Italy
Italy
Buongiorno! Next stop, was rustic Rome :) There were so many reasons to fall in love with Rome. Soaking up the ancient wonders of Rome were one of the many highlights, along with people watching, zipping scooters, erratic drivers and indulging local dishes at Trastevere (the real taste of Rome). A very affordable accommodation at Hotel Giuliana on Via Agostino Depretis came in really handy. This place is perfectly located in the centre of Rome, within walking distance to major must see spots like Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Di Spagna, Piazza Navona, the Opera House, Santa Maria Maggiore and Piazza Repubblica. The main train station, Termini is located just 10 minutes walk and has direct service to Fiumicino airport. 
From the top left, St Peter's Basilica, sneaked in a photo of a Gladiator outside the Colosseum and the Imperial Forum and Palatine Hill.
Local lunch near Piazza Navona. Nothing like home made minestrone soup with fresh crusty bread for starter, followed by a simple yet delicious spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli, and a tiramisu (of course) to top it off!
The astonishing Pantheon was breath taking, one of my favourite! One of the most preserved architecture in Rome. The square in front of it is Piazza della Rotonda, perfect spot for people watching. While at Fontana di Trevi, I did the traditional coin throwing to ensure a return to Rome!
Piazza Di Spagna on a cloudless day.
Galleria Borghese, a definite thumbs up! Masterpieces on display from artists like Caravaggio, Raphael and Bernini.
The Italian job! While in my kitchen, I have been inspired by the Two Greedy Italians, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo on SBS and cooked up a Brasato di Manzo in Vino Rosso (Braised beef in red wine) and baked Pappardelle pasta (substitute for buckwheat pasta), layered with fontina (substitute of toma cheese) and parmesan cheese, potatoes and kale (substitute of Swiss chard). For starters, I plated up some Sopressa with Swiss gruyere cheese, fresh olives and a nice bottle of Chardonnay, a good match with gruyere cheese.
The braised beef in red wine is a tender, lean topside of beef, marinated and cooked slowly in red wine with herbs and vegetables. This recipe from the Two Greedy Italians is divine. I purchased almost 2 kg of wagyu beef roast from the Stockland Farmers stall at Kelvin Grove Village markets. I have almost doubled most of the ingredients for this recipe, and more garlic, the amount of vegetables can be suited to your liking.
Ingredients
1. Pat the meat all over gently with kitchen paper to dry. Place in a large bowl together with all the other ingredients except for the oil and salt. Cover with clingfilm and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 12 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade, keeping the marinade for later. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and seal well all over. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan, add the vegetables and herbs from the marinade and sweat for a couple of minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add some salt and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add the wine from the marinade, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about two hours, until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced, checking from time to time and gently turning over during cooking. Season with salt. To serve, remove the meat, slice and place on a serving dish together with the vegetables and sauce. This dish serves 4 people.
The pasta dish was also inspired from Antonio and Gennaro. This filling baked dish is from Northern Italy and the original recipe was buckwheat pasta with potatoes and Swiss chard. There a little demand for buckwheat pasta in Brisbane, I have substituted this with semolina Pappardelle pasta from Jan Powers markets. The bitto or toma cheese from Northern Italy was substituted with fontina cheese, which was recommended by New Farm Deli during one of my lunch visit. As for the Swiss chard, I have also substituted this vegetable with kale.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1kg topside of beef
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 bottle red wine
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
1. Pat the meat all over gently with kitchen paper to dry. Place in a large bowl together with all the other ingredients except for the oil and salt. Cover with clingfilm and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 12 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade, keeping the marinade for later. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and seal well all over. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan, add the vegetables and herbs from the marinade and sweat for a couple of minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add some salt and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add the wine from the marinade, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about two hours, until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced, checking from time to time and gently turning over during cooking. Season with salt. To serve, remove the meat, slice and place on a serving dish together with the vegetables and sauce. This dish serves 4 people.
Ingredients
- 300g or 1.3 cup buckwheat or pizzoccheri pasta (or semolina Pappardelle flat ribbon pasta from Jan Powers markets or any farmers' markets
- 200g or about 1 cup potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 200g or 1 cup Swiss chard, leaves only (or kale)
- Salt and freshly grounded black peppercorns
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 300g or 1.3 cup bitto or toma cheese (or fontima cheese), cut into small cubes
- 100g or 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1. Preheat the oven to 220 celcius/425F
2. Place the pasta, potatoes, and Swiss chard (or kale) in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted boiling water. Cook together until soft, about 14 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the garlic until cooked, not browned.
4. Drain the pasta, potatoes and chard (or kale) and put in a large ovenproof dish. While still warm, mix in the cubes of cheese. Pour over the foaming butter and garlic and sprinkle over the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then mix together well.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
2. Place the pasta, potatoes, and Swiss chard (or kale) in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted boiling water. Cook together until soft, about 14 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the garlic until cooked, not browned.
4. Drain the pasta, potatoes and chard (or kale) and put in a large ovenproof dish. While still warm, mix in the cubes of cheese. Pour over the foaming butter and garlic and sprinkle over the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then mix together well.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Buon Appetito!
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