Mamma e Io: Cooking Classes in Rome

 Mom and I Holding Pumpkin (Zucca) Blossoms in Front of Our Menu

Italian: Cucinare

English: To Cook

As I mentioned, my Mom came to visit me in Rome for my first break of the school year. We did a whole lot of exploring, sight-seeing, eating, amongst other adventures, but by far my favorite day was the cooking class we participated in at Cooking Classes in Rome, with Chef Andrea and his wife. 

 Our Family Style Table (Il Tavolo); Homey Wall Decor: Past Participants Notes

Cooking Classes in Rome is conveniently located in my current neighborhood of Trastevere. It's about a fifteen minute walking distance from my apartment (only ten from the hotel Mom and I were staying at). Chef Andrea and his family have lived in this area for quite sometime. His parents own a restaurant called Le Fate, where Chef Andrea's cooking classes were originally held. 

A couple of years ago he, and his wife, opened up this quaint location a few blocks away from the restaurant. Andrea's wife explained how they were aiming for a very welcoming, homey-Italian vibe with the decor. The table was perfect for embracing the tradition of family-style dining with the rest of our class. I quite enjoyed reading the wall decor as well, which featured photographs, reviews, miscellaneous notes, and Italian wine boxes.

 Our Menu; Fresh Produce; Mom grating Pecorino Romano; Chef Andrea instructing

Our cooking class was made up of twelve individuals, Mom and I included. It was quite a diverse bunch, mainly American. There was a family of five who had returned their third year in a row to Italy, and in turn their third time taking Chef Andrea's class. An American couple from Ohio/California/Nebraska...(we lost track of where they were from after a while). A pair of girl friends who meet up annually in a different country, one was from Australia and the other from Chicago. Lastly, there was a lovely woman from Japan who was in the midst of a speedy Italy trip.

Mom and I were amazed as to how Chef Andrea had set up the kitchen. It was a pretty small space, and yet there was exactly enough spots for twelve people to each have a work station. We were slightly cramped, but the bright lighting, cleanliness, and combined with Chef Andrea's enthusiasm while instructing, made it so incredibly comfortable.

We immediately started cooking once all the guests had arrived by 10 a.m. Chef Andrea began explaining our menu, and the process of prep-work in the kitchen. He also questioned our group as to what we thought true "Roman," cuisine is. Very few of us were able to answer properly, and it made me realize not only how passionate a chef like Andrea is, but also the importance of really knowing the regional dishes of the various parts of Italy are, (An easy example is: If you go to Napoli (Naples), their pizza is going to be significantly better than Roman pizza because that's where pizza originated) and most importantly what ingredients are actually used.  For example, Chef Andrea asked one of the people in our group what type of meat is used in Spaghetti All'Amatriciana, I was surprised to see that I was the only one that knew the meat is guanciolo (pork cheek).

Pasta Making; Sifting the uncooked Gnocchetti; Hand-Made Gnocchetti!

In order to have everything finished on time, we had no choice but to split up the prep-work and actual cooking. Mom and I made sure to volunteer to work with the dishes we were particularly excited for. We stuffed the delicious pumpkin flowers, worked out our arms by making the beer batter to deep-fry the blossoms, made the pasta dough, kneaded it (well, I did), and shaped the little gnocchetti, as well as prep a few other dishes. 

I particularly enjoyed making these little gnocchetti. Can you believe all this dough takes is Semolina flour and warm water? Somehow I ended up kneading our dough (I was the youngest in the group, so I guess I possessed the most "youth"), which left me with a pair of very sore arms the next day. Shaping these little guys was super fun too. They're essentially a baby-version of regular gnocchi, but not made of potato. 

 Freshly Fried Zucca Blossoms; Chef Andrea at Work; Pasta Dish in the Works

 Chef Andrea took over with handling the majority of the stove work (a.k.a. frying our blossoms and lighting the massive stove-top). It was around 2 p.m. when we were told to sit and relax at our table while Chef Andrea and his wife assembled our dishes.

 Pumpkin Blossoms; Pumpkin Blossoms with Southern Style Pesto; 
Fresh Homemade Pasta with Broccoletti & Sausage; Grandma's Meatballs in Fresh Tomato Sauce;
Side of Sauted Roman Zucchini; Lemon Custard with Peaches; The Wine

Every dish was absolutely delicious. Mom and I were most excited for our stuffed pumpkin flours, which had mozzarella with eggplant and prosciutto, accompanied by a delicious tomato-walnut pesto for dipping. It was hard to restrain ourselves during the first course. Although I don't usually eat fried foods, these are some of the tastiest things I've eaten in Italy.

Our pasta dish was surprisingly light, and very flavorful  I'm a big fan of mixing veggies and meat with pasta, versus just having a sauce. Mom and I agreed it was a tad over salted, possibly because we all had a different idea of what a "pinch," of salt really is, but I still enjoyed the lighter elements of this dish. Also, I was pretty proud of the gnocchetti.

