Foodtopia Moments

In Rome I had some great meals, but two items stood out in particular. One was an appetizer of zucchini, cheese and anchovies battered and fried. It might sound strange, but it was delicious. Another dish was at a restaurant in Rome between il Coloseo and the Spanish Steps. The dish consisted of roasted chestnut pasta with wild boar gravy.

Back from Roma

I’ve been away the past couple of days, but I am now back from Rome. I took Mom to the airport in Rome where she flew on Saturday. Steve arrived on Saturday and we met up with Melissa and Amanda for a two day trek around the city that left my feet blistered.

 

We had great meals, saw ancient sites and walked about 25 miles in two days. I managed to do a couple of new things this time when I went to Rome. We went to the top of the Vittorio Emmanuelle Memorial in Rome. There was a 360 degree panorama view of the city. It was neat looking out over the city at the various sites.

 

On Sunday, we toured the Foro Romano and il Coloseo. Then we went to the church of San Clemente where we entered through a 12^th century church which was built on top of a 4^th century church, which was built on top of a first century Pagan temple. Then we went to the Ice Club, a 21^st century bar made out of ice. It was perfect on such a hot day.

Back in Campomarino now, and it’s time for the beach everyday. I’m trying to get some more tan before heading back to school. 

Roma

Little post tonight. Mom and I got to Rome and met up for dinner with Melissa and Amanda before calling it a night. We had a nice meal just off of Piazza Navona.

Last Night at Netti

Mom is heading back to the states on Saturday after a night out in Rome tomorrow. Tonight was her last time this summer to visit Ristorante Netti here in Campomarino Lido. We had a feast, starting with a plate of cozze al vino bianco (mussels in white wine sauce) and ending with tiramisu. Zia had a pizza with funghi (mushrooms), Mom had her Pizza Netti with the fresh tomatoes, arugula, buffalo mozzarella, shavings of grana padano cheese and olive oil, and I had a Pizza Campana, with fresh tomatoes, spicy salami, buffalo mozzarella, arugula and olive oil. Throw in a beer, a Coke Zero (surprisingly popular here), two liter sized bottles of water and three cover charges and the total was only 40 Euros.  

Foodtopia Moments

Panino Kebab

Kebab food truck

Hot dog stand

At the Festa di Santa Cristina, it is clear that Italians have taken a liking to street cart food. One cart offered cows tongue with lemon. Many others offered crepes with Nutella. Some sold porchetta (whole roasted seasoned pig), while others sold grilled sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers and torcinella (liver wrapped in cows veins, which is surprisingly delicious). I went for the mac daddy, the Panini kebab. Italians have truly taken to this food which I believe originated in Turkey. The sandwich had seasoned peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms, along with fresh tomatoes and the kebab meat. I topped mine off with a little ketchup and kebeb sauce, which is a little like a runny mayonnaise mixed with spices. When I got done I wanted another one but resisted as I passed four more kebeb trucks on the way back to the car.

Festa di Santa Cristina

We had planned to beat the crowd to the Festa di Santa Cristina last night in Campomarino sopra (the old part of town on the hill), but we quickly realized that there was no beating this crowd. Once in the main part of town, we strolled as the Italians stroll, shopped as the Italians shop, and ate how the Italians eat.

I found a watch guy who was willing to make a deal. The guy here in town has a couple of watches I love, but he’s not willing to deal and wants 20 Euros a piece, unheard of for me. Last night I pulled an “American Pickers” move and packaged four watches together for 40 Euros. The best price I’d ever purchased watches previously was 13 Euros each, so this was a great deal for me. Two of the watches are even automatic so that makes this an even better deal. Maybe the watch guy in this town will come down on the price later this summer, as he wasn’t even willing to go for the package deal.

It’s currently the hottest day here this summer, about 91, yet with the breeze and some shade, we are still resisting turning on the air conditioner, opting for fans instead. 

Foodtopia Moments

Veggies can come together so well, making a delicious lunch. Today I chopped up some onion, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini and eggplant and cooked it until the vegetable juices made a great sauce for some pasta. As I’ve stressed before, the potatoes were key in soaking up the flavors.

Pedal Power

Years before there was condos,
Campomarino was nothing but farms

Campomarino paese from my ride

I was testy this morning after I walked to a piazza a little less than a mile away to pay a bill at the post office, only to find the local office closed. Zia asked me to run and get the car and we would go to the post office in Campomarino sopra (the main, old part of town). So I walked the mile back and got the car. When I found her, she had discovered why the office was closed, the Festa di Santa Cristina. Because of the religious festival of the town’s saint (based on the name of the church in the main town), all banks and post offices would be closed, only in this town. (Termoli has San Basso and here in Campomarino Lido [the beach part of town] we have Santa Ana this Friday, which is celebrated only in the beach part of town.)

So I went to the beach after no luck with bill paying. Maybe tomorrow. This afternoon, after cooking lunch, I decided to go for a bike ride. I used today to do some hill training. I set a goal and got about 50 feet past where I thought I could get to. A beach cruiser is not designed for hills, and neither am I. I did manage to capture some photos of town. 

Foodtopia Moments

Chitarra al scoglia

Spaghetti al pomodoro fresca

Pranzo (lunch) was prepared today by the fine people at Lido Azzurro in Pescara. We had

Frittura mista

Soglia in aqua pazza

a table right at the edge of the beach in perfect view of the sea. We had spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce, chitarra al scoglia (chitarra pasta with a mix of fish including clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp), soglio in acqua pazza (sole in crazy water), and a frittura mista (mixed fried fish including calamari and alici – fresh sardines). Lunch was delicious and the view was excellent.

Pescara Bound

Mom and Zia in front of a new sun dial

Our view from the table at lunch

Nothing but beach for hundreds of miles

We went to Pescara today, a beach town about an hour or so north of here. It is much more industrialized with a full shipping port and airport, so it felt like a giant city when we were there. Our purpose was to go there, walk around the lungomare (beach strand) and eat something. When we got back to the car, Zia asked where we going and what did we come to see? I told her that was it, a way to get off of the patio.

Foodtopia Moments

Pomodorini (little tomatoes) can be used in many big ways. Yesterday, I had two of the best. For Pranzo (lunch), we had a sugo (sauce) made from fresh tomatoes. In the evening, for cena (dinner), we had the tomatoes crudo (raw) crushed over some fresh bread and topped with a little sea salt and olive oil. Both were delicious.

Cemetery Tour and History Lesson

Grave of Ferdinando Sacco
(of Sacco and Vanzetti)

Example of a fallen soldier's grave from WWI

We got up early this morning and went on a circle tour of cemeteries, stopping in Campomarino, San Severo and Torremaggiore to visit our dearly departed relatives and family friends. The annual trip is one that always reminds me that life is precious as I see cousins who passed younger than me and around my age.

Part of the trip was also like a history lesson, as in I got to see a whole wall of the San Severo cemetery that displays the remains of the town’s fallen soldiers from the Grande Guerra (the Big War or WWI). In Torremaggiore, the grave of Ferdinando Sacco’s (of Sacco and Vanzetti – if you haven’t heard of them, Google it and demand your history teacher be fired) bears a monument presented to the townspeople by Michael Dukakis, then Governor of Massachusetts. The monument basically says, “we were wrong, and we are deeply sorry.”

The wall of San Severo's fallen WWI soldiers

Considering my job as a Special Ed/History teacher, and considering all of the history that I saw today and photos I will use in lessons, can I now use this entire trip as a tax write-off? I’ll also be heading to the Anne Frank house in August so can I count that trip too? CPAs please advise.

Foodtopia Moments

Sole in crazy water

Orrechiette Kalimera

Sole being cleaned

Frittura mista

Crema Catalana - prepped tableside

This is a supersized moment. Yesterday night we hit up Ristorante Federico II in Termoli, Italy. It is a great, fresh fish restaurant in the citta vecchia part of town. We had a number of great dishes. The mussels were cooked in a white wine sauce with lemon. Mom had sole in aqua pazza (crazy water - a little water, salt, fresh tomatoes, small olives and whole capers) which the waitress cleaned and deboned tableside. I had orrechiette Kalimera, which has the pasta, zucchini, arugula, clams, and shrimp with olive oil. Zia had chitarra pasta with a mixture of shell fish. We then had a frittura mista (a mixture of fried fishes) that included fresh anchovies and other small fish along with calamari. To end the meal we had a Crema Catalana which most closely resembled crème brulee, except that the whole think was warm. The waitress brought it table side and placed cane sugar on top then lit the torch and began caramelizing the sugar. Then she lifted the bowl and began heating the whole bowl causing the custard to be warm when consumed, which is different than crème brulee.

Mussels in white wine with lemons

Pranzo

Rustica

Today has been a good one for food. I headed down this morning to the bakery for a piece of rustica, a type a bread with salami, sausage, ham, olives and cheese baked right in it. It’s a meal itself. Then I also hit the butcher shop for some turkey cutlets, which I cooked for lunch. I threw fresh rosemary and chunked garlic into a little olive oil in a frying pan. Heated those for a couple of minutes, then put the two turkey cutlets, lightly salted, over the rosemary and garlic. Three minutes on each side, serve with fresh roasted peppers made with garlic and olive oil and you have a damn good pranzo (lunch).

When the World Gives you Lemons…

…make limoncello. So far we have about 8 nice size lemons on our tree this year, and hopefully before I leave I will have a chance to pick some and use them. I’d love to make some limoncello and have Zia watch it until next summer, but that may be wishful thinking. Maybe if they are ready, I can pack them in my luggage and take them to America.

