Forno al Ghetto

This little, unmarked corner store holds the key to happiness - my beloved Forno al Ghetto. This is where you can get an unbelievably delicious torta di ricotta e ciocolata made by 3 old Jewish-Italian ladies. They serve it with attitude and they get angry when they have to cut up a pie in less than a quarter, but it is worth it.

They have lots of other slightly burnt baked goods, like a macaroons, hand-held fruitcake type breads, and cinnamon-almond biscotti.

My favorite day to go is on Sundays. Because it is in the Jewish area of town it is closed on Saturdays. They sell out fast, so go early.

When in Rome, this is a must.

The Language Barrier

Well, I'm ashamed to confess that after living in Italy for a year I still can't hold a conversation in Italian. I'm really good at getting by and talking food, but honestly that is about it. I still find myself speaking Spanish with an Italian accent, without even realizing, yet thinking people will understand.

And, while I'm confessing, I'll add that I bought a great Italian textbook while I was here as an intern in 2009 and I'm still on the Primi contatti, the little section that comes before lesson one. Yup, it's bad.

I work in English and English is the common language with all my friends, so I really only need Italian on the weekends when we are going to the market, running errands, or going out to eat. But, it definitely doesn't give you a good sense of belonging and I need to stop making excuses. So I'm making it my goal to become fluent in Italian. I'm going to spend 30 minutes each weekday and then 1-2 hours a day on the weekends studying, and I'm going insist that my Italian friends only speak Italian with me.

I'm throwing caution to the wind and putting my fears of sounding stupid aside. So here's to learning the language. Wish me luck!

Ciao a tutti.

Milk Bar & Zenzero

We kept our first anniversary simple. We went to 2 of our favorite places, Milk Bar & Zenzero. Both are in the coastal town of Ostia Lido, just a quick 25 min. metro ride outside of Rome.

Ostia Lido has a laid back, small town feel and we love it.

Milk Bar is a great little apertivo spot in the main piazza of the town. In addition to a good Aperol spritz, you can pick up a jug of milk. The constant stream of clientele coming just for milk is enough proves the concept works.

Zenzero is a bio-restaurant that has a great gluten-free menu, in addition to a really good seafood or vegetarian menu. This place is perfect, because of course I can get something that I like and won't make me sick and Jim can get something that he likes. We've been so many times that they recognize us, though I would guess that they don't get many repeat American customers, especially any that are gluten-free and tomato-free.

Feeling settled

Well, it's taken a while, but I'm happy to say that after living in Rome for a year we are finally starting to feel settled. We've finished fixing up the patio, including negotiating with the owner to buy a nice little table, and bought lots of plants to make our little slice of outdoor space green. We also bought a little charcoal grill and have been grilling a few times a week. We have until mid-October to enjoy the patio, then it starts raining and literally won't stop until February.

Rome is also starting to adjust to us living here too. A fried chicken place, yes, that's right, a fried chicken place called Chicken Hut opened just down the hill. We went there today and Jim got a fried chicken sandwich. He was in heaven.

I'll leave you with a few snap shots from the patio.

Back to the daily grind...

Well, it's back to the daily grind here in Rome.

Just back from my one month contract break, aka mandatory unpaid vacation, in Auburn.

The month went by waaaay too fast, but it was nice to spend time with friends and family, and of course Dolce and Fratello. The month was filled with appointments, making jewelry, getting my fix of Food Network, stocking up on all my favorite health food (and gluten free) goodies (Larabars and dry roasted edamame...yum!), decompressing from a stressful year and maybe a little shopping.

I started my new contract today and I'm excited about the projects coming up this fall. And, I'm excited about starting our second year in Rome, along with our second year of marriage. Our first year was full of challenges and adjustments, but now the hard part is over and we can just focus on enjoying the city and country we are calling home.

Ceci Flatbread

The word ceci, besides being one of the best words in the Italian language, means garbanzo bean.

Garbanzo beans are pretty amazing little things. They are low in fat, high in fiber and protein, and they are a great source of minerals, like iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. And not to mention they are gluten free!

This flat bread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a light dinner, or as an easy appetizer for a dinner party. This recipe is an adaptation of the northern Italian classic "farinata."

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

3/4 cup water

1 small onion, thinly sliced in to "half-moons"

2 sprigs of rosemary, finely minced

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. sea salt

For this recipe you will also need a 9-inch non-stick pan that is oven safe (no plastic on the handle!)

The one downside of this recipe, at least with our old oven that isn't well insulated, is that it heats up the kitchen!

Start by cranking up the oven to 450F.

While the oven is heating, combine the garbanzo bean flour and water in a mixing bowl and set aside. The mixture will be very loose, don't be worried.

Slice the onion and scatter the slices in the pan. Mince the rosemary then add it to the onions. Drizzle the onions and rosemary with the olive oil and place the pan in the oven. Let the onions cook for 10-15 minutes until they are fragrant and translucent.

Take the pan out of the oven and gently pour in the batter. Place back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the bread is golden across the top and just starting to brown on the edges.

To serve slice into 8 pieces.

The great thing about this recipe is it's versatility.

Make a North African version by adding spices like cumin and cinnamon, or keep it plain and use it as the base for a gluten free pizza.

The possibilities are endless!

Buon appetito!

Capri

Last weekend we headed south to Capri while Laura and Dustin were visiting.

Capri is notoriously expensive, but we stayed in Anacapri, which is a little less expensive and a little less touristy. We stayed at Villa Eva, which is located just outside of the center of Anacapri and has a lovely pool to relax at.

Here are a few pictures: