Foodtopia Moments

Today I went into Rome to Ristorante Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona. I had a bottle of water, bruschetta, rigatoni carbonara, and tiramisu. It was a fabulous last meal in Italy, right in one of the Nicest, most alive piazzas in the country.

Un Giorno in Roma

My last day in Campomarino yesterday was marred by massive thunderstorms which flooded the parking lot by my house, and halted my planned trips to the beach and to Ristorante Netti. So I spent most of the day and night preparing the house for the winter.

My cab was waiting for me when I walked out of my place at 5:20 this morning. The guy had me to the bus station about a half hour before my bus. Luckily, the summer is ending, and the bus was only half full. I didn’t need to share my row with anyone, and I was able to sleep through most of the 4-hour ride. Add on the 45 minute train ride to the airport from the Roma Tiburtina bus station, and I finally arrived at the hotel.

I was one of only six guests to take the 2 p.m. hotel shuttle to the center of Rome. There I did my shopping. I bought rosaries, shirts, pens, and Papa Francesco calendars. Then I went to Piazza Navona for lunch at Ristorante Tre Scalini. Just as I left the restaurant, in bright sunlight, the rain came only a little at first. Then the sun disappeared, and the heavens opened, leaving me in a rainstorm, shopping, with no coverage. I passed a street merchant and got fleeced for a crappy umbrella that I later tossed in the garbage. While in the city, I did manage to see the Pantheon, Monument to Vittorio Emmanuelle, and the Spanish Steps.

Because of the rain, and some last minute shopping, I missed the 5 p.m. shuttle back to the hotel, so I took the metro to Roma Termini and headed back on the Leonardo Express train direct to the airport.  It’s amazing how much nicer the train from Roma Termini, which is the express for visiting tourists, is than the train from Roma Tiburtina to the airport. This is where I will spend my last night in Italy. My flight leaves in the morning.

Foodtopia Moments

For my last morning in town, I decided to head to the bakery one last time and get a slice of pizza. Lucky for me, they had two smaller slices of kinds that I like. So I got a small piece of zucchini, and a small piece of eggplant pizza.

Today I made a turkey cutlet topped with a mixture of veggies. The oil for the cutlet was turned on with a few sprigs of rosemary and lemon slices. Right before putting in the cutlet, I took out the lemon, but left the rosemary. The veggies were cipolla (onion), basilico (basil), pomodorini (little tomatoes), funghi (mushrooms) and zucchini. Just before they were cooked, I added a little white wine from Licchiano Winery here in town. Once they were done. I put the veggies over the turkey cutlet and had a delicious meal.

Just About Closed Up

Empty patio

No big bikes or recycle cans

The time has come once again to close up the condo here in Italy. Another year has passed, 13 summers, and as I was talking to Zia yesterday it dawned on me that I’ve now been to this condo more for summers than my father was.

The last day here is always tough. The urge to just go to the beach and relax is often beaten by the need to stay in and finish all the work. Luckily I didn’t wait until today to do the heavy work, because I just don’t have the energy. The idea of going to the beach was thwarted by the clouds and 10 a.m. misting shower. The clouds still haven’t gone away. So I was able to cover the outdoor light and make sure the chairs and bikes are cleared from the patio.

I did save some food to cook today, watched two movies as I packed, and I’m in the process of making sure my electronics are charged for Rome. I will have a charger with me for some things, like the phones and wifi block. Computer will be on its last charge there.

Tonight I’ll call my taxi cab driver to confirm for tomorrow at 5:30 a.m., and I'll make sure nothing plugged in the outlets.

Foodtopia Moments

Tonight I went into town to Lo Spuntino, the best place to get slices of pizza. I picked up two exotic slices. One had sauce, red peppers, olives and provolone cheese. The other slice was stuffed with a little sauce in spots, onions, zucchini, and anchovies.

Maybe I Should’ve Waited…

Sometimes hindsight can be 20/20, and tonight it might be just that. I covered the air conditioner yesterday night so that I can’t use it anymore this year, but tonight the humidity is up there making it pretty rough for sleeping. Hopefully my fan holds up.

