u m a m i

A tale of two milanese

On our last day in Siracusa, we woke up early again to drive back to Palermo with the intention to stop somewhere like Monreale for lunch. But 30 km before reaching Palermo, I saw endless blue seas. The sun was out, the winds not too blustery, the scenery so beautiful I decided we really didn't need to see another church nor walk along another cobbled street. So we stopped at a tiny residential area called Trabia to see what lunch prospects we would find.

Only one restaurant was opened for business. La Lampara (this would sound really naughty in Hokkien) along the coastal drive Contrada Molara Santa Rosalia was being decorated by their staff for the Christmas season, we were a bit early for lunch so hung around the backyard while they hung tinsels and repainted their doors.

The menu covered seafood and pizza but like many places pizza is only available in the evenings. Husband ordered his favourite squid ink noodles, it was good he said. I went for pasta con sarde, sadly that turned out to taste closer to canned sardines than what we had earlier at Sant'Andrea- the pinenuts were swollen, the fish mushy and the raisins tasteless.

Second courses fared much better. Husband ordered (surprise! ) fried calamari. A big plate arrived. It was the best calamari we've ever eaten, the squid tasted very sweet, it was obviously very fresh, and the texture just perfect, neither soft nor rubbery.

I went out on a limb to order meat. Yeah, in a seafood joint. Cotoletta alla Milanese is like wiener schnitzels, and I wanted to see how the Italians do this classic of veal breaded and deepfried. It was a good gamble. The meat, juicy and flavourful, was enhanced with bits of herbs under the crisp breadcrumbed coating. It was tasty till the last bite.

Back in Palermo, it was nearly 3.30 p.m. The sky would be dark soon, so we set out to walk and shop a little, stopping beforehand at a juice bar for some vitamin C shots. Aargh, the oranges were sour.

It was just the beginning of December but some of the shops were already offering discounts up to 30%. I got V a pink puffer coat which came with a little doudou (stuffed doll) which she promptly named Seven. She gives her dolls conventional names like Angel but also some oddball ones like Bung.

Since we skipped dessert at lunchtime I wanted our last meal in Sicily to feature their pastries. So it was back to Spinnato. We hung out at the bar. They dispense endless plastic cups of mineral water from taps (we can choose still or bubbly versions) and would bring whatever you wanted to the counter, when you're done they will tote up the bill. So here we are again with some baby cannolis, so good.

These pistachio cakes were being devoured by some Italian ladies in front of us. It looked daunting to me because I am not a marzipan person but what the heck? Bring it on.

The green marzipan-like outer layer is not too sweet, so we could taste the pistachios used to flavour it. Inside it was more of the same ricotta with dried fruits. A very rich cake yet surprisingly light tasting. V loved this.

Here we have the nice bartender obligingly posing with a cassata. The cassata was superb. Here again, typical Sicilian pastry ingredients like ricotta, fresh cream and dried fruits are employed, but the result is yet another delicious cake, silky rich with joyful bursts of candied fruits. 

After our pastry dinner, husband needed a coffee but not me, I wanted my last evening here to end on a high and sweet Sicilian note. Plus, do you know how much we paid to eat all that gorgeous pastries and drink about 2 litres of bubbly water? 7 euros and a bit.

On the very last day, we woke up at 5 a.m. to dress, check out and drive to the airport. When the plane was about to land at Linate airport, Milan, the pilot announced that the local temperature was 6C. Oh no, we were dressed for Sicily's 13C. True enough, along Via Montenapoleanata everybody and their mother were wearing thick furcoats, it was like a scene from Siberia. In Paris, the furs only come out when the temperature hovers around 0C, Italians are obviously more fearful of the cold.

It was just a quick layover of 6 hous, enough time to see the Duomo, shop a little and eat a nice lunch. The pastry shops along va Montenapoleanata were displaying their magnificient creations including extravagant pannetones and pandoros but none were serving anything hotter than warmed up soups and salads so we had to look around the back streets for proper restaurants. Finally we settled for a busy modern canteen-like place called Paper Moon (via Bagutta 1 20121 Milano) because it listed Cotoletta alla Milanese on its menu.

In Milan, they do a more refined version. Just a veal cutlet and breading, nothing to detract from the tender meat and light crumb. Served with just some bitter salad leaves, none of that cold potato salads that Germans favour. It was very good, probably not the best in the city, but I liked it very much. Their pasta PaperMoon was also delicious, flat papardelle sheets sliding in a creamy ham-speckled tomato sauce. Here also when we ordered antipasto we could help ourselves from a buffet but unlike Sicily, prices of all the dishes were almost 40% higher. Other dishes, including a daily special of lamb with potatoes and stewed pear with caramel sauce, were quite mediocre.

That brings us to the end of our delicious Sicilian holiday. We will always remember it fondly. Sicily is hard to get to from most places but once there, settled with a cup of espresso and a slice of cassata, all worries will fade. And when you leave, you'll wish to go back all over again.

