Monday, March 31, 2014

All Hail Nutella

In Europe, I think it's fair to say that everything can be made with Nutella. Crepes filled with Nutella as street food, Nutella flavored gelato, cornetti [croissants] stuffed with Nutella, tiny Nutella packets to go on your bread at breakfast, the list is endless.

Baking in my kitchen here is a huge struggle for many reasons. 1. We don't have measuring spoons and cups so we always guess, 2. We have to light our gas oven and never know the temperature of the thing, 3. Finding baking powder, sugar, flour, and vanilla was about a month long process and I'm not sure the ingredients even work the same here. Needless to say, I miss making cookies, muffins, cakes, etc. [Yes, I know I sound like an old lady but hey, I like to bake :) ]

Back to Nutella, it is the hero of my baking struggles so far. Pinterest brought me an awesome recipe for easy, 4 ingredient Nutella cookies that have been the most successful treat we've made so far! The oven still burned the bottoms a little but I'm working on it and they're still incredible!

[the oven & pan I have to work with]

[the finished product]

Simple Salted Nutella Cookies

1 cup Nutella
1 cup flour
1 egg
sea salt

Mix together the Nutella, flour, and egg. Roll into balls and place on a baking tray. Flatten them with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle with salt and allow to cool. Enjoy :)


Thursday, March 27, 2014

Icecubes & Pizza

Life is a constant adventure here. Sometimes I walk through the grocery store and feel so cultured as I pick up my mozzarella, olive oil, and pesto before heading to the fruit stand for the freshest, sweetest tomatoes on the vine I will ever be lucky enough to eat. And then sometimes I feel like a complete fool.

Ziplocs don't exist. I know there's the whole principle of cooking fresh food everyday, but sometimes I just want to be a poor, lazy college student and eat left overs. Also, cooking for a serving size of one is not easy.

Back to the Ziplocs - they don't exist. The other day I went to the aisle with plastic wrap and tin foil hoping to find something useful. Convinced I had found what I thought were plastic bags, I threw them in my cart and took them home. When I went to put my food away, however, I couldn't seem to open the plastic bags. Looking at the box again, it looked strangely like there were ice cubes on the front. Confused, I filled the hole in the top with water. To my surprise, the bag started to fill up in tiny compartments with little pockets of water! So I now discovered how Italians make ice cubes. I'm not complaining since the ice cube trays in our freezer are cracked and impossible to use... Anyhow, my roommate and I spent a good five minutes laughing over my most recent and ridiculous fail at Roman life. Allora, c'e la vita.

My most recent success? Finding some of the BEST authentic Roman pizza! We've been talking of going to Dar Poeta for a while now and finally decided to go out to dinner. [Yes, I'm surrounded by good food in Italy, but my wallet is not full of enough euros to eat it all!] It was seriously one of the best decisions we've made for a while as I can confidently say it ranks up in the top five meals I've eaten in Rome. Dar Poeta is known for their wood oven which bakes the pizzas to crispy, fluffy, melty perfection! It's located in Trastevere, where there is an endless number of restaurants to choose from, just off the beaten path but not too hard to find. Thankfully we went early at 7:30 because after 8 there is a huge line to get in. But it's SO worth it.

We've been trying to taste a little bit of everything and get the full dining experience when we go out without busting out of our pants and emptying our wallets. It's tough to do so Gianna and I split our meal - gorgonzola e miele bruschetta [bleu cheese and honey] and a pizza bufala [fresh tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves]. It left us speechless! Even better, we had some good house wine to go along with it. The best part, however, was dessert! It took the cake [pun intended :) ]. Dar Poeta is known for their nutella and ricotta calzone. Seriously - chocolate and cheese. You really can't go wrong with combining two of the best foods ever created. My family is probably in shock because growing up I hated most dairy [except ice cream, duh], but Italy has changed my mind forever! I cannot emphasize how perfectly it finished off our dinner. You're just going to have to go for yourself and enjoy the great food and relaxed atmosphere of this little gem. Molto buono!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Tuscany Continued: Florence & Trequanda

I'm currently sitting in my apartment in Rome with a little bit of a tan from ten days in Greece. While I download spring break pictures, I'm posting here about the rest of my weekend in Tuscany!

firenze

Florence was beautiful, despite the dreary day we arrived on. Rain was drizzling from a gray sky and we jostled along the sidewalks bumping umbrellas as we navigated the old city. Our walking tour guide from Pisa, Marco, joined us yet again at Piazza San Marco, just in front of the Basilica. He took us to all the sights to see in Florence. 

