Road Trip – Roma, Italy

This year, we had the good fortune of spending New Year in Roma with my sister-in-law’s family.

New Year’s eve was filled with busy preparations: shopping, beautifying, etc. So, we began the afternoon by popping into a trattoria around the corner from my sister-in-law’s place for some hearty fortifications.

Wine at lunch. Not only civilized, but essential in preparing yourself for the evening’s festivities.

I have never encountered a dish of spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) that I could pass up and this day was no different.

Both G and my sister-in-law ordered this beautiful plate of pasta with chickpeas and shellfish.

Once properly fed, we braved the busy streets of Roma to make preparations for the rest of the evening.

Roma, being both beautiful and the seat of western civilization, is very popular with tourists, especially around any given holiday. So, the streets were quite crowded everywhere we went.

The building on the left is a wonderful example of Roma’s appeal. It is a bank building (new, and presumably “beautiful”) attached to some ruins (very old and historic). This type of juxtaposition is everywhere in Roma.

But the beauty of Roma is not only found in her streets among the ruins and art, but in the homes and hearts of her people.

These are just a few of the goodies my sister-in-law prepared for the festivities. I love the abundance of the table. I like to think it symbolically sets the tone for the new year ahead. And speaking of symbolism, the caprese salad above boasts the colors of the Italian flag.

Everything about the evening was wonderful: the food, company, setting, and warm feeling you get from being with family. No doubt, this was all due to my sister-in-law’s tireless efforts at setting the stage for a memorable evening.

New Year’s day we joined the throng of tourists to do a little sightseeing around town. First stop, the world-renowned Bartolucci.

The Bartolucci family excels at woodworking and their company has been awarded the Qualification of Artistic Craftsmanship, in addition to many industry awards.

The company primarily makes toys with a heavy emphasis on Pinocchio. (Pinocchio is Tuscan, remember?) But they also make many accessories for children’s rooms like clocks, lamps, picture frames, etc.

Bartolucci also takes special commission jobs.

The store was so packed with people buying everything in sight! I was so happy to see that people still value fine craftsmanship and are willing to pay for it.

Next stop: the Pantheon. The Pantheon began its life as a pagan temple somewhere between 27 and 25 B.C. and was the first religious building open to the public. Later, the structure was given over to Christianity. FYI: My nephew was christened in the Pantheon.

The building sits on the site where legend tells us Romulus, founder of Roma, died and was carried off by an eagle to join the gods.

The Pantheon’s structure is a masterpiece of engineering and architecture. In fact, its domed roof – a real breakthrough – made possible every skyscraper in existence today.

From there, we made our way over to la Piazza di Trevi and the Church of St. Ignatius (above) and la Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain (below).

La Fontana di Trevi is the largest Baroque fountain in Italy (the photo at the top of this post gives you a better sense of the size) and quite possibly the world. The fountain is situated at the end of the Aqua Virgo (Virgin), an aqueduct constructed in 19 B.C.

In this photo you see Ocean in the center atop his triumphal chariot. To his right stands Abundance and to his left is Health. The chariot is led by two horses each with a Triton for a rider. One horse is calm, the other restless. The horses represent the nature of the sea itself. Naturally, there is a lot more symbolism to be found in this image and the entire fountain, but I’ll hopefully save that for when you visit.

Legend has it if you turn your back to the fountain and toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain’s waters you will return to Roma.

Those of you who know me know I’m not given to superstition. However, every time I’ve visited Roma I’ve made it a point to toss a coin in the fountain and to date, I’ve had the good fortune of visiting Roma five times! Coincidence? Maybe. But why take a chance?

Once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to my sister-in-law’s seemingly endless capacity for generosity. To say la Fontana di Trevi was a madhouse on New Year is an understatement. Getting to la Piazza was difficult enough, but the Fountain…well that seemed impossible as there were people – at least 40 deep – all the way around it.

My sister-in-law, knowing it was important to me to toss a coin in the Fountain, patiently helped us make our way (elbow our way?) through the groups of people until I was at the water’s edge. I turned around, closed my eyes (my idea, but not part of the legend), and tossed my fateful coin.

Thank you V. I know it was a production getting us there so that I could indulge a superstition and I greatly appreciate all your efforts that day.

Here’s wishing you all un buon anno!

Arrivederci!

My Daily Bread

As with my pasta, whenever I’m in Italy I buy my breads from a local baker.

My favorite shop – and the one I believe is the best in town – is conveniently located at the bottom of the hill.

I use the shop’s location as an excuse to walk down then up the hill. (Remember, we’re in the Alps.) And thus, I use the walk to justify the consumption of my indulgent purchases when I get home.

In addition to the usual selection, there are plenty of holiday goodies to choose from.

Recently, I purchased a fresh-baked panettone from the shop and was grateful they came in two sizes: the standard size we’re all accustomed to seeing in colorful boxes in stores this time of year, and a smaller, more manageable size for the two of us. As you might imagine, store bought panettones pale in comparison to a freshly baked one.

There’s even a nice selection of pre-made pastas. Not that I plan to stop visiting Pastissima anytime soon. But it’s nice to know I have options.

Here in Biella, many food artisans are celebrated for using traditional recipes and methods of preparation. They intentionally forgo modern methods and updated recipes to the delight of those of us who appreciate the tried and true. The result is more often than not, an unparalleled sensory delight.

Arrivederci!

 

 

This is Pasta

In Italy, you can buy dry pasta at any supermarket. I prefer to buy my pasta fresh, once or twice a week, from my local pasta shop: Pastissima.

