Food Lover's Odyssey

Caramel Gelato and Favorite Gelato Spots in Rome

 

  

When I’m in Italy, I can’t go a day without a cone of gelato.  I’ll let you in on a secret; sometimes, I even eat it twice a day.  I go through serious gelato withdrawals when I get back to the U.S.  Gelaterie aren’t as popular in the U.S., and quality ones are even harder to find. 

  

 

  

In Rome, you can find a gelateria every few feet, but not all are of equal quality.  Good gelaterie make their gelato on-site and use fresh, natural and organic products.   My favorite flavor is cioccolato fondente (dark chocolate), but it’s not normal to only order one flavor.  I usually combine it with caramel, gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut), stracciatella (chocolate chip), café or lampone (raspberry). I will go out of my for quality gelato, and usually found myself at one of these favorite five gelaterie while in Rome.

  

  

 

Giolitti (www.giolitti.it - via Uffici del Vicario 40 – north of the Pantheon) It’s over 100 years old and the favorite of native Romans.  The fruit flavors are very good.  They are open until 1:30AM for your late-night gelato cravings.

 

  

San Crispino (www.ilgelatodisancrispino.it – Villa della Panetteria 42 near the Trevi Fountain and Piazza della Maddalena 3 near the Pantheon) If Michelin stars were given to gelaterie, San Crispino would certainly receive three.  Two brothers dedicated to producing the best gelato, do.  They use the highest quality fresh ingredients and all natural ingredients.  They only serve their gelato only in cups because they believe that cones interfere with the flavor.

 

  

Della Palma (via della Maddalena 27 - north of the Pantheon) With 150 flavors and countless of them creamy chocolate combinations, this is a chocoholics dream gelateria.

 

  

Al Settimo Gelo (www.alsettimogelo.it - via Vodice 21A – near Piazza Mazzini and the Vatican) Ingredients are all natural, organic and fair trade.  The chocolate peperoncino is an excellent mix of chocolate and spice.

 

  

Gelateria Ara Coeli (www.gelateriaaracoeli.com - Piazza Ara Coeli 9 – near Piazza Venezia) They use Valrhona chocolate for their luscious chocolate gelato.  Their fruit flavors are bursting with the freshness of the fruit.  They also make desserts such as tiramisu, cassata and more.

 

 

  

What are your favorite gelato combinations? Where have you had the best gelato in Italy or in your country? 

  

 

Here’s a recipe for caramel gelato in case you’re also having gelato withdrawal and there’s not a gelateria every few feet in your neighborhood.  This recipe includes a caramel sauce that you can swirl in or serve on the side, or both.  The caramel mix-in gives it that much more of a caramel flavor and a texture combination. 

  

 

  

Caramel Sauce for Mix In

(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

 

 

1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1 cup (225 ml) heavy cream

 

 

Over high heat, heat the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom sauce pan that is at least triple the height of the sugar and water mixture.  In another saucepan, heat the cream, just to take the chill from it.  Do not stir the sugar mixture or the sugar will crystallize.  You can swirl it slowly to make sure the sugar is cooking evenly. 

  

 Once the sugar mixture is a deep amber color and just starts to smoke, remove from the heat.  Immediately whisk in the cream, a little at a time (this will stop the caramel from cooking further).  The mixture will bubble up quite a bit.  Once all the cream has been whisked in, return to medium heat and continue stirring until caramel has dissolved.  Set aside.

 

  

Caramel Gelato

(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

 

 

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

2 cups (450 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (225 ml) whole milk

 

 

Over high heat, heat the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom saucepan that is at least triple the height of the sugar and water mixture.  In another saucepan, heat the milk and cream, just to take the chill from it.  Do not stir the sugar mixture or the sugar will crystallize.  You can swirl it slowly to make sure the sugar is cooking evenly. 

  

 Once the sugar mixture is a deep amber color and just starts to smoke, remove from the heat.  Immediately whisk in the cream, a little at a time (this will stop the caramel from cooking further).  The mixture will bubble up quite a bit.  Once all the cream has been whisked in, return to medium heat and continue stirring until caramel has dissolved. 

  

 Strain and chill in a bain marie.  Once cool, process in an ice cream/gelato machine according to your machine’s directions.  Once you’ve processed the gelato, drizzle in the caramel sauce and mix in.  Freeze until ready to serve. 

  

  

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Food in Rome - Taste of Testaccio is Offal

  

Testaccio, the pungent, blue-collar neighborhood, is in the heart of Rome and the birthplace of the rugged Roman Cuisine known as the quinto quarto (fifth quarter).  From 1890-1975 Testaccio was home to the slaughterhouses of Rome.  Here the meat was taken apart in quarters.  Distribution went like this:  Prime quarter went to nobility, second quarter to the clergy, third quarter to the bourgeoisie, fourth to soldiers.  The “fifth quarter” of offal makes up about one-forth of the carcass’s weight.  These rejected nasty bits of heads, tails, hearts, lungs, glands, intestines, feet, and esophagus went to the average Giuseppe of Rome.  Slaughterhouse workers also took parts of the quinto quarto home as part of their pay.  The name quinto quarto was born along with an entire cuisine around offal. 