First up, the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Apparently the Laurentian Library holds a large collection of some of the oldest books dating back to the Medici rule.



Moving on, we ended up in Piazza del Duomo, a huge gathering place in Florence.


We entered into the huge basilica that was an architectural feat to accomplish as the dome is so large. 



Next to the Duomo is again a bell tower and baptistry, similar to Pisa.



Speaking of the Medicis, we naturally went to Palazzo Vecchio. The Medici family lived across the river in the Pitti Palace but this is where meetings were held and big decisions made.



Luckily the rain lightened up as our tour continued outside to Piazza della Republica where the copy of Michelangelo's David stands along with a great deal of other magnificent sculptures. Seeing it up close? WOW.



We passed the Academia where the real David is housed on our way to Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in the city as it is the only one Hitler did not manage to bomb during WWII. Now it is lined with ritzy jewelry stores to browse through. It connects the old city to the Boboli Gardens, made for the enjoyment of the Medicis.



Florence is the birthplace of the famous poet, Dante, so we made a visit to his home and museum.


[This stone is supposed to be a portrait of Dante outside the house, but it's hard to see.]

This church was dedicated to the woman he loved, but was never with, Beatrice. People write letters to her asking for love or mourning a loss and place them in this basket!


I'm currently reading Dan Brown's Inferno so it's fun to look back at these pictures after reading about Prof. Langdon navigating through them all! Nerdy, I know :)


We ended our tour at a square with lots of little food vendors, however, and had our hearts set on getting "The Oil Shoppe" sandwiches for lunch. Navigating our way there, we were to be disappointed to find that it's only open Monday through Friday. >:(

So we headed to the food market! I was in heaven - so much fresh food. Butchers had animals hanging and there were glass fronts filled with gourmet cheeses. We found just about every kind of Lindt truffle that you could fill a bag of. Dried fruits of every kind were so cheap I couldn't resist trying kiwi. And the nice old man threw in some peaches, as well - my favorite! Alayna and I split a panino for lunch since we were pretty full from all our sampling.

Just outside was what Florence is known for - the leather market! It was incredible to walk through all the stalls of beautifully crafted jackets, purses, wallets, boots, gloves, and more. Scarves hung from everywhere they could and everyone wanted you to buy from their stand. I resisted making any big purchases as I'm going back to visit my friend studying there. This way I have time to mull it over and save up before May arrives :)

Last on our agenda of the day was to climb the Duomo. After a bit of a struggle to find tickets and the entrance, we waited in line for a good hour. 


[Selfie to entertain us...]

We also spotted a Lindt store across the street, so we took turns holding our spot in line. Inside was a little piece of heaven...




The way up consisted of some tiny tunnels and duck under some strangely slanted roofs.




[hahahahahahah]


If climbing 400 some stairs didn't take our breath away, the views most definitely did. We were able to get so close to the artwork on the ceiling as we climbed around the inside. It was amazing to be SO close to such old masterpieces. 




Stepping outside was incredible, too. Red rooftops went for miles over the Tuscan countryside. 



[The spire of the Duomo.]


It was cold and windy, but magnificent. The adventure was so worth the throbbing pain my knee was in after climbing for the rest of the evening!

We got back on the bus for dinner at the hotel. They had put gelato for dessert on the menu, but that turned out to be a lie. We craved chocolate and ventured out to a yogurt place across the street to satisfy our sweet tooths. It reminded me of Tutti Fruiti in East Lansing, which never manages to disappoint me!

trequanda

The next morning was an early one with a long bus ride, but SO worth it. It ended up being my absolute favorite part of the trip. We pulled into Fattoria dell Colle in Trequanda, a vineyard region of Tuscany. I honestly felt like I was living in Under the Tuscan Sun! I couldn't get enough of the rolling hills and picture perfect old buildings. 