 

Noto Honey & Ragusa Stars

Happy 2009 everyone. We welcomed the new year with a champagne lunch at nearby Publicis. I haven't been to this place for a while and was very pleased to see that they have put more effort into their gourmet retail section- lots of champagnes, premium foods and best of all, a counter selling Pierre Hermés macarons. 

The stores along Avenue des Champs Elysée have their windows all covered up. Maybe they are preparing for the sales which will start next week, if it's like London the stores will be mobbed to satisfy the pent-up demands of people who has been restraining their spending. Pastry shops have stopped displaying buche des noels (log cakes) and have instead put out galette des rois.

However, we're still not done with 2008 yet, as far as Sicily is concerned the best are yet to come! Rewind back to Ortigia. After a wet night, I woke up very early, in time to catch the sunrise and the beautiful view of the seaside.   

We drove to Noto. First to the ancient ruins of Noto Antica which was totally deserted; since V needed to pee I had a good excuse not to visit this rather creepy place so we pressed onwards to the town of Noto itself. This city was totally destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 1693 and was then rebuilt. Most of their buildings are made of a typical Iblean stone which has a characteristic honey colour, restored now to a beautiful shimmer. Many visitors come to Noto, above is an image of schoolchildren exploring the maze below the town hall.

Mid morning snack attack before going to next destination. By now I have learnt to limit my selection to cannolis. I can never decide between the white cream and the ricotta so ended up with both, the thumbprint cookie was for V who is fixated with strawberry pastries at the moment.

This part of Sicily is agricultural, we passed endless hill slopes cut into terraces and planted with olives, grapes, oranges and lemons. I asked husband to stop at a lemon grove because I have never seen a lemon tree in my life. Vera was just as excited too. The weather was excellent and the views of the lush mountains really magnificient, husband enjoyed the drive very much.

Finally after an hour's drive through endless downhill turns we reached yet another baroque hillside town. Ragusa is beautiful and its Duomo (the Dome or cathedral) is another splendid building, the town itself is very popular with holidaymakers in spring and summer. Our main reason for visiting was the Ristorante Duomo which has two Michelin stars, therefore theoretically speaking the best in Sicily as there is only one other place which has one star. We made the reservations early but were reminded to reconfirm at least a day beforehand. It is low season and we were one of only two parties for lunch that day.

The welcome was very warm, the chef walked with us to the table and even asked his staff to bring out a cushion for V. We decided on the degustation menu of fish and meat with matched wine pairing; one can choose from a la carte, or from the degustation menu of fish, meat or a combination of both. He asked about our food allergies and dislikes, I requested that swordfish be left out and he was obviously disappointed because swordfish is such a beloved Sicilian ingredient;  sorry chef but I don't like the texture of cooked swordfish.

Breads were brought out, all were delicious and different, the cold-pressed local olive oil was gorgeous but quite redundant.

This was the most elegant dining establishment visited during our trip, the space cosy and decorated refined sumptuousness with beautiful views out of its windows. 

Amuse bouche of Cappucino di Funghi e Scampo. Pardon my Italian, I think it means a frothy soup of mushroom and scampi. At the bottom we found pieces of succulent scampi, barely cooked and luscious.

A trio of seafood appetisers followed. Wine: Vintage 2001 Berlucchi. Most of the dishes are made of Sicilian ingredients and the wines were mostly local if not Italian.

Above,Riccio con Ricotta Al Limone. Sea urchin with lemon ricotta cream. I find European uni has a more pronounced iodine and metallic note, here these jarring components are smoothened by the creamy ricotta cream. Lovely.

There was also a tiny serving of Gambero Bianco con Latte di Mandorla e Zenzenro Candito in a bowl. White prawns with almond milk and candied ginger. Highly delicious and unusual. This was similar to a dish we had later.

 

The third item was Cernia Affumicata e Insalata di Arance. Smoked grouper with orange salad which was hidden underneat the fish. The fish didn't taste that smoked, more like fresh and very sweet, this was subtle and the salad added a crunchy texture. 

The main courses arrived. Later we counted that they serve three each of fish and meat courses. First fish dish was Baccalo Alla "Missinisa"con Macco di Fave e Verdure a Sali Minutu, I think it means salted cod with bean puree and salted greens. Very nice and pleasant combination of mellow flavours and rich textures.

Next, Polpo e Totani Cotti Al Carbone con Burrata di Andria. Octopus and squid with a burrata sauce. Husband was delighted obviously with this dish, the seafood charred slightly outside and still tender and sweet inside.

This was not in the menu. I asked the chef to cook something for V with vegetables and a little meat. He took a lot of care, checking a few times if we wanted it with broth and pasta, and this was the result. It was delicious and the flavours clean even though there was a good mix of vegetables. V ate most of it, along with all the grissini in the bread basket.

