The art of planning ....

So it's the end of the week (thank God!!). Opening my fridge there is a random mix of food ... So I need to get creative and think of economic ways to use everything in my fridge and cupboards before I have to go shopping again. This is especially the case when you are cooking for one and the fresh food goes off extremely quickly. Additionally, being a uni student means I am always broke so I'm putting off going shopping for as long as possible!

At the moment on my shelf in the fridge there are; peppers, hummus, spinach, carrots, milk, bananas, eggs, kiwis and yoghurt. There is also jars of green pesto and Moroccan tagine paste (a lifesaver for transforming a bland meal). My cupboard has the basics such as tinned tomatoes, red lentils, pasta and rice. So using these ingredients I have to create as many meals as possible! By planning meals now it means that I use the ingredients - saving money, eat healthily and don't have the added stress of thinking about what I am going to eat.

The dinner menu for the next couple of days is:

• Pesto pasta with roasted peppers
• Carrot Risotto with hummus
• A pepper filled with carrot risotto
• Spinach filled omelette
• Red lentil soup

That's me sorted until Tuesday ...

Student Life

So I've been at university for what feels like an eternity but alas it's only been a week! Its been a roller coaster ride so far; with many ups and a some downs. 

Freshers week has this amazing reputation as being the best week of your life; it's not. You meet loads of lovely people, get an introduction to your course, attend events like Bunfight or Freshers Fair, the nightlife is amazing and by the end of it you are feeling extremely overwhelmed (as well as hungover, embarrassed from drunken nights, lacking in a lot of sleep and if you're really lucky you will have 'freshers flu' like me!). The only thing stable over that week was cooking. It's was my rock.  My detox time as well as my preparation time (whether it be for a lecture or night out!). The simple task of making something for breakfast which helped with the hangover, prepared you for that days activities provided routine and familiarity which the past week lacked. I certainty didn't realise how much university throws you in the deep end and cooking provided me with comfort. 

I have not had the time to cook intricate or expensive dishes or even go shopping so I have really been scraping together dishes from very odd ingredients! At the beginning of the week I made a really simple tomato sauce and used this as a base for other dishes for the rest of the week. 

Simple Tomato Sauce: 

Makes 4 portions. 

Ingredients: 

2 table spoons olive oil 

1 large onion, finely chopped

A pinch of salt and pepper

A large dollop of butter 

2 cans tinned tomatoes 

1 teaspoon red pesto (adds flavour) 

Method:

1) Put the onion and olive oil into a pan. Fry on a low heat until the onion is soft and caramelised. 

2) Add the butter and stir in until melted. 

3) Add the cans of tomatoes and pesto. Simmer for 15-20 mins. 

I then used this sauce to make: 

- Spaghetti with a tomato sauce 

- Spicy Sausage Bake (fry sausages in a pan until cooked, take off the heat and cut into chunks. In a large dish add cooked pasta, sausage, chilli flakes and tomato sauce. Mix together and then top with grated cheese. Cook for about 20 mins until heated through). 

- Ratatouille with chicken ( Cut 1 pepper, 1 courgette and 1 aubergine into 1 inch cubes. Fry the vegetables separately until brown and cooked through, add to a oven proof dish with the tomato sauce. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until heated through. Whilst it's cooking fry a piece of chicken. Serve the ratatouille on top of the chicken. ) 

- Moroccan Chickpeas with Rice ( add a tin of chickpeas to half of the tomato sauce and a tablespoon of tagine paste)

Demani

Tomorrow is a big day. 

I feel like a little kid again on Christmas Eve. How will I be able to sleep? 

'Nuala's Kitchen' (with Nuala of course) is moving to university. 

Nuala's University Kitchen 

New kitchen. New place. New recipes.  New Nuala (not really!). It's only fitting to have a new name. Nualalalala is the new name.  It is pronounced NU - LA - LA - LA. 

Tonight I have an utterly delicious meal with the family; cooked by none other then my wonderful Grandmother. (Previously mentioned here). With me going off to university in mind she made a 'university type meal' - Vegetable Tagine. You will probably be wondering what she meant by this. In her words : "an easy to make, healthy, affordable, adaptable and most importantly tasty dish". 

A Tagine is a morrocan style dish. It is basically roasted vegetables in a tomato based sauce with herbs and spices served with couscous. Root vegetables are especially cheap at this time of year (as they are in season) and extremely easy to roast. I would suggest to roast extra and then you can use them to make a range of other dishes such as soups, salads, stews or as a side with meat or fish. Also if you prefer some vegetables then you can add extra, if you don't like some vegetables you can omit them.  The main spices used was Harissa paste which is easy to find in many supermarkets. 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

1 courgette 

1 sweet potato

1 aubergine

1 squash 

1 carrot 

1 peppers

1 red onion 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 onion, finely sliced

1 teaspoon Harissa paste 

1 tin of chopped tomatoes 

1 tin of chickpeas 

100g of couscous 

Optional to serve: yoghurt, flakes almonds, coriander 

Method: 

1) To make the roasted vegetables: Cut all the vegetables up into large chunks of the same size (about 1inch square); including the onions into large pieces. Put into a roasting tin and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in a preheated oven at C200 for about 30minutes until caramelised. 

2) To make the sauce: Gently fry an sliced onion with olive oil until caramelised in a large saucepan. Pour the tin of tomato and chickpeas into the saucepan. Add the Harissa paste and simmer for 10mins. Turn off and leave in pan until vegetables are cooked. 

3) Once vegetables are cooked remove from the oven and add to the saucepan with the sauce. Gently heat the sauce. Whilst the sauce is warming up cook couscous to packet instruction.  Serve the sauce on top of the couscous. 

