La Dolce Vita

I'm a schmoozer!

2007-07-28T17:50:00.000+02:00

Thanks to Jessica in Rome who handed me a Schmooze award. I am quite honored as this is my first blogging award.

Aw, shucks!

So what is the schmooze award? I'm quoting here from Jessica's blog:
“As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability 'to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection. Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way.' "
So now I get to pick 5 bloggers who have the power of the shmooze.

nyc/caribbean ragazza I love reading about her high-powered life in the midst of the crazy LA movie scene. She's got some great insights and stories.

Tracie B. at My Life Italian has a fantastically funny outlook on living the expat life in Italy. Plus she's from Texas so I have a soft spot for her.

Kataroma always has an intelligent and usually witty comment to say and I find that her experiences as a "third culture kid" in Rome often hit home with me.

Texas Espresso is also a fellow Texan who deserves the schmooze award. I find her blog interesting from the other perspective of expat. By this I mean American married to an Italian but living in the US. Since I know so many Americans married to Italians but living in Italy I like to read about her life on the other side of the pond.

Jeff in Puglia is a shmoozer too. He gets the award because I like to read about the expat life from a man's point of view. There are so many women expat blogs out there (nothing wrong with that, mind you) and this is a nice breath of fresh air from Puglia.

So now, if I've got this right, I post the directions to participate:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that have schmoozed you into submission.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the award.
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Power of Schmooze Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella

2007-07-09T20:08:00.000+02:00

I was first aquainted with this store in New York City when my then-boyfriend/future husband introduced me to this antique line of hand-made soaps, perfumes, and toiletries. I was immediately seduced by the packaging and gorgeous display of products and I can honestly say it was love at first sight.
So when we went for a last-minute mini jaunt this weekend and our friend Francesca graciously offered to watch our dog, I immediately went to the SMN store here in Rome to pick her up a little something nice.
The pharmacy dates back to 1221 when Domenican friars settled in Florence but was officially opened in 1612 when Fernando I di Medici gave them permission to open their doors to the public. The original recipes of balms, lotions, essences, powders and soaps are still followed to a large extent. The quantities are limited and quality is the highest priority. I assume this is why many of it's products have become historically famous. Caterina de’ medici, queen of France, took with her to paris the Eau di Cologne (later renamed to Acqua di Colonia). A very famous liqueur is Alkermes which held the sales record in the nineteenth century; also held in high regard are Elixir di China and Liquore Mediceo which was named in honour of the Medici family and the Elisir di Edimburgo, an excellent bitter. And for you horror movie fans out there, Hannibal Lecter (aka Dr. Fell) personally visits the farmacia in Florence and chooses a scent which he spritzes on a letter he sends to Clarice. This is actually how they track him down to Florence because his identity is revealed on the videocamera in the farmacia. In the book I believe he orders a custom-made perfume for Clarice prepared and sent by the farmacia in Florence.
My favorites are the Pomegranite bath salts and the latte soaps.

There is a nice if somewhat academic video that explains more detail about the history of the famacia here.

Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella
Corso del Rinascimento, 47 Tel.06-6879608-6872446

Happy Fourth of July

2007-07-04T19:10:00.000+02:00

It's the Fourth of July which means two things: BBQ and watermelon!
Unfortunately I won't be indulging in either of those today but I am turning to the depths of my many fond memories of past fourths and secretly relishing the taste of those hamburgers, potato chips, and hotdogs...mustard only please; skewered tofu and veggies(summer of '01); and that special feeling of biting off chunks of watermelon with the juice dripping down your chin as you spit the seeds into the wild yonder. (hey, i was just a kid and those seed spitting contests were the best!)
*just as a side note, Italy has the worst hamburger buns I have ever tasted in my life. They are dry, yucky, and the middle soaks through with liquid while the rest just crumbles away mercilessly into your fingers and on the plate. Yuck yuck yuck. And they taste like cardboard.*

