GOOOAAAALLL

Yesterday was a taste of true Italian culture. Bonnie, Christina, Sasha, our friend Cara, and I attended the Roma vs. Bologna soccer game. It was hilarious and the best place to people watch. It is concluded that the Italians love their soccer. We knew the Italians took it seriously, we just didn't know how serious. In order to purchase a ticket days before the game you must bring your passport with you and you are only able to buy one ticket. This ensures that scalping does not occur. Once you reach the stadium on game day you have to show your passport and ticket to a police officer after they check your bags. In between sections of seats there are plexi-glass walls to deter rambunctious behavior, however smoke bombs and other items still get thrown over. I guess things tend to get a little rowdy. Luckily the game we attended was not of significant rivalry. If that were the case, we would have only had  the plexi-glass barrier between us and the opposing fans because of where we were sitting. On the other hand our location was enjoyable because we got to see the enthusiastic Roma fans point towards the small Bologna crowd and chant F*ck you cheers with suggestive hand gestures. It was very entertaining. The game itself was a little slow and sloppy, but once Roma scored you would have thought they had won the World Cup. Cannons went off, colored smoke bombs were thrown, and the whole stadium roared in excitement. It was such a great spectacle to witness thousands of fans (not even a full stadium) chant in unison when certain plays occurred. I felt like I needed a guidebook for when/what to cheer. It was very different than any professional sporting event I have attended at home. I cannot wait to go to a game against an actual rival.

Outside the stadium

The stadium is surrounded by statues of Olympians

GOOAAALL ROMA

On each step of each aisle are security guards making sure no one gets in to trouble. 

Some Authentic Italian Recipes

Our chef Andrea was kind enough to send us the recipes from our cooking class so I thought I would pass them along as well.  As an important note he writes, "I've used measurements in cups and grams to make you all able to reproduce the recipes in both countries, in Italy and back home in the States! But remember, as soon as you will return back to the States, if you are using cups the flour you may find may be more dense than we used so you will have to sift it first before measuring it." Everything was beyond delicious, I promise. So enjoy!

1. Appetizer: Bruschetta al Pomodoro, Basilico e Mozzarella di Bufala (Bruschetta with tomato, basil and Buffalo Mozzarella)

 Ingredients (serving 4 people):

- 8 slices italian bread

- 4 tomatoes (the best kind you can get to make bruschetta this time of the year are called Pomodori a Grappolo or back in the US I suggest you to use the Roma Tomatoes type)

- 10 leaves fresh organic basil

- 1 bowl fresh Buffalo Mozzarella

- 1 clove garlic (remember to remove the heart of it, as it's heavy to digest when raw)

- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- salt

- pepper

 Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (or 200°C) and toast the bread until crisp and golden brown for about 5 minutes. Rub each slice of bread with half a clove of garlic, then drizzle with one table spoon of Extra Virgin olive oil (since now I'll call it E.V. olive oil) and season with salt. You can toast the bread in the toaster, but using the oven dries it out more, adding an authentic touch! Be sure to use only a good cold-pressed E.V. olive oil as the dish depends on the quality of the oil.

For your tomato and basil topping you have to chop the tomatoes in small cubes, chop Buffalo Mozzarella in small cubes as well, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with few table spoons of E.V. olive oil and serve.

2. First Course - Fresh Homemade Tagliolini all'Amatriciana (Fresh Homemade Pasta with Bacon Sauce)

 Ingredients for the fresh pasta (serves 4 people):

- 4 cups/400gr all purpose flour 00 (remember if you're using all purpose flour 0 you have to sift it first)

- 4 eggs

Ingredients for the sauce (serves 4 people):

250gr / 8 oz guanciale diced (if you are not abe to find this ingredient back home, then just get pancetta)

1,5 kg / 3 lb can tomatoes, peeled and chopped (the best type is called San Marzano)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot

1 stalk celery 

1 small red chilly pepper, seeded and chopped (I used chili flakes instead of the fresh one, as it's not so invasive)

salt and freshly ground pepper

100 gr / 1 cup pecorino cheese

2 leaves of bay leaves

 Instructions:

Sauté the guanciale in a large frying pan over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, in a large frying pan over low heat, stir in the "soffritto" made from carrots, celery and onion with E.V. olive oil and cook until it starts to brown. Turn on the heat over medium-high and if you want you can even stir in some dry white wine and cook it until it'll evaporate (please never use any sweet wine, it's disgusting!). Then you can add your chopped tomatoes and cook it for 15/30 minutes (depending on how much sauce you're cooking). Add the guanciale and bay leaves and chili pepper. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. 

