Adventures in the South of Italy Part I

Last weekend, Endira and I had a whirlwind trip down South.  We stopped in Naples, Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi during the course of Saturday and Sunday. It was crazy and lots of fun too.
On Saturday we took the slow train (3 hours) at 8:14am. If you ever take one of these cheap but long trains in Rome (or from any of the capo linea, the journey starting point) get on the train EARLY or else you run the risk of standing the majority of the journey.  We planted ourselves in the corridor by the steps and had to keep getting up and down whenever the exit was on our side for the various local stops. It was a long trip but we read our books and had a lot of laughs.
However, when we got to Naples, at around 11am I was just a little out of it (that's what happens
when you stay out late the night before an early morning trip) and I thought it was already noon and therefore time for pizza.  This also just proves that I can't do math.  3 hours on a strain starting at 8, what time do you arrive? Alissa's stomach says noon.

I was insistent on getting this pizza.
Best pizza, but remember it's closed on
Sundays!

And I was quite gung ho about getting my Neapolitan pizza fix so we took a walk and figured out that Da Michele, the best pizza EVER was closed until noon.  So one random conversation with a Neapolitan later (note: they'll try speaking to you even if you don't know Neapolitan. A lot of Neapolitans are wonderful, hilarious people, some are crooks trying to con you into something... soo proceed with caution) we decided to go for a walk and see the churches in the area and get a coffee.  I needed an energy upper and Naples is known for its coffee.

beautiful shakerato

It's known for 2 things Pizza and Espresso.  Their espresso is strong and sweet and pretty amazing (other Italians will say their coffee is better but I'm partial to Neapolitan espresso).  We stopped at a cute coffee shop on the corner and sat outside in the warm sun.  We each decided to get a Shakerato which is a type of ice coffee. In Florence it was quite thin and smooth, basically regular espresso, milk and liquid sugar, shaken with ice (hence the name) and served cold.  In Naples at this caffe it was like melted ice cream made tiwh the best espresso in the world. It was delicious and creamy, but incredibly strong.  Stir it periodically!  Otherwise at the end you're going to get a mouthful of super strong espresso that you weren't expecting.  It was refreshing and quite energizing but a little messy.  I would definitely get it again.
Then we stopped into the Duomo for a beautiful peek and after we kept walking for a while.  We found a photo exhibit and a man raising money for a library so that the kids in the neighborhood would ahve a place to study.  He was lovely and the project was a beautiful idea, especially since he's doing it in honor of his 14 year old daughter who was killed by the Gamorah (Neapolitan mafia) a few years ago.  The school down the block is named after her. He's doing a wonderful job keeping her memory alive and positive.  He was a lovely man with a positive message and spirit.  He's also collecting books for the library in any language, so if you want, you can send books for the beautiful cause (I'll add in the address tomorrow).
He also gave us a nearby restaurant recommendation that I'll have to look into next time because I was utterly fixated on getting pizza from Da Michele again, so we went there next.
We got there at noon and there was already a line at the door so I cut to the front to see what was going on.  I wanted to get our pizzas to go so I figured that there was no hurt in trying and well, it cutting the line definitely paid off for us with quick pizzas but more on that in a minute.
Apparently, Da Michele's had been robbed the night before!!The crooks had broken in from below and ruined the bathroom in the process which is why the restaurant still wasn't seating anyone.  I really hope that the crooks get caught and that they didn't get any money.  The sweet, amazing people working that way didn't seem too concerned right then, which makes me think that it probably isn't the first break in that they've faced.

In any case, they couldn't seat anyone who wanted to sit and eat but since we wanted to take ours as takeaway we were in luck.  I asked the man at the counter and he was very sweet and told the guys by the kiln to make us some pizzas. And we got to watch them making our pizza which was excellent.  The older men were amazingly quick and then the pizza was ready very quickly as well.

We got traditional margarita pizzas. Da Michele's only serves 3 kinds Marinara (no cheese), Margarita (the traditional Neapolitan pie) and Doppio Margarita (with double the mozzarella).
Our pizzas were amazing, especially since they were the very first made that day!
They were delicious with the perfect crust and a wonderful balance of sauce and cheese, with just the right amount of basil.