Variations: 

- You can add cooked chicken chunks to the sauce when you add the roasted vegetables. 

- To make it gluten free replace the couscous with quinoa. 

Y and Z is for ....

Always the most difficult letters of the alphabet for these sought of things! I can't think of anything ... 

So my A to Z is going to have to end without a real end. Take it as a metaphor: my month in Rome will always stay with so It can't just 'end' and  I know that I'll be back there in the not too distant future ! 

Ciao Roma ! 

X is for 'X marks the spot'

When visiting Rome a map is a necessity. Although the city isn't that big there are so many small streets so you can easily get lost or miss what you are looking for! I used the lonely planet map from the guide book. 

TIP: When planning a trip to Rome take a map and circle all the things you really want to see. I did this when I first visited Rome as it meant that I look where I was on the map and then see what thing were nearby that I wanted to visit. It also means you don't go to one area and then realise hours later that there was something you really wanted to see one street away! 

W is for Water Fountains

During the summer the abundance of water fountains dotted around a Rome is a god sent. It means fresh cold water is readily available. And the water is actually really tasty! 

V is for Villa Borghese

This is a lovely park located in the north of the city. To access it: walk up the Soanish Step, turn left at the too and it is a couple of minutes walk along the road up on the right. From the gardens there is lovely views over Rome and especially Piazza Popolo. The park extends for miles so you can walk for hours around it (it's the third biggest park in Rome). 

There are often buskers playing which really adds to the atmosphere. The last time I was here there was a young girl playing a piano, who was amazing for such a young age. It was a beautiful day so wandering around the park with a piano playing in the background was just idilic.  

U is for Ufficio Postale

Ahhh the post office. A truly Italian experience of queuing for hours on end in the midst of chaos. My advice - go to a taboo store to buy your stamps. 

S is for Square Colosseum

About 20 mins outside the centre of Rome is a district called EUR. It was built in the early 1940's by Mussolini (who was a fascist leader of Italy from 1925 - 1943) and therefore the whole area has the same eery building style, with it's trademark white marble. All the buildings are extremely large and therefore overpowering and intimidating. 

One building is particular is knick-named the Square Colosseum as it is made from 6 rows of 9 arches and thought to be inspired by the Colosseum.  This is thought to represent the letters in Benito Mussolini's name as a constant reminder of himself and his policies. 

For all Mussolini's faults, he did build this area with a vision for the future. The roads are all very wide allowing ample space for cars and on street parking even though cars weren't as common at the time. The main buildings were built far apart to allow housing to be built inbetween so businesses and housing were close together; unlike the historical city plan of having the businesses all concentrated in the middle and then the housing sprawling outside the area. 

T is for Trastevere

This is one of my favourite areas of Rome, especially at night when it comes alive. The restaurants spill out on to the streets, the waiters flurry around, the odd man plays the harmonica and the smells of equsit Italian cooking pour out of the restaurants. The area has become touristy but it's charm can still be seen. I would defiantly recommend going out for a meal here and after finding a bar. One restaurant that I frequented was called Carlo Menta pizzas here were £3 for a margaretia and pretty decent. For someone on a budget (like me!) this is a great restaurant. I like how the tables are all in rows and close together to you can talk to the people around you; locals and tourists alike. However, from experience I wouldn't order the bruschetta or lasagna but the other dishes are really good! 

R is for Restaurant

Italy is famous for its food mostly: pizza, pasta and ice cream being the main ones. You can not visit Rome without having some pizza or pasta. 

Off Piazza Navona is one of the most amazing pizza resturants. Usually Roman pizzas are extremely thin whereas Napoliatan pizzas have thick bases. This pizza resturant makes the perfect pizza with the base being thin but not too thin and the crusts being doughy. For the life of me I can't remeber the name or find it on the internet, but I can remeber how to get there. Directions: Take the street heading west just after the main fountain, then take the second right down a dead-end street with a circular building at the end. The pizza resturant is located on the left at the end. 

Q is for Quintilis

This is the Roman word for the month of July. I felt that this was very topical as it is the month that I was in Rome!  

P is for Pantheon

In my opinion, this is the best monument in Rome and not surprisingly my favourite! Have a look at '54 hours in Rome' to see why!  

O is for Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica is Rome's beach so to say. It is extremely popular with locals and tourists as it is included in Rome's transport network; therefore a €1.50 ticket will get you to the beach. Be warned though that it is extremely busy on weekends and not the nicest of beaches. The sand is brown / black due to the high metal content (which means it gets extremely hot in the sun) and makes the sea a sludgy brown colour. I would not recommend going there! 

This is a picture of the pier on the beach at Ostia Antica. I really don't know how the middle of the pier is missing . . .

N is for Piazza Navona

This is my favourite Piazza in Rome. The best time to go is in the early evening when the sun is starting to set and all the people are coming out for an evening stroll or drink. Piazza Navona comes alive with tourists, locals and artists. 

Also the 'Museum di Roma' is worth having a look at, in the south of the Piazza. 

M is for Monti

One of my favourite districts along with Trastevere.  I think the reason that I like it so much is because it has a French feel to it. In the centre if the district there is a lovely square with a fountain in the middle. Behind the fountain is a really cute cafe / restaurant, where there is seating under a canopy of leaves. If you go during the afternoon (and not during Aperitivo time) you can get a drink with a couple of light shacks such as small pieces of croissants filled with parma ham as well as the usual  nuts and crisps (wine starts at €4). 

See 'A Perfect Sunday' to read more about it. 

L is for Landmarks

The amazing thing about Rome is that around every corner there is a landmark; which has contributed to the city's checkered history. This is one if the reasons I love the city! The most famous ones are: the Spanish Steps, The Pantheon, St Paul's Cathedral, The Colosseum, The Castel, Il Victoriano, The Roman Forum and The Trevi Foutain. 

This is a picture from when I went to St Peters. On one side there was a large grey cloud and on the other side it was blue sky's! 

K - King of the Castle

 Although it is one if the main landmarks in Rome it is often overlooked as Rome has so many other amazing sites to see. It is called 'Castello San'Angelo' which literally translates as 'Saint Angel Castle'. Rumour has it  that an angel landed on the roof of the castle and ended a plague in Rome so the Castle was named after it. During the Castle's long and coloured history it was also used as a safe place for the Pope so to this day there is a passage from the Vatican to the Castle. 

J is for Jewish Ghetto

I like this area as it is so diverse compared to other parts of Rome. It is a single street which is full of Jewish restaurants, shops, cafés etc. There is a fabulous bakery tucked away to the left as you walk towards the river! You'll know when you find it as there is an mini piazza with a long que into the shop. When you enter there is breads on one side and then sweet things on the other. I highly recommend it !

 

I is for Isola Tiberina

Interesting fact: it's the world's smallest inhabited island. 

This cute little island is located on the river between the two sides of Rome. On the Island is a couple of shops, church (Chiesa di San Bartolomeo) and hospital (Ospedale Fatebenefratelli - literally translates as 'you do well brothers'). But in the summer lots of bars and restaurants open up down by the water. After a hot day in the city it's a great breezy spot for an Aperitivo. The water creates a lovely atmosphere mixed with some good company and you are set for the evening! 

H is for Hill

Rome is known for it's seven hills which surround the centre of the city. Originally each hill was a separate settlement before the city of Rome was formed. Although, Gianicolo Hill is not included as one of the seven (as it was outside the boundaries of the Ancient Rome), it is still seen as one of Rome's Hills. 

It is one of my favourite spots in Rome and gives amazing views over the whole of Rome. You can see all the main sights of Rome but from a different prospective. I love sitting up there and looking out at all the layers of history intertwined together to make up the "Eternal City". 

G is for Gelato

Although 'gelato' translates as ice cream; you just can't translate it, as Italian gelato is on another level to all other ice cream. The best ice cream shop is in none other than Monte. It's called Fatamorgana and located very near to the Cavour metro stop. Although there are lots of great ice cream shops around Rome, I think that this one is the best as the flavours are incredible and every time that I go there (which is a lot) there is another new flavour that I just have to try. Some of the flavours that I've had so far are: lemon, honey and ginger or cardamom pod with almonds or chocolate and lypsung tea or coffee, chocolate and hazelnut  or pistachio with hazelnut and of course there are all the usual flavours. 

A little tip: you can also ask to test a flavour by saying "posso provare" - so if you can't decide you can test them out :) 

www.gelateriafatamorgana.com

F is for Food Markets

In the centre if the city there is only one food market to go to - Campo dei Fiori. For food enthusiasts (like me), I love to wander around markets looking at all the fresh produce and soaking up the atmosphere. This market is mostly fresh fruit and vegetables although there are some stalls selling herbs and spices or cheeses too. It is one of the oldest markets so I always feel very 'Roman' going to it, imagining all the people in the past who have done the same as me. It's located in Piazza di Campo dei Fiori and open everyday except Sunday. 

E is for Eataly

Yesterday I had the luxury of visiting Eataly: which is a high end Italian supermarket / foodhall. It is very focused on food being seasonable, from Italy and of good quality.  When I'm rich I'll be doing my weekly shop there, but for now I'll just have to browse! 

D is for Districts

My favourite district in the evening in Trastevere as it just comes alive with musicians, people and resturants spilling into the cobbled streets. 

Nuns walking to evening mass, Trastevere. 

C for Church

In Rome there is no shortage of churches (over 900); therefore it had to be my 'c'. Around every corner there are lovely churches. Most churches are free and absolutely beautiful inside, so defiantly worth a look! Some people (including me) find it confusing that there are 'Basilica' and 'Chiesa': they are both churches.  The reason a church is called a 'Basilica' is because it has the original rectangle shape with a dome on one end, whereas a 'Chiesa' is any other shaped church (usually a cross shape). 

This afternoon, I focused on the centre on the city and visited quite a few churches, to try to decide which one was my favourite for this post. However, I couldn't. There are too many churches. All the churches were beautiful on the inside and were important in some way to the history of Rome.  Instead I will tell you about one which really stood out for me. 

The Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri looks very plain and simple from the outside: but when you enter it is a different story. The reason I like this church is due to the meridian line that runs through it. The line was added many hundreds of years after the church was built so truthfully I find it cuts the church at a very odd angle. The line was commissioned by the Pope so he could know when Easter would fall each year, to test the Gregorian Reformation of the calendar and because there had recently been one built in Bologna so Rome needed one. I found it very peculiar to have this meridian line through the centre of the church as it's not often you see maths, science and religion combined! 

The outside 

The meridian line 

B - Breakfast

 I'm slightly biased here, but my Italian Breakfasts are good! On hot days a "cappuccino freddo" (a cold cappuccino), served in a very thin, tall glass, with a fresh pastry is pure heaven. In Italy the perfect cappuccino is not what we are used to. Instead of a layer of frothiness floating on top of the coffee the froth should be mixed in with the milk creating a light frothy drink.

A is for Aperitivo

My dictionary definition:

"An evening appointment with cocktails (usually aperol spritz) and nibbles" 

My favourite place in a Rome to have an Aperitivo is down by the river. The cool breeze from the river is refreshing after a stuffy hot day in the city. The drinks let you unwind. The good company is animates the evening. And finally the light nibbles are just plain delicious - Italians can never do things by halves! 

Il Alfabet di Roma

Last night as I was walking home a girl came up to me asking 'sai Roma bene?' (do you know rome well?). I was stumped I have been here 3 weeks, so in theory I should, but when can one say I know a city well? Anyway, I answered 'abbastanza bene' (fairly well). And she asked whether I had been to the Arts Cafe and whether it was any good. Surprisingly I had and I knew where it was, so I told her which bus to get. After this encounter I felt I had was on my way out of the tourist zone towards being a local ... 

In Rome there are so many wonderful things. Every corner you turn there is something new and exciting to see. So I have decided to do an A to Z on my favourite things in Rome. 

A week in Rome

I can't believe that a whole week has gone by. 

I'm sitting in a really cute cafe in 'la zona di Monti' with a croissant and cappuccino - a perfect start to a Sunday morning! There is a mouthwatering display of pastries and relaxing (English) music playing. Monti was once a slum area but now it is a hip neighbourhood with lots of craft shops, funky cafés and restaurants. The streets are all cobbled with no road markings making it extremely quaint. I love to wonder through this distract as around every corner there is something new and there is barely any chain shops. 

This week I have focused on my language course and living like a roman so haven't 'discovered' much of Rome, as such. But I've enjoyed actually living in an apartment in Rome, commuting to school, going home for lunch and then returning to school. Also other things like having drinks on the Isola di Tiberina, or watching the sunset over Rome, or going out for dinner in Trastevere, or going to the beach...

But now it's time for Phase 2 of the adventure in Rome ! Wish me luck :)

Roma

Stepping of the plane I couldn't help smiling. I was here. Finally, here. 3 months ago I came to this city and fell in love with it. ( see '54 hours in Rome' ) I knew I would be returning soon but I couldn't of guessed it would be this soon.   

I know I haven't posted in a while but I'll fill you! I finished working with my previous family and returned home to earn some more money. After having such a good experience with the first family, I decided to look for another aupairing position in ... wait for it ... Rome! I found a lovely family looking for an aupair for their 11 year old daughter.  I am now undertaking a weeks language course and then I'm off to aupair. So Nuala's Kitchen has temporarily relocated to the centre of Rome! 

The Italian Storecupboard

In every culture there is the basic ingredients that are used in many dishes. Due to there frequent use people keep a lot of them in their kitchens. These are refereed to as store cupboard ingredients. Also the ingredients usually have long shelf lives and therefore can be kept for long periods of time until they are needed and people can always make sure they have them in the cupboard. They are great for when you have nothing in the fridge to cook and you can whip them together to create a decent meal (see my Spinach and Roccitta Pasta Bake recipe for what I made with them). 

For Italians these 'store-cupboard' ingredients are generally; pasta, rice, tomato sauce, pesto and nutmeg. However as you may know cooking varies across Italy in the different regions so much that for each region these could be different. 

In the fridge there is also always Parmesan and ricotta cheese. And the freezer always has frozen spinach. These ingredients can be combined in different ways to create many different dishes that taste insanely good. The Italians know very well how to take a few simple ingredients and turn them into a multiple course meal that tastes amazing! 

Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake

This evening I opened the fridge to look for something to make for dinner. In the fridge there was ricotta and chicken and that's about it (someone needs to go shopping!). So I racked my brain for something to cook. Hmmm ... In any Italian kitchen the staple ingredients that will always be in the cupboard are: pasta, frozen spinach, tomato sauce, more pasta and ricotta. With these ingredients I decide to make a pasta bake with spinach, ricotta, chicken and tomato sauce. Pasta bakes are my life saver as there is always pasta in the cupboard (where I'm living there is a whole cupboard dedicated to pasta in every shape and size) and you can literally put anything in them. 

Below is a 'photo' recipe, showing you how I made this delicious pasta bake. It makes 6 generous portions. 

1)

Firstly, prepare the spinach and ricotta sauce. Bring water to the boil and add either fresh of frozen spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and then squeeze out all the excess water with your hands. In a large bowl put the spinach,  500g ricotta, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 egg, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Set aside. 

2)

Take 2/3 large chicken breasts and cut it into thin slices. In a deep sided saucepan, add water so it is 3/4 full, the juice of one lemon and a pinch of salt and then bring the water to the boil. Add the chicken to it and cook for about 7-10 minutes. This is called poaching and it is a healthy way to cook chicken as it doesn't use oil and keeps it moist. Check the chicken as it is cooking and turn off the heat when the chicken is just about cooked and drain. Add to bowl with ricotta and spinach.

 

3) Preheat oven to C180. Get out a large oven proof dish. 

4) 

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook 500g pasta shells ( I suggest but any pasta works) until it is aldente - an Italian word meaning to cook the pasta until it is slightly crisp still as it will cook some more when it is put in the oven, therefore cook the pasta for a couple minutes less then the packet says. While the pasta is cooking take about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add it to the bowl with spinach and ricotta. This should water down the sauce as it will dry out while it is cooking. 

5)

Drain pasta and add the bowl with other ingredients. Mix until it is well combined. Pour into oven proof dish and pack down. 

6)

Pour 300ml tinned tomato sauce over the top and using a spoon spread out evenly. 

7)

Cook in a preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until it is heated through and the top is crunchy. 

8) Finally enjoy ! 

54 hours in Rome

Bellissima! This is all I can say. There is no word in any language that can sum up the amazing long weekend I have just had in Rome. The closest word is 'bellissima' translating as 'very beautiful, indeed', which Rome was and more! 