For the pasta dough all you have to is mix 4 cups/400gr all purpose flour with 4 eggs. Then roll out the dough powerfully to a thin, almost transparent sheet (don’t forget to use flour on the marble surface). Now it's time to cut the pasta into the tagliolini shapes, long and thin, as thin as you possibly can. Let the pasta sit before cooking, then put a large pot of boiling water over high heat. When the water is boiling, toss in a tablespoon of salt with the tagliolini pasta. Stir to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until a piece of pasta tastes cooked.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the frying pan with the amatriciana sauce and add freshly grated pecorino cheese, serve hot.

Note: by the time you'll get back home, if you want to follow the original recipe and cook Bucatini (dry pasta) instead of fresh noodles, remember that the best brand you can get at the supermarket is called De Cecco. Consider to use 500 gr / 1 lb of Bucatini for 4 people.

3. Second Course: Straccetti di Manzo con Funghi e Rughetta (beef "carpaccio" with mushrooms and arugola)

Ingredients (serving 4 people):

- 500 gr / 1/2 Lb beef carpaccio (at the market in Italy they are called "straccetti di manzo")

- 1 clove garlic

- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- freshly chopped parsley

- salt

- 1 cup dry white wine (the one I used for you in the kitchen is called Frascati wine)

- 250 gr / 8.8 Oz Champinion mushrooms (they are the closest type of mushrooms to the Bottom ones you can find back home)

- 250 gr / 8.8 Oz Pletus mushrooms (they are the closest type of mushrooms to the Elephant ears you can find back home)

- 250 gr / 8.8 Oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

- 2 bunch fresh arugola salad

Instructions:

Saute in a frying pan garlic smashed without peeling the skin (as it contains all the nutrients and it's good for the anti-oxidant nutrients) and the mushrooms, cover with a lid and wait until all the water will be released for about 8-10 minutes with a lid (timing will depend on the type of mushrooms you are using) and then add the white wine and wait until it will evaporate. 

In the same pan, heat up again and add more olive oil in case of need, and season the meat with salt and saute for few minutes. The outside should be nicely browned, but it should still be tender and soft overall. Adjust a bed of fresh bitter arugola salad at the bottom of your serving dish and spoon the mushrooms sauce over the beef, and add chopped parsley in the same pan to let it season with the rest of the ingredients.

In the end adjust the meat and mushrooms over and add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to coat the dish. Serve hot, and it will be delicious.

4. Side dish: Broccoli Romaneschi (Roman Style Broccoli)

 Ingredients for 4 servings:

- 1 clove garlic (don't forget to keep the skin of it while you're sauteing with extra virgin olive oil)

- 2 heads of roman broccoli (about 2lb/1kg)

- Salt

- Chili Flakes

 Instructions:

First clean and wash the broccoli removing the bottom of the plant and leaving the smaller leaves, cutting it into smaller pieces. Let the broccoli cook in salted boiling water for a few minutes, until each piace becomes tender and soft. Then in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, leave garlic to brown with extra virgin olive oil. Once the garlic is brown, toss in your boiled broccoli, leave to simmer with garlic until everything is nicely sauteed. Season your dish with salt and chili flakes if you'd like. Serve warm.

5. Dessert: Canestrelli alla Nutella (Nutella filled cookies)

To make the dough you have to mix 5 cups/500gr  of all purpose flour, 2 sticks/250gr of unsalted butter, 2,5 cups/250gr of granulated sugar and 2 eggs, a pinch of salt. Mix everything powerfully on a slightly floured marble surface, and leave in the fridge for min 2hrs to let your butter get less soft and the dough more suitable to stretch and easy to handle. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C for any italian oven that you have in your apartment).

Use a wax sheet paper to roll your dough. Then use round metal forms as the one I gave you and give the right shape to your cookies, (cut half quantity of the cookies with a a smaller hole in center, in the way that you can use it as the tops of the cookie sandwich) bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Sprinkle with icing (powder) sugar all the tops, while spreading on the bottoms a light surface of Nutella to have the tops stick. Use a pastry bag for the toppings. 

I See Dead People

Today was an adventure to say the least. The four of us (Bonnie, Sasha, Christina, and myself) found ourselves outside the Roman walls at the Catacombs of St. Priscilla. Out of the five of sixty catacombs available to the public, the catacombs of St. Priscilla contain the most well-perserved frescos dating from the 2nd century. We were in awe. We were led through a small fraction of a three level, 14 kilometer labyrinth containing more than 30,000 buried Christians. Our tour guide showed us the the different tombs depending on status and religious devotion. The tombs of the wealthy were sealed off by marble while those of the poor were closed off by terracotta. The frescos surrounded the tombs of martyrs and the wealthy depicting their life stories and accomplishments. We plan on making a trip to see the other four catacombs available to the public because even though eerie, the catacombs were amazing. The fact miles and miles of mazes were constructed underground for the protection of Christians from persecution and for their dead during the 2nd and 3rd centuries blows my mind.

