MY ROMAN HOLIDAY, PART 2: ICE CREAM VS. BULL'S MILK

Here we go with the second part of the story about my Roman adventures. Part 1 is available here.

No visit to Italy can be complete without real Italian gelati. That's why my friend and I went to Giolitti, an ice cream parlour near the Pantheon, which is recommended by most of the guidebooks. It was a very touristy place but the taste of the ice cream was worth the wait in a long, chaotic queue consisting of tourists from around the world. The vendors majestically served big scoops of gelati, trying to pay as little attention to the frenetic crowds as possible. My chocolate and pistachio ice cream were absolutely brilliant! The only disappointment was the champagne flavour ice cream – it did taste of champagne but, to be honest, it was barely edible.

Among the more interesting things I ate in Rome was mozzarella di bufala – cheese made from buffallo milk. Not bull's milk – as my friend jokingly suggested. ;) I also tried a mysterious fruit called nespola (loquat), which tasted like a cross between an apricot and pear. I wonder if it's available somewhere in Poland?

On our way back home, we stopped in a Tuscan town to make supplies of genuine Italian food. I bought loads of pasta, pesto, olive oil and cantucci – delicious almond biscuits from Tuscany. Because cantucci are really dry, you need to soak them in coffee, tea, or preferably in Tuscan fortified wine called vin santo. Below you can see a photo of cantucci and vin santo taken by my friend Jasmine during her trip to Pisa. It was delicious! :) 

Rome enraptured me with its art, cuisine and friendly atmosphere. I especially loved the quiet neighbourhood of Trastevere, where carefree kids were playing football in front of an ancient church, Italian mammas were hanging out the washing, and the life was going by very lazily.

Even though a lot of the monuments in Rome are impressively huge and lavish, I didn't feel any pompousness that can be found, for example, in Paris. In the narrow, winding streets, happy dogs walk with their elegant owners, cats live in the ancient ruins and the Forum Romanum smells of freshly mown grass. The city is full of greenery, fountains and crystal-clear water reportedly transported through aqueducts from the mountains.

But not everything in Rome was so perfect. Apart from the crowds teeming around the most popular sites, my visit was constantly interrupted by street pedlars who tried to sell either sunglasses or umbrellas (depending on the weather, which was very changeable). After a while I was afraid that when I open the fridge in my hotel, a pedlar will jump out of it screaming “Ombrello!” and shoving an umbrella into my face. :P

Finally, I discovered that in Italy not all that looks delicious is real. For example, the yummy cupcakes you can see in the photo below are... bath bombs. Fortunately, their soapy smell warned before I had a chance to take a bite. ;)

Giolitti (ice cream parlour), Via Uffici del Vicario 40, Rome, Italy, www

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PS. If you'd like to read more stories about my travel, you can check the tab “My culinary trips” at the top of the page. :)

MY ROMAN HOLIDAY, PART 1: BAROQUE VS. PIZZA

Here's the first part of my culinary and cultural adventures in Rome. 

The second part is available here. Enjoy! :)

This April I went for the first time to Rome. I came, I saw... I fell in love. Rome turned out to be even more beautiful and charming than I'd expected. Here are a few things I discovered during my Roman holiday.

In Rome, I could live solely on art. Before the trip, I had an ambitious plan to go to as many restaurants and cafés as possible. But then I was so engrossed in visiting Baroque churches and squares that I didn't feel hungry at all. Well, almost at all...

When I finally managed to tear myself away from the art battle between two Baroque giants: Bernini and Borromini, I went for dinner to Gallo Matto (which means 'Crazy Rooster' in Italian) near the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. The restaurant's interior looks as if it was really designed by a crazy chicken but the food was quite nice.

Out of all the dishes that turned up on our table, I especially liked my ravioli with ricotta cheese. As the atmosphere in the restaurant was very casual (not to say familiar), I could personally congratulate the chef, who was sitting at a nearby table, laughing out loud and gesticulating wildly. Is there anything more stereotypically Italian? :)

In Gallo Matto, I found out for myself that the Italians love women and cheese. And especially the women who like cheese. When I told the waiter that “I love ricotta,” he immediately replied, “And I love you!” Not sure how he would react, I decided to conceal from him the fact that I also like mozzarella and pecorino romano. ;)

My biggest concern about Rome was that the city would be crowded with wild tourists. There were indeed a lot of people but only at the most popular sites. Like lemmings, people thronged around Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon but as soon as I turned into one of the side streets, I was almost totally alone. In one of such quite streets in the vicinity of Piazza Navona, we discovered a pizzeria Il Corallo.