The third seafood dish was the chef's interpretation of couscous. Being near Tunisia, couscous is very popular in Sicily. This is the first time we ate a seafood version. it has almond milk enlivened with citron zests and sweet creamy white prawns like our appetiser, as well as raw oysters and couscous well-infused with all the briney flavours of the seafoods. Outstanding and innovative, this dish really showcases the chef's creativity and understanding of the best ingredients in the region. 

Wine served was Edelmo 2006 Benanti.

Unfortunately by this stage we were quite full as we had also made substantial inroads into the bread basket, so when the meat courses came out we had difficulty finishing them. The change to red wine of Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2007 Gulfi prepared the palate for more robust dishes.

Quaglia Farcita al Foie Gras, Insalatina di Verdure e Capperi e Fonduta di Formaggio Vaccino. Quails stuffed with foie gras and served with salad and capers with a sauce of melted cheese. Rich and extravagant, like the baroque architecture outside, and matching very well with the wine, a course to be lingered over.

Followed by a Lasagna con Bollito del Quinto Quarto di Fassona e Salsa d Broccoli Arriminati. Almost a semi-vegetarian dish, the broccoli and nutty raisiny fillings made this interesting pasta variation almost light.

The final dish was Coniglia alla "Pattuisa" (Portoghese) e Verdure in Agrodolce. When the chef asked earlier about our dislikes, he was visibly relieved that we eat rabbit. This is the reason, it was another masterpiece. Rabbit is not my favourite meat but here it was delicious, the flavours go on and on like a good wine- meaty and gamey, vegetal and winey.

We didn't think we could manage desserts but we were mistaken. Accompanied with Moscato di Siracusa 2006 Orseoli, the Gelo di Mandorle con Grano Cotto Al Carbone Gocce di Porchetta with almonds, cheese, pistachios and saffron was totally amazing. This was definitely a reason to make a detour and eat here.

The petit fours tray was hardly touched by us but V enjoyed trying them out. It was a superb meal and we really enjoyed it very much. I am pleased it turned out well and demonstrated another aspect of Sicilian cooking. 

By the time we left the restaurant it was nearly dark. We got lost trying to find the car, walking almost 40 minutes which at least  facilitated our digestive process. The drive home was hairy, husband had programmed the GPS to take the shortest route which meant we were directed to use the mountain roads. In the dark. My knees were shaking, there were so many turns, the lighting was minimal and if we had missed it would be a perpendicular drop into a ravine. We then took a longer route which meant we made our way back to Ortigia after 2.5 hours, about twice as long but much safer. After all these adventures, we were relieved to be back in the hotel. Still full from lunch we ended up watching telly and snacking on potato chips.

Surf & Turf alla Siciliana

On the third day we rose bright and early. V was coughing, husband and I were starting to have a sore throat so I made everyone eat some honey from the breakfast table. The buffet selection of dishes were good, but my favourite items were these sesame cookies (some would say maybe that's why I had a sore throat) which went down a treat with a cup or two of milky tea.

We checked out of the hotel and started our coast to coast drive to the south eastern city of Siracusa. But first we had to actually leave Palermo, a not too easy feat considering the terrible traffic compounded by the rain which had flooded some roads. After about 45 minutes we finally crossed the city borders and entered the expressway, leaving the clouds and rains of Palermo behind. Husband decided to take us to see some mosaics at the ancient city of Piazza Armerina. We found the place 2 hours later following some weird directions from the GPS system, and realized that the site was closed for excavation works during winter. Nevermind, we enjoyed the drive anyway, the area under Mt Etna is full of mountains and hills inland yet we can see the coastline on one side, beautiful.

Since we missed the mosaics I thought we should at least get a good meal out of this ancient hillside town. (All the towns that we would later visit would turn out to be ancient hillside towns, Sicily is like that, people live right next to ancient Roman theatres, grand cathedrals and more of such extravagant civic buildings). We saw pizza parlours, little canteens and takeaway shops. Pushing inwards, we decided randomly on Ristorante Amici Miel. We were the first customers, later some local businessmen came in. We were greeted by the chef, who also took our orders. First up, shared antipasto which featured delicious meatballs, capers, roasted peppers and cured meats. miam miam.

Next, a pasta dressed in a pistachio and ham sauce, this was gorgeous. I think the three of us fought for this though to be fair it was originally intended for V.

One of the most expensive dish was beef with nero d'avola which is a Sicilian wine. For 14 euros we got a piece of meat so it can do nicely as two main courses in Paris. The sauce was delicious but the portion was too big.

I had another local specialty, fish fillet with potato crust, fashioned into scale-like pattern and the whole lot baked in the oven. A little too salty but the freshness of the fish was evident. This is about as fancy as it gets, no need to tinker too much when the ingredients are so fresh.

