Just like Heaven: Pistacchi Trevani

     Though the odds were against me today-transportation strike in Rome, a train that was 50 minutes late and no buses to be found-I managed to make it on time to lead a culinary stroll throughout central Rome.  We usually wander around the markets, get some amazing coffee at Café S. Eustachio, eat treats in the Jewish Quarter and then have a Grattachecca, or Roman ice.  Today, my clients had already done all of those things, so I had to find a foodie paradise, and fast.  We took a taxi to a gourmand’s paradise, and they went to town.  All I could think about was whether I would be coming up to another 3 kilos of zucchini and if I did, what the heck was I going to do with them.  I admit, I was spaced out.  Until Mr. Gourmand had us tasting the 25 yrs old  Aceto Basalmico Tradizionale di Modena, which was itself quite divine.   If I believed in a god, it would be only under such circumstances as having tasted something so divine.  But no, the taste of heaven I had today were the pistachio cookies I sampled and of course, bought, that come from the town of Trevi, which is near Perugia.  

     Finding delicious cookies or sweets in Europe that are not full of eggs, butter and cream can be difficult, but in some parts of Italy, they are common.  These cookies are not at all beautiful; they are bright green with nuts falling out of them.  They look like oatmeal cookies on acid.  They do not, however, taste anything like oatmeal cookies, or any cookie on acid.    They are called Pistacchi Trevani, or Pistachio of Trivia.  They are made of a simple blend of almond paste, pistachio paste, and pistachios.  The paste from the nuts if made from the shelled and skinned nuts mixed with sugar until a heavy paste is formed.  They do not contain any flour, gluten, eggs, or dairy.  They are very rich, so one is, by far, plenty.  They are slightly baked on the outside, pasty on the inside and have an extra crunch due to the pistachio nuts that are added.  I love that they are bright green and look messy.  They do fall apart very easily.  What makes them special is that they have lovely sweet and nutty aromas. 

These were a pleasant surprise to discover while working.  These culinary tours will end up costing me more than I will ever make.  I can’t help myself.  At ever corner in Rome there is amazing tasty food that just begs to be sampled, from pizza Bianca (white pizza) to Roman shaved ice to fried artichokes.  I can barely walk 5 minutes without having to stop and eat something because it either looks so good from the window or there is a decadent aroma coming from its kitchen. 

I think these cookies would be fairly easy to make.  When I was looking them up I found many blogs referring to the pistachio cookies from Sicily that taste like heaven.  In fact, I do think they seem more Sicilian in origin than Umbrian, as Sicilian desserts often rely on nut pastes instead of flour.   Luckily, Ettore did not think they were Just like Heaven, and that translates into...more for ME.  

I think these would be extra special with a chilled passito, such as a Passito di Lampedusa.

Wherever they are from, they are DIVINE.  


Note: Some Almond Paste Contains Eggs.

Ban the Horse Drawn Carriage in Rome

The so-called "botticelle" that is, the Roman horse-drawn carriages are not a tradition of transport for people, but represent a degeneration of what was their original meaning and purpose. In fact, the "Botticelli" owe their name to the barrels: the carriage pulled by animals in 1800’s was used solely for transporting goods, and barrels in this case. There was never a "tradition" of tourist transport, therefore, as misleadingly one wants to make the tourist believe.

Nowadays there is no need to justify the use of animals for transport or freight, let alone people. Tourists can have, in Rome in 2009, many means of locomotion, extremely comfortable, fast, with accessories for every need, and far cheaper than the carriage. As well as transportation that does not cause suffering to horses.

Horses are obviously subject to a state of continuous suffering, being forced against their will to haul extremely heavy loads every day (more than one ton, the empty carriage weighs 800 kg ...). The working conditions are inhumane and the animal is brought along fast roads (like the Tiber) where the proximity of cars, speed and the roar of traffic so terrific, with the serious consequence of accidents, often fatal, while the horses are often forced to travel on uphill on cobblestone pavement which is slippery and uneven. These cobblestones, known as Sam Pietrini creates further discomfort when a horse is forced to stand on them without movement, often for many hours. The conditions worsen in summer when the hot sun makes the effort even more unbearable. And yet, the drivers pay no attention to laws, nor are laws enforced.