  

  

 

After 1975, the scent of blood left with the slaughterhouse closures, and the neighborhood started changing.  Nightclubs and discotheques moved into the buildings vacated by the slaughterhouses.  Testaccio now has laborers, young families, and the upwardly mobile mingling together. The old restaurants are still there and still serving quinto quarto specialties.

 

  

I'm not in the Andrew Zimmern or Anthony Bourdain category when it comes to adventurous eating, but I did try the pajata, animelle, trippa and coda.  I am now a firm believer that all stews and ragu should be made with coda.  I chickened out when it came time to bite into milza (maybe the next trip).  I found that venturing even a little out of your eating comfort zone not only opens your mind and palate, but it also brings strange stares or welcoming smiles to the waiters' faces.  They're just not used to hearing these dishes ordered from a pale-skinned redhead in obviously foreing- accented Italian. 

  

Here’s a bit of menu translation to help you navigate your way through the quinto quarto menu:

  

 

Zampi or zampetti - feet

La pajata – intestines from a suckling lamb (either stewed in tomato sauce and served with rigatoni or grilled

Testarelle – head (usually roasted)

Trippa – stomach (usally stewed in tomato sauce)

Coratella – heart, lung, esophagus (sautéed with the purple globe artichokes of Rome---because those artichokes make everything good)

Coda – tail (makes a dense and meaty stew or pasta sauce)

Animelle – Sweatbreads (usually grilled)

Milza – spleen (usually grilled or stewed)

Cervello – brain

Fegato – liver

Zinna - cow teets

 

 

Tripe in a Tomato Sauce

 

  

 

While you can find the traditional offal dishes of Rome throughout the city, the eateries in Testaccio specialize in traditional quinto quarto cuisine. 

 

  

Checchino Dal 1887  (via di Monte Testaccio 30) Still in its original location in Mt. Testaccio.  Mr. "Checchino" opened while they were building the slaughterhouses.  He was very sly and got a license to cook food just in time for the hungry workers’ arrival.  He cooked the food they were used to eating.  This third-generation restaurant still serves up some of the best offal in Rome and has an exquisite wine cellar and sommeliers to perfectly pair wine with your offal choice.

 

  

Agustarello a Testaccio (via Giovanni Branca 98)  Another traditional Testaccio trattoria, it's decades old and filled with locals, and specializes in Roman offal cuisine.

 

Da Bucatino and Felice a Testaccio, which I've mentioned for their pasta dishes, also have tasty offal choices on their menus. 

  

Coda alla Vaccinara

 

 

  

(Next topic on the Food in Rome will be on the sweeter side. Gelaterie of Rome and a recipe)

  

 

 

 

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Roman Pasta Dishes and Ten Places to Eat Them in Rome

 

Best Picnic Spots and Picnic Fare in Rome

 

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Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Places to Eat them in Rome

 

Not all dishes in Italy are alike.  It may seem like the same pasta and pizza, but every region has its own specialties.  Each region is as fanatic about their dishes as they are about their soccer teams.  Like proud parents, I found that Italians boast about these dishes and how the local ingredients impart a flavor “impossible to replicate” anywhere else in Italy, let alone the rest of the world.  I ran into these proud locals everywhere in Italy, and Rome was no different.  Rome’s just bigger, so there are more local dishes and more braggarts. From these braggarts I learned the nuances of each Roman pasta dish and a few places to eat them in the eternal city.

 

 

  

 

Key ingredients to several Roman pasta dishes are pecorino Romano cheese and guanciale (meat from the pig’s cheek).  Pecorino is a hard sheep’s milk cheese.  Similar in texture to parmigiano, but it’s sharper and saltier.  Guanciale, similar to pancetta but made with the pig's jowl instead of belly,  is sweeter and has a more fatty flavor. Purists believe the pasta dishes of Rome are not authentic without it (no pancetta substitutions for them).  Chili peppers (peperoncini) and black pepper are used in many of the dishes, too. 

 

  

There are two types of pasta in Rome that aren't as prevalent elsewhere, bucatini and tonnarelli.  Bucatini (which translates to little hole) is long pasta, a little thicker than spaghetti with a hole in the center.    You cannot slurp up the long strands, so you better get deft at your pasta and fork twirling before eating this without making a mess.  Tonnarelli is a thicker, more squared, version of spaghetti.  When you find a restaurant where they make it in house, many times in the cacio e pepe dish, it’s a good bet to order it.  You'll also see spaghetti, penne, and rigatoni, as you would throughout Italy. 

 

 

  

 

  

Romans combine a few ingredients in different ways to come up with their pasta dishes.  Below is a list of the pasta dishes of Rome and a little explanation of each.

 

 

  

Potato Gnocchi on Gnocchi Giovedi

 

  

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara – Roman classic made with pecorino cheese, guanciale or pancetta, parmigiano cheese, black pepper and eggs.  When the eggs and cheese hit the hot pasta they combine to make a creamy sauce that clings to each strand of spaghetti.

 

  

Bucatini all’ Amatriciana – After carbonara, this may be the next most popular pasta from Rome.  It’s made with guanciale, pecorino Romano cheese, tomatoes, chili peppers (peperoncini), black pepper and a little wine. Purists will say that onions do not go in this dish, but many places add them.  Guanciale is the key to this dish; and pancetta shouldn't be substituted here.

 

  

Bucatini alla gricia – Even more ancient than amatriciana, it’s made with pecorino cheese, black pepper, and guanciale.  It’s amatriciana without the tomatoes, made before tomatoes were brought to Italy from America.

 

  

Cacio e Pepe  - A spicy version of the American mac and cheese.  Two ingredients added to the pasta – pecorino and black pepper combine to make a creamy and peppery sauce.

  

Rigatoni con Pajata - An ancient dish and part of cucina povera (food of the poor).  It has a tomato-based sauce made with intestines from a suckling lamb.  The milk has just begun to digest (ok, don't think about it, just eat it) adding a ricotta-like consistency, sweetness and milkiness to the sauce.

 

  

Penne all’ Arrabbiata – Arrabbiata means angry, and this dish is called angry because it’s extra spicy.  Very much like amatriciana, made with tomatoes, chili peppers, guanciale and pecorino.  This dish has less guanciale and more peppers than amatriciana.

 

  

Pasta alla Coda Vaccinara– Ragu made from braised oxtail stew.  It’s rich and dense, with a deep meaty flavor.  One of the best meat sauces I've ever tasted.

 

  

Pasta alla Papalina– Similar to carbonara but uses prosciutto (cured pork) instead of guanciale and has pecorino, parmigiano and eggs like carbonara.  Peas are commonly added to the dish.

 

  

Fettucine Doppio Burro – This dish was created by a chef in Rome named Alfredo, who made it for his pregnant wife.  The restaurant Alfredo alla Scorfa is still open.  The sauce is a combination of pecorino cheese and butter.  Butter is added before and after dishing the pasta, and the cheese and butter emulsify to make the “sauce.”  There is no such thing as Alfredo sauce in Italy, but some say this as close as you will get to one.

 

 

Gnocchi– Gnocchi made from semolina flour is Roman, but wait for Thursdays.  On Thursdays many restaurants in Rome make potato gnocchi fresh and in-house.  Known as Gnocchi Giovedi (Thurday Gnocchi), these are the gnocchi of Rome I prefer.

   

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara at Da Danilo

 

 

 

 

Like any other tourist city, Rome has its traps, too many of them in the center .  I've been lucky to get guidance from Romans, expats and other bloggers in Rome.   Below are 10 of my favorite spots for eating some of Rome’s delectable dishes of pasta.

 

UPDATE:  After two trips to Rome in 2011 and more pasta eating, I have new favorites and need to make some changes to the list.  Below is my revised Top 10 trattorie as of December, 2011.

  

 

 

Rigatoni con la coda alla vaccinara at Capo di Ferro

 

 

  

Capo di Ferro - (Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere) Dense, rich and meaty rigatoni alla coda vaccinara was awesome.  They also make a good bucatini all’ amatriciana.  It's just north of the piazza with few tables outside and several inside.

 

  

Da Danilo - (Via Petrarca 13) One of the best carbonara in Rome.  This trattoria, a little away from the center in Esquilino, serves up traditional Roman pasta and secondi.

 

  

Agustarello Testaccio (Via Giovanni Branca 98 in Testaccio) One of the places to go for offal dishes in Testaccio, they make a good rigatoni con pajata along with the carbonara and  amatriciana.

 

  

Felice a Testaccio - (Via Mastro Giorgio 29 in Testaccio ) First time there, I tried to walk up and get seated.  I was alone and clearly a foreigner, so they didn’t seat me, even though there were plenty of empty tables—all with reserved signs.  After several phone attempts I was successful. I think only because my Roman friend called to make reservations and joined me.  All the pasta plates are fantastic, especially the cacio e pepe.  They have an award-winning tiramisu’ that is a decadent end to a great meal.

 

Flavio al Velavevodetto - (via Monte Testaccio 97) - Flavio, once a cook at Felice, reopened this restaurant previously named Velavevodetto (Roman dialect for I told you so) and added his name to it.  The osteria, built into the Testaccio hill of broken amphorae.  You can see part of the hill from the dining room.  They make delicious Roman pasta dishes.  I especially liked the amatriciana.  They also serve up classic Roman secondi and have a variety of house specialties, too.

 

  

Settimio al Pelligrino (via del Pellegrino 117 near Campo dei Fiori ) Family-owned restaurant where you must ring the doorbell to enter.  They make Roman dishes in a casalinga (homemade) style, and every Thursday mamma makes pillow-like gnocchi.

 

 

 Da Bucatino (via della Robbia Luca, 84/86 in Testaccio ) This casual corner trattoria was near my apartment, and I went there many times for the bucatini all’ amatriciana.  My first time there, they gave me a bib to eat the bucatini, and were shocked when not one drop of sauce landed anywhere on the table, me or the bib.  The waiters look like a cast from Grumpy Old Men, but their hearts are as big as their stomachs.  The rigatoni con pajata is also very good.

 

Taverna Trilussa - (via del Politeama 23/25) In the heart of Trastevere, this taverna makes a good amatriciana, gricia and tonnarelli cacio e pepe. Their fried antipasti are a great start, too.

  

Roma Sparita - (Piazza Santa Cecilia in Trastevere) I was told by several Romans this is the place for Cacio e Pepe in Rome, and it is.  The trattoria is in a piazza in a quiet part of Trastevere.

 

  

Da Gino - (Vicolo Rosini 4 north of the Pantheon ) Gnocchi on Thursday are one of the best I had in Rome.  They also make a great carbonara with house-made tonnarelli, and the house dish of tonnarelli alla ciociara is Gino's most popular dish.  The place is hidden away in an alleyway but packed with locals.  I think I was the only American in the place. You dine under murals and on cloth covered tables, banging elbows with those jammed next to you.

 

 

Bucatini all' Amatriciana

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

  

   

 

 

Related Posts:

  

Da Danilo - Delicious Dining in Rome

 

Taste of Testaccio: Food Tour with Eating Italy in Rome

 

Cacio e Pepe Recipe Inspired by Roma Sparita

 

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Food in Rome - Taste of Testaccio is Offal

 

The Dish from Rome: Coda alla Vaccinara

  

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Neapolitan Style Mussels

 

My Roman friend, Giancarlo, shared this Neapolitan-Style Mussels recipe (Cozze alla Marinara) with me during our Italian-American potluck.  I met Giancarlo by accident.  I had wanted to go back to Rome after Venice, but had not made any plans.  My friend in Venice had rented a room from Giancarlo and highly recommended I do the same.  His apartment is in the Testaccio area of Rome, previously known for housing Rome's slaughterhouses.  Now, nightclubs and bars have replaced the slaughterhouses. This residential neighborhood, with very few tourists, has many culinary delights.

  

  

 

 

  

Maybe because I was one of the only tourists in the neighborhood, he looked after me.  My first morning there, he took me around the neighborhood personally, included me in all his social plans, and directed me to the local spots for some of the best food in Rome (I'll be filling you in on those spots soon.)  A few years ago, there was NO WAY I would have strayed from my carefully laid travel plans.  I made to-do lists and was sticking to them.  Not even a handsome gondoliere or happened-upon food festival could deter me.  The list had to be checked.  This trip, I was much more laid back, embracing unexpected adventures.  Because of it I have new friends and great memories in Rome.  Martin Buber said one of the great things about travel is, “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”  A month at Giancarlo's in Testaccio was one of these secret destinations for me.

 

  

As one travels south in Italy, the food gets a little spicier.  The red peppers (peperoncini) and freshly ground black pepper give the dish some spice.  Pepperoncini, called “Viagra of the poor” are as prevalent in the food markets as scooters (vespas) are on the streets.  Also as you move south, the people of Italy change.  I witnessed more verbal battles, and occasionally physical ones, in Rome, Naples and Palermo.  I also got yelled at much more.  But, I was also welcomed and embraced more in these cities.  The food, naturally, should match the people, and the spiciness of this dish does just that. 

  

 

 

 

 

The juices from the mussels and the tomatoes make a succulent sauce. Don’t forget to place the crostini at the bottom of your bowl before adding the mussels.  The toasted bread will have soaked up the juice and all the flavors by the time you get to the bottom. 

  

 

This recipe was adapted from the dish Giancarlo made for our dinner in Rome.  I hope you try it and enjoy it.  Let me know how it comes out.

 

Neapolitan-Style Mussels alla Giancarlo

(Cozze alla Marinara)

 

 

  

(Serves 4 people)

 

 

  

For the crostini:

About 20 slices of bread, from one baguette

4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, sliced in half

 

 

  

For the mussels:

4 pounds mussels

1 cup wine

1/3 cup lemon juice, from 3 to 4 lemons

About 1/4 cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

3 to 4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

32 ounces peeled, diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 bunch, flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

 

  

2 lemons, sliced in wedges (optional)

 

 

  

Preheat an oven to 375ºF

 

 

  

To make the crostini, brush both sides of each of the slices of bread with olive oil.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.  Rub each side of the crostini with the sliced garlic.  Set aside.

 

 

  

To prepare the mussels, clean the mussels under running water, discarding any with broken shells.  Trim the “beard” (the stringy portion) from the side.  In a sauté pan big enough to hold all the mussels in one layer, add the mussels, wine and lemon juice.  Cover and steam over medium heat until almost all the mussels have opened, about 10 minutes.  (Discard any that haven’t opened.)  Strain the liquid and set it and the mussels aside, separately.

 

 

  

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and celery and cook until they are transluscent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the mussel cooking liquid oregano and 1/3 of the chopped parsley.  Turn the heat to high.  Keep the heat high until it starts to boil, then turn the heat down to medium and cook another 10 minutes, reducing a bit.  The sauce should be quite dense.  If it’s too dense, add more of the mussel cooking liquid.  Add the mussels and reheat.  Taste and add more salt if needed, plenty of freshly ground pepper, and the remaining parsley.