Pastissima has many different pastas to choose from, including integrali, or whole wheat.

The pasta is made fresh daily.

In some cases, like when I wanted a larger quantity than what was readily available in the case – they’ll make the pasta for you on the spot. 

The dough was put through the machine.and within seconds, out came the freshest pasta I’ve ever had the pleasure to purchase.

Admittedly, I purchased more pasta than I needed, but who could resist?

Later that evening, the pasta served as the centerpiece of our evening meal.

But not for long.

Arrivederci!

 

 

for: Jef, Barb, Rena, Alona, Joel and Lynn

I’ve spent the last few days feverishly searching for a holiday appropriate image to post, but without much luck. Yet, there is a fair amount of Jewish culture to be found in Italy. There is even a restored, 17c synagogue right here in Biella. (The synagogue is housed on the top floor of a now residential building in Biella and admission is by appointment only.) But alas, I had no luck.

So, I decided to make my own holiday greeting. And in keeping with the Italian theme of this blog, I made the Star out of some whole wheat pasta. It may not be the most polished image, but I assure you the thought behind it is most heartfelt. Happy Chanukkah!

Arrivederci!

Give a Man a Fish and He Eats – Ristorante da Giovanni

Ristorante da Giovanni is so unassuming we’d missed it all these weeks, despite the fact it is next door to our favorite pizza joint!

The restaurant specializes in pesce – fish.

But first there is bread, always bread.

Our antipasti: gamberi con verdure. The “verdure” was artichoke. Buonissimo!

It was difficult to stop in time for this final shot before the dish disappeared, but my desire to share this experience with you outweighed my lustful gluttony!

Originally, we’d hoped to avoid eating more pasta. Hence, the choice of a fish restaurant. Clearly, our attempt was misguided.

Seems neither of us possesses the resolve necessary to “just say no,” especially when spaghetti alle vongole veraci (spaghetti with clams – a personal favorite) is on offer.

As many of you know, pasta is typically served as a first-course in Italy. The idea is that you order a meat or fish for your second course. Many Italians still eat this way and it is very common to order this way in restaurants. Unfortunately, G and I are usually too full to order a secondi piatti. But the table next to us…

Giovanni himself brings out the ordered fish, separates it from the bone, and divvies it up for the table. Note to self: leave room for a secondi next time.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxed and friendly. No doubt, this is due to Giovanni’s easy manner with his patrons. Gestures like patting you – the men – on the back and asking you what you’d like, in addition to prepping your fish for you at the table himself, lend an easy air to the entire dining experience.

At Ristorante da Giovanni, G and I watched with envy as everyone else in the room enjoyed an antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti and a sorbetto afterwards! For now, it is all we can do to drink wine, eat bread, pasta and cheese, while we live vicariously through the careful consumption of the tables around us.

Arrivederci!

 

 

 

 

Old School – And I Like It

This past weekend, we ate a few meals at a new favorite restaurant: La Lira (The Lyre).

The restaurant’s interior is subtly romantic with beautiful flower arrangements – like the one above – throughout. And this wonderful hanging rose chandelier located in the restaurant’s entrance.

The buzz inside the restaurant manages a nice balance of what I like to describe as informal formality.

Upon being seated, we were each brought menus like the one below.

Our menus were identical, except for one important distinction: G’s menu had the prices listed next to all the dishes, my menu had no prices listed anywhere. Seems when men and women dine together only the men are given menus with prices in them.

As always, the meal starts with a wonderful selection of bread and wine. In this image, the breads include schiaccia, focaccia, Piemontese style bread sticks,  and white and wheat roles.

Followed by another glorious meal. In house made tagliatelle pasta with pesto sauce. The dish was not on the menu, we were simply craving pesto and the chef was too happy to oblige. And because pesto wasn’t on the menu that day, the chef used a less garlicky variety the restaurant typically serves for dessert over its in house made gelato.

We’ve enjoyed La Lira so much recently we’ve been there about three times in the last week! The restaurant is close by, the staff is professional, friendly, and as demonstrated by the pasta dish above: very accommodating. The food never disappoints and I have it on good authority from G that the prices are reasonable. I wouldn’t know you see, as I don’t concern myself with such vulgar matters when I’m at La Lira.

Due Cuori – A Love Affair

In an earlier post, I briefly mentioned one of our favorite local restaurants: Due Cuori (Two Hearts). So, today I want to share a bit more about this special little place tucked inside the arcade that surrounds the piazza (below).

Anna – the proprietress – has thoughtfully filled the space with so many special touches.

Immediately upon entering the restaurant, you encounter the old scale above, (a recurring theme in this tiny little space), filled and surrounded by antique silver, crystal, white linen, local baked goods, wine and greens. All hints of what to expect.

If you think the counter above or below has a certain French bistro flair, remember, we are in Biella, near the French border. These two cultures have no doubt informed each other over the many years.

The restaurant has an understated elegance, achieved, in part, by a sense one is dining among found objects collected over the years. I believe the fantastic chandelier below illustrates this aesthetic nicely.

The most wonderful jazz music plays in the background and accompanies the very sensory experience this restaurant offers.

The backbone of every Italian meal. Bread or pane. The bread sticks above are typical in Biella. They are fatter than the bread sticks we’re accustomed to and they have a faint hint of cheese, but still very airy on the inside.

The pasta below is filled with zucca (pumpkin) and sits in a bath of melted Toma cheese. One of the cheeses produced in Biella and found in many of the local dishes here. FYI: Anna sources all her ingredients from only three local farmers.

At the end of the meal, the sting of the bill is softened by its presentation.

Arrivederci!