When I was young the annual fourth of july parade started at the end of our street so every year we had prime seats on our front lawn. Before the paraders lost their stamina, before the floats started to come undone, (or to be more precise bikes with crepe paper and balloons), before the sun started beating down and forcing everyone under the safety of the magnolia trees, we were there. Bright and early excitement bursting over our folding lawn chairs to see who has the best costume and best float of the parade. After they announced the winner we were always soarly disappointed and the hypothesis that perhaps the contest was rigged because every year they chose the ones that sucked the hardest started to form in our fragile little minds.
We would spend the day swimming and slathering sunscreen on our skins. A few snowcones (rainbow flavor was the only way to go) and cokes and we were set until night falls. This is when the fireflies would come out and we would chase them catching the magic in glass jars. Of course when the boy across the street started to smear the ones he caught on his clothes to make them glow it somehow ruined the magic. But he was a weird kid.
The fireworks usually started at 9pm sharp and lasted for about half an hour. And of course we had our very own sparklers which kept us entertained for a good 10 minutes until we finished the whole box and whined for some more. The black cat was my sister's favorite but it scared the crap out of me. In fact anything that had sparks of fire flaming in all directions and made loud noises scared the crap out of me. If it was high in the air with about a mile between me and it, fine. But if it was on the ground lit by a 12 year old pyromaniac, i ran screaming the other way.
Those were the days when everything felt safe and the only fear was the crazy kid across the street. The days when staying up till 10pm was really late. The comfort of my mom and dad was just an arm's length away and I had not a worry in the world.
ahhhhh, memories. Times have obviously changed and the last 3 fourth of July's I spent in nyc were tinged with a touch of fear. Maybe nobody else felt that way but I sure did. But I tend to be a bit on the paranoid side. You can't really blame me after growing up with a freak neighbor who is probably in jail or wanted at large now.
So I wish everyone a happy and safe fourth!
Today, by the way, is also Garibaldi's birthday. He was a brilliant Italian soldier who helped in the unification of Italy. There are many monuments in Rome attributed to him but I don't know my Italian history very well (shame on me!) and I don't have fond memories of Garibaldi as I do of the 4th of July so I'm not going to talk about him. Oh, except there is a statue of Garibaldi in Washington Sq. Park in nyc! How's that for being an international icon!

A nose is a nose is a nose

2007-06-27T17:07:00.000+02:00

Loveliness extreme.
Our dog Otto lives his life through his nose. As a hunting dog his nose is plastered to the ground 24/7 and his sense of smell is really really amazing. Yet annoying. This is how our morning walks usually go:

In fact this is how most of our walks go. If you can't discern what that craziness is, he's hunting for lizards. That's why his nose is in every nook and cranny sniffing as if his life depended on it. But what an elegant schnoz he's got! Now if I could only teach him how to go truffle hunting....

Ma Perche?

2007-06-16T17:22:00.000+02:00

Why do Italians use the article when mentioning certain rock bands?
As in "Gli Iron Maiden".

Huh?

I'm sorry but it's just Iron Maiden. period.
Maybe I can understand when they say "i rolling stones" or "i beatles", even though it obviously sounds better using the English "the" ("the" rolling stones). Hey, I would never do the opposite and say "the 99 posse" because it sounds better "i 99 posse". They're an Italian group, they have the Italian article.
But "Gli acdc"? And with the Italian accent it becomes "glyeeee aahcheeeedeeeecheeeee".
No no no no no.
It's just wrong.

The Heat is on

2007-06-12T14:56:00.000+02:00

It is so dang hot in Rome. The thermometer says 24 celsius which is about 75 farenheit but this cannot be right. Normally I would be strutting around town with my sunglasses on in a perfect 75degree weather but it feels so much hotter than that. Try around 95F where you sweat while you are sitting doing nothing.
Thanks global warming.
And today I am so craving a Mexican martini. Oh the joy. The best thirst quencher around for those scorching days (ignore the fact that alcohol dehydrates) oh Austin, I miss you.
For those of you in the dark a Mexican martini is similar to a margarita but made like a martini. Ahem....shaken, not stirred.

And the best in Austin has got to be from Cedar Door. With Trudy's Tex-Mex coming in a close second. To make your own nectar of the gods here is the creme de la creme.

