The other day after class had finished, two girls and I decided to explore the Jewish Ghetto of Rome. After pondering Octavius's Portico, the remains of the primary street that Jewish people inhabited before WWII and the children's school built in 1910, we decided to enjoy the delicacies they had to share.
We sat down and enjoyed a delicious meal of fried zucchini blossoms and artichokes for antipasti. We were especially glad that the restaurant offered a brochure explaining how to make the artichokes ourselves. Considering that they need to be floating in oil in order to be fully and correctly cooked, it appears as though we may need to purchase them when our cravings arrive rather than make them ourselves. Our apartments didn't provide us with the cookware necessary, and our wallets don't provide us with money for the large amount of oil.
After polishing off the antipasti, we each ordered falafel, which had a delicious sesame sauce and cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce to go with the balls of chickpeas. They were the spiciest thing I have had since coming to Italy and I loved the excitement in my mouth.
To finish, we each had a piece of challah bread, which seemed burnt on the top but was perfectly baked. There were walnuts, dates, raisins, and cherry treats inside and it reminded me of a kind of coffee cake my mom orders for Christmas morning. The shop selling the bread had a GamberoRosso seal on the door so we knew it would be good, and the shop definitely delivered.
The Jewish Ghetto was a great learning experience and I am definitely going back soon to load up on more of their authentic meals.
-Sarah
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Castello Delle Regine
This past Friday, my group and I, along with our teacher/sommelier, visited the vineyards and winery of Castello Della Regine about an hour and a half outside of Rome. Spanning 400 hectares, we were privy to olive tree groves, farms with cattle and, of course, grapevines. Considering that we visited on the only snowy day that Rome will see in 2010, most of the lesson was kept inside.
Built on sandy clay, the grapes are best made into well-aged red wines
We were shown the room of large steel vats in which the wine is fermented. Violent bubbling creates heat inside the vat, which releases H20 and converts the sugars from the grape pulp to alcohols. The temperature must be highly regulated, because if it is not warm enough, the yeast will not ferment, but if kept too high, the flavor of the wine can suffer.
After surveying the vats, we were brought to the aging room, which was filled with wooden barrels filled with maturing wine. The wood helps the wine to extract tannins from its walls, thus enhancing the flavor. The wines can age from four months to a year, and the smaller the barrel, the higher the complexity of the aroma and taste of the wine. Because of this increase in the general quality, wines stabilized and aged in smaller wooden barrels are generally more expensive.
Excitingly, my group then began the tasting session. However, the staff of Castello Delle Regine created a little game to make the tasting even more interesting. Supplying us with 5 bottles of different grapes and stages of aging, we were given the opportunity to blend our favorite flavors to make the ultimate full-bodied wine. It was a great lesson in perfecting the harmony of the wine, in that sometimes the more bitter or sweet wine would mix in with another vine that one would never expect. Our final product was delicious and something I would buy if it were on the market!
Staff member pushing the cork into our bottle!
All in all, the excursion was extremely informative and gave me a better look at the process of wine-making. I would definitely love to visit other vineyards around Italy to see how different regions differ in the creation of their signature wine. Hopefully, the more wine I try the closer I am to becoming a sommelier!
Ciao,
Sarah
Built on sandy clay, the grapes are best made into well-aged red wines
We were shown the room of large steel vats in which the wine is fermented. Violent bubbling creates heat inside the vat, which releases H20 and converts the sugars from the grape pulp to alcohols. The temperature must be highly regulated, because if it is not warm enough, the yeast will not ferment, but if kept too high, the flavor of the wine can suffer.
After surveying the vats, we were brought to the aging room, which was filled with wooden barrels filled with maturing wine. The wood helps the wine to extract tannins from its walls, thus enhancing the flavor. The wines can age from four months to a year, and the smaller the barrel, the higher the complexity of the aroma and taste of the wine. Because of this increase in the general quality, wines stabilized and aged in smaller wooden barrels are generally more expensive.
Excitingly, my group then began the tasting session. However, the staff of Castello Delle Regine created a little game to make the tasting even more interesting. Supplying us with 5 bottles of different grapes and stages of aging, we were given the opportunity to blend our favorite flavors to make the ultimate full-bodied wine. It was a great lesson in perfecting the harmony of the wine, in that sometimes the more bitter or sweet wine would mix in with another vine that one would never expect. Our final product was delicious and something I would buy if it were on the market!
Staff member pushing the cork into our bottle!
All in all, the excursion was extremely informative and gave me a better look at the process of wine-making. I would definitely love to visit other vineyards around Italy to see how different regions differ in the creation of their signature wine. Hopefully, the more wine I try the closer I am to becoming a sommelier!
Ciao,
Sarah
Monday, February 8, 2010
Czech out Prague Cuisine
From Thursday night to Sunday night, I went to Prague with some friends to see the sights and tour a city that I am not familiar with. The Prague Castle and cathedral were breathtaking, the Lennon wall was a beautiful homage to one of my heroes, the Dancing House made me laugh out loud, and the night life was unreal.
One of my goals in every city I visit is to try the dish that they are most reknowned for. My friends and I went out to dinner at Kozicka, a goat-themed native restaurant. We each ordered a dish between the four of us, and we shared potato pancakes, goulash, dumplings, chicken and mushroom spatzle, and spinach and mushroom spatzle. Topped off with hot wine, the meal was absolutely delicious.
My next trips are to Venice and Berlin with a weekend in Rome in between. I can't wait to try some more foreign dishes. Apertivo and brats- here I come!
One of my goals in every city I visit is to try the dish that they are most reknowned for. My friends and I went out to dinner at Kozicka, a goat-themed native restaurant. We each ordered a dish between the four of us, and we shared potato pancakes, goulash, dumplings, chicken and mushroom spatzle, and spinach and mushroom spatzle. Topped off with hot wine, the meal was absolutely delicious.
My next trips are to Venice and Berlin with a weekend in Rome in between. I can't wait to try some more foreign dishes. Apertivo and brats- here I come!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Food and Culture
I arrived in Rome 2 weeks ago for a semester-long stay. Ahead of me are classes involving Italian language, history, food and culture, media, and cooking. I am excited to get more in depth academically while I am here and maybe I will someday get mistaken for a native Roman.
This past weekend was fun as I spent it all in the neighborhood. I visited a fresh market and saw horse meat and sting rays! Maybe I will be brave enough to try something completely new...but with my cooking skills, I will likely get salmonella or some kind of hoof and mouth disease.
On Sunday, we went to the AS Roma soccer game. The fans spent more time heckling the Siena fans than they did watching the game, but I spent more time watching the Italians than I did the game, too. I wish I was as passionate about a sports team as these guys are, but I don't think there are enough expletives in the English language to compare with the insults they were throwing out.
On to another week in Rome and then to Prague for the weekend. Have a good one!
This past weekend was fun as I spent it all in the neighborhood. I visited a fresh market and saw horse meat and sting rays! Maybe I will be brave enough to try something completely new...but with my cooking skills, I will likely get salmonella or some kind of hoof and mouth disease.
On Sunday, we went to the AS Roma soccer game. The fans spent more time heckling the Siena fans than they did watching the game, but I spent more time watching the Italians than I did the game, too. I wish I was as passionate about a sports team as these guys are, but I don't think there are enough expletives in the English language to compare with the insults they were throwing out.
On to another week in Rome and then to Prague for the weekend. Have a good one!
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