liquore aqui e non per mi

Italy has an interesting collection of liquor and spirits unique to this country. Despite the wonderful wine they make here (my fav so far being Morinelli from Tuscany) , I have also tried some specialties.

Limoncello- is a lemon liquor produced mainly in the south around Naples. It is made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water, and sugar. See this link if you would like to make it. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm Its sweet and lemony but not sour and perfect for a after dinner digestive. My friend licias father in Pescara makes his own and let me try this strong yet pleasant drink.

Sambusca- is anisseed flavored colorless liquer commonly taken after meals and put in coffee. It is a bit more complex to make because it uses essential oils created by distilling anise seeds. You can easily find it in supermarkets here and in just about everyones home. My relatives in milan gave me a shot of it after our meal of pasta pomodoro.

buonissimo gelato

ok, i know what you're all thinking. shes lactose intolerant and should NOT be eating the creamy delicious wonder - gelato. Well you are partially right. I have had some trouble with the gelato tummy wise but am happy to report that i can enjoy the fruit and yogurt flavors no problem!

So here is a list of flavors i had tried:

Strawberry - Fragola
Lemon -Limone
Coffee - caffe
Tiramisu - duh
Stracciatela -which is like a creamy choc chip
Panna Cotta -caramel swirled flan
Spagnola - raspberry swirl
Frutti di Bosco - mixed fruit yogurt

and the winner is (and also gave me the most trouble) TIRAMISU! but then again it is one of my favorite desserts as well.

un caffe, per favore

I am sure you all are aware that coffee is a large part of Italian culture. I bet they have just as many kinds of coffee drinks as pasta! I often go out for coffee with colleagues and realized just how ignorant I was to this part of their culture - such as having cappucino is a faux pas after lunch or dinner. So i did a bit of research and here are the new terms i learned:

• caffè (espresso)—a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e., espresso
• caffè Americano—American-style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup
• caffè corretto—coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirit
• caffè doppio—double espresso
• caffè freddo—iced coffee
• caffè Hag—decaffeinated coffee
• caffè latte—hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast
• caffè macchiato—espresso "stained" with a drop of steamed milk: small version of a cappuccino
• caffè marocchino—espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder
• caffè stretto—espresso with less water; rocket fuel!
• cappuccino—espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never after lunch or dinner
• granita di caffè con panna—frozen, iced beverage (similar to a slush, but ice shavings make it authentic) and topped with whipped cream
• caffe con crema-hot espresso with a dolop of your choice of gelato in the middle
  

With this vocab, you all can order like a local! I think i will have to buy an Italian stove top coffee pot or Moka Pot as they are called as well- they know how to do coffee here = )

a word about transport and 'foreign food'

I use the public transportation everday in Rome to reach my destination. I must say that without it i would be completely lost as far as getting around but I also need to say that if you come here , you must experience it. Not because its a hoot and a holler, but because its an unpleaseant but large part of the big city culture. Imagine yourself a sardine, pinned on either side by fishy smelling Italians. They naturally have their armpits exposed as they hang onto the overhead bar and have no qualms about practically massaging you with their failing appendages as the train or bus jolts. I am sure that Italians wear deoderant and perfume and unlike that old cliche - Europeans dont always smell. But the transportation is always cramped and the bodies created quite the sauna. Everyone sweats, i just think Italians have the best genes for it. So needless to say, I dont exactly look forward to my 45 minute commute twice a day.

Rome is quite the international city and hosts a variety of cusines. You can eat Indian, Chinese, Sushi, Mediteranean, etc. On the via Veneto where the United States Embassy is you will see the Cafe de Paris, and even A Hard Rock Cafe! I checked out the menu as I walked by and it will cost you 13,75€ (about $22) for a normal hamburger. This is the only 'American' restaurant besides McDonalds listed in the WHERE magazines special dining issue. As far as sweets are concerned, you can stop just about anywhere for something terribly bad for you. The infamous gelato is found everywhere, baked goods like sweet crossaints and cream puffs made daily tempt you from behing glass cases, and so far my favorite the Lindt Chocolate bins at Termini train station. In the Lindt shop, you can go in and scoop your favorite varieties of Lindt roulettes into plastic sacs by the kilo! Its like jelly bean bins at home but with the best chocolates in the world = )

Pizza is THE fast food here-found on every corner and sold by weight. I have had some terrible pizza that was almost too salty to eat (ham) and i have also had some tasty slices with lots of tomatoe sauce and vegetables. So be picky about your piece and you will land on a good kind.
I have discovered some other Italian foods that I do quite enjoy. Pasta tomatoe and fresh mozzarella salad, tiramisu, and McDonalds Italian version of baked goods are quite nice. Ill be sure to talk about Italian cuisine in the future but for now I think France has this country beat.