Isn't it wonderful when you happen upon the unexpected....especially when the unexpected is a good thing? I arrived in Rome yesterday completely forgetting that it's Carnevale time here! We've all heard of famous Carnavale celebrations in Venice, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. But Rome also has Carnavale festivities and the government has decided to place special emphasis on them this year, so I'll get to see special parades, light shows, etc. But the best part is the pastry shops (and there are a lot of them in Rome) are filled with special pastries prepared just for this occasion. What you see are something similar to deep fried doughnut holes, and they are my favorite. The ones on the left are filled with custard cream and the ones on the right are filled with ricotta. Yes. I bought both kinds. But it's okay. I went for a run today.
And, I'm ever so grateful for that run because I discovered a new restaurant in my old neighborhood. For starters we had Polpo agrumato con cavolo viola; Octopus with orange juice and dark caulilfower. Who thinks of these amazing flavor combinations?! Chef Lucio Sforza, that's who. And it was delicious.
For our primi, we ordered Lombrichelli con tartufo nero, acciughe e mandorle; a pasta with black truffles, anchovies and garnished with sliced almonds. Once again, this was an incredible combination of flavors that melded perfectly together. The tartufo is so earthy, the anchovies give you a little salt hit, and the almonds, a little crunch. Heavenly.
I know I told you in a previous blog post that I never order a primi AND a secondi. But I was with friends, and I was sharing, and thank goodness for that. This was baccala in umido con l'uvetta su passata di ceci; Saltcod with raisins and tomato sauce on a bed of chickpea puree. I really hate to sound redundant, but it was so incredibly delicious, smooth and melt-in-your-mouth. Prior to living in Italy, I'd never had saltcod. It's highly unattractive when you buy it at the store, but with a fair amount of prep work, it can be made into some really delicious dishes. I'm a huge fan now.
And since I was with friends, we couldn't pass up dessert. This was the deepest, darkest chocolate with just a hint of mint. It too was melt-in-your-mouth and had an utterly amazing texture.
Honestly. The things I do in the name of research.
Honestly. The things I do in the name of research.
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