Back into the car, following the expressway to Catania and turning off to another for Siracusa. I did not really pay attention to the signs and we missed one exit and had to waste 30 minutes doing a u-turn. Finally we reached Siracusa, like 3 hours later than expected. At the tip we crossed a little bridge and found ourselves in Ortigia which is a little island. We got stuck trying to negotiate the very narrow side streets, telling ourselves we did pay the maximum car insurance so if the paint was scratched it would not be that bad. After 20 minutes we extricated ourselves and called the hotel for directions. It is not always a good idea to set the GPS to find the shortest route, it will literally take you by all the short cuts and avoid traffic lights not realising you are not driving a Vespa. The Hotel Algila instructed us, erm, holding our hands literally while I relayed directions to husband, to take the outer ring roads and we arrived just in time to take this picture before the rains followed on our heels all the way from Palermo.

The hotel is beautiful, the bed for V is actually a daybed in its own nook. She was thrilled.

By the time we showered and dressed, it was pouring madly outside. We were undeterred, and set out with umbrellas to expore the city. It being after 4.30 pm the sun had long ago went to bed, so our first sights were all wet and dark. What we saw were beautiful though, and along the quieter via Cavour leading to the very impressive Duomo we did a little shopping, buying up many jars of bottarga to bring home. Husband and I love bottarga, dried roe of tuna or mullet which is similar to mentaiko, salty, fishy, pungent, full of umami. 

As it was still raining without pause we stepped into pastry shop Marciante for drinks and cakes. Then it was more walking in the rain, until we reached the seafood restaurant Taverna Sveva right at the southwestern tip of the island.

For starters we shared a plate of fish cooked in a variety of ways- smoked, pickled, fried etc; nothing too memorable. Then it was a plate of pasta alla bottarga for husband. This version, for we have tried quite a few this trip, was easily the best we've eaten. I promptly ordered another plate and demolished that after only a moment of guilt. The pasta was tender and yielding, eggy, yet still has some bite. The bottarga sauce was copious with bottarga, the tomatoes which would have balanced the brininess was a little too tart but in view of the dominating roe it came in just right.

 

This was originally my dish. Misto mare, or mixed fried seafood, was so plentiful I barely made a dent in the pile of squid, shrimps and baby fishies. At 10 euros it was a delicious bargain as well. V meanwhile, didn't really eat much of anything else besides the excellent bread provided alongside. With a bit of wine and more reasonably priced sparkling water we enjoyed our dinner in the restaurant which was not occupied by any other diners. Come to think of it, we haven't seen many other people, local or tourists, these few days. It felt like we had the whole town to ourselves. Certainly when we stumbled out, rosy-cheeked and tummies pleasantly full, the piazza was pissing rain and it was totally dark. We ran back into the restaurant and asked them to call us a taxi; the driver looped around the island for a scenic ride and we reached the hotel in a fairly dry state. A very good end to a long day.

What is The Norma?

We woke up early to do some sightseeing. First stop, the La Vucciria market. Not so much large as sprawling, a giant swordfish here, overflowing displays of fruits and vegetables there, a bustling cafe round the far corner. Lots of preserved olives, capers and tomatoes too. We explored the windy little streets, slowly making our way to the Teatro Mássimo and along Corso Vittoria Emanuele, taking it very easy because V tires easily. Lunch was some pasta and veal cutlets from Spinnato near our hotel, we would visit this pastry shop/restaurant/cafe bar again and again because their selection of cakes and cookies is stunning.

During our late lunch, husband received a phone call from Air France. Our Alitalia flight from Rome to Paris was cancelled, they wanted to put us on another earlier flight which would mean cutting our holiday short by a whole day. We had to return to the hotel to make alternative plans. While V and I took a long bath in the big bathtub, husband was on the phone with his secretary. We would have to leave Sicily earlier than planned and instead make a layover at Milan for a few hours before flying back to Paris. Milan! I was not prepared, so I coughed up 3 euros for internet access and sent out a message on twitter.

For dinner we thought of having pizza. Husband looked in his guide which suggested Pizzeria Italia (via Orologio 54 near the Teatro Massimo). Inside it was bright and full of people eating pizzas. We bypassed the appetiser section and ordered two pizzas to share. The Palermitana has all the classic Palermo ingredients- anchovies, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, cheese and olive oil. I found it too heavy and overwhelming but husband didn't mind it too much.

Mine was a Norma, which means it comes with aubergines. Tender aubergines grilled to perfection, tender and smoky at the same time. Delicious. With some beers and bottled mineral water our meal cost less than 20 euros, so it was inexpensive too.

Fly in the plane

Literally, there was a fly in the plane; it buzzed above our seats and flew with us from Rome to Palermo. It probably could have been avoided if not for my dear husband, but it was only partly his fault.

