{New Weekly Column!} Introducing Edible Cities

Today, I’m happy and proud to introduce a new column that will be published every Monday on Food Nouveau: Edible Cities. 

As you certainly know, Food Nouveau is about my love for food and travel. I’m always looking for ways to combine these two passions and Edible Cities will do just that. Every week, I will feature one of my favorite bloggers or authors, which will tell us readers about a city that left a big impression on them, and which dish they loved the best when they visited. My goal with this new column is to allow everyone to discover new places and new dishes through the eyes of bloggers and authors they love.

To give you a taste of what’s to come, today I’m sharing my own Edible City: Rome. I hope you enjoy this new column, and if you know a blogger, an author or a chef that could be interested in sharing his or her Edible City, send me a line and I’ll give you all the details!

My Edible City

Rome, Italy. Many people start their love affair with Italy through Rome, but I had experienced the country quite thoroughly before getting to its capital. It wasn’t love at first sight, but every day, as I came out of my Trastevere apartment and roamed the pebbled, imperfect streets, I realized just how rich the city’s history was and quickly became overwhelmed by the timeless beauty each architectural detail revealed. Food-wise, I was in for a treat, as I discovered Rome’s cuisine was quite unique and I loved to discover each of its specialties, one dish at a time. Wandering from café to trattoria to osteria, I was so delighted that I never even considered dining in a fancier restaurant. This is what I loved about Rome: it’s an unpretentious city that hides a treasure of delightful discoveries.

My Favorite Dish

Cacio e Pepe. This dish embodies Rome’s simple/rich contrast so perfectly that it almost feels like it was created 2,500 years ago, along with the city. This minimalist pasta dish contains just a few ingredients but it is bursting with flavor, and may very well be one of the most luscious things I ever ate. To make Cacio e pepe (which literally means ‘cheese & pepper’), long pasta (such as spaghetti or bucatini) is cooked to al dente perfection and coated with a simple sauce made with butter and lots of cracked black pepper, as well as hard, pungent Italian cheeses such as parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino. I had my favorite rendition of the dish at Roscioli Vineria e Salumeria, a delicatessen-meets-rustic restaurant close to the Campo di Fiori. Just remembering the dish makes my tastebuds salivate! The good news is that I can quite easily make it at home – although I’ll admit that there’s nothing like enjoying it in a small, rambling Roman restaurant.

Useful Links

• Saveur Magazine’s recipe to make Cacio e Pepe
• Eleonora’s simpler than simple version of Cacio e Pepe (no butter!)
• Shops, Restaurants, Gelaterie, Tours and More: Favorite Addresses in Rome
• Excellent food tours in Rome
• Wine tastings, wine & cheese lunches and other wine-related activities: Vino Roma

Next Week on Edible Cities

Next week, Greg Henry, food blogger and author of Sippity Sup, is taking us to Paris. Don’t miss it!