The meatballs (polpette) are the best meatballs I have ever eaten. They were so incredibly moist, and flavorful. They literally melted in your mouth. The trick is to soak solely the inside of a fresh baguette of bread (no crust), in whole milk, versus using bread crumbs. This is the first dish I plan on making out of our menu.

Our meatballs were accompanied by a side of sautéed zucchini. Since I'm always grateful for vegetables, I found these enjoyable. They possessed a lot of flavor for simply being sautéed  but every dish from this day was fabulous.

Lastly, the dessert! I will be honest in saying that I've never been a big fan of fruit as, or in, my desserts. However, every since I've been in Italy I've definitely been eating a lot more fruit considering how fresh it is, dessert included. This was wonderful. We caramelized the peaches and made a light lemon custard to go along with it. Mom and I are usually not pudding fans, but we both thought it was very refreshing.

We did the wine pairing with our meal, which is yet another great way to learn about local and regional wines in Italy. I smiled when I saw the Frascati from Vini Principe Pallavicini, which I blogged about here. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I would definitely take another class from Chef Andrea. Not only is he friendly, but he really caters to his guests. Whether you know how to cook or not, he makes you feel immediately at ease in the kitchen. In addition, he emails all his guests the recipes and instructions for the dishes we make (downsized to serving 4 people, rather than 12). Now I have no excuse but recreated the fantastic dishes I ate this day (pumpkin blossoms included). Stay tuned for more posts about the mother-daughter adventures!

Second Weekend Excursion: Formaggio

Forming Fresh Formaggio

La Porta dei Parchi Cheese Farm

Last Saturday, my school hosted yet another wonderful excursion. This time to La Porta dei Parchi Cheese Farm. The farm is located in Italy's L'Aquila province, in the region of Abruzzo. In Italy, this region is known for possessing some of the strongest flavored meats and cheeses in the entire country!

This excursion encompassed a private tour by the co-owner, Nunzio Marcelli. Marcelli is well-known for making some of the best Formaggi in not only all of Italy, but in the entire world. The Marcelli Formaggi brand is recognized as some of the finest organic artisanal farmstead cheese. All of their cheese is made by hand (as shown in my photos below), and comes from sheep and goats milk. During the tour, Marcelli emphasized his belief in producing solely organic products, not only for the sake of all of us who are consuming his product, but also for the sake of the livestock on his farm. 

The Marcelli Formaggi brand has been noted for winning countless Italian Slow Food awards, and written up by noteworthy publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post,  and other publications in San Francisco and New York. This "biogriturismo," farm is noted by the Italian government as an "Organic Village," and all of their products are EU certified organic. 

Fresh Ficci Eaten Right of the Farm's Trees

Mac, Kate, and I, got a little carried away with the figs on this farm. As I noted in my description above, this farm is not only known for making cheese. In correspondance to being a local and organic business, Nunzio explained how they grow an immense amount of produce themselves; ficci (figs) being one of them! Fig trees were lined up all along the main seating area of this farm, and they were simply delicious. 

To be honest, I've only ever eaten fig in a prosciutto-fig sandwich back in the States. However, after last Saturday I have consumed more figs than one can imagine, and am currently on the hunt for a Pizza Biancha con Prosciutto e Ficci!

Facciamo Uno Spuntino

"We Snack"

Marcelli Formaggi's Goat Cheese, Salami, and Pizza Rossa

Nunzio kept us well-feed throughout our entire experience at his farm. Immediately, upon meeting us at  our bus, he lead us outside the restaurant where we were to enjoy a simple "spuntino," which simply means snack, or light meal. All of the products came from the farm. The minute I tasted the goat cheese, I knew myself, and my stomach were in the right place.

Sheep!

These sheep are separated from the main heard, because they are either too young, or too old to be left to graze on their own. The farm is surrounded by the Gran Sasso mountain range, which is the highest in all of Italy, hence home to other wild animals such as bears and ferocious felines. Therefore, these sheep must be looked after inside.

Inside the Production Room

The Cheese is heated close to 100 degrees F;

then stirred with the serrated tool to separate the fatty enzyme chains;

 that are produced after the milk is heated.

The Cheese Maker is collecting all of the cheese into a solid mass;

making it easier to take out;

this took a few minutes because the goat's milk is extremely hot.

Fresh Formaggio on the forming table;

the liquid rain off the side of the table into a bucket, as to not waste any milk.

Formaggio (Cheese) gets its name from this process;

simply "forma," means "to form."

We watched him form the cheese in these containers, which will be left overnight/for days depending on what cheese they're making.

Ricotta!

Nothing goes to waste.

The remaining goats milk gets recooked, 

which is the meaning of the word "ricotta,' and alas a new cheese is formed!

