Rome 9.7.15

Interesting day. We booked a Rome food tour. It was great fun. Our guide was a man who we had a tour from last year. There were 7 of us and we met at the market at 9. We talked first about the ignorance of saying Italian cuisine since there is an enormous variation from region to region both in the taste of the ingredients and the type of meals prepared. The bread. The pasta. The taste of the olive oils. The wines. You name it.

Then we talked of produce. For example the tomato. It started as something not eaten because of its acidity. During a period of famine in southern Italy they had nothing to eat but tomatoes. The thought was if you fried them in some oil you would reduce the acidity and make them palatable. The tomato sauce was born and the rest is history.

Italian dishes are typically very simple. Two maybe 3 ingredients. He reminded us that recipes are just suggestions.

Then to the bakery where we picked up a couple of loaves of bread straight from the oven. The bread in and around Rome has less salt in it because the pope centuries ago had a salt tax so there was less available. I definitely prefer the bread in Rome over the bread in Venezia. We headed over to learn about and sample olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and pestos with our bread.

Next to the butcher. We were ushered into the back where there were several trays of sliced meats including melt in your mouth prosciutto.

Then to cheese. Again trays with sampling of hard and soft cheeses. Joseph and my favorite was the Pecorino Romano.

As if all this wasn't enough to eat - and did I mention the several different kinds of wine that we were served to help wash down the flavors. I don't think I've ever in my life drank this early in the day - we went and made pizzas. Small restaurant where we added our own ingredients after preparing the dough and then into a wood oven for 2 minutes. An incredibly hot oven. Of course mine was an anchovy, fried zucchini, and mushroom on a red sauce with mozerrella.

You know how they say that the problem with Chinese food is that your hungry again in an hour. With Italian food your hungry again in a few days.

Our final stop was for stand up espresso at a place near the Pantheon that is reported to have the best coffee in the world. We didn't know that cappuccinos are a morning coffee drink only and after that you drink espressos.

What a great way to spend the morning in Rome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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