Dining in Rome II

My second night of culinary brilliance in Rome came at

Il Pagliaccio

in 

Centro Storico.

How funny...

seated next to me,

the same nattily clad Japanese couple,

that had been dining across from me at 

La Pergola

the night before!

I guess great minds think alike.

This contemporary store front 

was dressed nicely as well,

and I settled in for 

their 

8 Course Tasting Menu

"Il Pagliaccio."

It began with...

1st course - 

Sea Bream Carpaccio - slightly smoked, in a broth with a foam, beet, and egg

2nd course -

 Crab Salad with green mango, clams, sea water, and puffed rice... 

on the side...

 a beautiful cup of jasmine rice and coconut cream.

3rd course - 

Oxtail & Foie Gras 

with peanuts, melissa, chocolate, baby wild asparagus, and a borage flower

4th course - 

Fagottini 

with potato sauce, black rice, clams, and herring roe

5th course - 

Raviolis 

stuffed with cheese, veal consommè, asparagus and mushrooms

6th course - 

Striped red mullet 

with steamed avocado, vegetables, and argan oil

7th course - 

Spicy lamb with smokey eggplant and chickpeas

was served with a rich & savory...

lamb broth.

Then came the...

Pre Dessert - 

Cheese Snack with goat and cow cheese mixed, tapioca, 

sherry vinegar jelly, mint and chocolate biscuit, and strawberry granita...

And lastly...

8th Course Dessert – 

Crunchy Biscuits with caramelized pineapple, cardamom and pineapple sorbet, 

calvados caramel, and whipped cream

I finished off this extraordinary meal 

with a 

Jamaican Blue Mountain Espresso.

This was another spectacular evening.

I loved the modern, hip room, 

the gracious service, 

and the 

brilliantly thought out cuisine. 

My Japanese Friends 

left with smiles on their faces.

I did too!

Dining in Rome I

A few nights ago I leapt from 

The Hotel Lord Byron 

and  into a waiting taxi.

The taxi took me down the hill in Parioli,

across the Tiber into Prati, 

and up into the hills that surround Rome. 

Destination -  The Rome Cavelieri

and 

Dinner at the 3 Michelin star

La Pergola!

The sun was close to setting when I arrived 

and the entry level with softly lit pines 

was 

soothing and inviting.

I went up to the 9th floor and was seated at my beautiful table.

Menus arrived.

Breads arrived. 

Then came a gorgeous 

olive oil from 

Lake Garda.

Delicately fruity and a bit peppery,

it was delicious.

I will have to find out who made this nectar of the Gods 

and pass it on to you!

Having perused the menus a bit,

I decided on a 6 course meal.

It was spectacular!

I started off with...

Duck foie gras with apple, almond and amaretti

that was rich, silken, and had a bit of a crunch - amazing!


Up next a modern take on a rather traditional

Roman dish - carbonara.

Fagottelli  "La Pergola" -

Little pillows of pasta stuffed with and drizzled with

a carbonara sauce, received a grind or two of cracked pepper

as it arrived at the table.


Then came the subtle and lightly crisped

King Prawns in tempura on puree of fried squids -

Are you swooning yet?!

I can assure you I was!


Then there was a very sexy, savory dish!

Black Cod with marinated anchovies and chilli pepper sauce

was so incredible, and to think that it looked like an

abstract expressionist piece - Motherwell perhaps -

made it even more brilliant!


For my last entree an unctuous...

Veal cheek with curly endive, burrata

and popped rice with curry and saffron -

was the ultimate comfort food!


Then the table was cleared and there was a bit of a pause

before the 2nd part of my meal

began.

The Grand Dessert

It began with a

little silver case filled with Petit Fours,

and a little dish of a

Mango Sorbet with Lemongrass Sauce.

The four sided case had three drawers per side with a couple different little cookies,

 candies, gelees etc... per drawer.

24 of these delicious little bites!

All for me!

When I'd enjoyed a few of these delicious treats

I cleared my palate with this

tart sorbet.


I was in 7th heaven and began thinking of delicious coffees.


But no,

that was not to be...

not yet!


After all they sure didn't call this the

Grand Dessert

for nothing!


Along came...

The Warm Desserts

a Banana Raspberry Boat, 

Licorice Souffle, 

and a shot of a Coconut Cream.


And then,

what would Warm Desserts

be without the contrast of

Cold Desserts?

These included a Tiramisu like mousse,

Champagne gelee with a little baby strawberry...

etc...

By this time my head was spinning, I was laughing,

 wondering if someone had been playing a joke on me!


But no, this was all a part of the plan and their

Grand Dessert.


It was time now for a smokey espresso.

As I pondered how perfect my evening had been,

the beautiful setting, the elegant service, every mouthful of my meal,

the absurdly extravagant dessert,

a server strolled by and slid these

Homemade Chocolates 

in next to my cup.


I just had to laugh.


La Pergola was a joy & a delight

and worth every Michelin Star.


If you are like me,

you will not want to miss treating yourself to a sumptuous evening

at this wonderful restaurant

when in Rome.


Arrivederci!

David

Rome

Welcome Back 

Dear Friends, Dear Readers!

I hope you'll forgive me 

for being gone for so long.

And I hope you'll tune in to 

Global Around Town 

this week 

as 

I'm reporting from Rome!

There will be plenty of

great 

Food,

ART,

Music  

and more...

So do stay tuned!

I'm staying in Room 502

at the very lovely

Hotel Lord Byron

in the Parioli  District.

This quiet neighborhood,

filled with beautiful 

embassies & residences,

is the perfect setting for this 

32 room villa 

with world class

restaurant. 

Yesterday

I strolled the neighborhood and 

dined in at 

Sapori del Lord Byron. 