 

 

  

To serve, place a crostini at the bottom of each of 4 individual bowls.  Spoon the mussels into the four bowls, distributing them evenly.  Pour the sauce over the mussels.  Add three crostini to each bowl and lemon wedges if desired.  Enjoy!

Related Posts:

Dining Around Naples with Napoli Unplugged

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Photo Tour of Spaccanapoli and Napoli's Historic Center

Pasta con Le Sarde and Cooking in Palermo

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples Italy

Journey Through the Pastries of Napoli

Taste of the Sea and Spaghetti Siracusana

Nero di Seppie - A Traditional Venetian Dish

Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Places to Eat Them in Rome

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake and Recipe Sharing in Rome

For a culinary traveler, food is always the number one topic when meeting locals and/or fellow travelers.  When I’m able to share favorite recipes with others, it is an added bonus.  This happened one evening in Rome, in an apartment overlooking the Campo dei Fiori.  Two newly-made friends from Rome and I had a potluck of both Italian and American flavors. 

In Stefania’s cozy and narrow kitchen, we cooked favorite dishes from our own countries.  Stefania made an appetizer of feta, tomatoes and oregano, Giancarlo made his version of Cozze Napoletane (Neapolitan-style mussels), and I made an American lemon cheesecake.  We helped each other and chatted while passing pans and ingredients, chopping garlic and herbs, sautéing, steaming, mixing, and even drinking a little wine in between the work.  Pans and utensils clinked, sauces simmered, and the scents from the cooking drifted and mingled together like our mixed-language conversation, bonding together flavors and friendships. 

We brought the dishes to the living room and dined while sitting on throw pillows.  We used crostini and our hands as utensils to eat the mussels.  Talk and wine flowed freely.  The dinner ended with each of us having a slice of lemon cheesecake and a shot of limoncello, made by Stefania’s mom.  Both had us feeling full and happy.  The food was unpretentious, casual, yet it was delicate, full of flavor, and satisfying.  It was one of my most memorable dining experiences in Rome.  I want to share each of the dishes with you, yes even Stefania’s mom’s homemade limoncello. 

 

Today, I’m sharing the lemon cheesecake.  When someone asks me what American dessert I like the best, I don’t take long to answer; it’s cheesecake or chocolate chip cookies.  Our cream cheese is best for making the dessert so creamy and dense.  I’ve tried using other cheeses, but nothing works as well as U.S. cream cheese.  The lemony flavor lightens it up, well just a bit.  Since lemons never seem to be out of season in Italy, I made a lemon cheesecake.  And, I was able to find Philadelphia brand cream cheese at the supermarket in Rome. 

This recipe uses Meyer lemons, (because I just picked well over 300 from our tree) but you can also use regular lemons.  I’ve added notes on adjusting the recipe for regular lemons below.  There are a few easy tricks to making this cheesecake perfect:  1) It’s important that the cream cheese is at room temperature before creaming it, or you may have lumpy instead of creamy cheesecake.  2) Cook the cheesecake in a water bath to help it bake more evenly and prevent cracking and browning on top.  3) Don’t overbake the cheesecake.  It should still jiggle slightly in the center when you remove it from the oven.  The cake continues cooking even after it’s removed and will set once it’s cooled.

I would love to hear from you on your culinary travel experiences.  What dish from your country do you most like to share with others?

  
Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

(makes one 10-inch cheesecake)

  

 

 

For the crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

7 tablespoons butter, melted

  

 

 

For the cheesecake:

2 1/2 pounds (1.14 kg) Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice*

  

 

 

About 1 cup lightly-sweetened whipped cream, optional for garnish

4 to 5 lemon slices, halved, optional for garnish

  

 

 

*If using regular lemons, reduce the zest to 2 tablespoons and the lemon juice to 1/3 cup.

  

 

 

Preheat oven to 375ºF and butter the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan

  

 

 

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Press into the spring form pan, going up the side of the pan only 1/4 inch.  Bake about 8 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool completely.

  

 

 

Decrease oven temperature to 325ºF

  

 

 

In a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese until it’s smooth.  Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix together.  Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and heavy cream and stir until combined.  Add the eggs and yolks one at a time; mix each in before adding the next.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Pour the cheesecake filling into the spring form pan on top of the cooled crust.  Bake in a water bath for 60-70 minutes.  The outer edges should be set and the center will still jiggle a little when you move it.  (The cake continues cooking after it’s removed from the oven.) 

  

 Cool for 15 minutes, then remove the spring form rim.  Cool completely, then place into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, overnight is best.  You can garnish with the whipped cream and lemon slice, if you like.  The cheesecake also goes very well with lemon granita.  Enjoy!

  

Update:  To ensure that no water leaks into the cheesecake while it's baking, wrap aluminum foil around the outside of the spring form pan.  Don't fill the water bath until you've already placed the cheesecake in the oven, and only fill it to halfway up the side of the spring form pan.