Overload, I know, but there were just too many pictures to choose from!

Our tour guide took us around telling some history of the place. She showed us the tiny chapel on site which people often get married at. Can you imagine??



She also detailed the wine making process. It was pretty interesting to hear about how the wine making is regulated and routine, but each place has the chance to put their own personal touch in to the taste of their wine. Unique at this particular place is that only girls are hired to work on the wine making process (boys can work in the fields). Donna, the owner and descendant of an old family of wine makers, is trying to give women a chance to break into the typically male dominated business. They also hold worldwide contests and give out awards to women making a difference in the world. Pretty neat.

As an awesome surprise, we had a lesson from a short little Italian woman on how to make pici pasta. She was hilarious! She called up Ben from our group - one of the two boys - to help. 


The ingredients were so simple: an egg, a liter of water, a bag of flour, and some olive oil. She made it look easy, but I can guarantee I would make a huge mess. She made a sort of mountain out of the flour and put the wet ingredients inside to gradually mix them in. After that she kneaded the dough until it was smooth, which I can only imagine takes some major muscle. 

We got to help roll out the noodles, dip them in semolina, and lay them out.





We didn't end up eating them for lunch, but our food was incredible! 

[I loved the sign outside the kitchen area :) ]

First, though, was wine tasting. She explained a bit more about the winery and their wines. 


[Inside the winery.]

THEN we got to drink it! We had two of their major types and they were delicious! It was fun to try it with her guiding us, asking to describe flavors and smells, explaining about the "legs" and the aging, etc.


[OH YEAH.]

Next - FINALLY - came lunch! It was absolutely amazing - an appetizer of traditional cheeses and meats followed by bruschetta. The pasta dish was ragu, which is noodles and meat sauce. At home I doubt I'd like it, but all that I eat I enjoy! Our main dish was roasted chicken and some of the most delicious potatoes I've ever had. Dessert was a pastry with fruity jam that I enjoyed, but I'd rather have chocolate... We had two more red wines with lunch. I decided the second that I tried was my favorite, but I'm really not too picky :)

[People can eat outside in the nice weather. What a view!]

Sadly we had to head out after a little more time to explore and take pictures. I honestly never wanted to leave, but getting "home to Rome" felt good too. Funny that the overwhelming city I once felt lost in now comforts me when I return!


[ <3 Tuscany ]

Friday, March 7, 2014

Dinner & A Movie

AUR has a sweet deal with Chef Andrea, an Italian man who runs authentic cooking classes here in Roma. I signed up through Student Life and had an awesome experience totally worth 15 euros.

Chef Andrea gives AUR students such a great deal since he actually married a girl from here! So I guess finding an Italian man can happen... Too bad I promised my mom and dad I'd come home in May... He told us how he came to teach cooking classes to students like us while we waited for our homemade tomato sauce to cook! Mmm. With a passion for food and cooking, as well as an abundance of stories to go along with it, he was he began in a restaurant. A girl from John Cabot University insisted that he teach her to make his delicious rabbit dish [a normal food around here]. Apparently they spent the day cooking and she was so intrigued by him that she suggested he run cooking classes for the university. It took him days to work up the courage and he was almost turned away by the security guards, but a friend finally brought him to student life where he proposed his idea. After a trial run, they loved what he did and his business was born. He now has his own kitchen/dining room studio called "Cooking Classes in Rome" right here in Trastevere where he and his wife kindly give us college kids lessons on preparing authentic Italian cuisine. 