Rewind to 10 hours earlier, i.e. 5 a.m on the 1st of December. We had to have the early start to get our selves and our guests out of the apartment, factoring time for V to have tantrums #1, #2 and # 3 (during forced waking, brushing teeth, dressing respectively), for clearing the spare room and any last-minute packing. The shuttle van came early, we stumbled out into the cold dark city, feeling glad we had somewhere far away to escape to, if only for a few days.

We got to the airport in good time for coffee, croissants and a good read of the magazines and newspapers of the day. When we boarded the plane I was surprised to see that the seats were upholstered in green but it didn't occur to me until much later that we were flying with Alitalia. We had booked Air France tickets, but Air France ran out of seats for our 9.30 a.m. flight (something to do with our cheap tickets husband informed me) and put us onto an Alitalia one (the two are code share partners) at 10.15 a.m. In the short flight we were offered drinks with a layered white cheese sandwich (okay) and a scary cake.

Our plane landed in Rome Fumicino airport in good time (i.e only 20 minutes delay), leaving us with at least an hour to catch our connecting Alitalia flight to Palermo. We made our way to Gate 6 as directed on the airport screens, and finding ourselves a little hungry (actually V was complaining) we ordered a plate of cured meats (salumi) from a bar-stand. Then we waited. After a while we noticed that there were not many passengers besides us, so we went up to the door and found out that our flight was not leaving from Gate 6. The attendant shrugged and told us to enquire at the Alitalia counter, which had a long line of people waiting to speak to the two staff on duty. Husband looked at the overhead screens which indicated we should go to Gate 31 which was quite a long way away especially considering he had to carry V who could not run that fast. When we got to Gate 31 it was completely isolated, no other human beings there, therefore the plane could not possibly leave from this gate. By this time we were 15 minutes away from the expected take-off time, so husband ran all the way back to the Alitalia desk, this time he did not bother to be nice and jumped the queue. Sighing, the attendant told us nonchalantly that the gate has been changed to #12. Off we ran again, all panicky and sweaty, only to find that the plane has not even arrived! We waited another one hour, meanwhile V had a tantrum on the floor, we dealt with that by pretending we were not acquainted with her, another passenger even tickled her tummy. After a while she gave up, and consented to take some sips from a bottle of water.

By this time another plane had come and picked up passengers for Bari. Husband asked the staff for the reason of the delay. The cleaners, they couldn't find any, the hapless guy said. What? But no problem, the flight is only an hour, there's no need to clean the plane, that's what my husband suggested. The man shook his head, no, not possible, so we waited some more. Unexpectedly, 20 minutes later, he conceded and decided to let us all board anyway. Hurray! 

In the plane, we found a big fly circling above our seats. It buzzed occasionally, but when the attendant came along he knew better than to make any noise. V slept during the flight, she didn't miss anything, only the mini-crackers or chocolate chip cookies offered as refreshments. Our plane finally landed in Palermo and after some time getting our rental car we finally drove to the city, arriving at our hotel after 5.30 p.m. factoring time circling for non-existent parking spot before giving up and surrendering the keys to the hotel for what then seemed like a reasonable daily parking fee of 18 euros.

We loved our hotel. I found it at booking.com at a good price at 145 euros for a double plus extra child bed. Our room was spacious with beautiful bathroom and decorated in a tasteful, quietly opulent fashion.

By this time we were all starving. The concierge said Sicilians don't eat dinner until 8 pm but all we had all day were coffee, industrial croissants, more processed yet insubstantial food so we had to eat something. V and I walked to a nearby coffeeshop and took away a portion of what looked to be pasta pie along with a doughnut. The three of us devoured  the pasta pie ( I know not the actual name). Tender pasta, just the way I like it, with a meaty and mellow tomato sauce brightened with peas and topped with breadcrumbs was unexpectedly delicious, the Sicilians can do extraordinary things with their breadcrumbs as I was soon to discover. They also put breadcrumbs on everything and anything. Anyway, even if we were not starving we would still have enjoyed this simple dish.

 

The doughnut was also another revelation. Despite it being late in the day and probably sitting on the counter for a long time as evidenced by the melted sugar and reapplication, the insides were stretchy and bready and sweet. The ricotta filling was marvelous, I've never liked ricotta up to this point because to me ricotta taste of nothing. Yet the ricotta here was sweet, tangy, silky, light, rich, all at the same time. An amazing doughnut that was. We were still hungry, so we ate Pink Lady apples I rescued from my kitchen table in Paris (see last-minute packing in second paragraph).

Fed and bathed, we let V nap to recuperate her energies. It was a Monday night and most places were closed. Husband looked in his Rough Guide and booked us at a place that wasn't. I had not done any homework because my well-travelled friend who eats at Michelin places all the time told me with great confidence that one can walk into any restaurant in Sicily and have a great meal. Well, I made one lunch reservation just in case, but that was not to happen until the fourth day of our trip so in the meantime we have to see how lucky we get.

