Archive for October, 2007
October 27, 2007 at 10:09 pm · Filed under Italy
I was about to mention a noteworthy pizzeria I visited in Rome, Italy, when I came across a posting on Slice NY featuring Morrissey standing coolly in front of the very same place! Montecarlo, located in the Piazza Navona area of Rome, was recommended to me by a trusted local and turns out some of the best pizza in the city. Always busy, Montecarlo is like a slice of Brooklyn with its bright lights, charmingly abrupt service and warm house red wine. And just like at home, I was clueless about the celebrities whose photos cover the walls. We started with some perfectly fried mozzerella balls. I loved my onion pizza (all 8 slices of it) with its major charring around the edges. My friend enjoyed the signature Montecarlo pizza with about eighty toppings including olives, mushrooms, sausage, peppers, onions, artichokes and a fried egg. I won’t try to guess what Morrissey may have ordered, but check out the SliceNY article for a thoughtful analysis of the intersection of Morrissey and pizza.
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October 27, 2007 at 12:58 pm · Filed under Italy
High on my “To -Eat” list on a recent trip to Italy were rosette rolls, a light, airy roll native to Rome. Decorated with five lobes or “petals,” this simple yeast bread has been part of the region’s cusine for thousands of years. Almost hollow with a crispy crust and very little crumb, rosette rolls are often eaten for breakfast with honey but are great with any meal.
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October 27, 2007 at 12:17 pm · Filed under Italy
I like to call it the “Crockpot of Tomorrow,” but Italians know it as the Bimby, billed as “more than 10 kitchen appliances in one compact unit.” At first glance, the Bimby resembles medical or spa equipment. However, it chops, stirs, steams, purees, kneads, crushes ice, cleans and knows what time it is. The perfect guest.
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October 10, 2007 at 5:39 pm · Filed under Catskills
Amid rumors of nepotism, bribery and unfit judges, Barryville, New York’s Annual Pumpkin Fest yielded one bright spot - my own third place finish in the sweet and savory pumpkin cookoff. This past Saturday, dozens of participants submitted fine autumnal dishes such as pumpkin poblano soup, pumpkin bread pudding and a savory pumpkin sausage pie, as well as gloppy Family Circle-esque offenses. The prizes: $100 cash, pumpkin-topped trophies, some ragtag purple ribbons and fifteen minutes of local recognition. My entry, an ice-cold pumpkin smoothie, likely had a competitive advantage thanks to the unseasonably warm weather. Nevertheless, we found some of the judges’ winning selections to be…let’s say… questionable. I’ll keep my post-game, obscenity-laden commentary confined to our car ride home. Suffice it to say, my culinarily standout group of friends and I will be back with a gourd-smashing vengeance next year.
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