If you ever have a chance to pass through Naples, I highly recomment Da Michele.  I also recommend you explore the rest of the city because although it's quite nitty gritty and the city is highly underrated, in reality it's a gorgeous city with lots to see (the coast, castel d'uovo, spaccanapoli, the archaeological museum just to name a few) but do be aware of your belongings because there are some shady characters roaming amongst the friendly.
After eating our pizza in the piazza by the train station, we got onto the circovesuviano for 1 hour and 15 minutes of hot stuffy train to Sorrento....
That being said it was TOTALLY worth it.

Want to read more about my adventures down south?
Part II here
Part III here

Spinach Turkey Burger 2.0 and Strawberry Peach Bellinis

Spinach Turkey Burgers served with salad and a grilled tortilla

So the other day I repeated my Fresh Spinach Turkey Burgers except I used shallots instead of red onion (I would have preferred red onion but I didn't have any, so shallots worked just as well, except there was a little less kick).  I made them for a friend and they came out just as well the second time.  Delicious with lightly toasted tortillas and a fresh salad on the side.  It was light on carbs and super healthy.

Strawberry peach bellinis

Afterwards I made delicious strawberry peach bellinis with fresh strawberries, peach juice and
prosecco.  They were wonderfully refreshing and very easy to make.  I froze the fresh strawberries the day before and put them in a blender with the peach juice and prosecco. After blending I served in a low glass (although a flute would have been more classy) and topped off the glass with a little more fizzy prosecco.  So good.  I want more!

Coming Soon

Alright, I'm always way too busy for my own good, but I've started writing in my notebook and just have to find type to type and publish a couple of blogs.

What to expect:
Spinach Turkey Burgers 2.0 and Strawberry Peach Bellinis
My Weekend in the South of Italy (3 or 4 parts since we went to Naples, Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi and we ate in all 4 places!)
Restaurant Review Rome: DaRemo
Restaurant Review Rome: Angelina (Brunch)
Restaurant Review Rome: PortoFluviale
Restaurant Review Rome: Novecento (possibly multiple parts because I've eaten there so often since getting to Rome)
Restaurant Review Rome: Life
Restaurant Review Rome: La Cuccaracha (Mexican in Rome!)
Restaurant Review Rome: Piccola Molise
Restaurant Review Rome: Doppio Zeroo
Recipe: Mustard Pork with Onion Gravy

And probably a bunch of other refreshing recipes too!

Craving: Watermelon

So I had my first watermelon this year a couple of weeks ago. I bought a little one at the market and it was delicious... and I want another one!!
I don't know why, but today I'm just craving watermelon.
Juicy, refreshing, cold watermelon... Preferably seedless, but I would deal with the seeds for the thirst quenching fruit...
Hopefully, I'll get to the market!! The baby ones were only a Euro a couple of weeks ago!

Restaurant Review: Gelateria la Romana

A couple of weeks ago I tried a new gelateria for the first time.  It's on Via del Ostiense and at night it that good or if the line was just because it's a new gelateria in an area that doesn't really have a gelateria has a line going right out the door.  I wasn't sure if the line meant that the gelato was
Well, I discovered that it is really that good.  The gelato is rich and creamy and the ingredients are fresh.  The gelato is made right in the back a couple of times a day as they run out of flavors.  They also have some really unique flavors that are spectacular.

The first time I went (it's so good that, yes, I've gone back a few times) I tried a large cup with 4 flavors and chocolate whipped cream.  They have 3 types of whipped creams: panna montata allo zabaione (a more traditional whipped cream), panna montata al cacao (chocolate whipped cream), and panna montata al caffe bio (organic espresso whipped cream).  The chocolate whipped cream was delcious but quite heavy and dense. It was almost like a 5th flavor of gelato.  I would get it again with lighter, fruity flavors rather than the flavors that I actually had.

