Tasting Rome

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Italian Cooking With Tasting Rome

Our copy of Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City arrived at the perfect time, as we are discovering more about this city in our geography studies, and our junior chef is determined to cook his way around the world. Looking for authentic techniques and flavors, we have fallen for Tasting Rome and all its culinary wonders. Besides the gorgeous photography that immerses readers into Italian culture, the traditional Italian recipes adapted with a modern flair are enticing and tell a lovely story.

The authors immerse us in a world of flavors and culture with a behind-the-scenes tour of Italian cooking: “Eating in Rome can be intimidating–language barriers and separate menus for locals and tourists don’t help–but cooking like a Roman shouldn’t be (p. 21).

Using Tasting Rome as an introduction to Italian cooking, my junior chef and I are working through the beginning sections of the book slowly, learning more about Roman history and the essentials of a Roman kitchen. The authors spend page after page prepping readers for the experience to come as they offer suggestions for equipping the kitchen and modified techniques for creating the meals at home.

Some of our favorite recipes include:

• cacio e pepe di deonardo vignoli (Leonardo Vignoli’s cacio e pepe–you won’t believe how simple this pasta dish is, and oh, so good)
• bruschette con carciofi, limone, e pecorino romano (bruschetta with artichoke, lemon, and pedcorino romano)
• pollo alla romana (chicken with tomatoes and bell peppers)
• biscotti con mandorle e cannella (almond and cinnamon biscotti)
• insalata di misticanza (micro green salad with hazelnuts and pecorino)
• verdure gratinate al forno (baked vegetables with bread crumbs)
• and once gardening season is in full swing, we can’t wait to try fiori di zucca e pezzetti fritti (fried squash blossoms and seasonal fruits and vegetables).

I’ll admit my reluctance to try some of the not-so-familiar dishes that feature ingredients such as beef tongue and oxtail, but our family is intrigued to try new things and experience a little bit of Rome, so we might just venture out into some new territory in the kitchen. We’re definitely all in favor of working through each and every page of the Sweets chapter!

The publisher provided a review copy of Tasting Rome.