Saturday 29 September 2012

It's only wafer thin.

Cassie food talking again...

Mmm, Italian food - not sure if other countries conjure up such immediate thoughts of delicious food...or maybe that's just me. For the short time we're in Italy, I feel like I want to eat pasta at every meal and finish off with gelato. I'm sure I'm not alone....but it turns out we do broaden our narrow plans.

Food porn shots here, so skip if you're sensitive ;-)

In our "stop-over" city of Imperia, the two of us are sent to a lovey little restaurant down the hill (and in Imperia everything is either up or down the hill). The gentleman at the front desk of our hotel says this restaurant passed their toughest test - grandmama. They took the whole family there over Christmas, and when asked what she thought, she said it was "alright" - so they knew it was fabulous and perfect to recommend.

L'alchemist:
Best. Calamari. Ever.
It was so tender, it practically ripped as you picked it up with a fork. Sizzling hot as it hit our table, on a bed of pan-fried sui-choy, sitting in a radicchio cup.


And because we were right at the seaside, we had fish for the main course. Never did get the translation, but a beautiful piece of baked white fish, like think sole, dressed with a light vegetable puree and then topped with paper thin potato slices.


Cassie's dessert was a yogurt set custard, similar to a panacotta, with fresh strawberries. Brad's chocolate cake is in the background.


Which was filled with warm chocolate...


In Siena, the four of us dined within the old city at Osteria Babazuf, very cozy and a nice un-tourist feel to the place.

Brad and I had the set menu for two which starts with a set of three appetizers. Chicken liver pâté (very tangy and rich tasting), fresh tomato bruschetta (refreshing and crisp), and warm pecorino cheese soufflé (rich mellow flavour that melted in your mouth).

The pasta course was the area's pasta, pici (like thick spaghetti), dressed with butter and breadcrumbs and fusilli pasta with a light veal sauce.


And then the meat course - medium-rare veal with rucola and a medieval dish of creamy chick peas and chicken.


And finally dessert, candied orange peel slices set on little pots of buttermilk mousse.


Sono piena!

1 comment:

  1. Why is it that whenever I read your food blogs, I raid the fridge and eat whatever I can get my hands on! Your vacation is making me fat!

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