Where to start I ask myself? The suggestion here would be food, however (maybe for once in my life) food was not the main focus! Everybody knows the top sites of Rome - the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish  Steps,  Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Vatican. I am relieved to say that I managed to see them all! My favourite was the Pantheon. There are many reasons for this: the main one being that I love the hole in the Dome. Symbolically, it represents the linking of earth and the heaven, as it as open to the sky where the heavens are.  Even though I am not a religious person, I take comfort in thinking that the universe is watching over us and is there to lead us in the right direction. But enough of spiritual things and back to the Pantheon. Another  reason that I like it so much is because of the architectural feat, it is being the only unreinforced dome in the world. I find it crazy to think that this was built thousands of years ago with much less technology than we have now but since then no one has managed to build another. Also I loved the subitities to the building like the slopping marble floor so that when it rains the water drains away quickly and un-noticiably. Finally, I love how I approached the building and it looked drab and old, but all that changes when you enter inside. 

The roof of the Pantheon. 

But what else did I see? I could sit here and list everything that I saw and did, however I truthfully can't remember the names of everything as there was so much and it would be rather boring! Throughout the weekend the biggest thing that stood out to me was history. Everywhere I went there was something historical, be it an Palace, Church, building or what not; you were surrounded. I also found it amazing to think that you were standing where thousands of years before people stood and carried out there lives. Before I came to a Rome I only new a little bit of history which I had learnt in school. Now I know a lot more but not nearly enough!

Like I've said in previous posts to really discover a city you have to just wonder. Part of the fun is finding some little back street with a church, cafe, shop or something or even seeing a funny sight. For me I saw a couple of funny sights: one was a cat on top of a fait 500 ( I found it funny!) and another was seeing a (English) tourist just put on a onzie for a photo in front of a fountain in Piazza Navona. I have no idea why, I daren't ask. Another for me was stumbling on this cute market in a Campo di Fiori, the produce all looked amazing and made me want to buy some and cook so badly (oh god I'm back to food again, it could only last so long!). One more was that I read in the 'bible' (The Lonely Planet Guidebook to Italy), to go to Cafe Farnese and order a 'un cafe alla casa' (a house coffee). So at 10am in the morning I ordered this, having no idea what it was. It comes - what looks like an expresso with a piece of lemon inside. I taste it. It's more then just an expresso and lemon. It has a very strong shot of a liqueur of some sought inside. I felt very silly ordering this at 10am, when everybody else was having latte's and cappuccinos (Italians have milky coffees with breakfast and then stronger expressos after breakfast. It is thought very odd to have cappuccinos in the afternoon). But there I was, the alcoholic who couldn't just have an expresso but had to have alcohol in it first thing - if only I was in Ireland as it would have been more acceptable there! Although, even though the liqueur expresso was a bit strong for me so early on, I defiantly think I'll be ordering it again!

Cafe Faranese 

 

Whenever I go to a big city I always like to find the best view. I love to then look over the city and see the whole place together with the mix-match of architecture, history and sites all crammed into a small area. Rome was no exception. I walked up to Gianicolo Hill and had sweeping views over the whole of Rome. I was in ore, sitting on the wall staring at all the sites. I found it so odd seeing all the layers of history throughout the city, with the remains from the Romans right up to more modern and imposing buildings such as the Il Vittoriano. I also went to the top (well nearly the top) of the Il Vittoriano, which again gave beautiful views over the city. As this building was in the centre the monuments were easier to spot! 

Views over Rome 

Okay so I talked about the less touristy things that stood out to me in Rome, but now it's time for the inventible. Food. Again I ask - where do I start? 

Well I'm going to begin with Pizza. A friend of the family who I aupair for, took me to this amazing Pizzeria near to Piazza Navona. I had a delicious goats cheese and tomato pizza. When I ordered this pizza I exspected soft goats cheese like I had had in England but what came was grated hard goats cheese, different but still tasty! The crust of the pizza was doughy and cooked to the perfection mixed with the strong flavours of the tangy tomatoes and goats cheese. Even though I was about to burst, the pizza was so good that I had to finish it! Afterwards the friend took me up to the cafe in Dart to have an afterlunch expresso - in true Italian style. It was a beautiful square building with a courtyard in the middle and the cafe on the second floor. I would highly recommend visiting it! 

Piazza Navona 

As I was wondering through the Trastevere district, I stumbled across this bakery that was dedicated to biscuits. Of course I had to go inside and have a look. To the right as you entered were the kitchens where everything was made and then there was rows and rows of biscuits: from milk biscuits, to frollini, to chocolate chip - so many! I tried one of the millionaire shortbread ones which was two shortbread biscuits sainwiched with caramel and then drizzled with chocolate. Now, I know I am in Italy and probably should have had something more Italian but I have a big soft spot for millionaires shortbread - so it was a must for me. And it tasted as good as it looked! Here's the link for it: so if you are ever in rome you know where you have to go to get biscuits. 

Not the best photo ever but you can see the rows and rows of biscuits! 

For a quick morning snack, I popped into this cute looking bakery and picked a random pastry. What luck for randomness as inside was chocolate (in case you hadn't already gathered I'm a chocoholic!). What struck me about the yummiest of this pastry was that it was made with a basic puff pastry and then had a sweet filling and was dusted in icing sugar, the basicness of the puff pastry meant that the homemade Nutella filling was very prominent and not lost with the pastry. As you can imagine I was in heaven, savouring every mouthful as well as getting myself covered in icing sugar: all part of the experience right? 