My friends were surprised that a Roman pizza is flat as a pancake and doesn't resemble the dishes served in Polish restaurants. But I knew what to expect so I ate with a great pleasure a part of the pizza and even focaccia – pizza crust without any toppings, eaten with loads of olive oil. The food in Il Corallo was fresh and delicious (even the artichoke was quite edible) and the waiters and the chef (in the photo) – extremely friendly. But fortunately, this time no one professed his love for me. ;)

To be continued...

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Gallo Matto, Via Cavour 107, Rome, Italy, www

Pizzeria Il Corallo, Via del Corallo 10/11, 00188 Rome, Italy, www

ITALIAN PASTA WORKSHOP IN PIRI PIRI (KRAKÓW)

Italian pasta is amazing. You need only 3-4 quality ingredients, 15 minutes of preparation and a delicious, wholesome meal is ready. That's why I was happy to take part in a free pasta workshop organized last week in Piri Piri restaurant in Kraków.

The workshop was lead by Maciej Wawryniuk, a culinary consultant of Kamis, a Polish company producing spices. Together with a few other chefs, he cooked various pasta dishes, at the same time giving us some culinary advice.  

Here are a few tips I remembered:

1. Shape and type of pasta have to complement the sauce. For example spaghetti, which is probably the most popular pasta in Poland, doesn't go well with all the flavours, so it's worth trying also other pasta types, such as penne ('feather' in Italian), fettuccine ('little ribbons') or farfalle (butterflies).

2. If you don't want your pasta to stick together, you should cook it in plenty of water. Don't add any oil as it's considered by many Italians as a grave sin against pasta (as I found out myself while sharing a room with an Italian girl ;)).

3. Add pasta to the sauce, not the other way round. The pasta can be slightly undercooked because it'll still cook in the hot sauce.

During the workshop we could try about 17 different dishes. The portions were on the small side and they had to be shared among 2 or more people at each table but because there were so many of them we didn't leave the restaurant hungry.

The workshop was actually a review of the most popular Italian pasta dishes that can be easily made at home. I especially liked squid ink pasta with shrimps, pasta with pesto alla genovese, and puttanesca, which I often cook myself, while the least palatable was butter sauce with asparagus and prosciutto crudo and homemade pasta, which tasted more like some kind of dumpling than real Italian pasta.  

Below you can find a few dishes which inspired me to start my own culinary experiments. :)

Spaghetti aglio e olio ('spaghetti with garlic and oil') – an Italian classic. It requires only 3 ingredients: olive oil, garlic and chilli or peperoncino peppers. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to try it but it looked quite nice.

Puttanesca (it means, well, 'a call girl' in Italian) – tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers, anchovy, and garlic. You don't need any extra salt because the capers and anchovy are already salty. I usually add black olives, instead of the green ones. It's delicious! :)

Crème fraîche with wild mushrooms (porcino, prawdziwki) – the sauce smelled amazing but sadly our table didn't have a chance to taste it :/  

Primavera ('spring') – mixed vegetables with parmesan. Some recipes allow also crème fraîche or chicken.

Arrabbiata ('angry') – garlic, tomatoes, red hot chilli peppers. Very, very spicy, so we decided to skip it. Just in case. ;)

Squid ink pasta with shrimps - squid ink pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and crunchy shrimps. Definitely one of the best dishes we tried. :)  

Pasta alla Norma (named after the opera 'Norma' by Vincenzo Bellini) – tomatoes, aubergine (eggplant), ricotta salata cheese (replaced by Parmesan during the workshop), and basil. I really like the combination of tomatoes and aubergine.

Pasta with pesto alla genovese - pine nuts, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese – blend all ingredients and voilà! Homemade pesto can be quite expensive (pine nuts cost around PLN 100 / kg) but it's so much better than the store-bought. Simple and delicious! :)

Address: Piri Piri, Na Błoniach 7, Kraków

Website: piri.krakow.pl

Event website: here

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Wersja polska

MIĘTA RESTO BAR - IN MINT CONDITION

The restaurants and cafes I visit can be divided into three categories. Ones that I visit once and decide never to set my foot in them again - I don't feel like writing about them because I don't want to turn into Gordon Ramsay. ;) Ones that I visit once or twice and, though I like them, I don't become a regular customer. And ones that I visit as often as time and money allows.

Mięta Resto Bar (meaning spearmint in Polish) definitely belongs to the last category. This Mediterranean restaurant is located almost exactly opposite Dynia, which I described here. But while I go to Dynia for a quick coffee or a chat with friends, Mięta is usually reserved for our family celebrations.

Mięta drew my attention even before it was opened. A few years ago on my way to the library in Rajska Street, I was wondering what will open in the old building with a beautiful columned porch. I watched with interest how the house was being renovated, paying special attention to mint leaves painted on the garden gate. No wonder I was one of the first customers as soon as the restaurant opened.