This morning was almost a wash as Zia and I headed out for some official paperwork to find that the place we went wasn’t even open. We spent 2 hours milling around the place thinking maybe the guy would be late, but he never arrived.  So we sent an email to the condo association office with the info needed and are hoping it suffices.  Just to make sure the morning wasn’t a total waste of time, I made sure to head to the beach for about an hour. Tomorrow, the beach is second on the agenda, right after cleaning the bathroom.

This afternoon I packed most of my clothes (some still drying), and will easily be packed by tomorrow night. I just need to make sure my electronics are nice and put away. Hopefully my bag is less than 50 pounds too. It should be as I’m leaving some things behind that I brought over in the bag. Tomorrow should be interesting as I finish the loose ends. I also need to call the taxi guy to confirm. Nothing like beginning a day of travel with all schedules hinging on a 60-year-old cab driver being on time.

On my way into town tonight I saw something that isn’t common in the US, a pickup soccer game. I know the field they were on and the term sandlot comes to mind. Anyway, when wondering how they get such good players in their country, I was looking at the bottom of the barrel, and they still had skills.

Foodtopia Moments

Today at lunch, one of the most interesting things that I had was just one of the four parts to my hot antipasta. Sitting in a delicious tomato and garlic sauce was a fish meatball. They had ground a white fish (cod?) and mixed in normal meatball spices and ingredients. The two polpette di pesce (balls of fish) were definitely something I will try to make one day using my meat grinder.

I also tasted a fruit for the first time over the weekend, and fell in love. I’ve had grapes millions of times, but never Uva di Fragola (strawberry grapes). They look like regular grapes, but they taste like sweet strawberries. Very interesting.

Auguri to Me

Today is my birthday, a time when I reflect on all the good things I have, and what I need to get done. I spent the day today in Montesilvano at my cousin and Renato and Dorette’s beach house. The place is beautiful, and the town is a classic Italian beach town, about 5 times the size of Campomarino. Their place is a 4-story villa built in a Mexican style in the hills overlooking the town. The views were breathtaking and the place is very comfortable.

My first birthday wish came true last night. No fault to my cousin, but the bed they took me to sleep on, very comfortable as it was, had a mattress on wood slats. Immediately I was suspect. During a nap earlier in the day, the slats bent and came out of place. So I knew I needed to do something else at night. While putting them back in place, I saw the bar running down the middle of the bed and decided that would be my target sleeping area. I kept wishing all night that I would stay in place and not smash through the wood.  In the morning, all was good.

 

We went on the town for pranzo (lunch) today in Montesilvano. It was a fish restaurant, and I was filled to the rim with all sorts of tentacles and mussels.

As I reflected today on the train ride home, I thought about all that I needed to get done before I leave my house on Wednesday morning. My mind kept going to the gardening, taking the blades off of the outdoor fan to prevent warping, covering the air conditioning unit, and sweeping things up the big four things now that the car is no longer here. So I did all four tonight. That leaves laundry (some of which I have already done), cleaning the bathroom, and unplugging things. Oh yeah, and packing.

Last Minute Trip to Montesilvano

Today Zia and I took a last minute trip to the town of Montesilvano, and the summer home of my cousin Renato and his family. We took two trains and a car ride to get here, but the views are breathtaking.

We walked around Pescara, the big town nearby, and had two great meals overlooking the Adriatic.

Foodtopia Moments

Sometimes you eat something and it is so good you want more even though you’re full. Earlier today I made string beans with a fresh tomato sauce (skins and seeds and all). Tonight I was eating bread and tomatoes for dinner, and decided to put some of the leftover string beans on top. Wow. It didn’t look like much, but it was a great snack. Bread topped with tomatoes, sea salt, olive oil, and leftover string beans and tomatoes.

Last Friday Market

Today I got up and sat in bed reading for about a half hour, finishing up my third book of the summer, Ben Mezrich’s

“Straight Flush” the story of the AbsolutePoker.com guys. Zia came over about 9:30 and we headed to the condo association office to pay our annual fees for our posts in the Condominio Villagio Turistico Giansante. My fees for the year including dues and repairs was just over 151 Euros (about $200).

Sorry for the blurry photo.
Time to clean my lens

Then Zia and I went our separate ways. She went to a corner grocery, and I went to the farmacia (pharmacy), bakery, and the Friday Market. I realized as I was shopping there that it was my last Friday Market for 2013. This time next week I’ll be in breathtaking, exotic New Jersey. I went to my salumeria (lunch meat/cold cuts) truck and ordered meat for the last time.