For yet another snack (I would like to point out here that I was walking all day so covered quite a few miles and worked up an appetite and I'm not just an obese person who has to eat every 5 minutes) I had read about a shop called Pompei that produced many unique flavours of tiramisue such as: strawberry, banana and chocolate, pistachio and hazelnut.  So one afternoon I popped in and opted (after much deliberation) for a hazelnut one. I then took it and sat on the Spanish Steps in the sun and ate it. It was good, but not amazing. Sadly, I think it was too mass produced with the tirimisue coming prepacked in perfect square boxes and personally I have tasted better ones. 

Hazelnut tiramisu on the Spanish Steps 

I'm looking back over this post and thinking oh I should add that and oh there was that as well, but sadly I can't cram everything in! I spent a magnificent 54 hours in Rome - trying to see, learn, absorb and taste as much as possible and consequently there is too much to write about. I have included some of my most memorable moments, but by no means all. Over time I will refer back to this trip and I know for sure that I will be returning to Rome in the not to distant future! 

Ci vediamo Roma ! 

Nutella Biscuits

Now that there was this delicious Nutella in the fridge, we had it on everything! One thing that the Italian family introduced me to was Nutella with Ricotta. It sounds really odd, but trust me this combination is amazing! Riccotta has a milky flavour so it is basically like having chocolate milk. 

In Italy, ricotta is a staple ingredient. Italians are as likely to have ricotta in their fridge as they are to have flour in the cupboard. Sadly, in England the Ricotta isn't up to the standard of the Italian, mainly because it isn't fresh. It even varies across Italy, when I was in Bari (which is in the south of Italy) the ricotta there was pure heaven - so good that you could eat it all by itself. 

However, moving away from ricotta and back to the subject in hand (I will expand on the many wondered things you can make with ricotta later). One of my favourite things to buy in a Panetteria,  are these round biscuits with Nutella (or jam inside - but why would you have jam if there was chocolate on offer!), and now that we had the Nutella in the fridge it was a good excuse to make my own. These biscuits are buttery and crumbly and utterly divine. I have also had these biscuits in a pastry cup shape filled with Nutella and then sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts. I had these one weekend in a little cafe in Monterosso (one of the Cinque Terre villages). Here's a picture of it. Yes, I've had some first to check it was good enough to be worthy of a photograph of course and not because I just couldn't wait to eat it! 

BISCOTTI SABLE CON NUTELLA 

Makes 9 biscuits 

Ingredients: 

For the Biscotti Sable: 

250g plain flour 

150g castor sugar

125g butter

2 tablespoons of milk

3 egg yolks 

A pinch of salt 

For the middle: 

About 200g of Nutella 

Method: 

1) To make the biscotti sable put all the ingredients into a food processor (put the flour in first as this helps to stop the wet ingredients sticking to the bottom and flour spraying everywhere). Whizz on a low speed until all the ingredients are combined and it comes together as a dough. 

2) Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the freezer for 15 minuites to chill it. This will help stop the cookies spreading when they are put in the oven.

3) Roll the dough out on a floured surface, to about a cm thick and cut out 5 cm circles. 

4) Place on a lined baking tray. Cut 2 cm holes out of the middle of half of the biscuits (these are to go on top). Place in the fridge again as the dough will have warmed up as you cut out the cookies, for 5 - 10 minuites. This is a good time to turn the oven (200C) on and let it heat up while the cookies are in the fridge. 

5) Put the cookies into the oven and cook for about 5 minuites. When the biscuits start to turn a golden colour, they are done.  By removing them this early from the oven, it means that they will still be crumblely when you bite into them. Cool. 

6) When they are cooled, spread Nutella on the biscuits without the holes in them. Make sure you go right to the edges so he filling can be seen when the biscuits are stuck together. Then place the biscuits with hole on top. Using a teaspoon fill the hole in the the biscuits with Nutella. Enjoy ! 

The Bucket List

I want to cry. I. Only. Have. Four. Weeks. Left. In. Italy. That's 28 days, 672 hours, 40,320 minutes and 2,419,200 seconds. Such a piccolino (really small) amount of time. But I have had an amazing 5 months and know that I must make the most out of these last 4 weeks. 

So with the depressing thought of how little time I have; I decided to make a bucket list. Mine consists of three main things 
1) Eat: croissants, foccacia, pasta, bread, basically anything Italian!
2) Visit as many places as possible (including Rome!)
3) Speak Italian at every opportunity

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night I was feeling a bit homesick, so I decided to bake one of favourite things - Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are so simple to make, yet so satisfying. Now the reason that I haven't talked about  this recipe on my blog before is because there is a minefield of opinions of how these cookies should be. There is the classic Nestle Chocolate Chip Recipe (anyone remember the friends episode where Monica tests multiple recipes to find her grandmother's old recipe and realises it was on the back of the Nestle packet?). But everybody has their own preference for how chocolate chip cookies should be: some like them soft, some like them chewy, others crunchy and others cakey. I like mine soft in the middle and chewy on the outside and definalty not crunchy. My favourite recipe is the New York Times recipe. This recipe is simply amazing - no more needs to be said! One tip though watch them very carefully in the oven, one minute too much and you have horrible crunchy cookies. Also the cookies are better if the dough is chilled however you can make them without chilling dough.

Yesterday, I decided to make large American Style cookies as that is where this recipe originated and where I first made them (as I grew up in America). So I made really large cookies with chocolate chunks and ate them warm out of the oven with a glass of milk. Perfecto! However you could make them  'English Style', by making cakey cookies and be sure to eat them with a cup of tea! Or even 'Italian style' by making mini cookies which are perfect with an expresso, after a meal. So as I discovered these are a good bake that cross over the different cultures which are significant in my life; even though they are quintessentially American.

