Italian Fare

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but if it had been, the day would be April 21. At least that is the day that is celebrated as the day Rome was founded. There is something magical about the name Rome. It conjures up visions of beautiful hills surrounding the Eternal City founded by the twins, Remus and Romulus. It is said that all roads lead to Rome and that is certainly true of the culinary paths; it is the intersection of the Northern and Southern Italian cuisines and boasts the best of both.


For centuries Rome has shunned the usual divisions of Italian cuisine (butter in the north, olive oil in the south) and has merged the cultural contributions of not only Italy but of other nations as well, evolving into a truly eclectic cooking style that is still distinctly Italian.

And it is spring in Italy which means the open air markets; the most famous of which is the Campo de’Fiori, are in full swing. No one knows why the vegetables and herbs of Italy taste so superior to others in the world, but they do. Reasons range from the sea mists that carry salts and other minerals across the land to the use of natural fertilizers, the climate, or perhaps most importantly, the Italian know-how.

Rome boasts a 2,000-year-old repertoire of recipes which is extraordinary even by Italian standards. There are hundreds of traditional recipes in which the local produce stars, even though each household has its own version. Spinach, asparagus, artichokes, and tomatoes team with an abundance of herbs—parsley, sweet basil, wild marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, bay leaves, oregano, mint, myrtle and borage. Fennel seed, juniper berries and a wide variety of spices including cloves, coriander and saffron add to the wide spectrum of flavorings favored by the Italians, as do celery, onions, shallots, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and—especially—olives.

I came across a wonderful sounding Roman menu for spring in a (what else) Bon Appetit magazine from May 2005 and decided to make it; alas, some of the ingredients are not available anywhere near here, at least not right now. So I opted for a couple of the dishes I could make without actually going to Rome—and they were a real hit.

Menu for 6

Cherry Tomato, Arugula and Shrimp Salad
Spaghetti with Fresh Favas, Peas, and Guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl)
Leg of Lamb with pan-roasted Potatoes and Artichokes
Baby Zucchini Carpaccio with Pecorino and Mint
Fresh Orange Tiramisu

Cherry Tomato, Arugula and Shrimp Salad

5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
¼ cup dry white wine
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 ounces baby arugula (about 4 cups)
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; stir until garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Discard garlic. Add shrimp to skillet; stir until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large salad bowl. Pour wine into skillet and boil until reduced to thick syrup, stirring frequently and adding any accumulated juices from shrimp, about 3 minutes. Pour over shrimp in bowl. Cool.

Whisk remaining 3 Tbsp. oil with lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add arugula and tomatoes to shrimp; toss to blend. Add enough dressing to salad to coat.

Fresh Orange Tiramisu

1 cup fresh orange juice
5 Tbsp sugar, divided
6 Tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur, divided
6 large oranges
1/3 cup water
2 cups chilled whipping cream
2 8-oz containers mascarpone cheese
20 crisp ladyfinger cookies

Stir orange juice and 1 Tbsp. sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cool orange syrup. Stir in 1 Tbsp liqueur.

Using sharp knife cut all peel and white pith from oranges. Cut 5 oranges into ¼-inch-thick rounds; set aside. Coarsely chop remaining orange; transfer chopped orange and any accumulated juices to another heavy small saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1/3 cup water to chopped orange. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick and pulpy, stirring frequently and mashing mixture with back of fork, about 25 minutes. Cool cooked orange mixture completely. Using electric mixer beat whipping cream and mascarpone cheese in large bowl until soft peaks form. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, cooked orange mixture and remaining 5 Tbsp liqueur.

Line 2 ½ quart soufflé dish with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap, leaving 4-inch overhang. Line bottom and sides of dish with orange slices, halving some slices as needed to cover completely. Dip 1 cookie into orange syrup to barely soften, turning once, about 2 seconds. Place atop oranges in bottom of dish. Repeat with enough cookies to cover bottom of dish. Spread 1 ½ cups mascarpone mixture over cookies. Arrange half of remaining orange slices over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with cookies dipped in syrup, 1 ½ cups mascarpone, and oranges. Place third layer of cookies dipped in syrup atop oranges, then spread remaining mascarpone over. Fold plastic overhang over tiramisu. Chill tiramisu at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Peel back plastic wrap. Place plate atop soufflé dish. Invert dish. Remove dish and plastic wrap from tiramisu.