That being said, I got some wonderful flavors.  I tried the cioccolato fondente, dark chocolate, my usual go to flavor.  It was rich and dense but not too sweet which is just how I like it.  I also tried the marscapone al caffe e cioccolato fondente. It was a cream based gelato made with sweet marscapone cheese (weird I know, but taste it! It's delicious) with a swirl of espresso and dark chocolate running through it.  It was rich and creamy and the flavors worked beautifully together in a great balance. The third flavor I tried was bacio di dama con mandorle tostate, a hazelnut gelato with toasted almonds.  It wasn't my favorite flavor but it was also quite good. For me, it just wasn't as memorable as the other flavors.
My favorite flavor was the croccante all'amarena. It was a delicious cream based gelato swirled with cherry and some crunch (I have no idea what the crunch was made of but it was amazing). It was a beautiful combination that wasn't too sweet or too heavy.
Another night I got a smaller cup with 3 flavors and their panna montata allo zabaione (plain whipped cream).  The plain whipped cream was quite good and definitely a little lighter than the chocolate whipped cream but it was still denser than I like.  I prefer my whipped cream even lighter and more airy (the way that I make it). I decided to stick with the croccante all'amarena and the cioccolato fondente because they were so good and I only tried one new flavor.  I decided to try their pesto di pistacchio, or pistachio ice cream.   They call it a "pesto" because there is freshly crushed pistachio in their gelato. It was so amazingly good and utterly delicious. The pistachio was lighter than the dark chocolate and full of fresh flavor.  It was one of the best pistachio gelatos that I've ever tried.  I highly recommend it.
Then two days ago I went again in the heat of the afternoon with my cousin from Torino. We decided to try their granita which is quite traditional in Sicily.  It's essentially flavored crush ice.  Different places serve it in different consistencies but I like it best when it has the consistency of a slushy.  Gelateria la Roma had amazing granitas. I tried the peach granita and the lemon granita in one large cup.  It was so delicious and I could probably drink/eat a gallon of it.  The peach granita was smooth and had the consistency of a lovely slushie except it had pieces of fresh peach in it. It was refreshing and amazingly creamy.  I could really taste the freshness of the peaches. The lemon was also really good and refreshing.  It was a little more icy than the peach but equally flavorful. I really, really recommend trying both because they're great in the hot sun.  They also had a coffee granita that I didn't try, but I imagine it's also delicious.
If you go at night, it is absolutely worth waiting on the line!

bright, clean and beautiful

Mozzarella and tomatoes

It's been incredibly hot in Rome recently. Humid, muggy, sun blazing down, no clothes (but of course you have to wear clothes) weather.
And it, sadly, makes me lose my appetite.
I never fare well in the heat.  I never had.  I don't love summer.  I like it when I'm on the beach under an umbrella, or playing in the water... Which really doesn't happen often enough.
I know, I know, everyone hates summer in the middle of a heatwave, they go from complaining about the cold to complaining about the heat in a heartbeat. But I don't complain about the cold, even when there's a polar vortex (with the exception of one evening where I was just dressed inappropriately because I never listen to my mother).
If I could go to the beach everyday I probably wouldn't complain all that much about the heat, but sadly I'm at work everyday so I can't throw myself into the sea and cool down when I'd like.
And the heat just saps my energy so when I get home from work I don't want to do anything. I don't

My gorgeous caprese with dried basil

want to kick or turn on the stove. I don't want to eat. It's just to hot and I'm lackluster.
So my solution has been an insalata Caprese, which is the Italian for a mozzarella and tomato salad. I think the salad must have origins in Capri (an island near Naples in Southern Italy) but I'm not sure.  But with ingredients fresh out of the fridge, the salad is delicious and refreshing.
And it requires amazingly little effort. It's so easy.

With balsamic vinegar

All you need are fresh tomatoes, mozzarella (preferably bufala because it's divine), basil (fresh or dried), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (although if you don't like balsamic that can be skipped). A traditional caprese doesn't use balsamic vinegar, but I love the added tang.
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, layer them onto a plate and drizzle with oil and vinegar.  Garnish with basil and maybe a little salt and pepper. It's simple but really wonderful in the heat.  And if you're not a fan of tomatoes, you can also serve your mozzarella on a bed of arugula. It's equally delicious and equally refreshing for summer
I've been eating it pretty consistently for days now.

mozzarella on a beautiful bed of fresh rucola

Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Yessss!!  I'm writing and in a timely manner.

These bars are amazing and delicious and still really simple to make. I used the same crust from my last lemon squares but I added a twist to my lemon filling and decided to go with Strawberry Lemonade Bars this time.  I had fresh strawberries sitting in my refrigerator just waiting to be consumed and this seemed like the perfect trial. It's summertime and who could possibly resist the combination of fresh strawberries and lemonade.
To compensate for the extra liquid, I used an extra egg and another tablespoon of flower. I also cut down on the sugar content a bit because last time I found the lemon squares a little too sweet for my tastes and also because ripe, fresh strawberries should add their own sweetness to the batter.

