Posted by Gina DePalma, June 3, 2008 at 8:25 AM
From left: Frolla and sfoglia.
The conversation went something like this:
Friends: "We're going to Naples tomorrow."
Me: "Really?"
Friends: "Yes. Business. Do you want us to bring you back a sfogliatella?"
Me: "Of course. It is my favorite pastry, ever."
Friends: "Frolla or sfoglia?"
Me: "Both!"
Friends: "We knew you would say that."
When it comes to sfogliatella, this is an enduring and significant question among Neapolitans. Sfoglia, also known as riccia, refers to the shell-shaped version that most of us are familiar with, made with tissue-thin dough that is stretched and then rolled to create overlapping, irresistibly crisp layers. The frolla variation features soft, tender, flaky dough that literally melts in your mouth. Both pastries contain the same delicious filling, made from semolina, ricotta, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, and bits of candied citrus.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, May 27, 2008 at 8:00 AM
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.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, May 19, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Last week, I took a little lunchtime trip to Frascati, one of a handful of little towns in the Castelli Romani, a culturally rich area just southeast of Rome shadowed by the Alban Hills and dotted with volcanic lakes. Thanks to a direct commuter train, I was there in only 30 minutes, and at the very appealing price of €1.90 (US$2.96) each way.
Frascati is home to a number of grand villas built by some of Rome's most powerful and wealthy families as retreats from the city's sweltering streets. Most of Frascati's day tourists make a beeline straight from the train station to visit the elaborate gardens of Villa Aldobrandini (right), the largest of the estates. I headed in the opposite direction, climbing a steep stone staircase to get to the compact center of town.
After wandering up and down the narrow, cobbled streets, I reached the Piazza del Mercato. As the name implies, it is ringed with the kind of stores that meet the daily needs of residents: an alimentari, a few bakeries, the butcher shop, and a place for household odds and ends. But at the far end of the circular piazza, I paused, gasped, and beheld "Leda, La Regina della Porchetta."
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Posted by Gina DePalma, May 13, 2008 at 8:30 AM
In a city of numerous and terrific markets that are spread among wonderfully characteristic neighborhoods, it is almost hard to become attached to yet another one. But Rome's twice-monthly Organic Market has definitely won me over.
It takes place on the second and fourth Sunday of every month, which is more than enough to get excited about. If the timing is right, it is a relief to have a place to head for fresh produce on a day when everything else is shut down tight. The location is right, too, in a little piazza where some of the most characteristic streets of the Centro Storico converge, not far from the Campo de'Fiori.
Relaxed and Leisurely Pace
My first visit had a very relaxed vibe, especially compared to the usual frenzied commotion at every other market on Fridays and Saturdays, when everyone is scrambling to get their shopping done. Sundays are sacred for most Romans, reserved for relaxing or spending time with the family. Although this little market was buzzing, it wasn't too busy to have a leisurely chat with the organic producers who had traveled from all over Lazio, Umbria, and lower Tuscany, eager to answer questions or give me a sample to nibble.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, May 6, 2008 at 10:45 AM
"Come hungry, and bring money. Lots and lots of money."
My visit to Torino last month would not have been complete without a stop at Eataly, the grand and glorious emporium dedicated to the finest foods and gastronomic traditions of Italy. A short taxi ride from the center of the city brought me to the more working-class area of town where Eataly sits, framed by views of the Alps and across the street from the original Fiat factory complex.
Let me start by saying that I am not crazy about the name. When I first read the news of Eataly Torino’s grand opening in 2006, my first reaction was that it sounded like a cool place with a lame name. I still can’t say I’m entirely comfy with it, but once I got inside, they could have called it Foodaly and I wouldn’t have cared.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, April 29, 2008 at 8:30 AM
It is nearly impossible to visit Torino without having a deep, personal encounter with chocolate in some way, shape, or form. Solid chocolate was born in the city toward the end of the 18th century, and today its aroma wafts through the air inside pastry shops and beckons from elaborately decorated window displays. There are oodles of places to worship chocolate in Torino, but during a recent whirlwind trip I was most excited about visiting the bottega of Guido Gobino. The elegant, wood-paneled shop on Via Lagrange presents a traditional setting for handmade chocolates with a decidedly modern edge.
Enter the shop and your eyes are immediately drawn to the display of tiny, molded chocolates filled with different flavors of ganache and decorated with touches of color; a dusting of spice or a sprinkling of pulverized nuts give clues to the flavors enclosed. Peperoncino, mint, hazelnut, and orange were each delectable, and my friend Jay and I nearly swooned when we tasted the ganache flavored with Barolo Chinato.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, April 15, 2008 at 8:30 AM
My friends and I set out for our day in Abruzzo on a rainy, foggy, downright chilly morning in Rome. It was a straight shot out on the autostrada, and within 40 minutes we had hit the Abruzzese border, bidding Lazio farewell in order to immerse ourselves in the foods, sights, and countryside of a region that is blissfully off the well-beaten tourist track.