We had to wait about twenty minutes after they put the goat's milk in, to watch the cheese making/forming process. We all proceeded to cram into the tiny tiled room, where the cheese maker was proudly awaiting. I didn't catch his name, but he was a great sport while we all snapped countless photos during Nunzio's exclamation. 

Essentially how basic formaggio is made (excuse my lack of proper terminology), is the milk, either sheep or goat, is placed into this steel heater. It heats the milk, and rotates it. This milk is heated up to, or a little over, 100 degrees F. The high temperature causes a chemical reaction to occur amongst the enzymes and natural fats in the milk. The result, is the milk becomes a solid form, and forms the wonderful mass we know as cheese! 

The "cheese maker," for lack of a better title, was fascinating to watch. He obviously knew what he was doing, and was very meticulous with how he handled the cheese. We cut us up a bunch of slices and allowed us to taste it! It was pretty bland and chewy, since it has yet to be fermented or seasoned, but I still found it refreshing. 

Nunzio explained that in Italy, only four kinds of milk are used to make cheese: goat, sheep, cow and sometimes buffalo. He only works with goat and sheep milk. The Mercalli Formaggi brand produces about ten different varieties of cheese, but there are up to 460 different types of cheese out there, for our taste buds to enjoy. 

The Gran Sasso Mountain Range

After viewing the cheese making demonstration, we walked along the farm's grounds. Surprisingly, the actual farm area is not very big. It's pretty lengthy, but most of the grounds are all along the mountains, for sheep herding. The views were breathtaking, and the mountains really are expansive.

Antipasto Pecorino Cheese, Meat and Jam Plate; Mercalli Formaggi Cheese; 

Primo: Gnocchi e Pasta con Formaggio; Secondo: Meat Dish

Moreso Italians, than foreigners, will make the trip over to La Porta dei Parchi to dine at it's restaurant. The restaurant seats about fifty people. It had a very homey and rustic feel to it, and I could definitely feel the family-style vibe. 

Prior to lunch, we assumed we would be trying a few more cheeses, and probably having something simple like a pasta dish, and be on our way. None of us were expecting the four course long meal that was provided.

My favorite dish, of course, was the first: the cheese platter. We were instructed to start right, and continue left while trying the different kinds of cheese. Italian cheese makers, obviously, know how to work your palette. We started with a mild formaggio, on the right, and as we moved across the plate, more and more flavor eluded on your tongue. I particularly liked the formaggio with spinach, the peperoncini covered cheese (nice and spicy), and I even liked the cheeses on the left, in particular the blue cheese! The only cheese I did not care for, was the second to last one. Kate, Mac and I concluded it truly tasted of "farm." Needless to say, I ate it anyway. The purple jam in the middle was made out of cherries and applies. We were instructed to pair it with the softer, younger cheeses. All of the salami is from the farm itself. All in all, this was a spectacular platter. To be honest though, I think I'm a true cheese lover, since a lot of my classmates barely touched their plates, or couldn't even eat it all. Many people complained about the cheese giving them a stomachache. My stomach was completely fine after this tasting.

The following two platters were quite hefty, but still good. The pasta was delicious, but at this point, I think I was on cheese overload, since I could barely finish half of the dish, but the quality was definitely there. The third dish, was comprised of various meat. I'm still not exactly sure what I ate, but I was so full at this point that I made a point to try everything before setting it aside. We were also provided a dessert, which was a ricotta-based pudding. It was quite tangy, but I was so full that I didn't really enjoy it (hence no photograph).

Moreover, this was the closest I've come to eating the full Italian meal, which is comprised of an(sometimes) apertivo, antipasti, primi, secondi, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, and caffe or digestivo. These type of meals are meant to carry over at least three hours if not longer, and are great for digestion. On this particular day my stomach was just filled with cheese, but I wasn't complaining.

Walk into Town 

After our filling lunch, Nunzio walked us down into the nearby town. He told stories of the various buildings as we walked by, and pointed out a few churches. The town is so small, and everyone was shouting out their windows as Nunzio walked by. 

Overall, I deemed my experience at La Porta dei Parchi Cheese Farm as one of my favorites. I know a few others didn't find it to be anything special, but I really connected with the philosophy behind the food, and motto the company runs by. I am grateful my school was able to organize such a great excursion. The farm was really out in the mountains, and took a couple hours to drive too; a place I would never have known about or even have been able to get to as a tourist. 

There is a lot of great articles and information about La Porta dei Parchi:

If you want to know about Life in Abruzzo, or learn about Nunzio's adopt a sheep initiative, or just go to their main page and scroll through the tabs to learn more about this great company!

On a side note, I've officially finished my three-week intensive Italian course. Today my Mom is arriving in Italy, and we'll be spending my one week break together. We're about to take Roma by storm, and then head off to Venezia (Venice) for four days come later this week. Expect posts of the mother-daughter adventures soon!