The most beautiful strawberry lemonade bars

Ingredients

use Aluminum foil for easy cleanup

crust:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick butter) room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• pinch of salt

filling:

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 -3/4 cup sugar
• 2 freshly squeezed lemons
• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 tbs freshly zested lemon zest (I used zest that I had frozen from last time)
• 3-4 tbs all purpose flour

Line an oven proof pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

If you have an electric mixer, I would use it to cream the butter and sugar.  I don't have an electric mixer, so again I had to do it by hand. It just takes a little more time and patience but it's totally doable. I used a fork to mash the butter and sugar and then kneaded the salt and flour into the mix.  When it's a cohesive mixture and not too sticky (add a little more flour if you need to) press it evenly into your pan, bringing it up slightly along the edges. Now I'm notoriously bad at measuring, especially while in Italy. The recipe calls for a stick of butter, but the form is different in Italy, so I added a little at a time until the butter was able to hold all of the sugar. I figure, the more butter the better!  

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Turn it, if you start to see only one area of the crust bubbling or coloring.
While the crust is baking whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of flour.  Whisk until well-blended with no clumps.

Just look at that gorgeous color

In a blender, pulse your ripe strawberries for a few minutes. If you don't have a blender, you can alternatively crush them with a fork. Add this to your lemon and egg mixture.  If it's looking too runny, add in an additional tablespoon of flour but do it slowly so the flour blends and doesn't form clumps.
Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the lemon filling is set and firm.  Keep a close eye on your lemon bars and rotate to make sure it colors evenly.
The bars are done when the liquid sets. I wasn't being particularly attentive this time around (I was washing dishes instead) and my oven has a hot spot, so a little bit of my crust burnt. But that's okay because it was still utterly delicious.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Then cut into squares or triangles.  I used a round pan, so some of mine were oddly shaped, but that wasn't a problem.  I just ate those scrapes as testers.
Put in the fridge and then serve cold as a nice refreshing dessert!

The crust was still buttery and excellent and the strawberry lemonade filling was wonderful.  Use fresh berries and fresh lemons because the flavor payoff is fantastic.  The ripe strawberry really adds a kick of sweetness and reminds me of summertime adventures.  It also really complements the tartness of the lemon.

Recipe: Lemon squares

Soooo ages and ages ago I made lemon squares (mentioned in this blog).
Ages and ages ago I said I would post the recipe because they were delicious and I never got around to it.... Also I typed it into a word document, forgot about it and then when I finally found it, I deleted it, thinking that I'd already posted it.
Sometimes I spectacularly resemble an airhead.
So I've decided that now, since the weather is warm and lemon is super refreshing, I'll just have to post up the recipe.  Yes, it requires opening your oven, but not for very long so it's worth it.  As soon as your lemon squares are done, let them cool, take them out of the pan and cool in the fridge.
Totally and absolutely worth it.
And the recipe really is quite simple with minimal ingredients.  Even the crust is easy to make (although

I suppose you could easily buy one as well (think graham cracker lol)...
I have to give credit to Joy the Baker and Luscious Lemon for inspiration. I modified and combined their two recipes for the perfect lemon square.
I made these with lemons from my student's garden and then fed them to my classes. They were quite successful! Successful enough to make me want to make more. Which I finally did yesterday (sometimes it takes me time to get to my projects) and I played around with my base recipes again. I made Strawberry Lemonade Bars.  I'll try to post up the recipe tomorrow (since I'm typing it here, maybe I'll actually do it in a timely fashion!).

Cover your oven proof dish with aluminum foil for easy cleanup!

Ingredients
crust:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick butter) room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• pinch of salt

filling:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbs freshly zested lemon zest 
• 3 tbs all purpose flour

Line an oven proof pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

So many levels of utterly delicious

If you have an electric mixer, I would use it to cream the butter and sugar.  I don't have an electric mixer, sooo I was forced to do it by hand. It just takes a little more time and patience but it's totally doable.  Add the salt and flour and mix well.  When it's a cohesive mixture and not too sticky (add a little more flour if you need to) press it into your pan.  

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges.
While the crust is baking whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour.  Whisk until cohesive.
Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the lemon filling is set and firm.  Keep a close eye on your lemon bars and rotate to make sure they color evenly.
Let cool completely and then cut into squares.  I used a round form, so the edges weren't square... which is fine, because I ate them before anyone could see!
Put in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

See, absolutely simple and deliciously amazing!