I had class until 6:40 so I had to go a little late. Getting a little lost on the way there [as usual] didn't help either. Nevertheless, I arrived, threw on an apron, washed my hands, and jumped right in. My first task was cutting the bread for the bruschetta. I'm not sure why, but the crust on the bread here is impossibly tough. Inside is usually soft, fluffy, and delicious, but the outside is seriously a brick. My hands seriously hurt after slicing through a whole loaf of the stuff. Next we had to grill it. At first it was a simple task, but we then discovered the heat was uneven all across the stove. It was seriously like a video game trying to flip all the pieces of bread at just the right time. I'd say it was a success as we only burnt four pieces [which I discreetly threw away...]. The topping was the best part, obviously! I didn't make it, but we had chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic on one. The other had arugula and stracchino cheese. The best part of this was the story he told us.

Stanca, in the Roman dialect, means exhausted. Stracchina is a variation of the Italian word, as well. Stracchino cheese gets it's name from the tired cows it comes from. Up in the northern part of Italy it is hilly and mountainous so the cows that climb up and down are exhausted at the end of the day. The milk from these tired cows is used to make this gloriously smooth, sweet, and creamy cheese sensibly named stracchino. It's a luxury to have since only a few, exhausted cows can make it! I've seen it at the market since, however, and I will definitely be attempting to repeat this recipe in the near future. 

[You can tell here that they're a unique kind of tomato - the skins are partly green, partly orange!]

I helped a bit with browning the garlic for the tomato sauce, but Chef Andrea finished most of that as we sat down to eat. It was fun to chat and get to know the people near me at the table. I'm liking this "slow food" culture :) 


After our antipasti [appetizer] of bruschette [that's the plural form of bruschetta], we had the homemade spaghetti with tomato & basil sauce. I didn't actually make the noodles, but half of the class did! I have the recipe so one day when I have lots of time on my hands!



  
Dessert was tiramisu! Confession: I came to Italy not liking tiramisu at all. I've since discovered that this is because I've never had fresh tiramisu. The process of making this dessert involves raw egg whites. If it's not eaten the day that it's made, alcohol has to be used as a preservative. Actual good tiramisu is in fact not soaked in Bailey's and is incredible. The light and fluffy top melts in your mouth with hints of the rich chocolate from the lady finger layer on the bottom. A dollop of homemade whipped cream and I was in heaven. Tiramisu literally means "life me up" [tira- pull, mi- me, su- up]. According to Chef Andrea, if it has alcohol in it, it will "put you down" ;)


 I came home stuffed with a delicious meal. Chef Andrea kindly emails us the recipes so we can attempt to recreate our meal. I figured I'd share them on here as well! They're at the end of the post :)

The movie part of this post comes from last night. Gianna and I went up to AUR as they were showing La Grande Bellezza [The Great Beauty] which recently won an Oscar. We weren't sure what we were about to see, but had heard rave reviews from a variety of people. I ended up really enjoying it but it was definitely a lot to take in! The style reminded me of the newest The Great Gatsby movie as it was often moving in a quick-paced, dream-like way. Some characters floated in and out, the soundtrack was incredible, party scenes were epic, and the transitions were abrupt. The movie explored what it means to live and to love, but not in a cheesy or typical fashion. It was seen through the eyes of a writer in Rome, Jep Gambardella. He interacts with some fascinating people while discovering the great beauties that we all experience. After a while, the subtitles won't annoy you, so I suggest watching it and forming your own opinion on this well-done movie!

A post about Florence & Trequanda will come soon! And, as promised, here are the recipes:

bruschetta 
serving 4 people

-8 slices Italian bread
- half a clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt

Grill the bread until crisp and golden brown for about 3 minutes. Rub each slice of bread with half a clove of garlic, then drizzle with one table spoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. 

You can toast the bread in the toaster, but using the oven dries it out more, adding an authentic touch! Be sure to use only a good, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil as the dish depends on the quality of the oil.

al pomodoro e basilico

-4 tomatoes (the best kind you can get to make bruschetta this time of the year are called pomodori colonna or back home I'd suggest you to use the Roma tomatoes type) 
- 1 clove garlic (remove the heart of it, as it's heavy to digest when raw)
- 10 leaves fresh organic basil- salt
- pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Chop the garlic and tomatoes into small cubes, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and serve.Chop the garlic and tomatoes into small cubes, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

al rughetta e stracchino

- arugula
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- stracchino cheese (it's a smooth cheese that you can find at any supermarket or open market - if you can't find this cheese then you can add fresh goat cheese)

