When Rome is home

Hail yes

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:59:06 +0000

A few thunderclouds rolled into Rome today, which led to a down pour, which led to a hail storm, which forced me to duck inside one of our favorite drinking establishments, which led to an afternoon cocktail, and ultimately this here video.

1 minute: Spanish Steps in reverse

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:39:28 +0000

The Spanish Steps are fun. But put them in reverse and I think you’ll agree they’re even funner.

Let’s Pizza!

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:59:51 +0000

A couple years ago I wrote a review for Grotto Pizza where the best way I could describe the taste was to imagine a pizza that came out of a vending machine — one where all the individual components came together once coins were dropped through the slot and a selection made.

So, imagine my utter delight when Matthew posted the following video he shot at the Palermo airport in Sicily.

Gelato: not just for featherless bipeds

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:37:53 +0000

Although our pups typically receive just an empty cone after a visit to a gelateria, every once in a while we reward them with their very own frozen, creamy treat.

Here we’ve ordered a small portion of yogurt gelato split between two cups from our favorite place in Rome, Gelateria del Teatro. Enjoy the slo-mo tongue action towards the end.

Sandy fun in the sun

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:48:51 +0000

We drove south last weekend in search of the beach. And found it.

In season: blood oranges

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:21:32 +0000

They taste just like chicken. No, not really — but they’re just as delicious. The variety most often found in Italy is the Tarocco.

1 minute: pigeons in Rome

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:00:04 +0000

In experimenting with the Flip video camera, I’ve started shooting 1 minute clips of Rome. No editing. No panning. No movement other than the subject. And only natural, local sound.

I came across these pigeons in Campo dei Fiori — after the fruit and vegetable vendors had left, but before any serous clean-up had begun. Here the pigeons are going after two ciambelle (doughnuts).

Around 0:24 a toddler runs towards them, but fails to dissuade many to give up their deep fried treasure.

Pasta e Ceci

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:06:07 +0000

Pasta e Ceci is a thick and delicious Italian soup that contains chickpeas (ceci) and ditalini pasta — a small, tubular pasta that looks just like a thimble (ditale). The nice thing about the dish, in addition to its great mouth appeal, is that it’s crazy easy to make. And it’s a great soup to serve your vegetarian friends.

To demonstrate how to make it, Matthew and I shot the following film. Enjoy.

When it snows in Rome

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:41:03 +0000

A couple of weeks ago it snowed in Rome — perhaps as much as an inch in places. No big whoop, eh?

But here it was a big whoop since this city hasn’t seen snow since 1986. And the place to head that morning was the Pantheon — to see the flakes fall through the oculus of its ancient dome.

Matthew shot this video:

Three to please

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:57:04 +0000

Recently two friends and I took a short train trip to Frascati which is known for its pork sandwiches (porchetta) and locally produced white wine.

The custom is to grab a porchetta sandwich from a vendor on the street and then bring it to a nearby drinking establishment to enjoy a carafe of their house wine.

But the real treat that day was the town’s traditional cookie displayed in nearly every baker’s window. Known as a pupazza or bambola frascatana, it’s shaped like a woman with three breasts: two for milk and one for wine. Che biscotti!