Cedar Door's Original Mexican Martini
In a 16-oz. shaker glass full of ice combine:
1 1/2 oz. Sauza Gold Tequila*
1 1/2 oz. Hiram Walker Triple Sec

Finish with freshly squeezed lime juice, a splash of orange juice and sweet and sour. Shake well and serve in a champagne glass with a salted rim, garnished with three olives on a sword pick and lime wedge.

*I would recommend a better tequila than sauza (try Herradura Añejo, El Tesoro de Don Felipe, Espolon Añejo, or even Cabo Wabo Añejo Mileni)because the better the tequila the smoother the martini.
Cheers!

Toscana is beeeeauuuutiful!

2007-06-01T20:33:00.001+02:00

We spent a few days at the sea in Talamone, Tuscany. All I can say is Talamone is beautiful! It is so green and lush contrasted with a clear blue blue sea. Fresh seafood, the required castel/tower that all the coastal towns have, and super friendly people. I realy like the Tuscan accent, it's very elegant and soft compared to the Roman one (which of course has it's own unique charm). It's a very very small town which takes about 5 minutes to walk from one end to the other. There's not much to do besides sail, swim, and windsurf, and of course eat really fresh really good Italian food. But that's cool with me.

Il lampione dell'amore

2007-04-21T16:24:00.000+02:00

Oh, the weight of love.
Last week the lamp of Ponte Milvio fell down! Literally broke in two due to all the weight of the locks.
You can read more about it from Shelley over at At Home in Rome who recently wrote a nice post about the locks of Ponte Milvio. Or check out the article on corriere della sera.
I guess all of Rome decided to put a lock on the lamp after the movie "Ho Voglio di Te" came out. I think the movie single-handedly revived the interest of declaring your love by placing a lock on the lamp and tossing the key into the Tevere.
That's a lot of love (and a ton of locks).

La bici vs. il motorino

2007-04-19T20:33:00.000+02:00

In the past week since my other half broke his arm in a bicycling accident there have been at least 15 people (and I'm not exaggerating) who offered their advice that a motorino is way more safe than a bicycle. This includes 3 people from my work, the owners of my other half's work, the pet store owner, the vetrinarian, the neighborhood motorino mechanic, our friendly supermarket check-out girl and various friends and neighbors.
It's nice that they offer their condolences and put in their two cents worth (mainly that the motorists of Rome don't respect the bicyclists on the street... yeah, duh!) but I just can't quite agree with them. Am I wrong? Should I break down and buy a motorino and become a true Roman?
Like I mentioned in the previous post I have seen so many scooter accidents since I've moved to Rome and a few months ago a friend of a friend's father died in one. Is it really safer than a bike?
What do you think?

Osso Rotto

2007-04-12T21:04:00.000+02:00

This morning my husband broke his arm.
His "radio" (radius) near the elbow is fractured. We spent a good part of the day at the emergency room fixing him up in gesso. The x-ray technitian even said it was a "bella frattura".
What happened? Well, he was riding his bike when a car cut him off. He braked and went head first over the handle bars landing on his elbow. He wasn't wearing a helmut but he wasn't going too fast either. The white fiat didn't even stop to see if he was okay. Let's just say Romans are crazy drivers. This is a given. And everyone chastises us for riding a bike in the city but honestly, if he was on a motorino it could have been a lot worse. I cannot tell you how many bad (and I mean BAD, lots of blood and gorey details kinda bad) motorino accidents I've seen in Rome in the past year and a half that I've lived here.
The bike has a minor scratch which is good but this is the THIRD bike we've had involved in an incident. Maybe someone's trying to tell us something. The first one was stolen. The second was badly vandalized by kids in the neighborhood who jumped on the frame and tires one night when I left it outside overnight. My mistake. I just hate hauling the bike up 5 flights of stairs. And I hate the autobus even worse. They say things happen in three's and this is the third so maybe we're okay right?
Right?
Isn't there some sort of hex symbol I'm supposed to do to ward off the bad luck? Something involving the index and pinky finger?
Okay enough of my whinging, my husband has a broken arm. I've never broken a bone in my life so I can't fully relate but(madonna!) he was in excrutiating pain. There was also a dislocated shoulder involved and he pretty much admitted it was the most painful thing he's experienced in his life.
Well, to make a long story short we spent a long time in the emergency room where they took loads of x-rays. The doctors were great and very professional despite the long wait. We walked out and went to the farmacia to buy some pain medicine. The whole thing cost us 7euro.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this one. !!!!7 EURO!!!!! x-rays, cast, medicine and all. This would never be possible in the US. Even if we had had insurance this would not be possible. It just doesn't happen in the united states.
I love free health care. But I love my hubby even more and I hope he has a speedy recovery.