These are a few pictures from outside the catacombs. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures while touring the crypts.

Dad I found it!

I have been blessed to have been able to visit Rome with my family a couple of times before I arrived this semester. Each time my dad had given me one task, to find the prison of St. Peter and Paul. And each of those times I had failed miserably due to forgetfulness. Luckily years later he was able to forgive me, but he gave me the same task this semester. However this time I would have four months to do so until my family arrives for Easter. Well Dad, I finally found it and I wasn't even looking for it. A few of my roommates and I were out purchasing some tickets for the Roma soccer game on Sunday, and we decided to do a little sightseeing. We headed over to the "Wedding Cake" to explore the area behind it. We are all in different art history classes and had class in that area this past week. We were able to be each other's tour guides. Sasha and I were teaching the group about some of the Renaissance things we had learned while Christina was informing us about the ancient Roman ruins right in front of us. We were showing off our knowledge to each other when I turned around. There it was. The prison of St. Peter and Paul was right behind me. We did not go in though. I refused. I have to save that for when my dad is finally here. It will be the moment when all will finally be forgiven.

The "Wedding Cake"

Capitoline Hill

(Behind the Capitoline Hill) The remaining ruins of the 7 Hills of Ancient Rome

The prison of St. Peter and Paul

My Hands Still Smell like Garlic

The other night I was given the opportunity to participate in an Italian cooking class. It was wonderful! A group of about twenty of us went to a kitchen in the heart of Trastevere to learn from the ever-friendly Andrea. He was also a fan of the blondes, therefore Christina and I were his favorites. He taught us how to make an entire meal from scratch starting with bruschetta and ending with Nutella cookies. It between those two, we made our own pasta with carbonara sauce and an interesting shredded meat and mushroom dish. We had so much fun! Christina, another girl, and myself were put in charge of the bruschetta. We chopped up about 30 fresh tomatoes, 8 loaves of bread, 4 pounds of mozzarella, and 5 cloves of garlic. I must say we did a marvelous job, even though my hands still smell like garlic. Everything I learned was something I would do on my own, and most importantly teach to my mom. I might not be making my own pasta from scratch every night, but it was an experience learning how.

Making some Nutella Cookies

Our bruschetta

Walking on Broken Glass

Last night a few of my roommates and myself decided we would venture to a local hotspot known Scholar's. It's an Irish pub filled with plenty of Americans. Last night was especially packed because of the NFL playoff games. It was jammed wall to wall with sports crazed fans cheering for their teams back at home. We joined in on the cheering whenever everyone around us was celebrating. However, the best part of the evening came after the football fans had departed...karaoke. Karaoke night at Scholar's is a biweekly event and I plan on going at least once a week now. Any song you could imagine yourself singing, they had. My roommates and myself didn't think we would do it, however we mustered up the courage and decided it was a necessity. And what better song to sing than my personal favorite "Walking on Broken Glass''. Christina and I did a lovely duet and my other two roommates later went up together. We were all a hit. The crowd was singing louder than we were (thankfully). People were cheering for us and offering to buy us drinks. Some even requested we sing with them later in the night, which we kindly declined.  It was a great time to say the least.

Exploring the City

There are so many hidden and well-known treasures of Rome. I have to keep reminding myself that I have four months to see them all because I feel like I am trying to scurry to every possible point of interest until my body gives out due to exhaustion. This last week I have been on tourist site overload. I ventured to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the beautiful Gianicolo hill in just one day. Needless to say I could not walk another step once I returned to my apartment. The views from the hill were unreal. Even though I have been to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain before, I had never had the opportunity to view the two landmarks in the evening. They were gorgeous. Not that they were not beautiful before, but when I saw them it was usually a "hurry let's take a picture so we can get out of here" kind of thing. Instead I was able to actually sit on the steps and bask in the romantic and magical surroundings. I was able to sit and relax while eating gelato at the Trevi Fountain. (We needed a lot of sitting after walking to these spots all day). It really was a completely different feel from the herding of thousands of tourists in 115 degree heat. I was able to actually appreciate the beauty of where I was.

 On the way up the Gianicolo hill

          View from the top of the hill. (The Vatican in the right corner)

                                   

Sunset on the Tiber on our way to the Spanish Steps. This is our view every day.