Last night we headed into Termoli so Zia could get her new phone and then we had dinner after a nice long walk. We ate at an open air restaurant called Ristorante Federico II, which specializes in fresh seafood. All of their fish is fresh caught. The port where the fishermen arrive is about a 10 minute walk from the restaurant. When my mom inquired about a specific fish, sea bass, the waiter let her know that none had arrived yesterday. So mom settled for sole. The meal was delicious right down to the Crema Catalana dessert.

Today has been a lazy one. I thought my alarm was set for 7:30, but it wasn’t set and I slept until almost 10. Then I raced out on my bike to get a few things for the day. Once I was back I decided to head to the beach to catch some more sun. My skin has reached its maximum tan level, It’s called pale. For some reason my skin is not getting and darker. It’s like I have a natural repellent to the sun.

Foodtopia Moments

Pizza Netti

My pizza from last night was to die for.  Ristorante Netti has about 50 different specialty pizzas to choose from, but their namesake pie is a must for first time visitors. They bake the pizza with buffalo mozzarella in a wood fired oven. As soon as they remove it from the oven, the place chopped pomodorini (small tomatoes), arugula, shavings of grana padano (similar to parmesan cheese) and olive oil. The tomatoes are just beginning to sweat their juices as it arrives at the table.  

Fun Night with Family

Renato and Mom

Yesterday was so much fun and ended so late that I didn’t even have time to post. We had a busy day here filled with sun tanning, sweeping and washing floors, cleaning bathrooms, and washing bed sheets for future guests (those of you on your way, you’re welcome).

Myself, Dorette, Zia, Renato, and Mom

Last night, my cousin Renato and his moglie (wife) came by to take us out for dinner. We headed, obviously, to Ristorante Netti. The pizza and mussels I had were delicious. We caught up, remembered good times, and ended the night with a long passiagiatta (evening stroll) back to the house.

A Trip to the "Big City"

When you spend a month in Campomarino Lido, Marlton, NJ seems like New York. Today we took Zia back to her house in San Severo which is a pretty big town (in relation to here) about 40 minutes south and west. It was hot and dry there. Oh, and for some reason, the laws against prostitution do not seem to apply to the road we needed to take there. We must have passed at least 20 women standing on the side of the road at various spots in all different stages of undress, some even waving down trucks to pull over. While there, we also visited Tre G, a sort of home store my mom has wanted to go to since she arrived.

Yo-Go Gelateria in Termoli (CB), Italy

After we got back and had lunch, I continued reading  Dan Brown’s “Inferno” until I took about a half hour, snore-filled nap. Then we went shopping. I got a mouse for the computer (left mine at home) and then took Zia to the Vodafone store in Termoli. After a long passiagiatta (walk) through the old city, we stopped for gelato. It was so good that I wanted to take a photo so I could show everybody. I spoke with the owner and he immediately brought me behind the counter and had his wife take a photo of us. Judging by his trophies for gelato, and the passion he has when he discusses the ever changing flavor options, this man is an expert in his field. The photo only shows about a third of the gelato choices available.

To top the night off, we got a visit from the Monaco’s, close family friends of ours. It was great to see them again.

Foodtopia Moments

Sunday’s sausage and peppers leftovers turned into today’s pasta with sausage and peppers. Added a little olive oil to reheat and it was ready in minutes. 

Auguri Zia

I awoke to a full on screaming match between the 12 year old girl upstairs and the grandmother she is staying with. I was waiting to hear plates being thrown like Connie in “The Godfather.” Once I got moving, I headed out to the condo association office, where I found my condo association dues are 86 euros for the upcoming year.

July 16 is Zia’s birthday so we made sure she had a cake tonight and we got pizza from the best restaurant in town, Ristorante Netti. The rest of the day included biking, cooking and catching about an hour of sun while on the beach. Not a bad Tuesday.

 

Zia arrived at my house tonight saying something about a gas outage for the country, which I figured was her misunderstanding and it was. In the meantime, we filled up the car with diesel. Thank goodness because it is 20 eurocents cheaper than unleaded. Still 57 euros ($75) for 34 liters (just under 9 gallons) is a pretty steep price.

Mare e Storia

(Sea and history) The sun was shining. No clouds in sight. It was 81 degrees with a light breeze. It was perfect weather to head to the beach and get a little color, and for the first time this summer I had the time. My back got plenty of color and now I can focus on my front. Zia made lunch so I didn’t have to cook. All I had on the docket was cleaning windows and screens.

Lemon Bar - fresh squeezed
citrus juice mixed with alcohol

Following a much needed shower after nearly 48 hours (how native Italian of me), Mom, Zia and I headed 5 km north to Termoli and the centro storico (historic city center). Tonight, we window shopped, took a passiagiatta (evening walk) through the ancient castle town built by King Federico II, and stopped by the best gelateria I’ve ever been to for a sweet nightcap.