Snapshots from Italy: Pan Frutto Ciociaro
My Italian friends know well enough by now that any trip with me along for the ride, whether a stroll outside of my own neighborhood or a weekend visit out of town, must include a meaningful encounter with something sweet. It is an unspoken arrangement that works for everyone involved; I get my research done, and they get a chance to show off a hidden pastry gem that I probably wouldn't find on my own.
Such was the case this weekend, during an overnight visit to the tip of the Frosinone province, southwest of Rome. We ventured to the very top of the Ciociaria, a vast geographic swath that extends from Frosinone down to Naples. It is an area rich in history and gastronomic traditions, completely off the beaten path but filled with exciting discoveries.
Pasticceria Battisti is a sweet gem located in Ferentino, one of the principal towns of the Ciociaria. We were greeted with warm smiles and enticing aromas on a late Sunday afternoon, when the spring sun had started to retreat and locals were out and about, walking off the traditional Sunday family lunch. Everything we sampled was excellent, including tiny tartlets made from local, wild cherries, exquisite pasta mandorla, (tender, oval-shaped macaroons made from almond paste) and the most delicious examples I have found so far of Lazio's traditional cookies, tozzetti and ciambelle al vino.