So which 'culture' cookies are you going to make? 

 New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe 

#NutellaLove (homemade of course!)

This morning the mom in my 'Italian family' made 'Nutella fatto in casa' (homemade Nutella). If like me, you are addicted to the stuff then you'll understand how happy I was! Also, it was very topical with my New Years Resolution of healthy eating as the homemade version is always better for you then the bought stuff. As well as being extremely scrummy, Nutella is so versatile that it goes with anything; toast, crepes, yoghurt, cupcakes, pancakes, ricotta (I'll return to this Italian delicacy later), cookies, ice cream, bread sticks, pastries, doughnuts, waffles, wraps, truffles and bagels to name a few. My favourite though is bagels with peanut butter and Nutella; the saltiness of the peanut butter and the chocolatly flavour of the Nutella is simply divine. 

Hazelnuts and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Would you have guess that hazelnuts were first combined with chocolate to make a cheaper chocolate during the war and not because of the amazing flavour combination? In the Piedamonte region of Italy, hazelnuts were in abundance (due to the favourable climate) and cocoa solids were very expensive to import and so one smart man decided to combine the two. Therefore less cocoa solids were used in production which make this type of chocolate more affordable for the general public. In Torino (Turin in English) a special chocolate treat is made called Gianduja (see picture below from a shop window when I was in Torino). When I was in Turin these chocolates were everywhere in their distinct upside down boat shape. Again these are extremely yummy to eat! The chocolate is so smooth and delicate like Nutella that it melts in your mouth - pure perfection! 

 

Making Nutella is so simple, that I don't know why I haven't done it before. Also, homemade Nutella is healthier as it doesn't use as much added oils that bought Nutella has to 'fluff' out the product. The base for the recipe is two simple ingredients: hazelnuts and chocolate. To enhance the flavour we toasted the hazelnuts and used dark chocolate to create a rich Nutella. But you can easily use milk chocolate and not roast the hazelnuts, depending on how you like your Nutella. 

Homemade Nutella Recipe 

Ingredients: 

100g dark chocolate 

50g hazelnuts 

60ml vegetable oil

80g brown sugar 

100g soya milk 

Method: 

1) Toast the hazelnuts under a grill for about 10 minuites. Mixing them every couple of minutes, to be careful they do not burn. Cool. 

2) Put the hazelnuts, sugar and chocolate in the food processor.  Whiz until fine crumb mixture is created. Make sure to scrap down the sides so there are no lumps in your Nutella. 

3) Add the soya milk and oil to the food processor bowl and whiz until it forms a paste. Again scraping down the sides, so everything is incorporated. 

4) Finally put the mixture into a banmarie* to melt all the chocolate and create the Nutella texture. 

5) Pour the mixture into jars, and leave to cool. Do not put in the fridge straight away as this will cause the mixture to curdle. Once cooled store in the fridge for up to a month but trust me it won't last that long!

*a banmarie is where you put a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, making sure the water and the bottom if the bowl do not touch. This method is used with chocolate and sauces as it gives a gentile heat as to not burn the chocolate.  

Firenza (Florence)

Firenza is one of the top 3 cities to visit in Italy, along with Rome and Venice. So it was a must to visit for me. I love visiting small villages and towns which are very authentic and Italian, without a tourist in sight. However, I also love big cities as they are really magical. Down every street there is something new and there is a lot of amazing architecture and historical sights in a small area. Florence is no exception to this with a treasure trove of Renaissance Art. 

So Friday night I read 'the bible' as I call it - The Lonely Planet Guide to Italy. I decided what I wanted to see and then looked up places to eat. Now I sound a bit like an OCD traveller who plans every moment of her trip, but I assure you I'm not! From experience I have discovered that if you don't do this you walk away from a place realising that you forgot to visit so and so or you end up walking around for hours trying to find somewhere decent, cheap and non touristy to eat lunch (sounds easy but trust me it isn't!). Being the budget traveller I am, I also looked up the cheapest way to get there; which was to train to Pisa and then take to the bus to Florence - saving me €2.90 each way! One last thing was to check the weather forecast - it said rain, rain and more rain. So I set out early Saturday morning, wearing wellies and a rain jacket with my trusty umbrella in hand (it has seen a lot of rain!), the bible in my backpack and a general itinerary in my head.  

Arriving in the city, the first thought in my mind was breakfast. I know this sounds awful as I was in an amazing city and the first thing I did was search for breakfast. But in my opinion part of visiting a new place is experiencing the cuisine of that area. And you can't appreciate a place if your tummy is rumbling away! I didn't have to search far luckily, as I had read about this fantastic little bakery a short walk from the station. Here I bought a delicious croissant filled with Nutella and it had melted chocolate on top - my idea of heaven as a  chocoholic - for only one euro. Interestingly, in Italy the croissants are a lot less buttery then the ones in France. One reason for this is that for Italians breakfast is a simple, on-the-go affair and therefore croissants are usually pre-filled with a custard cream so they can be bought and eaten straight away (with a cappuccino, of course) and therefore a buttery croissant would be too sweet. Whereas the French usually have theirs with butter and jam so a buttery croissant compliments this. It also goes back to the roots of Italian cooking as they don't use butter that much, with a preference for olive oil. 

Now that my tummy was satisfied, I retraced my steps back to the Santa Maria Novella Church and admired the beautiful marble facade. Linked to this church is an old pharmacy and perfumery (Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella), which was next on my list to visit. Inside it was amazing with different rooms for things like herboligist,  perfumery, soap, museum and tea shop, little had changed since 1612 when it was opened. I then headed off for the area across the river. I had read that this area was filled with little artists shops; making things from picture frames, to lampshades to jewerily. And I wasn't disappointed, there were some wonderful little shops and in many you could go in and see how they were making various things. 