This was a nice way to 

start off what I'm sure will be a

most colorful trip 

to 

Rome. 

Tonight,

thanks to my tireless 

Concierge Andrea,

I'm off to the 

3 Star Michelin

La Pergola!

I am thrilled that with much persistence,

he was able to secure me a table.

More on all of this soon!

David

The 2011 Global Around Town Holiday Gift Guide

Welcome back Dear Friends.

With the Holidays upon us,

here are some last minute gift ideas that I hope you'll enjoy!

1. First up, something I'm dying for, 

The Theme and Variations 2005 Teapot and Coffee Service

by Fornasetti.

How surreal, and Dali-esque!

I love all things Fornasetti!

The plates are really nice too!

2. Do you want something delicious to fill that gorgeous coffee pot with?

I've been enjoying the coffees from George Howell's Terroir for years.

His recent roasts of Aged Sumatra 

have been some of the purist 

expressions of that 

varietal.

"Notes of brandy and tawny port, fresh sweet tobaccos, 

roots, leather, autumn leaves and butterscotch..."

Last time this limited release was available

I ordered two packages.

You may want to do the same.

3. Up next a very exotic incense that you or your loved one

may love wafting around your home. 

I splurged on a small pack of this

Minorien Fu-in Kyara Ryugen

a while back, and will occasionally 

treat myself to some. 

This very special incense 

will transport you to faraway lands whether lit 

or simply sitting in its beautiful 

Paulownia box.

"This is Minorien's Masterpiece. It has a wet smell of Kyara that is very deep. You will also note an excellent tone that reflects, in abundance, the very nature of the incense tree. You will enjoy a gentle aroma of the highest quality of pure "Kyara smell."

4. I could not put down Michael Ondaatje's newest novel 

The Cat's Table.

"In the early 1950s, an 11-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the “cat’s table”—as far from the Captain’s Table as can be—with a ragtag group of “insignificant” adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: One man talks with them about jazz and women, another opens the door to the world of literature. The narrator’s elusive, beautiful cousin Emily becomes his confidante, allowing him to see himself “with a distant eye” for the first time, and to feel the first stirring of desire. Another cat’s table denizen, the shadowy Miss Lasqueti, is perhaps more than what she seems. And very late every night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and his fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. 

As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boy’s adult years, it tells a spellbinding story—by turns poignant and electrifying—about the magical, often forbidden discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage."

5. A few months ago I was lucky enough to have attended

 a concert by this brilliant trio

at our stunning 

Finnish Embassy. 

The setting, 

the generosity,

the food, the drink, the company, 

and above all the music...

spectacular.

Psalms and Folk Songs by Kuara

Markku Ounaskari drums
Samuli Mikkonen piano
Per Jørgensen trumpet, voice

just may be the 

Best Record of 2011.

Much of the music here is based on 

"Russian Psalms and folk songs 

from displaced Finnish peoples

(Karelians, Udmurtians, Vepsans) 

- all approached from improvisational 

perspectives. It feels like a voyage over unfamiliar terrain, 

or as Markku says

 "like a journey through the night"."

Just a few thoughts for you my Dear Friends.

Wishing you 

a warm & wonderful 

Holiday!

Famous Aire's Fabulous Strawberry Shortcake

Let's see.......Shortcakes

1st buy a box of Bisquick.


2. Follow the instructions on the box , EXCEPT : use MORE sugar than the recipe. Like 1 1/2  extra tbsps. Maybe throw in a little extra butter. You'll only need to use a big wooden spoon to mix. 

3. the recipe says to make 6. They're huge ! Make 8.


4. The box says to bake the shortcakes , split and serve w/the strawberries and whipped cream , but you can also make them the day before . Then, to serve, split , using a bread or other serrated knife and great care as they're a bit crumbly.....and place split-side down on a cookie sheet and heat in the oven @ like 250 for a few minutes to toast them up a bit. You may want to pick them up using a spatula to plate them.


5. The recipe suggests a kind of sandwich approach : 1/2 shortcake, layer of strawbs/top 1/2 of shortcake/ more strawbs and whipped cream. BUT I like to serve them more like Eggs Benedict. 2 1/2s of shortcake , side by each, both topped with loads of strawberries and......

WHIPPED CREAM                        

                                

1. The recipe calls for Cool Whip or some such . Of course you can do that. Or, even canned. I prefer to make fresh. It's so easy and yummy too. You probably know how to make whipped cream, but if you don't , then here you go :


2. A pint of heavy whipping cream will make a boatload . 


3. Take a mixing bowl. Tall and narrower is way better than lower and wider. Use metal,glass or ceramic , NOT plastic. Slosh a tiny bit of water around in it and dump it out. Then put it in the freezer for a little while 5, 10 min. whatever... just until it's nice and cold. 

4. Pour cream into bowl. Add a couple or 3 big tbsps of confectioner's sugar with a couple of capfulls of vanilla extract. Whip with whatever kind of mixer you have at very high speed until thick and gloppy enough.... to taste. CAREFUL !!!! This should only take a few minutes, so DON'T OVERDO IT !!! If you overbeat, it'll get all liquidy and soupy. So when you think you're almost done, just stop and see if it's thick enough. If not yet... just give it a couple of quick poofs with the mixer and check again. Repeat a few times if necessary.


5. Slather on top of strawbabies on top of shortcakes. I like mountains !

Strawbabies : 


1. Follow recipe on box if you like. I like to make lots. So you can certainly use more than 4 cups if you like. I do. More is often....more. And for a change I actually use LESS sugar than the recipe calls for. But sugar to taste.


That's it !!! So load 'em up....either sandwich or benedict style... and PIG OUT !