Restaurant Review Rome: La Valle del Sacco

I've eaten at Valle del Sacco twice now: once with Endira and Sian and then another time with Endira.  It's a cute restaurant right by Piramide (for those of you who don't know, there's a

Pyramid in Rome! It's crazy and awesome). It's a really large and spacious restaurant so it's a great place to go on a Friday night especially because the price is right.  

The first time we went. We got three pizzas to share: the Diavola (spicy salami), the Boscaiola (sausage and mushroom), and the Melanzana (eggplant). They were delicous with thin crusts and fresh ingredients. I only took a picture when we had already cut them and divided them up but they were beautiful if a little burned around the edges.We also got a bottle of the house red which was quite good. 

We sat inside and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the large restaurant. It wasn't crazily full and the waiters were friendly. Plus I loved the colorful, art filled walls depicted various scenes of Rome. 

The last time I was there I ordered the eggplant pizza again (I was really in the mood for vegetables) and a birra rossa, a red beer. Endira ordered bruschetta and spaghetti allo scaglio, seafood pasta and a birra chiara, a blonde beer. 

My pizza was fantastic, again with a couple of

burnt edges, but I loved the freshness and texture of the eggplant. There was a great balance with the cheese as well. It's not my favorite crust (that's in Naples) but it was quite good, thin and not too fluffy.  And my red beer matched quite well. 

Endira's food was also good and quite fresh.  The bruschetta had some killer tomatoes and good olive oil.  I didn't try her pasta because I wasn't in the mood for seafood but she said it was fresh and finished her entire large bowl of pasta.  

We were sitting outside so we got a lovely breeze and got to see the day sky change into evening and night.  The restaurant is behind the train station so the view isn't the most beautiful but the sky was still great. 

Our waitress was also really friendly and helpful although we had to check off what we wanted on a sheet of paper.  It's the first time that I've ever seen that method in Italy (although I saw it somewhere else a couple of evenings later) and it was quite efficient.  

Overall it was a good dining experience with good prices as well.  

Recipe: Asparagus Pancetta Quiche

I love quiche because it's quick and easy and because you can throw just about anything into it.  A couple of Easter's ago I made an Asparagus and Canadian Bacon Quiche and it was a delicious hit at the party.  Of course, when I was making my quiche last week, I forgot all about that recipe, so I made a new recipe using ingredients that I had in my kitchen (which were considerably different than the ingredients I'd had that Easter.  Rather than ricotta I used pecorino and stracchino cheese, a rich creamy spreadable cheese. It has a lovely flavor and tang and really kicked up the flavor of my quiche. I also used pancetta (the Italian equivalent but less fatty, cubed version of bacon) instead of Canadian bacon (also healthier than regular bacon).  I like pancetta because it isn't overly salty but still rich in flavor. I also made a few other changes, like the crust and sauteing the asparagus instead of boiling it.
I love making quiche on lazy Sundays. It's definitely a great use of time!

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (I used a pre-made non frozen crust, but anything will do. You can even make your own!)
1 tbs olive oil
2 small shallots
150 g pancetta
1 bunch of asparagus
4 eggs
200 g stracchino
100 g soft pecorino, in small pieces

what everything should look like sauteed

red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Lay your pie crust in an oven proof pan.  If you're using a frozen crust, just remove it from the freezer.

mixing it all together

Dice up your shallots.  Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan and when the oil is hot add in your pancetta (or if you prefer, bacon or Canadian bacon, in which case just skip the oil).  When the pancetta is sizzling add in the shallots.  Sweat the shallots over a low flame while you clean and then cut your asparagus into inch long pieces. Keep an eye on your pan and stir periodically. When the shallots become transparent and the pancetta has gotten some color, toss in the asparagus. I used really thin asparagus so I only sauteed it for a minute or so before removing everything from the heat. They cooked the rest of the way in the oven.

Gorgeous before baking

 If you are cooking with thicker asparagus, saute them for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are just about fork tender.
Let the mixture cool for a few minutes and in a separate bowl whisk the eggs, stracchino, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together.  Do not use a lot of salt because the pancetta is already
salty enough.  If you're using bacon, don't use any salt at all. Carefully fold in the sauteed asparagus mixture and pecorino into the egg mixture.

When the asparagus is well coated with egg, pour evenly into the pie crust and fold the edge of the crust over onto itself.