Tonight I went to Termoli for a total of 45 minutes. It took me longer to walk to and from the train station than it did to handle all of my business in Termoli. I hit the bank ATM, took care of my phone shut off for the winter, bought my bus ticket for Rome for next Wednesday, and picked up train tickets for me and Zia to go to Pescara tomorrow and Sunday to visit Renato and his family.

For the record, I’m still sick. At least my body waited until I was alone before getting sick. The pain in my throat s virtually gone, but my nose is all congested. 

Foodtopia Moments

Tonight I went for a walk downtown to take in the holiday scene. It was mobbed. But I managed to stop by Lo Spuntino, a local pizza shop that does pizza by the slice (though you pay by the kilo). They have a lot of interesting types of pizzas and toppings there, and the place is always busy. Tonight I picked up a piece of pizza rustica, with broccoli rabe, fresh mozzarella, and sausage inside. It was delicious. The rustica dough is flakey, much like a fine pastry.

Auguri D’Italia

Buon Ferragosto! Today is the big Italian summer holiday and the town is packed with those who live here in the summer and people just visiting for the day. It was windy, so the water must’ve been a little rough, but the early morning clouds gave way without a single drop of rain. The only way to describe today would be sunny.

Zia and I had the traditional Ferragosto meal of pasta with fresh tomato gravy with polpette (meatballs) and salsiccia (sausage), and a pollo alla spieda (rotisserie chicken). The holiday is the day of the rooster, so many people eat chicken today.

Sadly, I woke up sicker than I was when I went to sleep last night. I’ve been on a steady diet of Actifed and Flomax all day. For those of you in the know of American prostate medicines, the Flomax over here is for an entirely different area. Flomax here is an anti-inflammatory for when you have nose to throat pain. It really does take the edge off. Actifed however is a joke compared with our Sudafed.  

The Circus is Coming to Town

As I walked to the beach today, I noticed the biggest news to hit the town in two years; the circus is coming to town. Live animals like lions and tigers will be unleashed for the public. It should be a spectacle for the ages. For anyone who read and/or saw “Water for Elephants,” it’s pretty much a traveling circus like that.

I hit the beach today, and it was clear that the bulk of the people who are coming here this year are here right now. Tomorrow is Ferraugusto, the big Italian summer holiday. After August 15, this place will quickly become the ghost town it was back in July.

Foodtopia Moments

Today’s moment is not really about any food, but rather a spice. I have taken to cooking meat with sprigs of rosemary. If you are sautéing in butter or pan frying meat in olive oil, throw in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary about a minute before throwing in the meat, keep them in until the meat is done then put them on the plate with the meat. I commonly use turkey cutlets, though it’d be great with chicken too. Also, rosemary complements white wine infused cooking very well. 

Alone in Campomarino

Today was my first day alone here in Campomarino this year. Steve flew home yesterday, and Melissa and Amanda are near Milano. Though alone, I’ve been busy.

 

I came back from Amsterdam yesterday with a little bit of a cold, I think due to the 20 degree temperature change. My throat hurts a bit so I’ve been dosing on Sudafed. After getting up at 9, I headed to the farmers market, bakery, and macelleria (butcher). All three places asked why I was buying so little. Afterwards,  I came home and cooked, then took stock of the work that still needs to be done, or done again (gardening).

As I was taking stock, I noticed that the lemons on the lemon tree are almost ready to be picked. Also, the grape vine I’ve been training is starting to take shape nicely, going up and over the arch that I want it to follow.

This afternoon I worked on two broken fans, spraying each with lubricating oil, but it was no use. Now three of the original four fans we bought have bit the dust. If I see some in town, I’ll pick them up.  Have an air conditioner for now too. 

Foodtopia Moments

Pancake (crepe) with ham
and Gouda cheese

Herring with onions and pickles

Where do I begin? We had ribs, RIBS, in Amsterdam. There I also had a cone of Belgian fries with mayo, ketchup, and curry sauce. I also tried pancakes (crepes) with ham and gouda cheese, which was my new favorite late night food…thankfully not available in the US. I also had an order of bitterballs, which were a fried mixture of meat, cheese and potatoes. They weren’t bitter at all.  When we got to Amsterdam, I asked the cab driver what to try. He suggested a herring sandwich. I gave it a try, but it wasn’t for me.

