pizzarium

Steps away fromt the Cipro metro stop, near the Vatican, there's a little shop called Pizzarium, owned by an influential bread baker named Gabriele Bonci. Pizzarium stocks flours, freshly baked bread, beers and other selected products. The pizza is displayed in large rectangular trays, sold by the slice, and nothing like you've ever tasted.

That's because Bonci employs a long fermentation process, natural yeasts, high quality flour and love. It's always a good idea to snack on the pizza al taglio on the premises (no seating, so you hve to elbow your way to the front of the counter), and then buy a loaf of bread to bring home.

These shown here are just a few of the pizzas available, which are made express daily. But according to the time of day, ingredients available, and whim of the baker, you may find completely different choices than what's pictured above.

photo 1:
plain tomato base, topped with fresh mozzarella di bufala and basil leaves;
pizza bianca topped with smoked salmon, mozzarella di bufala and grilled radicchio tardivo;
plain tomato base, seasoned with hot chili olive oil, and parsley.

photo 2:
pizza bianca, sliced open and stuffed with smoked caciocavallo and ham;
pizza bianca, sliced open and stuffed with prized mortadella.

photo 3:
pizza bianca, topped with cherry tomatoes, stewed porcini mushrooms and parsley;
plain tomato base, topped with sautéed broccoli raab, fresh mozzarella di bufala, and grilled anchovies;
pizza bianca (made with a different flour), sliced open and stuffed with smoked caciocavallo, speck and arugula;
in the background, an open-faced crostino covered with crumbled sausages and melted cheese.


I bet you're hungry all of a sudden.

Pizzarium is located at Via della Meloria 43 – Open Monday to Saturday – Tel. +39 06 3974 5416

biscotti

My favorite biscotti... The ones I grew up with. I like to bake my own now, but I'm never out of these popular Italian brands. Whether dunked in a bowl of morning caffelatte, crumbled over gelato, dipped in bitter coffee as a spongy base for tiramisu, or simply to soothe a broken heart, these three friends have constituted reliable comfort over the years.
I love cookies, don't you?

pizza e mortazza

I recently did a post on my Italian blog FORCHETTINE in which I listed my favorite pizza bianca shrines. A classic way to enjoy the topping-free, bread-like pizza is stuffed while still warm with gossamer slices of mortadella. In pure trastevere slang, this perfect Bologna pork delight is "mortazza." Pictured above is quintessential Roman snack, pizza con la mortazza–or, as I like to call it–lunch.

panorami tipici

To be continued...

formaggi

A cheese vendor's stall in the Via Alessandria market. I listed all of Rome's many farmer's and neighborhood markets on my other blog Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino

in giro a monti

 

One of my favorite parts of town.
I like to lazily walk around here, without plans; stop in for a bite at a habitual osteria and take the long way back home.

ghetto

 

The ancient Jewish quarter of Rome is commonly referred to as the "ghetto." Today it is one of the city's most charming and eclectic neighborhoods, known for its great restaurants serving traditional Roman cuisine and Jewish specialties, and home to a large Jewish community.
But in 1555 a Papal Bull ordered Jews–who had lived freely in Rome since antiquity–to be segregated in a walled sector with three gates that were locked at night, and subjected them to various restrictions on personal freedom, like limits to allowed professions and compulsory Catholic sermons on shabbat. Jews were disabled from owning any property even in the ghetto, yet had to pay a yearly tax for the "privilege" of living there.
In 1798 the Ghetto was legally abolished, and the Tree of Liberty was planted in Piazza delle Cinque Scole, but it was reinstated as soon as the Papacy regained control over the short-lived Napoleonic "Roman Republic." In 1848, during the brief Mazzini revolution, the ghetto was abolished once more, again temporarily. Finally in 1888 the city of Rome was able to tear down the ghetto's walls, and the area was fully reconstructed around the new Synagogue of Rome.

I usually have breakfast in Piazza Costaguti–the heart of the ghetto–before setting off on my culinary tours of the city. The early morning light is beautiful, and I enjoy observing the activity as shops begin to open, and kids scurry off to school.

salumeria roscioli

Historic Roman gourmet institution, among the most famous deli/restaurants in Rome and one of Italy’s top 5 wine bars. Recently showcased in Anthony Bourdain's black and white Dolce Vita-style Rome episode of "No Reservations" Roscioli's shelves carry 450 different kinds of cheese, more than 100 different types of cured meat, a wine list of 2200 labels, 20 different homemade breads. And the goods are handled by a professional team of expert sommeliers and talented chefs. The Roscioli family–true to perfect Italian tradition–has been working together since 1969.

toscana {6} final chapter

Michelangelo, eat your heart out

On the last day of our Tuscan vacation, the sky decided to part with a final show of its best sunset colors. Tomorrow we return to Rome and will be leaving all of this behind...

...until the grape harvest in October!

slow food

pc all the way

Despite the cliché checkered tablecloths and quaint hanging braids of peperoncini and garlic, this Trastevere hangout professes the opposite of the widely acclaimed Italian trattoria-style menu and philosophy. Care is given to a slow approach. Ingredients are certified local and organic, and cooked according to authentic Roman recipes. The menu entries change every day according to season and ingredient availability. In a district that has more than its fair share of set tourist menus, this little rebellion is worth a stop.

Aristocampo

Via della Lungaretta, 75

Trastevere

uve e forme

Sideways

I love this place. The winelist by the counter, where patrons can savor the delicious samples of vegetarian dishes, specialty cheeses and fine vintage wines, is chalked on an old control-tower air traffic board. The staff is very kind and the food is delightful. But the best part of this meal was the company, my kindergarten teacher of 40 years ago. Thank you, Internet!

For more Sunday in my City images click HERE

mercato ortofrutticolo

Marketplace back door

My camera and I took a walk in a less notorious part of the city today. The Quartiere Africano owes its name only to urban layout, not ethnic tissue. The names of the many avenues, boulevards and streets of this particular district are of borrowed from countries and cities of Africa. This specific covered neighborhood market occupies an entire block between Via Dire Daua, Viale Libia and Largo Somalia.

The colorful stalls and busy agora vibe provided plenty material for my photos. Plus I managed to shop for fresh produce and groceries at very affordable prices. Today is a good day.

presepe al cioccolato

Sweet nativity

This gourmet deli store always lures passers by with its window display. This year the new food specialty is a chocolate cake in the shape of a Christmas tree, decorated with a sugar-sculpted nativity scene, complete with Three Kings. Were it not for its spiritual connotation, it could be labeled as luxuriously self-indulgent.

Happy Epiphany!

caldarroste

...roasting on an open fire

I love chestnuts. The smell of roasted castagne pretty much defines winter for me. Roadside vendors like these sell them wrapped in paper cones, but I like to nibble mine as I pick them out of my coat pockets, burning my fingers. Caldarroste, as they are called here, are delicious enjoyed best along a nice glass of vino rosso!

gusto!

Sunday brunch

our table was number 93

The brunch buffet at this popular Roman hangout is always a busy one. You pile your plate with all sorts of goodies, and then it gets weighed. You pay according to how much you serve yourself, and coffee & juice are included in the price. In the evenings, the place turns into a aperitivo bar/restaurant and groups play live music.

For more worldwide Sunday images visit Unknown Mami