  

  

Related Posts:

 

 

 

Gianduja and Nutella Cheesecake for World Nutella Day

Meyer Lemon Tart Inspired by Gerard Mulot Patisserie in Paris

Tiramisu Cheesecake - A Delicious Italian-American Combination

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Granita

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 1 

 

  

Four-Spice Palmiers

Left over puff pastry in your refrigerator or just craving a crunchy and buttery treat?  Make some palmiers.  I had a sheet of puff pastry left over from the galette des rois that I had made, and decided to make some palmiers, also called elephant ears.

  

 

 

When I worked at Julia’s Kitchen in Napa, we made a similar version of these with our morning pastries, and they were very popular.  These are buttery, crunchy, sugary and have a little extra spice.  I’ve added a four-spice mixture to the sugar that is sprinkled in between the folds and on top of the palmiers.

  

 

 

If you already have the puff pastry, these are super easy to make.  All you need are sugar and spices.  You can use store-bought puff pastry, but once you make homemade puff pastry, you won’t want any other.

  

 

 

 Four-Spice Palmier

(Makes about 32 palmiers)

  

 

 1 sheet puff pastry, very cold and rolled to a 16x16-inch square and 1/8-inch thick

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus an extra 3 tablespoons

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

  

Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  Sprinkle a generous portion (about 3 tablespoons) of the mixture onto the sheet of puff pastry.  Starting at the outer edges, fold over 2 1/2 inches of the puff towards the center of  the sheet.  Do this on both sides.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture.

  

From both outer edges, fold another 2 1/2 inches over towards the center.  Do this on both sides.  At this point, the folds will meet in the center.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture.

 

Fold the two parts together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  

Preheat the oven to 410ºF and place parchment paper on two baking sheets.

Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and slice into even slices, 3/8-1/2 inch in thickness.  Place on the baking sheet, leaving a 3-inch space between each palmier.  Sprinkle the tops of each sliced palmier, first with the spiced-sugar mixture, then again with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden.  Cool slightly. Enjoy!

 

Related Posts:

Celebrate Epiphany with Galette des Rois

Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Lunch at Pavillon Margaux

Paris Pastries and Ten Top Patisseries in Paris

The Dish from France: Viennoiserie

Fraisier to Celebrate My First Blog Birthday

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

 

 

Celebrate Epiphany with a Galette des Rois

  

While Americans were back at work today, France, Italy, and most of Europe enjoyed  yet another a day off.  Today is Epiphany.  The end of the 12 days of Christmas and the day the Three Kings finally made it to the baby Jesus, bringing him gifts. 

  

 

In Italy today is the day of La Befana, celebrations take place in Venice, Florence, Rome and throughout the country.  La Befana, the witch brings little children stockings full of candy if they’ve been good, and coal (carbone) if they’ve been bad.  Judy, at Divina Cucina, shares her recipe for coal here, which you can make in an appetizing color for good kids or black for bad kids.

  

 

In France they celebrate Epiphany with a Galette des Rois (Kings Cake), also known as a pithivier.  It’s an old-school pastry but still all the rage in Paris, with each patissier making his/her own version of the traditional galette.  It’s made with puff pastry, and the traditional one has a filling of frangipane (half pastry cream and half almond cream). 

  

  

   

When I lived in Paris, I remember the first time I saw this cake.  It was the day after Christmas, and all the  Buche de Noel were removed from patisserie windows and the Galette des Rois took over. Another thing I noticed was that these cakes were prevalent at the patisseries long after Epiphany was over.  They made them up until Mardis Gras.  Thinking about it, they even left the Christmas decorations up until Mardis Gras.  At one point, I wondered if the tree in front of Notre Dame would ever come down.  I’m not sure if they really love this galette, or they just want to extend Christmas season for as long as possible.  (Maybe a little of both.)

  

Inside the cake is a little “prize.”  It can be a gold coin, a bean (le feve), or any other little trinket. Whoever receives the “prize” in his/her slice is king/queen for the day.  Each galette comes with a paper crown.  (I have elderly people in my family and didn’t want to scare them with trinkets in their food, so I put a dried cherry inside the one I made.)  Before slicing the galette, the youngest family member must go underneath the table and yell out the name of the person who is to receive each slice, so there is no cheating.

  

If you didn’t have today off, you can still celebrate it with a Galette des Rois.  Theoretically, you have from now until Fat Tuesday to enjoy it.  (Actually, I think they make a similar version of this cake in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.)

   

 

Below is the recipe and step-by-step instructions for making puff pastry, which isn’t as hard to make, as it seems.  There are just a few tricks to doing it. 

  

 

Buy the best quality European butter you can find (I use Plugra).  In French patisseries, they use dry butter (beurre sec).  It is a plaque of butter with only 5-10% water in it.  Because it is "drier" than regular butter, it more easily keeps in tact when it’s rolled out.  We don’t have it in the U.S., but a high-quality European butter will work.

  

The butter should be kept as cold as possible while rolling the dough.  Ideally you want to have one layer of dough and then one layer of butter, which multiplies with each turn.  You end up with 729 layers, if done correctly.  The heat causes the water in the butter to expand, and there you have the “puff” in puff pastry.  If the butter gets too soft while you’re rolling it out, it will melt into the dough, and you will lose your puff. 

