When in Rome... You Have to Try This

When in Rome... You Have to Try This!

One of Rome's summertime treats -- fiori di zucca or fried zucchini flowers. They're light and airy. Romans like to stuff them with cheese and fry them until scrumptiously crisp.

So, to help you stay warm this week, we're sharing our Roman-approved recipe for authentic fiori di zucca. When the sunny days return, be sure to try this recipe in your own kitchen. Better yet, you could share it now to inspire friends to summer in Rome.

AUTHENTIC RECIPE FOR CRISP FRIED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

When in Venice, savor some seafood.

When in Tuscany, try the olive oil.

When in Rome, eat fried food.

In the summer, Rome’s outdoor markets abound with orange-and-green zucchini blossoms . Roman like to stuff fiori di zucca with a bit of cheese, frying them until crisp. Both elegant restaurants and more rustic pizzerias serve fried antipasti in the Eternal City. Fritto misto alla romana might include mix of fiori di zucca (fried zucchini flowers), olive ascolane (fried olives), and mozzarelline fritte (fried mozzarella balls).

Below, we’re sharing our Rome-approved recipe for fried zucchini flowers. You’re not tasting Rome unless you try a plate of this gooey-centered fried goodness. Ask for the flowers at your local farmer’s market in the sunnier months.

FIORI DI ZUCCA ALLA ROMANA

* 10-15 zucchini flowers

* 2-3 eggs

* 1 cup flour

* 4 tablespoons of beer

* oil for frying

* 1 fresh mozzarella ball sliced into thin strips

* Anchovy fillets (or none if you don't like them)

Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre are 5 sea villages -- strung like pearls -- along the Ligurian Coast. Tucked in the Italian Riviera, these towns boast crystal-blue coves, cliff-hugging homes and Old World charm. Wine lovers can enjoy a tasting of local whites here at a family run vineyards -- built on terraces in the hills.

Fun Fact

Fun Fact: 
Traditional balsamic vinegar is only produced in the Emilia-Romagna region, more specifically in and around Modena. Unlike the cheap "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena," the traditional stuff is made with zero additives or extra sugar--just cooked grape juice. This vinegar is aged in wood casks for at least 12 years (and sometimes up to 100!).

Let's Take a Trip To Paris

Let's Plan A Trip To Paris

Lesson 2:

Day 3: Skeletons & Cannons

Morning

Arrive at the Catacombs by 9:15am (Metro: Denfert-Rochereau). Wander the creepy underground corridors for about 45 minutes (no bathrooms) before emerging a half mile away at 36 Rue Rémy Dumoncel. Turn right immediately upon exiting toward Avenue du Général Leclerc where you’ll make another right.

Walk five blocks down Leclerc until reaching Rue Daguerre. Turn left down this market street to purchase picnic supplies. Unlike Rue Cler, this is a locals’ scene; you’ll find better pricing on fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, baguettes and sandwiches. In addition to Boulangerie Lesiourd (24 Rue Daguerre), there are also several good bakeries on Leclerc near the Daguerre intersection. Shop with your nose!

Afternoon

Catch the Metro at Denfert-Rochereau by the Catacombs. Take it to La Motte Picquet Grenelle station, transfer to the line #8 and go three stops to Invalides. Exit the station into the wide-open embrace of Esplanade des Invalides, perfect for your picnic lunch.

After picnicking, head toward that huge golden dome. TheArmy Museum is hands-down Europe’s greatest military wonderland. From medieval jousting to WWII blitzkrieg, take your time going through this expansive collection. (Prefer making art to war? The Rodin Museum is next door.)

Evening

After exiting the Army Museum, take a left on leafy Avenue de la Motte-Picquet and walk about five blocks, passing the École Militaire Metro station (where you’ll be catching the Metro home tonight) to the even leafier Avenue Bosquet – take a right.

You’ll see several good dining options, but at the end of the first block on your left is Le Bosquet (46 Avenue Bosquet), a hip brasserie serving authentic French cuisine at cozy sidewalk tables. Onion soup, escargot, tenderloin, mussels, roasted chicken and fries – it’s all good here, my friend. Take the Metro home at École Militaire.

***

Day 4: Quirky Paris

Morning

It’s time to get weird in the Marais neighborhood, which literally means swamp. Once home to misfits and artists, it’s now one of Paris’ most exclusive neighborhoods.

Start at the Place des Vosges(Metro: Chemin Vert or Bastille) for Paris’ most picturesque square. Les Miserables writer Victor Hugo lived at #6, where a free museum in his honor stands today. Exit the northwest corner, going left on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. Take a left on Rue Pavee, then a right on Rue des Rosiers.