Once again my tummy was rumbling - time for lunch! Another aupairing friend had told me about a fabulous, family run pizza shop, called Toto'Atto II.  Pizza is a must in Italy and even though I had eaten it for dinner the night before, I was still up for more! The restaurant was small with only about 4 tables and one side of the restaurant you could see the chef making the pizzas and there was also various different types of pizza displayed. You could choose one of the pizza slices that had been pre-made (and they popped it into the oven so it was pipping hot for you) or order a whole pizza which the chef would make for you right before your eyes. I opted for a slice of the vegetarian pizza and some fizzy water (beware that in Italy coke, fanta etc are extremely expensive at restaurants and fizzy water is the same price as still water) costing €4.50. A perfect lunch in my opinion - tasty, filly and cheap! 

Once again stuffed with food, it was time to hit the Uffizi Gallery and admire all the renaissance artwork. Personally, I don't find galleries and paintings that interesting, however the inside was spectacular; my favourite part was one hallway where the ceilings had intricate paintings, there were statues along one side and then large windows looking out onto the piazza on the other. Also, the roof (where the expensive cafe was gave beautiful views of the city). If like me your not that interested in painting I would go in for the amazing architecture - it only cost €3.25. With the rain still holding off, I then walked into the Piazza Della Signoria to see all the statues, including the famous David replica. 

In need of a snack after all the heavy afternoon of museums, I returned to the bakery from the morning and bought a delicious cherry and chocolate cake. With the rain still holding off, I grabbed a takeaway coffee from Arnold's and sat in the square of the church Santa Maria Novello. I munched away whilst people watching, with a lovely back drop of the church. Even though I'm in Italy, I still love to have a big American coffee and none of those mini cappuccinos (although they are value for money at a mere €1.30 in La Spezia). Also as I was in a city the price of a simple cappuccino is much higher ... One cafe I walked into was selling them at €5! I walked out if there quickly! 

With the sun setting I headed to the North of the city to visit the markets. I wandered around here and the Piazza Della Santissima Annuzista, where there is another beautiful church and the Hospital of the Innocent.  Finally I ended  at the 'Duomo'. Throughout the day I had seen the 'Duomo' popping up from behind buildings or peeking out down streets but now it was finally time to see the magnificent church and my was it magnificent! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

After overindulging during the Christmas season: January is the month for health. It is also the time for New Years Resolutions. According to Statistic Brain (http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/) 38% of Americans' New Year Resolutions are to do with 'weight related issues'. Not surprisingly, the number one New Years Resolution is to 'loose weight'. Like everyone else one of my New Years Resolutions is to do with 'weight related issues'. Although it's not 'loose weight', it's healthy and nutritious eating, which should help me to maintain and even loose a little Christmas weight. What's different about this year for me, is that I want to be part of the mere 39% of people (http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/) who actually keep their New Years Resolution! 

It is no wonder that the number one New Years Resolution is to 'loose weight' as everywhere you look there are advertisements, promotions, articles, stories encouraging people to loose weight, especially in January. It seems, it is more the media creating the image that January is the month to loose weight and create your ideal body image in doing so, then people actually deciding.  But then you get in to the chicken and egg dilemma: was it the media or people who first created this January phenomenon.  I firmly believe it was the media. The media uses so much airbrushing and people with perceived perfect bodies, that it rubs off on the public and means many people strive to have the perfect bodies and therefore go on crazy diets. This is especially heightened in January.  However, it should be more about improving your health with a healthy eating and exercise then going on radical 2/3/4/5/6 or however many week diets. 

So to undertake my New Years Resolution, I'm going to train to run 5km. This will help improve my general health and hopefully burn some excess calories. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and beneficial to prevent you snacking throughout the day on sugary things. So to start my New Year I'm going to improve my breakfasts. No more Italian breakfasts of hot chocolate, cookies or croissants (well accept for weekends ;) ), instead it's time for granola (homemade of course!). 

I understand that there's mixed feelings about whether granola is actually healthy or not. Some prefere muesli as a healthier option, as it isn't covered in sugar. But I assure you that my granola is still healthy! Instead of coating it in sugar or honey, I've used maple syrup (a natural sugar) and olive oil to help create the crispness. Besides from that there is no added sugar. 

The basic recipe is so simple that you can add whatever nuts, seeds or fruits you want to, to make it to your taste. Be creative and experiment with different flavour combinations such as cranberry and pecan, or almonds and pineapple. I've created a granola which is high in iron adding pumpkin seeds, almonds and apricots. The beauty of this breakfast is that you can tailor it to your health needs. 

The base is oats, flaxseed, sesame seeds and desiccated coconut and then add whatever else you desire. My favourite way to eat it is over yogurt with fresh fruit (see picture). 

NUALA'S LOW FAT AND HIGH IN IRON GRANOLA

Ingredients: 

4 cups rolled oats 

1/2 desiccated coconut 

1/4 flaxseed 

1/2 sesame seeds 

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup flaked almonds 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

3/4 apricots, cut into small chunks 

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

3 tablespoons olive oil

Method: 

1) Preheat oven to 180C. 

2) In a large bowl mix the oats, coconut, flaxseed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds and cinnamon. Next add the maple syrup and mix well until all ingredients are coated in it. 

3) On a large baking tray, brush olive oil. Pour mixture onto the baking tray and spread evenly. 

4) Cook for 30 minutes until golden. Every 10 minutes turn the mixture, so it is evenly cooked. 

5) Remove from oven and cool for 10-20 minutes.