  

Making the Puff Pastry:

1. The base dough (detrempe)

  

 
2. Putting in the butter block

  

3. Enveloping the butter block, then it's rolled lengthwise

  

4.  After the dough has been rolled, tri-folded, and turned.  This is done 6 times, then rolled out to 1/8-inch thick.   

  

5.  This is what the Galette des Rois looks like before it goes into the oven. 

 

  

Galette des Rois (Pithivier)

(serves 8-10 people)

  

2 1/3 cup (500 g) all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons (75 g) butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (10 g) salt

1 cup  (250 ml) water, cold (plus 1-3 tablespoons more if necessary)

  

1 pound (455 grams) European butter

  

1 cup pastry cream (recipe below)

1 recipe (1 cup) almond cream (recipe below)

2 teaspoons rum or kirsch

1 bean or "trinket"

  

For the egg wash:

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

For the simple syrup:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

  

To make the dough, cut the butter into the flour so that it is just mixed in.  Dissolve the salt in  the water and add to the flour mixture.  Mix together (either by hand or with a stand mixer on the slowest speed) until the dough comes together.  Gather the dough into a ball and make a cross cut on the top.  Wrap in plastic and put in the refrigerator for one hour.  This is the base dough (detrempe) to which the "dry" butter block is added and turned.

  

 

Meanwhile, pound the butter into a butter block, rectangular in size about 6 by 4-inches and 1/2-inch thick.  Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and refrigerate until 15 minutes before taking out the base dough (detrempe).  Ideally, you want the texture of the base dough and the butter to be the same when putting them together.

  

Roll the base dough into a square large enough to envelope the butter block.  Each of the four corners should be rolled out a little extra.  Add the butter block to the center of the base dough, and fold the corners in, making an envelope.  Roll the dough lengthwise only, into a strip that is 3 times the width of the dough.  Fold the dough into thirds, top third down and bottom third up and turn it to the side. (This is your first turn).  Roll the dough lengthwise again, stopping once the dough's length is 3 times its width and make another letter fold.  (Your second turn).  Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

  

After two hours, remove the dough and repeat the above, making two more turns.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

After one hour, remove the dough and repeat again, making two more turns.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour; overnight is even better. 

  

 

Remove the dough, which now has had 6 turns, and roll out into a square that is 1/8-inch (3mm) in thickness.  It is important not to roll it thinner than this.  (Now, you should roll it both vertically and horizontally, not only lengthwise).  Cut out two circles, one 9-inches in diameter, the other 9 1/2-inches in diameter.  Place on a baking sheet, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  (You can put it in the freezer for the last 15 minutes to get the butter very cold.)

Preheat the oven to 475º F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  

To assemble the pithivier, put the dough that is 9-inches in diameter on the prepared baking sheet.  Mix together the pastry cream, almond cream and rum.  Add to the center of the dough.  Spread it out to the edges, leaving a one-inch border at the edges.  Brush the top of the dough along that one-inch border with the egg wash.  Place the other circle of dough on top and very lightly press the edges together.  With a sharp knife, lightly score the top of the pithivier, no deeper than 1mm, in a decorative form.  (You can also cut half-circles along the edges, if you like.) Lightly brush with the egg wash, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

  

 

Remove and lightly brush with another coating of egg wash.  Place in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400º F.  Bake for 40 minutes.

  

While the pithivier is baking make the simple syrup.  Boil the water and sugar.  Once it comes to a boil, remove from the heat and let rest until the pithivier is done. 

  

When the pithivier is golden brown, remove from the ovem and immediately  brush a coating of the simple syrup onto the top of the pithivier.  Slice, serve, and enjoy!

  

Pastry Cream

(makes about 2 1/2 cups*)

  

2 cups (500 g) whole milk

1 vanilla bean

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (50 g) cornstarch

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, bring the milk and the vanilla bean, which has been scraped, and its scrapings to a boil.  While the milk is heating up, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they

have lightened in color.  Add the cornstarch and whisk to combine. 

  

Once the milk has boiled, slowly pour all of it into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs, whisking while you pour.  Pour the entire mixture back into the pan (switch pans if there is any sign of scorched milk at the bottom of the pan) and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  As soon as the mixture boils, take off the heat and continue stirring for one minute.  Let cool for about 2 minutes, then add the softened butter.  Whisk together to combine.  Place in a 9x13-inch glass dish and place plastic wrap on top of the pastry cream (so a film doesn’t develop).  Refrigerate until cool.

  

*You will have extra pastry cream, but it’s not advised to reduce this recipe further or you end up cooking the eggs to quickly and having lumpy pastry cream.

  

Almond Cream

(makes about 1 cup)

  

7 tablespoons (100 g) butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (100 g) powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup (100 g) blanched and ground almonds

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  

Cream the butter and the sugar.  Mix in the cornstarch.  Add the ground almonds and mix in.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and combine.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

A Culinary Traveler's Year in Photos

 

Even though I’ve been on a food lover’s odyssey for almost my entire life, I only started blogging about it in 2009.  This year my food journeys started in Paris and covered Italy.  Below is a photo review of my culinary travels this year. 