 

At first the food was good but not outstanding so we patronized Mięta mainly due to its atmosphere created by old furniture and appetizing photos on the walls. Fortunately, after some time the quality of the food improved so now we go there tempted by various Mediterranean delicacies. My favourite dish are dumplings with pear and blue cheese washed down with limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur), while my friend Jul has developed a taste for wraps with chicken. Other dishes are (usually) also very tasty.

Mięta is a perfect place for a small party, meeting with friends or romantic date. In the summer you can sit in an ambient beer garden with a view of a historic Mehoffer House. Most of the dishes served in the restaurant are garnished with a sprig of the eponymous mint, which was a symbol of hospitality in ancient Greece. It may be situated in an old house, but Mięta is definitely in mint condition. ;)

Want to see more photos? Click here!
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Address: ul. Krupnicza 19a, Kraków

Website: www.mietarestobar.pl

KLIMATY POŁUDNIA - WINE IN A SUNNY ATMOSPHERE

After a long break, Fussy gets back to her blog. The break from writing didn't mean a break from going to restaurants and cafés so in the near future you can expect a few new, interesting entries. In the meantime my professional and personal life's undergone a lot of changes, for example we've become happy owners of a very cute dog. That's why I've added a new label marking the places in which animals are welcome.

 

One of such dog-friendly places is a wine bar and restaurant Klimaty Południa ("Ambience of the South"). We discovered it soon after moving to Kraków, when we went with our friend to drink some Beaujolais nouveau. We missed the Beaujolais Nouveau Day, which always falls on the third Thursday of November, but luckily we managed to buy one of the last bottles available in the wine bar. We were sitting in a cosy, little room, relishing the taste of the young wine and eating cheese and appetizer board. Yummy. :)

And last month my friend, dog and I went for a warming, winter dinner. We sat near the crackling fireplace, which - despite a glass door separating us from the direct fire - created a warm, snug ambiance. The walls are hung with winemaking posters and a collection of corkscrews, reminding of the restaurant's main function. For a starter we got some bread with cottage cheese spread. It was a nice touch, even though the spread would have tasted better with brown bread or baguette. I ordered seafood tagliatelle with white wine sauce (PLN 24) and even though the seafood had been frozen the whole dish tasted delicious. Jul had some baked bream with grilled vegetables and she was also happy with her meal. We ate so much that we couldn't even think of a dessert, which doesn't happen very often.

I like Klimaty Południa mostly for its warm (even in the middle of winter) ambiance and numerous culinary and visual references to the Mediterranean culture. Friendly waitresses not only provided us with delicious food, but also took care of my dog, who received a decorative bowl full of clean water. The restaurant is a perfect place for a date or a meeting with friends accompanied by a glass of good wine, especially during long, winter nights.

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Address: ul. św. Gertrudy 5 (in the courtyard), Kraków
Website: www.klimatypoludnia.pl

MAMMA MIA IN THE ITALIAN STYLE

I discovered Mamma Mia, a cosy Italian trattoria, thanks to my friends J.&J., who go there to celebrate important events in their lives. A nice atmosphere, friendly stuff and Italian dishes at affordable prices make it a perfect place for a bit more festive dinner or date.

The restaurant consists of a front room (access from Karmelicka Street) and main room (access from the courtyard). The main room is not only larger but also more elegant and more pleasing to the eye. The bare, brick walls are decorated with stylish photos from Italy, while the wood-fired pizza oven warms up the atmosphere (both literally and figuratively). A bookcase filled with wine bottles displays available wines. Unfortunately, the impression of comfort and elegance is spoilt a little by metal pipes on the ceiling and greyish tablecloths on the tables.

Of all the dishes I have tried at Mamma Mia, pizza is by far the best. Pizza Napoli (PLN 25.50) had a thin, crisp base and fresh, tasty toppings. Also a slightly burnt calzone (PLN 24), a turnover of pizza dough filled with vegetables, meat, or cheese, turned out to be very tasty.

 

Once, I decided to try something unusual for dessert so I ordered ricotta cheesecake in fig sauce with pine nuts (PLN 9.50). It did taste unusual... Since then I have always opted for something more traditional, like tiramisu or panna cotta.

Thanks to the friendly atmosphere, Mamma Mia is a perfect restaurant for a family dinner (high chairs are available). And if you choose one of the snug corners, you can feel as if you were on a romantic date in Italy. Because Mamma Mia is one of the most popular Italian restaurants in Kraków, it's advisable to book a table in advance.

 

Address: ul. Karmelicka 14, Kraków

Website: www.mammamia.net.pl

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