All Romans have always looked forward to this night of fun, music, eating and limitless noise!  The traditional dish for the night was, and still is, “lumache in umido” – snails with tomatoes sauce.  Romans believe this unusual entrée helps in mending conflicts and in seeking reconciliation.   The night would end in a mass celebrated by the pope who, for once,  closed an eye to the profane pleasures of the Roman crowd.

The upcoming recipe was a piatto forte, Nonna often made for us.  A work of love that will impress your family and friends.

Melanzane alla Parmigiana / Eggplants Parmigiana

For 4 people:

-        6-8 medium size eggplants – choose the dark purple thinner Italian eggplants since they have less seeds.

-       1 LB can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes (chopped)

-       ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-       Butter

-       Canola or Corn oil to fry

-       All purpose flour

-       Salt

-       2 TBL spoon of celery finely chopped

-       1 medium size carrot

-       1 small onion peeled

-       Mozzarella – better if fresh – approx. 1 pound – diced in small cubes

-       Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

-       Some basil leaves

The night before, peel the eggplants and slice them in thin slices along the length of the eggplant.  The slices should be no thicker than 1/3 of an inch

Place one layer of the sliced eggplants in the pasta drainer.  Because the eggplants will release liquid, place the drainer in the sink.  Dust each layer of eggplants with a pinch of salt until all the slices are layered.  Cover the eggplants with a small dish and put a weight on the dish (e.g. the tomato can).  Leave overnight.  In the morning all the bitter juices will be gone and the eggplants will be ready for frying.  Dust each eggplant slice with flour and fry in abundant canola oil.  Once fried place the slices over a brown bag and pat dry to get rid of the excessive oil.

Place the peeled tomatoes in a pan with a small peeled onion, the chopped celery, carrot, 2 basil leaves and the extra virgin olive oil.  Let it simmer for ½ hour on moderate low heat and add salt to taste.  Start the oven at 400’F.

Buttered a 9-inch oven-to-tableware pan at the bottom and sides.  Place one layer of fried eggplants to cover the bottom.  With a spoon spread the tomato sauce on the eggplants, dust with mozzarella and parmigiano.  Add layers in the same fashion until all the ingredients have been used.    Place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.  Check if the top layer has started to turn light brown.  If not leave the pan in the oven for another 5’-8 minutes. 

Pull the pan out of the oven and let it seat on the top of the stove for 5 minutes ,  it will become cooler and easier to cut.  Place some basil leaves on the top before serving and bring to the table warm. 

Each bite will melt in your mouth.  Buon appetito!

Try it and leave us a comment!

   

My port of entry in the was not my final destination.  After custom, all passengers in transfer had to exit the security area and go through the security check again. 

After screening my carry-ons,  an TSA officer  asked to inspect my purse.  He pulled out the chestnut jam from its sealed duty free bag, rolled the jar in his hands and performed any sort of tests.  Ten minutes later he offered me two options: either leave the Gentilini jam with him or check my perfectly within carryon limits luggage.  With the luggage fee, the jam turned out to be quite expensive – yet,  every spoonful smoothes bad memories. 

Duty free stores still sell liquid and creamy items that are impossible to carry on a plane, they have only to gain from it.  My suggestion from this experience is be on the safe side staying within check in limits. Otherwise make sure, whatever you buy is the brand security officers prefer; since you are at it...you might as well make them happy!

Moving from the artsy and holy to the purely profane: in Piazza Grande we see a famous Italian politician followed by his bodyguard and a flashy lady wearing 9’ stilettos. She is loudly tiptoeing over the uneven terracotta pavement trying to keep up with his fast pace while the stilettos get stuck with each step.  Not a good idea to choose fashion over comfort in a historical city...

Hordes of kids wait patiently for their gelato at the best gelateria sul corso / ice cream parlor on main street.   We happily join them for a delicious cono.

Not too hilly, Montalcino is the ideal location for an easy ‘digestive’ stroll.  We explore the various alleys and main corso.  From a store owner who was cursing the local mayor, we find out that getting a parking ticket here is as easy as breathing fresh air - so we fly back to the car to make sure we place a note with the today's date and actual time and go back one hour later.  Parking inside the walls is strictly limited to one hour so visitors you've been warned!

It is time to meet Tiziana, our tour guide. She shares interesting historical facts while showing us the original walls of the city.  For example, we had no clue that the reason behind most hostile sieges around these walls was forceful appropriation of salt and black pepper.  In addition to being a key flavor enhancer, black pepper was thought to be the Viagra of the old days and considered essential to a good marriage!

Upon Tiziana’s suggestion we visit the famous ‘Celle di San Francesco’ , the small rooms where Saint Francis and the Franciscan friars used to live, pray, help others and love all beings. 

On the steep streets of Cortona, we find an antique statue of Jesus sitting in ‘padmasana’, a crossed leg position ideal to meditate.  Everything here seem to invite us to find inner peace - it works with us!

Villa di Piazzano, our accommodation for the week, is way better than the already stunning pictures on our site.  After less than three hours, stops included, we are driving through the private road lined with Tuscan cypress – just a prelude to this luxurious former hunting manor, once residence of a cardinal. 

Each room at Villa di Piazzano is different and equally stunning – exposed wooden beams, original terracotta flooring, antiques and views to die for are some of the room features.  After resting and freshening up we are ready for our first dinner in Tuscany. 


