Copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Sundays in Rome always turn into special days, and this weekend was no exception. A trip there for an event on Saturday for my latest book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions turned into more than just that. Sunday was filled with finding favorite foods in Rome and seeing old friends-Moses & Michelangelo.
It became a trip to revisit those old friends, a stop to see Michelangelo’s Moses, the Trevi Fountain and can’t forget Santa Maria sopra Minerva. I have seen them many times and can sit in front of them for hours upon end and take in their beauty, almost embarrassingly so. My eyes become wide open in amazement, thinking of Michelangelo toiling in front of his Moses.
But enough about the art, let’s get into the food! From cornetto & cappuccino near Santa Maria Maggiore to Pizza in Trastevere, coffee at St.Eustachio and EUR and gelato near Montecitorio…what a weekend program! Attempting to fit in all the local food stops one could fit in, it seemed like so many foods but so little time to get them all in.
Pizza in Rome is at its best when it is thin, made with fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and most places display a sign to tell you the ingredients uses as do the places that make their own gelato. The sign is usually somewhere on the glass case that displays the pizza and/or gelato.
In 100 degree weather the gelato creations, looking as something that may have been created by one of the masters, melt so quickly one has but a split second to admire the aesthetic beauty. Enjoying a dish of gelato outside in Rome under the summer sun is an experience in contrast, the heat of the August sun beating down, the cool, creamy liquid refreshing your senses, the intense flavors hypnotizing…almost diverting your attention away from the uncomfortable temperatures at least for a few minutes.
A linguine with cold pasta sauce coming later today for lunch!
Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,
Maria
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