In no time we reached Sulmona, a pretty little city known as the birthplace of the Roman poet Ovid and the home of the candies known as confetti. The rain had stopped and bits of sky were starting to peek out of the low-hanging clouds. I was told that the entire city would be filled with the sweet aroma of the confetti factories but I wasn't prepared for the overwhelming perfume of wisteria, as the sun gradually emerged and warmed the blossoming vines. The mountains revealed themselves from behind the fog, the smell of wood-burning stoves pierced the air, and the bustling little town suddenly came alive.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, March 12, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Last week, I polished off what was left of the Christmas torrone that was left in the candy dish on my desk. I was parsing it out slowly, weekly, hoping to stretch out the nutty-sweet pleasure until Easter candy would arrive. Alas, the last few pieces went down my throat during a painful round of convulsive sobbing over the exchange rate. Since that situation shows no sign of easing any time soon, it was time to head out for some reinforcements today.
Torrone is made all over Italy, and nearly every region puts its own particular slant on it, embellishing the nougat candy with local ingredients and flavors. Some versions are firm and chewy, others soft and creamy, studded with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts, alone or in combination. Benevento’s torrone is flavored with Strega, the native liquor; further south it is enlivened with lemon or orange, and in Piemonte it is always packed with the region’s richly flavored hazelnuts.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, February 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM
At the Mercato Esquillino, stalls operated by generations of Roman butchers, fishmongers and produce vendors stand alongside merchants from Morocco, North Africa, India, Pakistan, China and Korea selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and just about every ethnic grocery item you can think of.
One of the things that I love about life in New York City is the crazy convergence of diverse cultures taking place in nearly every neighborhood, a dizzying array of food choices offered at the corner market as well as the corner restaurant. I've learned never to under-appreciate the blessing of choosing between Dominican, Greek, or Japanese in a span of ten blocks.
Rome doesn't have the same level of multi-culti vibe going on in its modern food scene; it is something you have to seek out with a bit of effort. Finding truly exciting, authentic, well-prepared ethnic food can be a challenge.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, February 5, 2008 at 9:45 AM
The height of citrus season is just starting to wind down here in Rome, and I feel an urgent need to get in on as much of the action as I can in the next month or so. Luckily the tiny fruitteria just outside my door is still piled high each day with an astounding assortment of oranges, tangerines, clementines, and lemons.
Other signs of citrus mania are evident on trips to the market. Huge takeaway buckets of sweet oranges are conveniently stacked at the front of my supermercato—there seemed to be one sitting in every creaking, wheeled cart I passed the other day. Even shoppers running in and out for a quart of milk and a pack of toilet paper were grabbing a sagging, red net bag of mandarins on their way to the register. I chose to participate this week with a pyramid of clementines stacked on my kitchen counter; they are like little wet, drippy, squirting balls of candy.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, January 29, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Editor's note: We're excited to introduce the following author to you today—though you may already be familiar with her work. Gina DePalma is the pastry chef at Mario Batali restaurant Babbo and the author of Dolce Italiano
. She's now in Rome, doing research for a new cookbook, and will be posting weekly here on Serious Eats as her journey there unfolds.
Outside of Forno Marco Roscioli.
I engage in a specific eating ritual immediately upon my arrival in Rome; it is a personal affirmation to my heart and stomach that I am really, truly here. Other Roma regulars may want to run to the nearest bar for a perfectly pulled espresso, sit down to a steaming plate of spaghetti alla carbonara, or indulge in crispy carciofi alla giudea. But for me, it is a visit to Forno Marco Roscioli, on Via dei Chiavari near the Campo de’Fiori, which sends me headfirst into Roman mode with a sensory jolt.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 5, 2007 at 3:00 PM
This past June when my friend Morten brought up the idea of joining him on a two-and-a-half week vacation in Bologna the first thought that popped in my head (aside from, "Hell yeah, I'm going") was, "What's the greatest amount of gelato that I can consume without tearing a hole in my stomach?"
Don't worry—I stayed well below this level or else I'd be typing this from a hospital bed.
My gelato consumption averaged out to one gelateria a day during my vacation. Some days I ate no gelato (gasp!) while other days I ate it more than once. Here's a round up of the best Bolognan gelaterias I went to, culled from Slow Travel's recommendations.
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Posted by Ed Levine, June 5, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Photo by Optical Illusion on Flickr
I usually find the New York Times "36 Hours" pieces to be formulaic and unexciting, but Danielle Pergament's 36 Hours: Florence made me really hungry, especially since she talked about free bar snacks that made my mouth water. With the strength of the euro driving prices up all over Europe, free Florentine bar snacks sound pretty good to me.
My only question: What is Buontalenti gelato? I'll try to find out. In the meantime, here's where she went for the free food, great gelato, excellent pastries, and dinner.
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Posted by Ed Levine, March 26, 2006 at 12:43 PM
For those of us who derive great pleasure from eating and talking about it, today's New York Times is a veritable smorgasboard, a feast for our stomachs, brains and heart. Let's start with Mimi Sheraton's cover story on eating in Rome in the Travel section . I've met Mimi Sheraton on a few occasions, even broken bread with her, and she has been nasty and unpleasant towards me each time. Why I don't know. That said, she often writes very well and very passionately about the lusty pleasures so many of us derive from life around the table. I still have a yellowed clipping of the piece she wrote for New York Magazine about New Orleans food many, many years ago. And her piece on eating in Rome today was Sheraton at her best. Halfway through it I wanted to jump on a plane to Rome to savor the "tiny fried croquettes of artichokes, meatballs and the like," as well as the "big, rustic chunks of oxtail" at Il Matriciano, the carbonara and fried artichokes at Matricianella, and the breads and sandwiches at Compagnia del Pane.