Gabriella, the histrionic and passionate chef at Villa di Piazzano, makes sure our first dinner in Tuscany is a perfect balance of premium ingredients and creativity.  Satisfied and almost oblivious of the jet lag we hit the pillow with a smile on our face - could it be the wine? 






Enjoying a Tuscan ratatouille!

A good trattoria might looks shabby with paper on the tables and no menu, but don't get discouraged, if it is crowded, it is where you want to be.  Take "Er Filettaro" in Rome, the place has not been updated since the 60's yet their juicy cod filets coated with a crispy deep fried 'pastella' are to die for, and you can dine outdoor in one of the cutest little piazza!

The name of a good restaurant often means something cherished by the owner.  One of my favorite restaurant in Rome is ‘Al Ragno D’Oro” - the golden spider - a popular lucky charm in Roman tradition. 

Sometimes, restaurants are only known by their nickname, the real name being just a legal entity.  A clear example is "L’Obitorio" (The Morgue) – its real name is Trattoria Ai Marmi but locals call it L’Obitorio.  Its marble tables remind the clientele of the welcoming decor at the morgue.  Romans have a macabre sense of humor sometimes…yet pizza at L'Obitorio is thin, crispy, delicious...!

Buon Appetito!

Being inside Palazzo Farnese was an amazing experience.  With architects the likes of Michelangelo and the expensive taste of the Farneses we had high expectations.  Palazzo Farnese went above and beyond.

No camera, cell phone or bag are allowed inside.  The coat check is efficient and rigorous. Unfortunately one has to stand in line twice because next to the coat  is the window to pick up and drop off the handheld of the tour.  We highly recommend to have someone in your party stand for the handheld while you stand for the ‘mandatory’ coat check.  

Since our camera was in the bag, we won't be able to share with you the beautiful courtyard or the height of the ceilings both works of Michelangelo.  You will have to see it yourself.

The recorded tour, included in the ticket price, is quite informative but not very child friendly, and more enjoyable if one has some good knowledge of Roman and Renaissance history and art.

The special treat on Sunday is the office of the French Ambassador, closed to the public on weekdays when the ambassador is in.  It’s a dream office with view of Piazza Farnese, amazing frescos in each wall and a carved wooden ceiling that will take your breath away.  This office is also one of the locations of the opera movie ‘Tosca – Nei tempi e nei luoghi’ (Tosca in her the real locations and times) with Placido Domingo.  That’s a movie to watch before your trip to Rome. 

Palazzo Farnese is open to the public through April 27, 2011 - don't miss it.



'Il caldarrostaro' (the roasted chestnuts man) an expensive trademark of Rome in the winter.  The fragrance of the roasted chestnuts makes it really hard to resist.



The magic of Rome.  Any idea where this picture was taken?

Saluti da Roma / Greetings from Rome

The weather is so mild in Rome that we’ve been walking around in t-shirts.  Most of the fellow Romans seem believe the calendar more than the temperature and dress with super fashionable but extremely heavy coats for this weather .

Walking in Rome is always a fascinating experience.  During the Christmas holidays even more. Piazza Navona is showing off its colorful market.  Befana / Epifany– the old lady we celebrate on January 6 – seem to be the main character of the market this year.  Kids love Befana.  She fills their socks hanging from the fireplace with candies and gifts. She is also the one who takes the Christmas holidays away - Epifania che tutte le feste si porta via

On Christmas Eve,  the Roman tradition calls for a seafood dinner light enough to leave room for all the desserts.  This year we started with:

- Smoked salmon with mascarpone and tosted bread

- Fresh Anchovies en savor – a delicious recipe from Veneto where anchovies are cooked in vinegar or lemon and covered with marinated onions and raisins

- Bucatini with mussels  and pecorino – Here the mussels are steamed in a pan with just a smashed clove of garlic and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.  Mussels are taken out of the shell and put aside.  The juice of the mussels is also set aside.  In a separate pan with extra vergin olive oil, two cloves  of garlic are let turn gold with   some chilly flakes.  The garlic is then taken out and the mussles juice is added in until it reduces its sized approximately to half the original.  Turn off the fire under the pan and add the mussels.  In the meantime, let the bucatini (aka Perniciatelli) cook in boiling salted water until very al dente.  Drain and add to the pan with the mussles and ‘intingolo’ (the sauce we just prepared).  Sprinkle with pecorino and fresh chopped parsley, toss up in the air until completely coated with the sauce and enjoy!

- Spigola al  Sale /  Baked Branzino coated with salt (which enhances the flavor and keeps it moist and delicious)

- Finocchi saltati in padella – Saute fennels

- Carciofi alla Romana – Artichokes with mint and garlic

With this meal, we paired Vermentino di Sardegna and Rosso di Montefalco.

Of course the any Christmas Eve dinner is not over without Panettone, Pandoro and any sort of torrone nougat imaginable: almond, chocolate hazelnut,  gianduia hazelnut , pistachios and on and on…

By the way, according to us here are the very best of these delicious Christmas desserts:
 

• Torrone has to be Piemonte by Caffarel,
• Panettone nothing less than Tre Marie
• Pandoro if it is not Bauli it's a sin

Thank God, we can pleasantly walk it off in Rome on our way to the midnight mass (which starts at 10:00pm).