God's Own Ice Cream

A gelato crawl to some of the best ice cream parlors in Rome, Italy

When is really hot, eat always a good Ice - Cream !!

Although not quite the ice cream mecca Florence is, Rome's gelato is still heavenly.

Any gelateria (ice cream parlor) that advertises produzione propria (homemade) will have a high-quality, tasty stock, but who has the best gelato in town?

Well, that's a question fiercely debated by any and all ice cream lovers.

First, a few ground rules:

• Don't call it ice cream. First thing to know, to call gelato "ice cream" is insulting to gelato and unfair to ice cream. Gelato is much richer, smoother, and more flavorful than ice cream.
  
  It is churned, not whipped (as is most traditional American ice cream), so it is far denser, giving it a richer mouth feel. Gelato also is not as laden with sugar and cream, so the subtle tastes of its flavoring comes through much better than in ice cream.
• Get it at a gelateria: Second thing to know, gelato is something you go out for at a special parlor called a gelateria, and most of it is consumed during the early evening passeggiata stroll—not that gelaterie aren't equally busy during the heat of midday, or late at night...
  
  I mention this because, unlike in America, gelato is not typically eaten after a meal—or at least you typically don't order it at the restaurant.
  
  Restaurants often do offer "gelato" on their dessert menus, but this is almost always of the pre-packaged variety. This is fine (I'm partial to a tartufo, a Gobstopper-like sphere of vanilla, chocolate, and fudge dusted with cocoa) but it's not real gelato.

Cram in as many flavors as you can think of: Third thing to know, you pay by the size of the coppa (cup) or cono (cone), not by the scoop. That means you can (and are encouraged to) squeeze two or even three flavors into even the smallest cup.

Italians taught me that even unusual pairs go great together; a personal favorite: cioccolato e limone (chocolate gelato and lemon sorbetto). No, really; try it.

(Also most Italians order by the cup; the cone is a fun—if messy—American addition to the options, but not too popular).

The best gelaterie in Rome

★★★ San Crispino - Everyone's favorite "secret gelateria," which is code for "not (yet) crammed with tourists". In point of fact, it's a pretty poorly kept secret, for which we should all be thankful...

★★ Caffè Giolitti - Perhaps the most famous gelateria in Rome, going strong since 1900 and still serving the best classic Roman ice cream...

★ Tre Scalini - Classy cafe on Piazza Navona serving the classic homemade tartufo, a gelato gobstopper with a cherry in the center...

★ The granita cart - On warm, Roman summer nights, the last remaining traditional shave-ice stand in Rome parks on the banks of the Tiber River in Trastevere....

 

Sources and Copyrihts:  http://www.reidsitaly.com/destinations/lazio/rome/dining/gelato.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bucatini all’amatriciana: at the Heart of Roman Cuisine

My first mouthful of bucatini all’amatriciana was at a small restaurant tucked away on the cobblestone streets of Trastevere. I was exhausted and drenched from the rain when I spotted a trattoria with cheery little lanterns on every table. On that first cold day of autumn the peppery pasta warmed me through. When well-executed it’s the kind of satisfying dish that makes you want seconds, thirds, even fourths. To my mind, there is no better introduction to Roman cuisine.

Bucatini all’amatriciana is an ode to simplicity – rich smoked pork, sweet tomatoes, heat from chili peppers, and the sharp, salty kick of pecorino cheese. Because amatriciana is a classic dish it has a long history and because it is Italian, this history is controversial and hotly disputed. Most but not all agree that “amatriciana” comes from Amatrice, a tiny town in the mountains bordering Abruzzo about 100 miles from Rome. (Some Romans claim that the dish is truly alla matriciana, developed by Romans and that Amatrice has nothing to do with such culinary bliss). Most agree that the dish descends from gricia, a pasta dish made with pepper, cheese, and smoked pork jowl, also known as guanciale.

Bucatini all’amatriciana has a different flavor profile than most Italian pasta. In its purest, most classic form the sauce has only four ingredients: cured pork, tomatoes, cheese, and hot peppers.  Because of the recipe’s poor origins (this was the dish of shepherds, not statesmen), there is traditionally  no onion, no garlic, no herbs. Because of this it tastes wildly different from the familiar Italian-American tomato sauce served with spaghetti and meatballs. The modern Roman version often adds onions, garlic, or a splash of dry white wine. Best of all it comes with bucatini, a kind of pleasantly plumpened up version of spaghetti that has an irresistible spongy surface to soak up the sauce.

I spent a few weeks playing around with the recipe, throwing in the onion and garlic you see often in the Roman version, substituting pancetta for the classic guanciale. I tried Marcella Hazan‘s version with butter and olive oil but it tasted of northern Italy, not Rome. I tried the recipe from Mario Batali - it was filled with the lively flavors of herbs, carrots and garlic, a scrumptious dish but not the one I was seeking.

In the end I found a recipe summing up the best of amatriciana – simple, just enough contrast between the ingredients to bring out their best. The onion you find in Roman versions is included adding a satisfying textural crunch but the garlic is absent.

Because of amatriciana’s simplicity, making it in Italy is easy. You go to the butcher, ask for un etto (100 grams) of guanciale, buy a few cans of tomatoes and you’re in business. In the States it is a bit more complicated. If you are fortunate enough to live in a large city near a fine Italian or imports grocer, you may be able to find guanciale. It is also available through a number of online vendors, such as AgBASE or Zingerman’s. Cut from the pig’s jowls, guanciale has a high fat content that gives the simple pasta a luxurious depth.

If guanciale is unavailable, pancetta is a fine substitute. However as you can see in the photo above, guanciale (shown bottom) has a significantly higher fat content than pancetta (shown top). If neither guanciale nor pancetta is available in your neighborhood, you can always use a top-quality lean bacon. The ever-knowledgable Patricia Wells suggests blanching bacon for one minute in boiling water to remove some of its smoky flavor. If substituting either pancetta or bacon, I would recommend adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil before sauteeing the onion to compensate for the lower fat content.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. bucatini or spaghetti
• 1 T. olive oil
• 100 g or 3.5 oz. guanciale or pancetta (about ¾ cup diced)
• 100 g grated pecorino romano (about ½ cup)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 14 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes
• ½ tsp. hot pepper flakes, or more to taste

Directions

1. Place a large pot of water to boil. Put in a small handful of large-grain salt.
2. Dice the guanciale into medium pieces, cubes of about 1/2 inch. Be wary of dicing the meat too small, if so it will be easier to overcook and you’re aiming for tender rather than crispy.
3. Sautee the guanciale and hot pepper in the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. As soon as the fat becomes translucent, remove the meat and set to drain on a paper towel.
4. Add onions to the rendered fat and sautee, stirring constantly, until translucent. Add the tomatoes and the guanciale. Simmer on low heat about 5-10 minutes.
5.When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Traditionally you use bucatini or spaghetti, though rigatoni is also an excellent partner for amatriciana. Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package states. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss with the sauce and add the pecorino romano, stirring constantly so that the melted cheese coats the pasta. Remove from heat and serve immediately with additional grated pecorino for sprinkling on top.

Serves 4 people who are also eating a side salad, 3 hungry people, or a famished couple who skipped lunch.

 

Sources and copyrights:   http://www.romeloft.com/food/amatriciana/