Mac's 20th Birthday: Buon Cumpleanno

Mac's Birthday Cake Courtesy of Boarding House International

Italian: Buon Cumpleanno

English: Happy Birthday

My roommate Mac turned twenty this past Thursday, and of course, we had to celebrate. We began the celebrations on Wednesday, when we met up with a pair of friends from UCSD for an apertivo, and a night out in Roma. On Thursday, Mac and I partook in a lovely and informative wine tasting, followed by another dinner at Flavio with Kate.

En Route to Testaccio

Testaccio is a region of Rome adjacent to Trastevere. It takes less than ten minutes for us to walk into Testaccio. Testaccio is the same area where we dined at Da Remo, which I discussed in a previous post. On Wednesday, we ventured over to Rec 23, a modern Italian restaurant that offered a well priced apertivo.

Rec 23 Apertivo Set-Up; Moscow Mule; Moscow Mule and my plate of delights; Zakk, Mac and Zach

Simply, how an apertivo works, is restaurants and bars/cafes, offer specials, usually between 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. where all you have to do is pay for at least one drink, and receive a complementary buffet of small dishes. It is very rare in Italy to simply order a drink without receiving some sort of food to eat along with it. Italians do not drink for the sake of drinking, but rather they always drink with their food.

I tried taking a photo of the setup of the inside, but the lighting was quite poor. As photographed above, Rec 23 set up a table next to their bar with an assortment of plates of finger food. The drink I decided to try this evening is called a Moscow Mule, essentially a ginger-citrus concoction. At the buffet, I helped myself to a few miniature quiches, bread with spreads, rice, salad, and of course some cheese. We made a meal out of their buffet, and went back a couple rounds. Considering that you only have to pay for your drinks, we concluded that we'll be partaking in apertivi many more times to come.

We were lucky to be joined by Zakk and Zach, two of our friends from UCSD. Zach (on the right), is one of the Senior College Ambassadors (Head Tour Guides), who trained Mac, and has avised me through my tour guide experience. These two are about half-way through their five week adventure throughout Europe! They were a fun pair, and since Zach previously studied abroad in Italy, he directed us to having a fun rest of the evening. 

Vino Roma; Bottle Display; Tasting Table; Map of Italy's Wines; Mac and Birthday Prosecco

On Thursday, Mac's real birthday, we partook in an exclusive wine tasting at Vino Roma. Vino Roma is located in one of Rome's oldest regions, called Monti. The studio is about ten minutes away from the Colosseum. It's a small studio, simply made up of a large white room, and spotlight over the massive tasting table. On the table you can see there are two wine glasses, one for white, and the other for red. They also served water and bread, as to not "disturb our palate." 

We tasted six wines, three white and three red. The name of the winery and white wines were: La Tunella Sauvignon 2011, Tenuta Le Quinte Virtu Romane 2010 and Planeta Chardonnay 2008. The reds were: Brovia Ciabot del Re 2006, Pasetti Testarossa 2007, and Planeta Plumbago 2010.

We drank them in the exact order listed. Our Sommelier, Maurizio, was very knowledgable and taught me a lot about wine that I had never known before. He showed us how to look at color variation to show aging and contact with Oxygen, the legs for alcohol content, use the smell of the wine as an indicator of where it was produced, and how to properly taste it (two tastes, the first to get your palette started, and the second to "chew," or simply slurp your whine to truly get the flavor). We went through each wine slowly, and discussed amongst the group what sensations we were experiencing, and in particular what kinds of food we would drink them with. 

Mac and I in the Cellar; The Wine we Drank; Mac and Maurizio

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the experience, as was Mac. Other than the school wine excursion, I've never participated in a proper wine tasting. I enjoyed learning about the process of how grapes are grown and cultivated, and in particular, the environment in which the grapes grow, which is executed in the wine's taste. For example, the last red wine we tasted, Plumbago 2010, is from Siciliy and is grown in an area near the ocean, and the vineyard is surrounded by flowers. After Maurizio told us these facts, I immediately realized that I could not only smell the salty sea air, but also taste a hint of floral undertones. 

Also, the prices for these wines were all fairly reasonable. They ranged from 9 Euros- 20 Euros. I am happy we did this wine tasting, while it is still early in my trip. I'll definitely take the tips and facts I learned to try and purchase good wines during dinner and when I go grocery shopping.

Overall, I believe Mac enjoyed her birthday. Although not pictured, we went to Flavio (along with Kate who unfortunately had class during the tasting), the same restaurant she and her mom took me. We concluded our night by eating the cake given to Mac by the program that runs our housing here in Trastevere! I wish Mac a very happy birthday, and I am so grateful to have spent it with her abroad in Rome. 

Look forward to my next post, which will detail my second excursion to a cheese farm!