Italian sport fanatics

2007-04-11T19:56:00.000+02:00

Roma lost 7 to 1 against Manchester last night in the nationals league. I'm not a huge soccer (ahem, football) fan but the city was certainly drab today despite the beautiful sunshine. If Rome had won 7-1 the atmosphere would have been more along the lines of horn honking and bellowing out the windows. Apparently this is the first time in history for a nationals team to lose by so much. Way to go Roma!
And why is it that every Italian I know is absolutely fanatical about soccer, oops, sorry...football. I know every country has their fans and devotees but it seems Italy is way more obsessed than the others. Am I wrong here? In fact, I've only met one Italian in my life that didn't care for football. My husband's friend whom I'll call Mr. C. And just for the record, Mr. C doesn't like the moto GP either. Unheard of for any male Italian over the age of 12. Every Sunday you can walk into any house in Rome and find no less than 5 males huddled around the tv cheering for Valentino Rossi. Or Melandri. Or both. Valentino who has the phrase "viva la fica!" plastered across the neck of his uniform. (yes, fica in this case is vulgar and yes it refers to a female body part). That's how cool the moto GP is.
Mr. C I really respect you.
Other news today that I want to share is how much I love my dog. yeah, yeah, how boring and sophmoric to post about my dog but I just can't help it. Anyone who owns a pet can probably relate.

Roman Slang 101

2007-03-26T19:59:00.000+02:00

I love to speak slang. If only to see the Italian faces when they hear it roll off my lips. Everytime I spout out some slang they usually stare at me in disbelief with a wild grin and giggling. Its as if I somehow cracked the barrier and we're on the same playing field as I am instantly elevated in their eyes. I am no longer the struggling Americana who stumbles among her words and mixes up masculine and feminine. I am no longer the ragazza who can't conjugate worth a darn to save her life. But it's all okay. I mean, come on, I can speak slang.

Do stai andá? is short for "Dove stai andando?" in English it would translate to "where are you going?"
Che stai fá? is short for "Che stai facendo?" or "what are you doing?"
Bella! Sometimes pronounces Bellllllaaaaaaaaaah! Also as in Ah, Bella! This is used a lot as in "Hey guys. What's up?" Literally bella means beautiful.
fico means "cool" or handsome if you are referring to a man. Fico literally means fig.
fica means ""a nice piece of ass" however it can also mean a very vulgar term for a female body part. I think everyone I know that's learned the Italian language has an embarassing story about this one.
ammazza or "wow, great"
Dai! oh come on!
Per carita! Forget about it!
Che pizza! How boring!
Che palle! this is more vulgar and could be translated to What balls!
And let's not forget the oh so loved cazzo which is derived, I think, from cacca and is used all the time everywhere. Not a day goes by that I don't hear "che cazzo fai?" or "che cazzo dici?" or "sti cazzi?" It's really rude and vulgar and I'm sorry if I offend anyone but honestly, I hear it all the time so I'm including it in this post. It's just so Roman.

And then let's get down to the basics. The good ol Roman grunting.
Eh? This is pretty universal for Yeah? And?
Oi! can mean Hey! Hi!
Aiyah! means Ouch!
and Oooooooooh! is my all time favorite that means oh, come on. As in Ooooooooooh! Che dici? translation: Come on, what are you saying?
Just add a few hand signals or at the very least throw your hands wildly around in the air and you've got it. Your speaking Roman slang!

