Italy: Florence, Venice, Naples

More goodies now from Italy! Unlike many romanticized impressions of Italy, I found that good food isn't as universal as they would like you to think - especially when you are a tourist and not familiar with the language. Rome and Cinque Terre were especially disappointing. Research in advance or regret.

I very much wanted to try a lampredotto (cow's stomach) sandwich from the market but I ended up with boiled brisket. Nevertheless, it is still scrumptious with the piquante sauce that is no slouch in the spice department!

I wanted to try Bistecca Fiorentina so I selected Le Mossacce. I must say I was not too impressed with the steak but the chunky minestrone soup was a hit with Dionne.

The trick in Venice is to venture far away from the well-trodden tourist hot spots. Ai 40 Ladroni is a 10 minutes walk from the main streets in the residential district of Canneregio. Their cuisine made every step of the walk worthwhile. These mussels were cooked to precise second. Reference material for any future mussels.

The Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia is also a success. The pasta absorbed the tasty sauce which, despite its colour, was light on its feet and fresh-tasting. It looked like a crippling portion when it arrived but everyone polished off their plates.

We liked Ai 40 Ladroni so much we returned for dinner the next day. This time I tried the Spaghetti alla Vongole which is also nice but not as sublime as the rendition in cuttlefish ink sauce. We shared a platter of expertly fried fish - prawns, baby squid, whitebait and sardines.

In Venice we also tried their version of tapas called cicchetti at All'Arco.

Baby octopus stuffed with fish roe - this is really good!

I felt like I needed some vegetables in my system and these really hit the spot.

We took a day trip to Naples exclusively for pizza. The original plan was to visit Pompeii but it was so baking hot it would have been suicidal to be out in the open. We made it to Pizzeria Sorbillo just before closing. The Napoli pizza is very different from what we have here. It is cooked very rapidly in the intensely hot oven so the rims are nicely puffed and charred while the dough in the centre remains very soft and chewy. I requested for a magherita with buffalo mozzarella and was surprised at how resilient the cheese was. I would have liked to try more versions to confirm if that is a norm or an anomaly.

A Teaser

Just to torture some of my readers (you know who you are!). Here's a teaser of what to look out for in about 2.5 months during my trip:

Asador Etxebarri - Mecca of grilling perfection. My entire schedule was planned around this lunch. Read more at Yaokui.

Chez l'Ami Jean - Recommended by Gastroville as well. How can I go wrong? Read more at Hungry in Bangkok.

Pizzeria Sorbillo - We only have time for one (or two if we rush) pizza in Naples. I hope this is a right choice. Read more at Scattidigusto. Use Google Translate!

La Cuchera de San Telmo - Best Pintxos on Earth? Read more at Dudes on Food.

and many many more!

Sole Pomodoro – Wood-fired Pizzas

I read about Sole Pomodoro from ieatishootipost a couple of months back. That was close to the start of exams and immediately followed by the holiday season. So, for 2 whole months, I could only simmer in my anticipation for their pies. Therefore, it was only natural that on the first possible weekend, I headed straight there with the Sunday Brunch Club.

Unlike other wood-fired pizzerias in Singapore which uses partially gas-powered ovens, Sole Pomodoro distinguishes itself by using a fully wood-fired oven. It’s actually possible to see the chef having to top up the fuel rather frequently – the wood burns itself out much quicker than charcoal.


We shared 4 pizzas and most memorable were the Calzone Tradionalle and the Buffala. I thought the former would have been perfect as a hearty and satisfying breakfast pizza. I couldn’t recall what the exact toppings were but the egg inside, almost like a sauce, binded all the elements well. The top crust was charred but still tender, airy and aromatic – the Neapolitan style, according to literature. However, if I were to be picky about it, I would say that the crust on the underside was a touch too blonde for my liking.


Although I thought that the Margherita is supposed to be topped with buffalo mozzarella, Sole Pomodoro makes an apparent distinction between a Margherita (with basil) and a Buffala (without basil but with buffalo mozzarella). Presented with this difficult choice, I was keener to try out the latter. The buffalo mozzarella definitely set itself apart with a creamier texture and an almost yoghurt-like taste. It quite rightly demanded a solo performance on the pizza stage.



Towards the end, we were quite stuffed but still, we couldn’t resist a sampling of their Tiramisu. It was like eating a cloud.

Pizza

Not my work but my brother's recipe for the dough. Toppings are sliced cherry tomatoes, shiitake 'shrooms, Hungarian salami, buffalo mozzarella and Scarmoza.