Clean, wash, and chop finely arugula salad. Season with salt, extra virgin olive oil, and few drops of lemon juice. Spread it on top of your bruschetta and add a little drop of stracchino.

spaghetti alla chitarra fatti a mano con sugo di pomodoro fresco e basilico
serving 4 people

for the dough
  
- 500 gr / 4 cup of semolina flour (hard durum wheat)
- 250 ml / 1 cup lukewarm water
- 4 pinches of salt

 Spaghetti alla Chitarra pasta is made with a hard durum wheat (semolina) flour and water (no eggs) which gives them a distinctive golden yellow color and it is very famous in the Abbruzzo region. It’s a very simple recipe to prepare, but you may want to purchase a "chitarra" maker to prepare it!

 To get ready with the dough, make a ring with the flour on a flat surface, marble or board and pour some of the water into the middle. Add salt and draw the flour towards the middle using your finger tips. Keep doing this until you have incorporated most of the water and flour into a sticky dough. Knead it lightly, adjusting water and flour until the dough is relatively smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 15/20 mins.

 Once chilled, divide the dough into quarters or more for ease of rolling. Roll these out using a rolling pin or pasta machine until smooth and thin, then use a rolling pin o the chitarra maker and your spaghetti with a squared section will come out of it!

Either cook straight away, or dust with semolina flour to prevent them sticking while you prepare the sauce. Once in a pan of salted boiling water, they will get cooked in less than a minute and make sure they will be "al dente".

 for the sauce

 - 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1Kg / 2,2 lb fresh and organic San Marzano or tomatoes on the vine (back home you are able to use Roma tomatoes too)
- few leaves of fresh organic Basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 100gr / 1 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (to coat your dish)
  
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute garlic with extra virgin olive oil (remember to leave the skin on and do not burn the oil, just wait for garlic to get brown). Than add chopped tomatoes previously blanched and peeled, and allow them to cook and saute. After the tomatoes have cooked down for about 10 minutes, they'll look softer and release some water, add salt. You are able to add your own personal touch to the sauce with some chili flakes (but not too much) or fresh ricotta chunks in with the tomatoes. In the end add freshly chopped basil leaves.

 To cook the pasta put a large pot of boiling water over high heat. When the water is boiling, toss in a couple of tablespoon of salt with the pasta. Stir to keep it from sticking and cook for less than a minute until a piece of pasta tastes cooked (if the pasta if freshly made, just cook it for less than a minute otherwise it will result too soft and mushy). 

When the Spaghetti alla Chitarra pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the frying pan with tomatoes. Drizzle with cheese to coat the pasta. Season your dish with pepper if you like and garnish with some fresh basil leaves, and serve hot. It will be delicious!

tiramisu

- 4 eggs (large size)
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 250gr mascarpone cheese (I am not able to use cup measurements as it's an imported product that comes in 250gr or 500gr tubs.)
- chocolate chunks (dark chocolate is preferred)
- ladyfingers or savoiardi biscuits
- 200ml (about 1 cup) espresso coffee

Using a moka (a typical Italian espresso maker) make some coffee to dip in your lady fingers and set aside until it will cool down. In the meantime you are able to start working on the cream mixture, all you have to do is to separate 4 eggs yolk from the whites, and use an electric whisk to whip 4 eggs whites with 2 spoons of sugar. Then into a diffrent bowl (aluminum is always preferred rather than glass bowls) you have to beat the 4 yolks with the remaining 2 spoons of sugar until very thick and light in color. With a wooden spoon or spatula stir in mascarpone cheese until smooth (since it is an imported product in most countries, I have used the Italian measurement so you will know how much to get!). Make sure all chunks of mascarpone cheese will disappear in the egg yolk cream mixture. As soon as both egg mixtures are ready, you have to fold them together from the bottom to the top with a spatula. This is the only way your egg whites will keep their consistency and not become flat.