The Spanish Steps

(Even though there is a decent crowd, this is nothing compared to the summer)

The Trevi Fountain

Trying to be an Italian, Key Word: Trying

It's been a little over a week now in the Eternal City and every day I have learned something else to add to the list of things I need to do in order to blend in with the Italians. Well I shouldn't say blending in, that's impossible. I've already been confused with being German on multiple occasions. There are some key things I've observed about the Italians that I need to adapt to pronto if I want to make it out of here alive after four months. The three main things I have observed the Italians do every day: 1) Walk. They walk everywhere. I now understand why they have a siesta and close everything down from 1 to 4. By noon I am already exhausted and want to lay in bed for the rest of the day. Parts of my toes are sore that I didn't know had the possibility. I think I average a rough 5 miles every day. Walking everywhere helps you decide what things you consider are really important and must get done. Sometimes you don't need groceries, the store is too far after walking what feels like a marathon. Which leads to my other observation. 2) Put things off. There is no sense of time here. Things get done when they want them to get done. There is no schedule or deadline. Whatever needs to happen will happen, just not as fast as us Americans are used to. 3) Drink lots of coffee. But not just a cup of a regular cup of coffee whenever they want. There are understood coffee rules which is why I have yet to order a coffee here yet. I'm scared I will order the wrong thing at the wrong time.  When is it okay to have a coffee with milk? When is it okay to sit and have coffee? Who knows because each time you ask an Italian you will get a different answer.

When we finally got the courage to order some coffee at the Vatican we somehow ended up with cups of hot milk...this is going to be harder than I thought.

So this is what school is like?

Today was the first day of classes, which I was very thankful for because today I started my much needed Italian class. After class we then had the whole day to explore the Eternal City. Christina and I decided to take a nice stroll along the Tiber River to the Vatican. I told her I would be her tour guide for the outing because I had been there a few times, but things were much different when we got there. The Vatican was in a way I had never seen it before, in the Christmas spirit. It was breathtaking.

The Basilica was nearly empty which added to the overwhelming sense of serenity. After walking around marveling at the beautiful and intricate artwork, we decided to take the hike up top to see the the panoramic view of the Eternal City. It was worth the 537 steps up. A successful first day of class if I do say so myself.

The Benefits of Being Blonde

Italian men are notorious for their catcalling, kissing faces, and absurd sounds and gestures to attract women. Throughout orientation we were lectured a handful of times about how to react to these advances. Just ignore them. But should you  ignore them when you're getting free bottles of wine and get to play bartender at a restaurant? Probably, but it's always a tempting offer. The other night we went on a walking tour with Andy Steves (Rick Steve's son). He took us through Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navono, and we ended up at a spectacular restaurant right behind the Pantheon. The restaurant was 15 euro for a four course meal and bottomless water and wine. It'd be silly to pass up the free water...and wine too. After the meal, Christina (a blonde), three other blondes, and myself were asked by the owner to go behind the bar. He told us, "This is all yours. Whatever you like. Now you are the bartender." Then he proceeded to bring out the restaurant's own "Sexy Wine". Each table received a bottle, but so did each blonde bartender. As we left he made sure to tell us that the bar is always open for us. If this is one of the perks of being in Rome, I could get used to this.

 The Blondes behind the bar

Christina and I with our new friend and tour guide Andy Steves

The New Place

Needless to say, once we arrived we were beyond exhausted. All we wanted to do was find a soft surface and sleep on it. Instead, Christina and I struggled carrying our suitcases up the flight of stairs to our new apartment. We were amazed. The apartment is straight out of an IKEA catalog. Here are some of the pictures of the set up. We ended up as roommates again but gained the addition of five other great girls. Two are from Marquette, two from Long Beach State, and one from Egypt...we haven't seen much of her yet haha

Here's the view from our study room. 

This would be our kitchen/laundry room. The washing machine takes about 2-3 hours for one load so laundry with seven girls is going to be quite interesting, not to mention there is no dryer.

Our lovely dining room straight out of an IKEA catalog

My side of the room. They were kind enough to provide all the essentials we needed such as sheets, comforters, and 5 hangers.

This would be Christina and her side of our room.

And this is our study room. On the bottom shelf you can see all the drying racks we will get to use.

How 'bout that ride in?

I caved in and decided to join the blogging world. I figured it's best to start now before I blink and the semester is over. It all started almost a week ago when my teammate Christina and I finally landed in Rome after a day's worth of traveling. The eight hour flight to London and the two hour flight to Rome, though long, were rather stress free. We got off the flight and sped through customs with ease. My suitcases were even waiting for me on the belt when I walked up! I was shocked. However, it was too good to be true. At the Heathrow airport I  had no choice but to gate-check my carry on. I had no problem with that except it didn't show up in Rome. They failed to tell me it would not be traveling on my flight. This was a problem for at least half of the other travelers on my flight. I was one of the fortunate ones who only had to wait two extra hours. Others waited around two days. so I got to wait for a lovely extra two hours. Once my bag finally arrived we were off to our apartment. After nearly dying nearly a dozen times by the crazy Roman drivers, we made it alive.