Beautiful

Bake for about 45 minutes. The quiche is done when the crust is golden brown and when the egg
has risen and set all the way.

Recipe: Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce and Roasted Honey Mustard Chicken

I don’t know if honey  mustard exists in Italy but I’ve never seen it in the stores. Luckily, when the craving for the rich, sweet, tangy flavor hit me, I had honey and mustard at home and let’s face it, I’m also quite good at concocting random things in the kitchen.

I used my honey mustard as a glaze for chicken and with a few easy tweaks, I also used it as a dressing for my salad as well.

Honey Mustard (to make glaze and dressing)

My perfect honey mustard blend with basil

Equal parts honey and mustard, about a ¼ cup each

1-2 tbs basil (or rosemary, either works beautifully)

2 tbs olive oil

I chose to make relatively large quantities of the dressing because I had grand plans for my sauce (salads, dipping sauce, glaze) but you can also make it in smaller batches, you absolutely can. 

When I mix my honey mustard, I tend to add a little bit more mustard than honey, because I like the tang of the mustard just a little more than the sweetness of the honey.

Mix your honey, mustard, basil (or rosemary) and oil together well.  At this point you can serve it as a dipping sauce  or use it as a glaze for meat. Or you can add another tablespoon of olive oil to thin it down and use it as a dressing.

Made with Rosemary

Once you’ve made your honey mustard you can make your chicken. 

Honey Mustard Chicken

1 small roaster chicken, completely defrosted or fresh

½ mixture of honey mustard

1 tbs olive oil

Additional basil (or rosemary)

Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°C (around 350°F I think).

Coat the chicken with honey mustard on both sides. Really coat it well and sprinkle with additional basil (or rosemary) and pepper.  I chose not to use salt because the mustard already has plenty of salt in it. Rub the spices, honey mustard and an additional drizzle of oil into the chicken.

When the oven is hot, put the chicken into the oven and let the chicken roast slowly. Turn when the skin has begun to turn golden brown.  Repeat.

In total, the bird cooked for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Watch the bird carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn, because each oven is different. The chicken is done when the juices start to run clear. Don't let it overcook because chicken dries out quite easily. It's much better juicy!

Honey mustard and chicken made with basil

The first time I made this, I served my chicken with sauteed spinach and a salad—mixed greens, tomato, red onion and cheese with a light vinaigrette. I also had slow roasted potatoes. I just threw them into the oven whole next to the pan and let them roast until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Then, I made the chicken again with a side of

Made with rosemary

roasted potato and asparagus. I cut up the potatoes and asparagus and roasted them with a little bit of white wine and fresh lemon juice. 

Restaurant Review Rome: Taberna Piscinula

I don’t know if this is really going to be a restaurant review. The truth is that the food at Taberna

Piscinula was okay. It was good, but was definitely not one of my favorite meals in Rome.

It was good middle ground Italian food. I’m writing this blog because sometimes people are surprising. Sometimes people are amazingly good.

We sat down at this restaurant after having giggled about the mistakes on the menu. Toasted Dread (Bread) sounds hilarious and we’re English teachers, need I say more?

Our waiter was friendly and took our order when we were ready. I ordered the vegetarian pizza, Sian the margarita and Endira a steak with potatoes (all fairly telling of our personalities and general preferences). In the meantime, the empty table next to ours became occupied by an American family. Mom, Dad and two adorable boys who were quite well behaved and not remotely loud.

If the boy next to me hadn’t accidently spilled his sprite all over me, I probably wouldn’t have noticed them at all. They were so apologetic, mom, dad and son alike apologized profusely and sincerely. And I laughed. I mean really, it was sprite and honestly even if it had the potential to stain I probably still would have reacted calmly and by laughing. It was an accident, I mean, no harm, no foul, right?  I was a little damp but no lasting damage at all. Endira and Sian had the same reaction. It was an accident and none of us had gotten wet enough to care. And since they apologized, I really had no reason to harp on it.

I really didn’t think much of it until later as the family was leaving. The father came over to us and said that he had taken care of our entire lunch. He thanked us profusely because of our kind reaction.

