Rome

Sigh…in the most wonderful way ever! I am here in Rome, Italy. I have been here for three weeks now and I had no idea that a person could relax so much. Seriously, Rome has turned me into the Goddess of relaxation. I literally just woke up from an afternoon nap…and I slept-in this morning… like all my other mornings!

That being said, today wasn’t the most eventful day, as I have only walked outside to get some fresh groceries. But I have been touring this incredible city other days.

On the food note, while in I was introduced to better quality foods than I was used to having back in Toronto. Nice’s food is still super amazing don’t get me wrong, but I am enjoying my food experiences in Rome much more. I guess Italian food is more my style…which might not be good for my waistline. One of my favourite things to do here is to go grocery shopping for fresh ingredients then come home and cook. Let’s not forget about the tasting part…that’s pretty fun too!

Here is one of our feasts complete with Caprese salad, Parpardelle pasta with a porcini mushroom and truffle oil sauce along with our focaccia.

When cooking Italian it is impossible not to buy fresh ingredients. This is why there is nothing BUT fresh ingredients everywhere you look. I have found a small produce shop nearby that has great quality fruits and vegetables at the cost of basically nothing. I once filled my bag with carrots, a lemon, a lime, arugula, basil and lots of tomatoes at a cost of only 1.80 euro. This is why I go back everyday, to buy the freshest ingredients.

    

It is also possible to buy focaccia and pizza dough rolled up ready to bake at home. It comes out so fluffy and delicious. I love topping the focaccia with fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes and fresh basil, for the most amazing lunch!

Here I topped the focaccia with mozzarella, proscuitto and arugula.

Here pasta is .99 euro and feeds both of us twice…did I mention it is fresh pasta? I have never had pasta like this. The pasta is actually quite hard to overcook and I can always achieve the “al dente” state. Also, I have never, ever, seen so many pasta choices; some types I’ve never even heard of until now.

Here is some succulent Osso Bucco alongside Paccheri Pasta. This meal was and still is our best in Rome!

The food and drink prices have decreased from Nice. We are buying .85 euro wine and really “soaking” it up.

We got all this stuff (Aperol liquor, 4 beers, 1L red wine, juice, mixed seafood salad, soft cheese, Pesto, jared clams, pizza dough, 2 artichokes, mushrooms, sparkling water and mushrooms) for 17 Euro! What amazing value!

Also, right now is artichoke season in Italy, so for the first time my boyfriend and I cooked and ate fresh artichokes. Once cooked, we scraped the harder leaves between our front teeth to get the small portion of edible artichoke that is on each leaf. One by one, we were getting closer to the ‘heart’ of the artichoke. This is obviously the best and most ‘meaty’ part of the ‘choke. This was a fun experience and we have even bought more artichokes for this evening.

 

 

I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen!

Ciao

My Sunday in Barcelona

Last week I visited Barcelona for 5 nights. I tried every food dish I wanted to try, such as:

Tapas- Some of the best were: patatas bravas (which are fried potatoes with a spicy sauce) and fried cod balls (which are a mixture of salt cod mixed with a doughnut batter).

This is a display of tapas which is in almost every restaurant or bar. However, the dishes vary from place to place.

Cod fritters from La Boqueria Market. Yum!

Pan con Tomate- This is toasted white bread that you drizzle with oil, then rub with raw garlic and tomato. This was such a simple dish with so much flavour! I will definitely continue to do this back home.

Such a delicious yet simple appetizer or snack. Just be careful because the raw garlic packs a lot of punch!

 

Ceviche – Because before I went I crazily thought there would be lots of Mexican food (but we did manage to find a great Mexican restaurant, I also had some great Nachos)

Sangria – which was tasty a refreshing!

Surprisingly, I ate less than I normally do, simply because of later eating times and the tapas seemed to fill me up.

We took in lots of sights and scenery; I’m pretty sure we walked the majority of the city. We visited the beaches, Guell Park, Arc of Triumph, La Boqueria and more.

Park Guell

Arc of Triumph

                                

However, my favorite day was Sunday, our last full day. My boyfriend and I started out at a small, local restaurant where we had pan con tomate as well as fried anchovies.

Then we visited the breathtaking Sagarada Familia Cathedral. The interior is just as impressive as the entire exterior and this is a must see if you find yourself in Barcelona.

We then wandered for miles and found our way to La Rambla district where we went to London Bar, a bar that has been open since 1910 and used to be frequented by the likes of Dali, Picasso and Hemingway. The décor has been kept the same, which gives a relaxed glamour to the place. It also serves as a venue, where we heard singers take part in an open mic night.

Then on our adventure home we stumbled upon a market at night near the Arc of Triumph. There were amazing craft and clothing vendors along with food and drink vendors. This is when I realized we only had 10 euro left.

We browsed the crafts, knowing we could not possibly afford anything, before heading for the food and beer. Our first purchase was 1 light organic beer and another dark beer at 2 euro a pop. We then jetted across the street to buy a 1.5 litre beer at the convenience store for 1.50 euro….much cheaper. When we returned to the market, large beer in tow we got a lamb shwarma for 3 euro. At closing I bargained with a vendor using my last 1.50 euro to buy a chicken taco with the greenest, freshest guacamole money can buy. It may have been my best euro fifty spent.

  

We ate and drank on some grass while listening to the live bongo circle that had formed.

After this, we headed home.

I truly fell in love with Barcelona this day.