THE FOOD ISSUE { Rome }

THE FOOD ISSUE

ROME

Rome From Quirinale

Elizabeth Johansson Aponovich

oil on panel,  10" x 8"

"When in Rome do as the Romans do."

                                                  - Saint  Ambrose (329-397), advice to St. Augustine

Q.  I am planning on visiting Rome and I am on the Atkins diet. Is there anything I can eat?

A.   No.

S. P. Q. R.

During the turbulent period of time after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Rome was thrown into a Civil War. Patrician Senators sought the restoration of the Republic while forces loyal to Caesar fought to establish a new Empire. Three men joined forces to oppose the Republic: Octavius (the mind), along with his future enemy and Cleo boy toy, Marc Antony ( the muscle)

 and the third, Marcus Lepidus ( the money). This alliance was known as the Second Triumvirate, the rule of three. But, as they say, that was a very long time ago.

Today there is another Triumvirate that rules Rome. This one is not built of military strength and political ambition, but of something much more simple, durham wheat and water.

" Adapt your dish of spaghetti to circumstances and your state of mind."

                                             - Guiseppe Marotta

Romans take their pasta very seriously and three dishes stand out as forming the nucleus of Roman cuisine, The Roman culinary hat trick:

CACIO e PEPE

Served in a beautiful ceramic bowl from Deruta

The quintessential Roman dish, spaghetti tossed with finely grated Pecorino Roman

 cheese ( no substitutions), and freshly ground black pepper. Straightforward, simple...easy? un-un.

Timing, heat, good pasta, good olive oil make this dish best left to professionals, order 

it at  AR Galleto and sit outside in the Piazza Farnese, a block and world away from the ordered chaos of the Campo dei Fiori.

SPAGHETTI alla CARBONARA

Spaghetti with fresh eggs, "bacon" and grated pecorino Romano. Forget the myth that this dish was invented for American G.I.'s who missed their bacon and eggs. Carbonara means 'charcoal burners wife' and probably came down from Abruzzo, but , lets face it, every farmyard in Italy has chickens and most raise at least one pig, for guess what? Pancetta ( cured pork belly) and 

guanciale ( cured pork jowl). Romans  insist on guanciale. Try this dish at Al Moro, quite close to the Trevi Fountain.

If you'd like a quick  lesson in making Spaghetti Carbonara, watch Elizabeth Minchilli's video from her Rome kitchen , November 13, 2014 post:
www.elizabrthminchilliinrome

BUCATINI alla AMATRICIANA

 This is a dish that no matter what you are doing, rest assured you are doing something wrong. There seems to be no definitive list of ingredients. The pasta is Bucatini, a thicker

 hollow spaghetti ( 'little hole '), but you may see it served on penne or rigatoni. There are ground tomatoes ( San Marzano), unless its 'gricia', no tomatoes. Onions? To some its a sin to add

 onions ( Queen Margherita, of pizza fame, is said to have insisted on onions.)

Some like to add wine, red or white? It depends. Others say wine ruins the acid balance. Oh, did I mention garlic? Mama Mia! The recipe does require meat....guanciale. Almost everybody outside Rome just roll their eyes and use pancetta. There remains only one ingredient that everyone can agree with.......crushed red pepper and of course a good appetite. We first had this pasta at Checchino dal 1887 in the Testaccio neighborhood, but go to La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, in Monti and you will have the best in Rome.

" Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."

                             -Sophia Loren

"Buon Appetito"

~~~~

Post scriptum

You can take the boy out of New Hampshire......

Coffee Cups and ?

James Aponovich

pencil on paper

I was fortunate enough to be Visiting Artist at The American Academy in Rome. We had an apartment in the main building ( McKim, Mead & White Building) called 'Il Cortile' because it looked over the central courtyard. I was there to draw and immediately set up a still life of two espresso cups with a snazzy container that I filled with sugar and began drawing. Awhile later Elizabeth came in and looked at my drawing and asked, "what is sugar doing in the cheese server?"

Uhmmm........ah......duh........