In the doghouse

2007-03-22T01:07:00.000+01:00

Woe is the woman with a sick dog.
Cleaning up doggy throw-up is not nice.
ugh.
stinky stinky wet stinky yuck.
But someone's gotta do it and the hubby sure ain't lifting a finger. Turns out Otto our dog is fine, nothing serious just a mal di gola (soar throat). The strange thing is though the vet prescribed an antibiotic (for animals) and bisolvin which is a cough syrup for humans. And I bought both of them at a regular ol' farmacia.
It seems to me, if I remember correctly, in the United States we bought medicine for animals directly from the vet, not Duane Reade or Eckerd's pharmacy. People medicine and pet medicine were bought and dealt with in two very different places. And I just can't see a US vet advising to give cough syrup to a dog, but hey, maybe. I guess it probably happens.
Anyhow, the dog is feeling much better and so are we.
Just for the record, our vet here in Rome is super. Better than any vet I've had in the US. She is so helpful and nice and of course gives Otto the best care possible.

mmmm....cornetti

2007-03-18T13:22:00.000+01:00

Hai fatto colazione?
The best cornetti in all of Rome is hands down made by a laboratorio in Prati. This place has no name I know of (at least no sign outside to signify who they are) and has been operating for the last century, according to the baker on duty last night. Supposedly they opened in 1917 and have been making the best breakfast treats ever since.
Now here's the catch: they are only open at night when the baking geniuses are in progress. READ: the all-time best fix for late night munchies, fresh popping-hot right out of the oven. There is always a line outside the door with customers patiently waiting to order their craving. Cornetti con marmalata, cornetti con nutella or nocciola, ciocolatto bianco, even la crema, or try a brioche or danese...take your pick.

We went last night to pick up a few for breakfast this morning but ended up stuffing our faces with most of our purchase before we even arrived at home. They are just too good to resist.
So if you have a late night sweet tooth stop by Via Giuseppe Giochino Belli 61. Just look for the small door in between two big restaraunts. You can't miss the sweet air wafting about or the line of Romans waiting out in front.

Those crazy Texans!

2007-03-11T14:55:00.000+01:00

As a tribute to my recent trip to Texas, I want to share a special Sunday tradition.
In Austin there is a bar called Jinny's Little Longhorn which has a special night: Chicken Shit Sunday. Every Sunday the tiny (and I'm talking maybe 60meters square) bar is packed with college students, professors, motorcycle enthusiasts, tourists, and a smattering of colorful locals. From about 5pm to the wee hours of the morning they have local bands perform and sell $1.50 long necks (Shiner Bock is a favorite Texas beer with Lone Star coming a close second). The music is pretty country but gives the place a very authentic feel.
Imagine a few slabs of wood constructed as a stage with a woman playing the violin (bluegrass style) a man on bass and another playing the smallest piano I've ever seen in my life. As the woman belts out her lyrics of broken hearts and memories of the past in a deeply southern twang the 3 burly women bartenders are scurrying to open as many bottles of beer they can to appease the crowd. One even cradles 6 bottles in one arm and pops off the tops with a simple flick of her wrist. The various neon signs add to the magic of the night as do the Harley gang members hanging outside and barbequeing hamburgers on the back lawn.

But really the highlight of the night is the raffle or lottery in which blue tickets each with its own handwritten number is sold for two dollars each.
What kind of lottery you may ask? Well, this is a game played three times during the night in which the family pet chicken is placed in a cage and encouraged to poop.
If you look closely in the pictures you can see the floor of the pen is divided into numbers.

Littered with bird seed the chicken happily eats while the crowd cheers her on, coaxing her towards their corresponding raffle ticket number. Once the chicken poops on a number that is the lucky winner and they take home the pot of money from the cost of the raffle tickets. This is the winning number:

Do you see the poop so elegantly highlighted by the wire of the pen? I think it's number 6 but I don't remember correctly after my fill of $1.50 beer.

And that my friends is Chicken Shit Sunday.

*disclaimer: the chicken was in no way harmed or hurt during the night and I can personally vow that she lives in a very large cage in back of Little Jinny's and is treated with the utmost respect and fed very, very well. There is no animal cruelty involved whatsoever.

Castroni

2007-03-02T15:39:00.000+01:00

This store is the bomb.