We were speechless and beyond grateful. He explained that he was just so grateful for our reaction and it suddenly occurred to me that others may have gotten aggravated. Someone else may have been huffy or rude or complained and loudly.  But as a teacher, and as myself in general I would never react that was. He was just a kid and it’s not like I’ve never spilled anything before (anyone who knows me, knows that I spill things constantly lol). So it was amazing how much our simple gesture of kindness was rewarded so strongly. For a ten second smile and a pleasant attitude all three of us got a free lunch and lovely kind words.

It was a shock but I wish it weren’t. I wish more people had such amazing attitudes. I wish that my niceness, that Endira and Sian’s niceness was more the norm and not such a large surprise that warrants free lunch. If everyone reacted kindly, think of that. Wouldn’t the world be so much more pleasant?

I can’t change other people but I can make sure that I keep my attitude and I can remember to smile when someone is having a bad day. It’s amazing how that can affect someone’s day, and sometimes someone’s entire life. The whole idea of pay it forward is truly a great one. Help someone, smile at someone, be pleasant and expect nothing in return. Expect them to do the same for someone else and then that someone else can perform another act of kindness. Kindness, simple and easy.

Several weeks later and I’m still in a good mood. I’m still smiling and who knows, maybe my smiling is helping someone else.

Ok, and now I’ll stop expounding kindness for a moment and talk about our food and wine. 

The house white was refreshing and cool on a hot day and I loved that it wasn’t too dry.  My pizza was good too.  The crust wasn’t my favorite, but it was okay. It was thin and crisp. I really liked the variety of vegetables on my pizza but I didn’t love how all of them were prepared.  Some of the vegetables were made sott’olio, under oil (possibly vinegar) before being placed on the pizza, like the eggplant. They were good, but a little too acidic and garlic flavored for me. I would have preferred fresh or grilled vegetables across the board. That being said, I loved how colorful and bright my pizza was. That being sid, not all of the vegetables on the pizza had been listed on the menu.

Sian quite liked her margarita, which is a simple cheese pizza and Endira really enjoyed her steak and fries. I tried a bite of the steak and it was a pretty good medium grill which is nice if you’re not a fan of rare. It’s not easy to find steaked cooked medium to well in some parts of Italy. They do Rare a lot better.

So that was our meal. It was decent taste wise and service. But our experience was amazing. 

A million Thanks to the Ohio Family that made our meal so memorable. You were wonderful and really made our week. Keep up your amazingness!!

Restaurant Review Prague:John Lennon Pub

Okay, so I’m finally wrapping up my series on Prague!!  I am so many levels of delayed that it’s not

Yellow Submarine Entry wall

even funny.

We found the John Lennon Pub quite close to the Lennon Wall and we couldn’t resist going. It’s walls were painted bright colors and there was even a Yellow Submarine wall. We decided to sit in their adorable outdoor seating area where we soaked up the rays and basked in a bit of nature. 

The waiters were lovely and the music low-key in the background as the birds chirped and twittered

while playing in the vines.

I decided to order  a beer and Endira got a glass of white wine and then we took our time looking over the menu trying to decide what goodies we wanted to eat. I wanted something lighter and so did Endira. We definitely didn’t want heavy goulash in the beautiful hot sun before walking up to the castle later in the afternoon. Seriously, I’m quite glad that I went a little light for lunch. That hike up the steep hill was quite the killer. 

My delicious sausage and apple relish

In the end I decided to order off the appetizer menu. I got the sausage and it came with mustard and an apple relish. The sausage was a little spicy and just the right portion for me. I absolutely loved the apple relish because it was light and refreshing. It really complemented the heavier sausage. It was a simple dish but it hit the spot.

The Farmer's Kettle

Endira hadn’t been sure what to order and eventually picked one of the dishes in a photograph on the menu.  It looked gorgeous and in theory from the photo could have been light. It wasn’t, but it had potential. We both thought it was delicious and had pork, chicken breast, home-made bacon, fried potatoes, sweet corn, onions, and garlic. The flavors really melded and worked together. She really enjoyed it but couldn't finish it because it was so rich. I was too full to eat the last few bites.

Both of our amazing dishes

The inside of the restaurant

All in all we had a wonderful afternoon break that was just the right taste and price. I don’t remember what it was in Czech crowns but for 1 appetizer, 1 main course, 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine, we only spent €22 total.  A great price for a great meal. 

And then before leaving we even went inside and took some pictures in the traditional red phone box. The only way my day could have been more complete would have been if there had been a big blue police box in the pub too…

Yes, I am a nerd.

 

Me being silly in the phone box!