Sant'Andrea is about 15 minutes walk from our hotel. It is located on a tiny piazza of the same name, a little off Piazza Sant Domenico. Inside it is bright and the welcome was warm. Being listed in the tourist guide meant our fellow diners were from France, Hong Kong and UK but there was also an Italian gentleman eating a solo dinner just behind our table.

Husband's first course of cod paste over onions and toast was tasty at first bite, boring the second. He couldn't stop saying how delicious the braised carrots were. I think I got the better deal with my mixed appetisers. Meaty tasting olives, some delicious fritters of various seafood, also triangular chips of chickpeas and my favourite, a type of meatball with fresh sardines inside, that was spectacular though one itty bitty ball was like not very generous.

It was easy to predict what husband will pick, if there is squid on the menu he will always order it. This was grilled, the crust was subtly herbal and nutty, and he was contented because the squid was sweet and very fresh; the barley risotto in particular was very good he also insisted. V didn't eat much of what we ordered but loved the complimentary breads and the olives from my plate. 

I was pleased with my choice too. At first I had wanted fried sardines, but decided to try instead the local speciality which is spaghetti with fresh sardines.  What arrived was a tangle of noodles in a gorgeous green sauce of fennel and pine nuts studded with golden raisins which were juicy and plump, their yielding fruity sweetness provided great balance with the pasta, the sauce and the fresh sardine fillets. A little dish of breadcrumbs is served on the side, to be sprinkled on the pasta according to one's inclination. My only complaint was the noodles were too al dente for my taste but overall it was a magnificient dish that came across surprisingly lightly in spite of its number of ingredients.

After finishing the pasta, I was ready to call it a day but the Italiangentleman behind me ordered these raviolis and I had to have some too. The raviolis were stuffed with orange scented ricotta, deepfried then sprinkled with icing sugar and served with a saffron-infused citrusy sauce The skin was light and short, crumbling and crunching most satisfactorily, the filling ethereally light, like melting, making the sauce seemed almost redundant. Outstanding.

The restaurant was also very accommodating. Noticing that bottled mineral water was only 1.50 euros for a large bottle (vs 5 euros in Paris for example) and it being too late to shop at a convenience store and our intention to avoid the minibar in our room, we asked to buy a bottle but they refused and gave apologetic excuses which we could not understand because we spoke no Italian and they spoke no English. What they did instead was to give us a large bottle of iced water to take home, gratis, so very kind of them and very much appreciated by us.

So ended our first day of vacation. A bit tumultous in parts but the ending was good. V fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, she too had a long day. We settled in for some rest, tomorrow the holiday starts.

Rome III- let's tuck in!

                   

We didn't eat as much pizza as I would have liked; it wasn't because the pizzas were no good, in fact what we had were absolutely yummy, but the stomach couldn't accommodate more. The first pizza I tried was at one of the many casual joints that sells them by the slice, there the quality ranged from stunning (green tomatoes and fresh mozarella) to bleah.

                   

C took me to Pizza Ciro (Via della Mercede, 43/45, T: +39 066786015), she had eaten there before and liked it. From the outside it looked quite ordinary and even a bit like a fast-food place but inside the space is huge and the pizza we shared was very good- see picture above- soft, chewy bread with slightly crisp edges, fresh mozarella, sweet grilled aubergines.

                   

A stone's throw from our B&B is an old-school trattoria which C had managed to eat in every time she visits Rome. Da Sergio is quirky and rustic and though smack in the middle of Campo del Fiori it is popular with the locals.

                  

On my last day I was determined to try tripe, because braised tripe and other dishes made from offal and animal parts make up an important part of the Roman-Jewish cuisine. At Da Sergio I ordered their tripe in tomato sauce. It is typically served as a second course after the antipasto and pasta, but I requested it as an appetiser. It arrived looking innocuous enough, almost like pasta, but upon closer inspection the intestines had been cut into bite-sized wobbly chunks. The texture was chewy but not rubbery, soft and toothsome at the same time, but the tomato sauce, bacon bits and parmesan failed to mask its inherent strong flavours which takes a bit of getting used to. I managed about 5 pieces before giving up.                     

If there is one dish we ate a lot of in Rome, it was pasta. Yes we were aware that they are other dishes in the menu, but well, pasta has its irresistable lure. On our first day we walked into Ditirambo, also within walking distance of Campo del Fiori, and all I could smell was black truffles. Unfortunately my dish of pasta with bolleto mushrooms sprinkled with the grated truffles, in spite of its beautiful perfume, was rather stodgy and bland. C fared better with fresh pasta sheets cooked in a sauce of salted cod, it too looked a mess, but was adequate enough. The rest of our pasta meals were much better, such as linguine tossed with a sauce of baby squids in La Campana, a hearty agnolotti at Piperno and a wickedly rich spaghetti carbonara at da Sergio- all shiny with an eggy, olive-oily, bacony sauce and crowned with a mountain of shaved parmesan.