I finally made it over to Castroni yesterday and it is ficchisimo (so very cool). This specialty store stocks products from all over the world and delicacies that are hard to find in Rome. Everything from tea and coffee to Indian spices like garam masala and tandoori to Mexican spices, chocolate covered oranges and sushi nori, pickled plums, lime leaves and lemongrass for Thai cuisines, not to mention various chutneys, pestos, curries, marmalades. You name it they probably sell it.
I just stood there in the middle of the store with my eyes the size of saucers glazed over and dumbfounded. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to make thai or indian food and I could never find the spices in my local supermarkets. I even smuggled large quantities of black beans, jalepenos and chipolte peppers back from Texas this past January (see photo of my stash below) because these items are very hard to find in Italy.

Okay okay I know that these aren't gourmet items. In fact they are the 99cent version at our local tom thumb. Why did I pay the $75 over-the-weight-limit for my luggage flying back to Rome? Because I didn't know that I could just hop over to Castroni instead of reverting to illegal activities to satisfy my tex-mex cravings.
Castroni isn't cheap. But if you are ever in Rome and craving a tamarind sauce or some Turkish apple tea this is the place to go.

Indirizzo: Via Cola di Rienzo, 196, Rome, 192
also on Via Flaminia near Piazzale Flaminio
www.castroni.com

Cucciolo

2007-03-01T10:43:00.001+01:00

"Cucciolo" in Italian means "puppy" and we have a 6 month old cucciolo now. In fact, he is a cacciatore, or hunting dog.
Needless to say I've been very busy. Between two cats, a new puppy, one husband and my work I have little free time.
But it's all worth it.

This poor little segugio (bloodhound) was found by a friend of ours outside of Rome abandoned on the highway and instantly he won over our hearts. Not the cats' hearts yet but so far there have been no major casualties. We decided to call him Otto, not in the number otto (oht-to, eight in Italian) but as in Ahhtto, the name of kings of Germany, including Otto I, THE founder of the Holy Roman Empire. Well I just like the name with or without the historical significance.
Anyhow, Rome is full of dogs. You thought the unofficial animal was the cat? Well there is no mistaking that dogs are a fierce competitor for that title. At least in my neighborhood. Plus I am learning all about the etiquette of owning a dog. From the social behaviors at the park (most people ask mascio? femina? to determine the sex of the dog. Two male dogs are usually a dangerous mix but a mascio and femina get along quite well at the dog run. In our case I just say cucciolo. Then everyone smiles and coos "che carino!" because a cucciolo is usually accepted by both male and females dogs and everyone loves a puppy). Then there is the social etiquette of the owners. Dogs are really like children in so many ways. And the owners are always the proud parents discussing the various personalities, obscure habits, and funny tidbits of information about their little loved one. Just so you know....I'm warning you now about future posts.

Buon Anno

2006-12-31T19:37:00.000+01:00

Wishing everyone a happy 2007! Aguri e buon anno.
A few Italian traditions for the New Year:
1. eat a bowl of lentils (lenticchie) for good luck and financial security. Each lentil represents a coin for the coming year.
2. Wear red for good luck.
2a. A friend from work is from Campagna near Naples and she told me to buy red underwear/lingerie to wear on NYE. The next day burn it for good luck. T laughed when I told him I was determined to find some red underwear to burn for the new year. Apparently this isn't a custom for Romans. And since I couldn't find anything for under 10euro I decided to abondon this idea.
3. Take something old and at midnight throw it behind your back (off the balcony is best). If it breaks it means good fortune for you, if not it's bad luck.
4. Kiss everyone in your vicinity at midnight because it's just a really nice thing to do.

Baci to all and Happy New Year!

Brrr...it's cold outside

2006-12-29T11:42:00.000+01:00

It seems winter is finally here. The temperatures have dropped to about 7ºC and the northern winds are brisk. Okay so it's not THAT cold but Romans are really sensitive to the slightest change in temperature for fear of falling ill. It is probably 85ºF inside our house because we feel "the chill". (read low and suspensfully: Dumdadumdummm.....)
But it really seems like winter because the trees lining our block were viscously trimmed to the core last week. Not a single leaf left and most of the branches were butchered as well. As if Edward Scissorhands had gone mad and was seeking revenge, but solely on our block.