When I got back to Italy, my favorite sandwich shop was closed, so I had to “settle” for a kebab sandwich with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, and hot peppers.

Belgian fries with mayo, ketchup
and curry saice

Bitterballs

Ribs

Kebab sandwich

Back from Amsterdam

What a whirlwind it’s been for the past couple of weeks, culminating in my trip with Steve to Amsterdam. This past Friday, Steve and I were on a bus to Rome at 6 a.m. with only a few hours of sleep the night before. We had a 3 p.m. flight from Rome to Amsterdam to catch.

 

We got to the airport with enough time to hit the McDonalds. It might seem to most people that, “why would anyone want McDonald’s in Italy?” However, after 4 weeks of the same type of food, my multinational palate needed something besides pizza, pasta and fish. So I had a chicken sandwich and a snack wrap, both hit the spot (I’ll save burgers for the US).

Our flight was great, and the first night in Amsterdam was very fun. It was also cold. I needed long pants and long sleeves, Steve wore a jacket. We found Pancake Corner, a place in Leidesplein with cheap drinks and food. All you can eat racks of ribs for only 10 euros. We would hit the place up three more times throughout our stay, and I tried the pancakes (crepes) twice.

The full day we had there started late, like out of the hotel by 1. Somehow we both slept well into the morning. Great blackout curtains at the hotel. When we hit the town we got the see the Heineken Factory experience and the Anne Frank House. Heineken was a lot of fun, including four beers. The Anne Frank House was very powerful and moving.

At night, we strolled past the coffee shops, fry stands, and bars, entering a few for extra cold Heinekens. We took a walk past the windows of Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District which was teaming with families including some young children, which was surprising. Then we settled into our favorite Leidesplein restaurant, the Pancake Corner.

Yesterday, we headed back to Rome where We stayed at the airport Hilton. We took the shuttle in, had dinner in Piazza Navona, and then headed back to the hotel for a nightcap. It was a very fun trip, but also tiring with all of the walking and standing in line.

Foodtopia Moments

Zia invited us all to her place last night for cenetta (a little dinner). We had caprese with buffalo mozzarella, and grilled eggplant topped with tomatoes. The we had melon and budino, an Italian version of flan.

Last Day as a Group

Today is the last day for us here as a group. Steve and I head to The Netherlands tomorrow, and Melissa and Amanda will be in Milan when I return on Monday.  So we made sure to make the most of our day, and relax.

We hit the beach, went swimming, and played another round of bocce, our fourth. Today was my first win (second two other times), and now we’ve each won a round.  I got up this morning and began making a sauce from scratch. I put in onions, carrots, basil, olive oil, salt, and tomatoes. Once it got cooking a bit I added a vegetable bouillon, a little water, and some tomato paste. I brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer for an hour before passing it taking out seeds and stems and breaking down any chunks. It was delicious.

Tonight, Steve and I are going to pack for Holland and then head out to Ristorante Netti as a group one last time. All the visitors have made this summer pass by fast. I head back to the states in two weeks. 

Foodtopia Moments

Sometimes the simple joys of summer can be accompanied by a simple drink. Sun tea has long been a favorite of our family and I’ve taken to making it here. Four tea bags put into cold water in a clear container, then let it sit in the sun for a few hours. Voila, sun tea is ready. No sweeteners needed.

Bocce on the Beach

Last night was so humid that we turned on the air conditioning here for the first time this summer. It made the one room feel like a fridge, and the rest of the house was much more tolerable. Needless to say, the comfort contributed to us sleeping until after 9.

Melissa and I rode bikes to the bakery and the farmers market, where we got some amazing deals. For a little less than $11 American, we were able to get more than two pounds of tomatoes (pomodorini), a head of butter lettuce (trocadero), three eggplants (melanzane), about a pound of onions (cipolle), two pounds of potatoes (patate), basil (basilico), and about 2 pounds of red and yellow peppers (pepperoni).  Not a bad haul for the money, all of which was farm fresh from local fields.

Then we spent the rest of the morning on the beach playing in the water and then playing bocce on the sand. Melissa won a close round of bocce.