To assemble your dessert dip the ladyfingers, one at a time, in the coffee mixture and line a long flat serving dish with them. Sprinkle chocolate chunks and spoon a layer of the cream mixture over these. Add another layer of dipped ladyfingers and some chocolate chunks, then spoon the remaining cream over the top. During the class we prepared only one layer of ladyfinger for a nicer presentation of your dessert, even if the quantity of cream was enough to make two layers. 

Before serving, leave it chilling in the fridge for min. 2 hrs, and then cover your Tiramisù with unsweetened chocolate/cocoa powder. 

If you want this dish can be made up within hours in advance, but in this case sprinkle cocoa powder only before serving and not while sitting in the fridge. It will be a hit!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Holding Up the Leaning Tower

Alayna and I woke up real early during the first week of school to sign up for the AUR Student Life field trip to Tuscany this past weekend. On the itinerary: Pisa, Florence, & Trequqnda. The entire weekend was amazing. Here's a little bit about our first day spent holding up the Leaning Tower. 

After an aperitivo and gelato Thursday night instead of going to the Carnevale party, we rolled out of bed, packed, and wheeled our suitcases a mile to school by 7am. We always give funny looks to people walking around with suitcases but this time we were them. Hopping on the bus and freezing the whole ride there, we ended up in Pisa! It's actually a pretty small town. The baptistery, cathedral, graveyard, and, of course, the Leaning Tower are on the outside of town. They're actually just inside the old city walls. 





We met up with our tour guide, Marco, who was from just outside the city and hilarious to listen to. He gave us some history as we walked around. The tower was actually a lot smaller than I expected and just hanging out in a field. I don't know what I was imagining, but it was not what I saw. That doesn't mean it was disappointing! I've now seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa [and taken cheesy tourist pics :) ] which is nothing to scoff at.

[Struggling to make the pose.]

[Yes, I took a selfie.]

[Alayna had an epic pose.]

[And here I am being cheesy...]

[...and again!]

A little history on Pisa: The town was built in the 11th century. It is supposedly where Galileo was enlightened with his pendulum theory by seeing the chandelier in the church swing, but they then discovered that this is only legend. Apparently he came up with the theory before it was installed. Like several years before. Awkward. 


Anyway, there is a baptistery with half a roof tiled and half done in lead since they ran out of money. The east door of the baptistery serves as the exit ans faces the church as it represents the light you receive in Christianity.

[The entrance to the church.]

This is the famous sculpture inside the church. It depicts much of the Bible as people could not read nor understand the masses long ago. Pictures really were worth a thousand words. 


Continuing with our day, which we lucked out not getting rain until the moment we left, we found food. We were starving! Walking towards the city center this little porchetta panini shop caught our eye. We bopped in to find what we now like to call our Italian Jimmy John's :) Two guys were behind the counter making huge, delicious sandwiches. Mine was stuffed with pork, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes - one of their suggested eats! So good. 


The best part? The boy working brought us this.


Yes, that is a heart. Yes, it is also made out of raw meat. There is a lot of it here. I'm not gonna lie - it's really tasty!

Full and re-energized, we continued on to the Arne River for 
beautiful sights. This majestic building stands just next to it, as well.





We searched for San Andrea and the old train station that supposedly has a beautiful mural. We found the church but it was closed. 


That's getting to be way too typical for the adventures I've attempted lately. They don't like to work on Sundays, Mondays, and afternoons in particular. Absolutely no luck finding the mural, but it was fun to explore and walk around. It's a LOT quieter there. 

We stumbled across this picturesque door, a lovely little chapel, and a gorgeous garden on our way back towards the tower. 




Back on the bus, we watched Crazy, Stupid Love and continued to "President's Hotel" for the weekend. Aperitivo and dinner in the lobby had salad, veggie soup, salmon pasta, fish & potatoes, and tiramisu on the menu. The soup was my favorite and the fish was delicious!

A walk down the street led us to a pastry shop with yummy fruit gummy candy, a castle on a hill, and past the baths that Montecatini Terme is known for. 

Up tomorrow: Firenze!