 

 

 

 

Paris

I spent spring in Paris and was content with daily doses of pastries.  A friend lectured that I could not live on pastries alone (I’m not sure I completely agree), so I lunched first; finding that Michelin-starred dining at lunch was a nice value and dining solo was a great way to make new friends.  Picnics in the park could also be tres chic.  A self-guided chocolate tour and hot chocolate more than satisfied my chocolate cravings. There was a Sunday at the Bastille Market, another at L’as du Falafel, and another baking baguettes with a friend.  I jumped on a bus to escape the rain and found canals in Paris, and tried the Batobus one day instead of the Metro.  I could see all of Paris for the price of a daily bus ticket.  Instead of shopping for designer bags and haute couture on the Champs Elysees, I lingered over macarons at La Duree.  My time in Paris was top-notch, but two dinners were tops of the top; one at the not-so Hidden Kitchen and the other the tasting menu at L’Atelier Joel Robuchon that was well worth its two-starred price.

 

 

You can see more photos of my travels in Paris here.

 

 

Venice

 

 

 
 

 

Saying au revoir to Paris was painful, but the blow was lessened because I said Ciao to Venice.  A floating city, no cars or buses, I traveled by vaporetto or by foot.  I spent mornings meandering through the fruit and fish stalls at the Rialto Market.  I ate a little cicheti, and at a trattoria here and there, but something had happened to me. I had lost my appetite.  Instead, I visited Burano -- the island of brightly colored houses, made Carnevale masks and drank a lot of Spritz, and forgot about my food lover’s odyssey for a bit.  I was woozy, and giggly, and light-footed and glowing.  Venice had cast its spell on me.  I was in love.  I was sure the feeling was because of my Italian teacher, or the bookseller with the blue eyes, or Daniel, or Javier, then I blamed all the gondoliere in the city, but it wasn’t them. It was Venice, and I didn’t want to leave my newfound love.  I found excuses for staying and savoring the city just a little bit longer.  Someone, or  maybe it was the unbearable humidity, slapped sense into me, and I continued on.

 

You can see more photos of my travels in Venice here.

 

 

Rome

Rome is over 2000 years old and looks pretty good for its age.  I arrived in August while the Romani were fleeing the city for the sea.  I didn't last long.  The heat and the "closed for August" signs were excuse enough for me to hit the beach along with the rest of Italy. I’ll be revisiting this city in 2010.

You can see more photos of my travels in Rome here.

 

 

Naples and the Amalfi Coast

I spent a weekend in Naples with pizza, limoncello, and boat-rides on the Amalfi coast.  After too much limoncello and a transportation mishap, we almost found ourselves stranded at the Naples train station at 3:00am.  An Adonis-like bus driver named Enzo saved us.  From now on, I will defend the character of all Neopolitans.

 

You can see more photos of Naples and the Amalfi Coast here.

 

 

Tuscany and Cinque Terre

 

After a few days in Tuscany for wine tasting and hearty Tuscan food, it was beach time at my favorite Ligurian locale, the Cinque Terre.  I played at the beach and on the water by day and dined on the region’s seafood and pesto by night.

 

You can see more photos of my travels in Tuscany here.

You can see more photos of my travels in the Cinque Terre here.

 

 

Sicily

 

August was over and so was life at the beach.  Back to work, and back to my “homeland.”  Have you ever heard someone say they were born in the wrong century?  Well, I was born on the wrong continent.  I’m certain of this whenever I return to Sicily, the birthplace of my grandparents.  The flavors of Sicily are to me what BBQ and apple pie are to most Americans.  I learned the Sicilian ewes are happier than California cows because their ricotta cannot be duplicated.  My cousins gave me a lesson on Sicilian sweets.  Note to self: NEVER tell an Italian that anything French is better than Italian, even if you’ve served them the best tiramisu they’ve ever eaten.  Besides cooking with my cousins and getting called straniera (foreigner) at the market in Palermo, I explored and tasted dishes from other parts of the island: Taormina, Syracuse, Agrigento, and the Aeolian Islands only to make me ever more sure that Italy is my true home.

 

You can see more photos of my travels in Sicily here. 

 

 

Piedmont

 

If no one else has said it, I’m saying it.  Piedmont is the new and improved Tuscany.  The hills are higher, the land is greener and the wine, Barolo, is king.   Only 20% of its visitors are American.  Americans, what’s keeping you away?  Besides all of that which rivals Tuscany, Turin, the region’s capital has a Chocolate Pass and the food-lover's paradise, Eataly! 

 

You can see more of my travels in Piedmont here.

 

 

Thank you so much for traveling along in 2009.  This food lover's odyssey will continue in 2010 with even more traveling, tasting, and cooking, which will include a few return visits to some of the cities above and even new foodie fieldtrip locations.  Here's to a great year!  May 2010 be full of tasty travels for all of you!  Where are your culinary travels taking you this year?