Monday 1st July
Inspired by
Andrea yesterday we have decided that we
would like to recreate the whole meal for our son & his girlfriend who
bought us the cooking class as a joint birthday present. To this end we need to
find Porchetta sausages & pasta paddles!
Our first
port of call is the Esquilino market. This proves to be absolutely fascinating
as the market seems to be predominately for the ethnic community that have
settled here. Exotic fabrics, fabulous fruits, spices and every kind of rice imaginable.
Fortunately for us we also find porchetta sausages!
We drop the shopping off in the apartment then out again for a caffe freddo at Antica Caffe del Brasile on Via Serpenti.
This is also known as the 'Pope's Cafe' as John Paul II frequented it as a student.
The freshly squeezed juices looked tempting too.
Next stop Delizie di Calabria to pick up mozzarella , olives and dried oregano , then tomatoes from Titta and olive oil from Podere Vecciano. Along with bread that we already have in the apartment we are all set to make our version of caponata for tomorrows lunch.
Lunch today is Panini from Gaudeo.
After lunch we set out in search of pasta paddles. We take the 117 to Campo di Fiori & there , on the first stall we set our eyes on, are the pasta paddles.Sorted!!
We walk along the river towards Ponte Fabricio, stopping at Gelateria del Teatro's new outlet just before Ponte Garibaldi. I choose my favourite flavour here - raspberry & sage.
We wander through the Jewish Ghetto, resisting the chocolate cookies from Mondo di Laura, until we reach Beppe e I Suoi Formaggio. This is a veritable shrine to cheese and we vow to return to sample aperitivo here. Today we settle for unsalted butter which come's from Beppe's own cattle in Piedmont.
We walk back through the delightful Piazza Mattei and pick up the tram from Via Arenula to Piazza Venezia, then the 117 back to the apartment.
After a quick change we are out once again, this time to Pincio, taking aperitivo with us.
Of course, the view is amazing.
Back at the apartment we create pasta carbonara with dried spaghetti, eggs, guinciale and pecorino. Simple but delicious.