick to order pan con tomate....a starter of bread with tomatoes, and a pitcher of sangria to share.

My friends ordered ravioli with brie cheese and shrimp and I ordered a sauteed prawns dish. As I ordered the waitress looked at me hesitantly saying it was a starter dish and may have less than 10 prawns. I'm not sure about you but  where I come from 10 prawns is a feast. When I got my meal I found that the prawns were the size of a small shrimp, but there were still 16 for me to enjoy, clearly an entire meal. I could barely finish it in fact, but the quality of the seafood was far too good for me to leave some on my plate. I would certainly recommend this place to anyone visiting and would also recommend trying these dishes or something like them. The pan con tomate is found just about everywhere and is an essential starter or tapas choice.

My second day I explored two long standing Spanish traditions, tapas and paella. Fof lunch, we stopped at a cafe on the street and ordered paella. While we ordered chicken, or mix, paella, the dish started in Valencia containing seafood. Paella has much history behind it and it's important to understand before you can look into the food of Spain.

For dinner, we had a friend who is studying in Barcelona take us to an authentic Catalan tapas place. I ordered Cava to drink, a Spanish sparkling wine, and was able to munch on all sorts of traditional dishes that our entire table ordered. The entire concept of tapas was very interesting to me, and I especially loved experiencing it at a place where we had to ask for recommendations....because they didn't have an English menu.

If there is one other thing to take away from this experience, besides the incredible food, it is my new outlook on food media. The friend who brought us to the tapas bar had found the place on a food blog.  A Catalan women had posted about her favorite places and it has now become a go to place for an international student. I keep this blog up weekly, talking about my food experiences, but it never occurred to me to use this platform in reverse.  While clearly my opinions can never compete with a locals, it is interesting to really start to think of all the ways digital media can be used to spread food traditions around the world. With this blog, I set out to compare the food in the United States to that of Italy, and various other countries a long the way. I think now I have found a very important similarity, tradition. Whether its tapas, pizzas, or burgers and fries, there is always something to talk about. I guess you can say I had my break through today. And maybe when I am back in the United States I'll pay a little more attention to how it all works ,and to participating in American traditions I've never even heard of........

Gelato Showdown

MMMMMM gelato. Before your mouth starts watering too much.....I've decided today to shed some light on the gelato scene in Rome....and let people know there is more than the number one place listed in guide books to find fantastic gelato. In fact, I may have found a place to top it.


Giolitti.....known all over Rome as the best place to find Gelato. Dozens of flavors to choose from, a massive size small cone, the option for cone or cup, and the perfect location just steps from the Pantheon. Seems to have it all right? I would agree with you...until I met another contender. While I still give Giolitti its well deserved props for number of flavors and the option of cones ( I am a cone person myself), I have to say I may have found my new favorite pistachio in town.


Introducing.....Il Gelato di San Crispino.

Located just steps from the Trevi Fountian...another quite ideal location....San Crispino takes us back to the way gelato should be done. They have a limited number of flavors....but they are all done perfectly. The gelato is kept in tin canisters and covered...giving off a professional vibe...not to mention authentic. They only serve in a cup here....this is simply to preserve the flavor of their gelato. I must admit I've been spoiled by the number of options other places, however what they do have they do right. San Crispino is definitely the place for fruit lovers and for those who prefer to step away from the run of the mill chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

You can feast your eyes on pictures and all sorts of information on these two places here:

Giolitti

Il Gelato di San Crispino


When in the mood for pistachio, I will be doing my best to head back to San Crispino. However, when I'm ready for some chocolate or just really craving my cone, there really is no place like Giolitti. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised to find a contender to Giolitti. I now have more than one option for finding fantastic Gelato. But don't let my thoughts sway you....try them both to decide who really has the best selection, the best prices, and the best pistachio in town.