The other blocks were lucky enough to escape the wrath of the Italian tree pruners.
It's really sad and I hope they grow back to their full glory because they make the street feel so empty and abandoned.
Here's a nice shot of some paper advertisement crumpled and stuffed into the neck of the tree outside our building.

Ironic isn't it?

Why would they do this you ask? Well, Rome is a pretty dirty city and people like to litter. I know there are many cities in Italy that are immaculately clean and spotless but Rome is not one of them. As for the trees being whacked we think it was to protect people from falling and slipping on the wet leaves when it rains and hence suing the city if they get hurt. Couldn't someone just sweep the leaves away? Probably but c'mon that would require too much time and energy and it maybe costs less just to kill the trees. Or maybe they were infested with termites aphids or something of the sort. We may never know the whole truth yet in my naive brain I am thinking they just trimmed the branches to encourage new growth. I am patiently waiting for spring. New year, new growth.

uovo sbattuto

2006-12-17T21:56:00.000+01:00

Literally this means smashed, or beated egg. T made this lovely concoction this morning for breakfast.
Recipe:
2 raw eggs
40 tsp of sugar, more or less according to how sweet you like it

Beat egg with sugar enthusiastically until heartrate is well above resting rate for 2 minutes.

For me, raw eggs and sugar are prime heart attack material but for Italians like my husband they are considered breakfast during your childhood years. Apparantly he ate this religiously between the ages of 6 and 12 because it was considered *good* for you. Raw eggs=protein. Sugar=energy. As a former vegetarian (ahem, vegan for 2 years) I have a really hard time believing this is good for anyone, let alone children. Needless to say I was slightly aghast when he concocted this up for breakfast this morning. But then again, who am I to judge? They say the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest on the planet. Although I'm not sure this falls into that category....

Tour del Gelato

2006-12-13T19:13:00.000+01:00

As one of Tour del Gelato's Rome correspondents I am more than happy to take on this difficult task and share my favorite gelaterie. Rome has some great gelato and some not so great gelato so it was not easy to do and I had to filter through a lot of places but I managed to narrow down my favorites to 4 (!!!). Also I want to apologize to the Tour del Gelato team because I didn't exactly follow the rules.....meaning I bent the definition of gelato a bit. But bear with me because I think you will be happy with what I have to report.

My absolute favorite would have to be Gelateria Beautiful, Via Tagliamento 65.

Their specialty is Sicilian ice cream and desserts. I can't comment on the desserts like cannoli and cassate because I am always seduced by the 75+ flavors they offer (not really that many flavors but when I'm trying to decide they all look so good and it seems like so many to choose from). Their pralinone is another of their specialties which is a Sicilian praline gelato and it's literally heaven on your tongue. Verramente. I also like their limone and frutti di bosco. Plus they are always open late on the weekends for those after-hour cravings.

The next on my list is not really a gelateria but it is so worth mentioning. De Angelis near Piazza Crati on Via di Priscilla 18/20_Roma is actually a bar that serves the most amazing cremolati in Rome. Cremolati is similar to a granita or sherbert but it contains the fruit pulp as well. And I don't have a picture because they only make this in the warm summer months. However I can assure you there is always a line and their strawberry flavor is definitely the most popular. It's a bit pricey at 4euro but damn is it good.

There is also Lanzallotto, Viale Somalia. 96. tel. 06 86212257. This place is near Villa Ada and on Saturdays and Sundays it's always packed. Yummy yummy yummy is all I have to say. Cappucino, ciocolato, nocciala, and zabaione. They also make really good fruit flavors.

The last one I have to mention isn't a gelateria either and shame on me for this bit of self-promotion so I'll just quickly mention it. The restaurant I work at serves sorbetto and semifreddo handmade by a local Roman woman. This fall she made sorbetto all'uva fragola which is when concord grapes are in season here and we would sell out every night. A beautiful purple color with a sweet (but not too sweet) grape taste. She also makes a nice sorbetto al pompelmo rosa (grapefruit) and right now we are serving semifreddo ai croccante (hazelnut) with a spoonful of chocolate on top. It's becoming a favorite fast. If you are ever in the neighborhood stop by and try some. You won't be disappointed.
Risorante Pupina, via Marianna Dionigi, 37, just steps from Piazza Cavour. 063223338.