The best pasta, for me, was the papardelle with a ragout of wild boar meat and duck sausage at Al Bric, tender broad noodles with springy bite tossed with the long simmered meat sauce. If food has the power to move one to tears, this dish would stand a pretty good chance, I was in raptures, absolutely adoring it willing myself to eat each mouthful slowly to draw out the pleasures.

                  

And what better pairing for such a magnificient dish than an equally magnificient wine. The wine list at Al Bric, when it appeared, impressed with its weight and heft. It is almost 3 inches in height and is bound in thick worn red leather, the pages yellowed and feathery. C has a friend who gave her the name of 2 wines she absolutely must have while she was in Rome. We looked in the section for half bottles and the names were not in the page. But I saw a Barolo, surprisingly it was one of the less expensive options at about 32 euros, the price is for half a bottle so it was not exactly a bargain. The sommelier whisked away the wine glasses on the table  and came back with more grown-up looking glasses (deeper rounder bowl, smaller rim). It was only my second time drinking Barolo but it is so easy to love, so full bodied for a single-varietal wine, so smooth and so sophisticated even for such a young wine. Before we knew it, we had drunk up the last drops.

Feeling slightly bereft, and enjoying our happiness with the wine and food, we asked for the wine tome again. This time we ordered another half-bottle of Tignanello 2003 which cost slightly  more than the Barolo but was not quite as seductive, I think it is hard to measure up anyway so we just sat back and enjoyed the wine and our conversation. 

The next day, at Piperno, C saw one of the names and ordered us a half-bottle of Amarone 2004. Drier and more tannic, it more than matched the fried yummies and hearty pastas with its rich raisiny perfumes.

                  

Onto the final course. Desserts. We didn't manage to eat a lot of it. The pastas do occupy a lot of space in the tummy, but at Piperno they lay out all the desserts at the entrance so one can mentally prepare and make appropriate room for the tiny sweet strawberries with ice cream.

                  

Or fruit tarts served on its own. Bitter sweet orange marmaladey tart with tender pastry and the other a cherry filling with a nuttier crumbly crust. The orange tart won by a small margin but only just. To me, these tarts embody the spirit of the food we enjoyed throughout our holiday- traditional, unpretentious food with bold yet comforting flavours using simple, quality, local ingredients. It's food that is good enough that they don't need, or have, many 'ethnic' restaurants. It is also seemingly so facile that there are Italian restaurants all over the world, just that after this, for better or for worse, I know better.

Rome II- the appetite whetters

                   

When I typed in the post title I was also thinking of "Rome" the TV miniseries. C, who doesn't have a TV in her London flat, had brought it over and we spent the weekend watching the first season, as a sort of prelude to our trip. It's a HBO/BBC production therefore has both glamour, flash and solid acting, and of course a sumptuous line up of male characters; my top three favourites are "woah, yummy" Lucius Vorenus, passionate and oh-so-manly Titus Pullo and of course the powerful Julius Caesar.

The second season is available in the shops but I am happy to wait for a while. Because now I have figured out (better late than never) that French TV prime time starts from 8.40 pm and in the two hours that follow there is usually something watchable on telly. Tuesday nights poses a big problem: would it be Brothers and Sisters or War and Peace? The former I had been following against my better judgement because the combination of three attention-seeking divas (Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths) irks me but Rob Lowe is in it though not as often as I would like. War and Peace, or Guerre et Paix as it is known here, is a major European production- 6 countries involved in the production including France of course, filmed in St Petersburg plus various beautiful locations. Natasha is played by very up-and-coming French actress Clémence Poésy. They'll show it on local TV in four weekly installment. I had actually watched my first episode in Rome, it was subtitled in Italian but I could figure some words out and the plot develops quite fluidly, so for this week we're OK, but how about next week? I could watch War and Peace and follow the repeat of Brothers and Sisters on Sundays but sometimes they transmit the Sunday version in French which is a bit of a pain. Decisions decisions.

That's the problem with too many choices. When we saw the antipasto spread at La Campana (Vicolo della Campana, 18 T: 06 686 7820) C and I decided we were going to share a plate, and I was tasked to do the selection. In my younger days I would have tried to pile my plate high but now I am a bit more self-conscious, boy it was difficult to choose, everything looked and smelled so appetizing and tasted mamma-mia delicious. Grilled okras,  spiky green cauliflower, aubergines, peppers, sardines, runny omelets, all bathed in herbs and olive oil yet each item held their own interest and no two tastes were alike. My friends, if you are ever in the same situation don't go all prissy like me, just abandon yourself and fill the plate to the brim.