In times past, the horses traveled on isolated and relatively quiet roads in Rome. Today, the crazy traffic, chaos, smog, the sounds of horns, the speed of vehicles and scooters whizzing close to the carriages, etc. .. make this means of transport absolutely unfit to the conditions of congestion in the city. The carriage is so configured a practice that is deeply anachronistic and certainly cruel to horses, and is thus there is no longer any reason for them to exist today.

Palazzo Massimo

Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme By Sarah May Grunwald

One of my favorite places to visit in Rome is the not to be missed Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. It houses the world's most important collection of Roman antiquities, and it is one of the least trafficked museums of its caliber. Another way to avoid the nightmare of the Vatican!! It is also in a convenient location, just steps away from the main train station, but also steps away from the Exedra, which has a darling rooftop bar for your post museum cocktail.

Palazzo Massimo is what all museums should strive to be like. The collection itself is stellar, but the ambience of the place is really its greatest asset. As well, it is a totally feasible 3 hour trip, that won't make you say, "Oh, I wish I could have more time there." The collection ranges from 5th c B.C. bronzes, Republican era portraits, religious iconography, gorgeous mosaics, Imperial era frescoes and portraits, and even a nuministic collection for all you coin lovers. The collection also has continuity, which helps you along, even when you think you have reached the point where you can't look at another piece of marble; there is always something more interesting around the corner that puts the pieces of the Roman puzzle together, like the museum is telling you a story.

The best way to feel this continuity is the start at the top floor and work your way down. In this way you will see the most important artistic treasures, and, if you feel up to it, have time for that very interesting coin collection in the vaults in the basement. This is a very important piece of advice, because honestly, the museum is very quiet and the students that work there are not going to go out of their way to remind you to see the hermaphrodite or Livia's frescoes.

This collection, more than any other in Rome, demonstrates the highly polychromatic world the Romans lived in, not only indicated in the gorgeous frescoes that have been placed here, but in the mosaics and statues. Romans idealized the human form, as did the Greeks before them, in fact, the Romans had Greek sculptors working in Rome to create this masterpieces often copies from Greek originals. If we evaluate Roman art to give us a clear picture of roman life and ideals, what we know is that they were in fact very different to us in the day to day life.

They idealized lithe male gods, and fertile looking goddesses in the human form. They lived in a polychromatic world, which could almost be bordering on Technicolor to our eyes. As a warrior nation, sexuality was considered not only natural but of the utmost importance. The human form was not one of shame, but a form to celebrate, and idealized by sculpting the Gods and Goddesses as beautiful ideal men and women. To our eyes, Roman art can seem almost too upfront and straightforward. They did not hide sexuality or truths. A great example is the sculpture of the sleeping hermaphrodite, the child of Hermes and Aphrodite, who seems to be playing peek-a-boo with the audience. On one had she is all woman, with curves and breasts like an idealized woman, on the other side; you have the sexual organs of a man. Causing the viewer to question what exactly does gender identity mean? Nevertheless, the Romans lived in a war machine. A militaristic regime, and there was no mistaking to them who were the men and who were the woman. While one could play with gender and sexuality in the arts, a man's duty was to serve Rome, and a woman's was to serve man.

You could easily get hot looking at so many muscular and gorgeous men! They will make you look at your own man, and wonder if he could possibly start doing some sit-ups to strengthen up those abs so you can role play ancient roman myths in bed. Who were the artists' models, we wonder? And why don't men look like that, and why isn't the modern ideal of woman more like the healthy version the Romans had? Don't get too worked up, though, because you can't take a break. There is no café for a quick caffeine fix, so come prepared. Have a good lunch and an espresso before visiting