The most expensive vinegar I've ever had
I had such a wonderful experience with food while in Bologna. I stayed with a friend there for a week, who I had met in Australia, and he insisted on cooking for me everyday. Okay, I think I can live with that!
After dragging myself off the plane and onto the bus to his apartment, all I could think about was taking a nap (I slept a full 20 minutes the night of my flight from Madrid to Bologna). After a much needed sleep I woke up to a delicious lunch waiting for me. He had prepared this pasta dish, which was topped with 300€ balsamic vinegar. No that's not a typo.
It was divine.
It was divine.
Whether it was for lunch or dinner, we ate pasta every single day. I learned so much from my friend as he cooked for me a few of his favourite pasta dishes, risotto, and warm and toasty piadinas (mmm I could go for one topped heavily with mozzarella and rocket right about now). It was all so delicious and full of flavour, and we ate so much of everything. Possibly a little too much. It's a good thing I was spending everyday walking miles around various cities to even out the calorie intake.
One night we had Beef Carpaccio, which I have never had before. For those of you who aren't familiar with the dish, it consists of thin slices of raw beef, and can be topped with arugula and parmesan cheese. It is covered with lemon juice and left in the fridge so that the lemon can 'cook' the meat.
And last but not least: GELATO
I ate so much of this creamy cold stuff while wandering the streets of Florence, Roma and Belogna. Gotta get my fix while I can right?
This was my friend's favourite Gelateria in Bologna, and in his opinion some of the best. Here I tried gelato with marscapone and figs, and also crema Bolognese. Both were so so very good, and definitely my favourite while in Italy. We also visited the famous Vivoli in Florence, where they claim to make the best gelato in the city, and argue for one of the top spots in Italy. Here I tried both blueberry and coconut, both of which were very nice.
Ahh posting about all this Italian food is making me hungry.
On the menu tonight: spaghetti carbonara, recipe courtesy of my Italian chef :)
where are the pics of gelato??!!!??!? despite this notable omission, everything sounds so delicious. I've also always wanted to try beef carpaccio!!! My mom refuses to eat any meat that is less than well done but I always go the opposite direction: she overcooks, I undercook. I can't wait to keep second-hand witnessing your food travels jen!!! xo
ReplyDeleteI know it's terrible but none of the pictures I took of the gelato I ate turned out very well :(
ReplyDeleteThis may be..my first comment ever? Strange, I guess I've been a silent observer! I agree with Anna I would love to try the beef carpaccio but I think I'll have to wait until it appears on a menu somewhere, I wouldn't trust my own technique!
ReplyDeleteWhat was the vinegar like? It looks thick? Why so expensive? Aged?
Too many preguntas, I'm just so curious!
Blong on Jen, Blog on!