                   

For this trip I was in charge of food and shopping. C for the sight-seeing. Food was easy for me, I asked the legendary Chaxiubao for advice and he came through with a list. From the list I made reservations for four meals and e-mailed C with the news who was mighty impressed. The second night we went to Al Bric (Via Del Pellegrino, 51 T:06 6879533). This was an intimate and secluded place, the signboard is hardly visible and from the outside it looks like a dusty wine shop. The food was impeccable, the wines most excellent and I'll elaborate more on what we eat in later posts. Here it suffices to say that I enjoyed my appetiser of three items. A croquette of salmon and potatoes, fresh tasting and expertly fried. A mille-feuille of hand cooked potato chops with special bacon. Polenta cakes with a film of something white, most likely lard as C suggested, and topped with a pesto of spicy green peppers and lemon zest, unexpected combination that excited the palate.

                   

Piperno was another winning recommendation. By the third day we have figured out the style of Italian cooking in Rome is actually quite rustic and heavily influenced by Jewish cuisine, the guide book even called it Roman-Jewish. I am sure Rome has its share of nouvelle fashion restaurants with dainty presentation and elegant plating but what we ate were mostly of the old fashioned basics which are satisfying but may not win any points on presentation. And none came more old-school than Piperno. Located deep inside the Jewish quartier, it was not easy to find without a map and the external experience belies the fact that once we push through the door, inside is a world of gentlemanly waiters in waistcoats and white aprons, glittering chandeliers, lush paintings, thick linens everywhere and where Italian old-moneyed families hang out especially on the Sunday afternoon that we visited. Very atmospheric, definitely.

                   

Their specialty is, as chaxiubao noted, fried (fritto) foods. C and I ordered the vegetable version because she was intent on eating artichokes and me on zucchini blossoms. The artichokes were absolutely delicious, now that artichokes are everywhere I wished I ate more of it that day. The fried balls looked alike, but they are not the same, one had rice and the other had potatoes. Everything was delicious, the batter bound the ingredients loosely and lightly and the frying was so expertly done you'd think they didn't use oil.

Antipastos are meant to be delicious little morsels to excite the palate for the meal proper but which in themselves make great meals. Do you think the Italians have a separate stomach for antipastos? I think they do, their digestive system must surely have evolved to that level.

                   

Rome I

                        

Everyone told me I had to visit the Trevi Fountain, throw a coin inside and make a wish that I will return to this city. C was sceptical, she's never done the coin thing and look at her, she's back on her third trip. Still, ever indulgent, she put up with my curiosity and wonder at being in Italy for the very first time in my life; and wouldn't you know it, on the day of our visit, someone decided to turn the water red. I scrambled up an elevated step to take a picture like all the other tourists.

                      

Now that I have some time to settle down and look at the pictures of the brief trip, my best food memory of Italy is of how far the Italians take simple ingredients like flour, oil and salt. Take this bakery item, before it was shattered into pieces it was a large round disc called Croccantella, looking very much like a giant poppadom. It is very crispy, and seasoned lavishly with extra virgin olive oil and salt. We picked greedily at the most oily and salty pieces; two days later when I was too full to have dinner I picked up the bag to nibble on the less loved bits and to my surprise found that it was still as crisp and crunchy as the day we bought it.

                      

Our bed & breakfast Casa Banzo was a palazzo built way back in the mid 18th century. The public areas retain a faded grandeur especially in the receiving hall and dining room, the blue walls outside and within the courtyard change their tone with the shadows and sun, very picturesque. Our ground floor courtyard room was quiet, spacious and clean, tastefully decorated with a mix of old (lace/antique fabric-lined wardrobe) and new (Ik*a clock). The location smack in the Campo de'Fiori area may be touristy but very convenient for sightseeing, best of all the price was a reasonable 140 euros per night. The only downside, for me that is, was the water system, the hot and cold taps were not always cooperative.

Rome is not a cheap city to visit, sure it is cheaper than Paris but not by very much. About the only thing which seemed to cost little is olive oil, which was drizzled generously over the fried egg I requested for my breakfast. Not as dramatically perfumed as the oils I like to buy back in Paris, but just as fruity and more often than not, so fresh it is closer to a drink than an oil. At breakfast the owners dole out butter by the mini packs, which earned a few raised eyebrows but later I realised that butter is quite a rare commodity. Bakery items are made with olive oil more often than not, their fruity and aromatic flavours pairing beautifully with apples, fruits, almonds, pinenuts and the all the other mainstays of Italian sweets.

                     

Like this cake cut from a pan, it looks very rustic, a far cry from the pretty-pretty confections that is the standard in Paris. The taste, a sweet and subtle blend of chestnuts, honey and olive oil. C called it the Italian mooncake, I quite agreed. Back in Paris, we're using our olive oils with impunity, loads of it with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt make happy reminders of the all too brief holiday.

What else did we enjoy eating? It'll have to wait until the next post, until then, have a good weekend.