Of course I have other gelaterie that I like but maybe I'll save those for another post.

City Swap

2006-12-12T18:57:00.000+01:00

My City Swap gift arrived today!

My swap partner Maryann from Astoria, NY sent a gorgeous photograph of the the new york city skyline being reflected in a lake in Central Park. As she explained to me it is a very special place in Central Park as her mother would take her and her brother for walks there as a child.

My photo of a photo doesn't even do it justice but I can tell you the photo is very special. I lived in nyc for 7 years and I know exactly where this spot is in Central Park and it brings back so many memories. I can hear the traffic and the cars honking along Fifth Ave. right now. I feel as if it were yesterday that I was in the big apple yet it also feels like a lifetime ago. And I love the way the photo emits a quiet calm, a sense of peace and a little oasis of nature amidst the sprawling skyscrapers (or grattacieli as we say here in Italy).
It's beautiful.
Plus she wrapped it in an I (heart) NY shopping bag. *sigh* I miss NY!
Thank you so much Maryann for sharing your city with me.

Please explain the logic in this....

2006-12-08T19:12:00.000+01:00

We have seven ashtrays for a one bedroom apartment with two people living inside and one (that would be yours truly) doesn't smoke.
??????
Freakin Italians.

It's HERE!!!!!

2006-12-06T15:20:00.000+01:00

I just picked up my Permesso di Soggiorno this morning from la Polizia. It took just over a year to get but it's finally here.
Yipee!!!

*smile smile smile*(big toothy grin)*giggle giggle*
Yay! I feel like a little schoolgirl who just won first prize in a contest.

The best part was when the police personally greeted me this morning "oh hello Avery." And the other man behind the desk smiled "ooooh, its Avery. She'll be very happy" They know me on a first name basis because I was there almost every week this past year trying figure out what happened to my permesso. I'm sure they are happy to finally be rid of me. At least for the next two years until I have to renew.
Yay! It's finally here.

Presepi

2006-12-03T20:23:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year again.
The holidays. White lights, snowflake decorations, reindeer and Papa Natale.
In Italy most people (I've been told) use fake trees. Last year I made a big protest arguing that Christmas really isn't Christmas without a real live tree, the scent of pine and needles littering your floor. There are live trees here but they come in pots and can be kinda expensive not to mention the care they require the rest of the year. Thus we have a plastic tree (I always grew up with real trees...in Texas there are plenty and it was always tradition with us no matter how much my inner environmentalist screamed). However I have been forbidden to put the tree together until before Dec. 8. Why? I was told this is the proper tradition and I must wait. It's The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary but since I'm not Catholic I didn't know this. I therefore am not allowed. Hmmph!

My husband suggested this year I make a presepio. This is basically a minature nativity scene like the one below.

But here in Italy it gets very complicated and at this time of year the stores break out the minature mangers, Jesuses, thee kings et al. But it doesn't just stop there. There are lakes, rivers, women cooking over mechanical flames, animals that move their heads back and forth, I am talking the whole nine yards here. It gets very complex and involved and people spend A LOT of money on acquiring their minature nativity scenes. For those of you who like pictures this might give you an idea of how involved this all is.

So when T suggested I make a presepio this year I couldn't help but laugh. Sure, I scoffed. I'll just grab my whittling tools and carve some wood or better yet I'll cast a few resin figurines to really get into the spirit of things. I mean, come on. But when I realized he was serious and he mentioned that his mother (uh-oh here we go...) always made a presepio when he was a child I didn't want to be a complete Scrooge so I pleasantly suggested I could dress some potatoes up in little cloth suits and make a river with aluminum foil. I was trying to be creative but he didn't buy it. A presepio??? WTF??? how am I supposed to MAKE a presepio? Since I'm not Catholic doesn't that give give me an alibi in this case? I think I might just make some cutouts and tape them up on the wall. Oh God, how tacky is that? Now my inner aesthetic is screaming. Oh, the torture. The tinsel and fake snow is bad enough but now a presepio? What did I get myself into?