These quaint streets were once the Jewish Quarter and are now home to boutique shopping and takeaway food. The Eleven Paris (38 Rue des Rosiers) boutique clothing store has graphic tees, sweatshirts and jeans. (I’m told it’s very hip.) Buy picnic supplies from the Mediterranean delis, kosher pizza and shawarma shops in the area.

Continue on Rue des Rosiers until it dead-ends at Rue Vielle du Temple, go left and then make an immediate right on Rue Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie. This is the Marais’ gay and artistic epicenter; you’re bound to see some creative characters here, not to mention shops.

Follow Rue Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie (and the helpful signs) to the Pompidou Center.Don’t go in yet. Eat your Marais picnic lunch at Stravinsky Fountain in the little square south of Pompidou Center. This interesting fountain is the perfect primer for Paris’ preeminent modern-art museum. Pop around light-hearted Pompidou for a couple hours and don’t miss epic top-floor views.

Afternoon

Exit the Pompidou Center at the northwest corner on Rue Rambuteau. Go right on Rue Rambuteau away from the PC. Go two blocks, then make a left on Rue des Archives. One block up on the right is the charmingly peculiar Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the Museum of Hunting and Nature. Spend an hour in this lavish mansion amongst mounted animals, hunting art and a talking albino boar head.

Evening

Exit left back on Rue des Archives and take your first left on Rue des Quatre-Fils. Go two blocks, then take a left on Rue Vieille du Temple. One block up to the left on the corner with Rue du Perche is BREIZH Cafe(109 Rue Vieille du Temple), an award-winning innovative crêperie specializing in buckwheat galettes and cider.

Take the Metro home at Saint-Sébastien – Froissart station.

***

Let's Plan A Trip To Paris

Let's Plan A Trip To Paris

Lesson 1:

Okay, let's begin...

Day 1: To the Top

Morning

Arrive in Paris! Bonjour! Bienvenue!

Afternoon

Check-in to lodging. Explore your immediate neighborhood. Find a light lunch or snack. (Or have an early dinner on Rue Saint-Dominique now and do the Eiffel Tower after.)

Evening

Start your Paris adventure at the top – go to the Eiffel Tower(Metro: Bir-Hakeim) to get your bird’s-eye bearings on this stunning city. Take the Eiffel Tower stairs to the second floor before riding an elevator to the top. The exercise and fresh air will help combat the jet lag.

Afterward, walk southeast (away from the Seine River) down Avenue de la Bourdonnais, then take a left on Rue Saint-Dominique, home to a plethora of cafes, brasseries and restaurants. Try bustling locals’ favorite, Le Campanella, just off the main drag at 18 Avenue Bosquet (go right).

After dinner, continue back along Rue Saint-Dominique for another block, then take a right on Rue Cler. Walk this classic market street, buy dessert and picnic supplies. Take the Metro home at École Militaire. But before descending underground, look back over your shoulder: Are the Eiffel Tower's 20,000 lights on?

***

Day 2: Historic Paris Walkabout

Morning

Over breakfast (no later than 7:30am), download the JeFile app and use it to reserve a time slot for the Notre-Dame Cathedral Tower Climb. Arrive at Notre-Dame Cathedral (Metro: Cité) on the big Seine River island, Île de la Cité, by about 8:30am. Spend an hour or two in awe of Notre Dame’s Gothic interior, then make tracks for your tower climb reservation on Rue du Cloître Notre Dame (face front of the cathedral, go to the left).

After exiting the tower, return to the front of Notre-Dame and appreciate the busy façade and tower you just trekked atop. Find Point Zero, a round, silver marker in the ground showing the location from which all distances in Paris are measured. Take a fun picture here. Next, visit the Archeological Cryptunder the plaza a couple hundred feet away for a multimedia-meets-ruins taste of Roman Paris.

Afternoon

From the crypt, walk east back down Rue du Cloître Notre Dame until it ends. Cross over the narrow Pont Saint-Louis bridge. You are now standing on the other Seine River island, Île Saint-Louis.
This upscale neighborhood boasts gorgeous architecture, great shopping, fantastic restaurants, adorable ice cream shops and delicious creperies. Eat lunch anywhere along Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, which bisects the island lengthwise.

After lunch, leave Île Saint-Louis the way you came via Pont Saint-Louis bridge, but this time take a left on Quai de l'Archevêché and cross over the Seine River to the Left Bank, hanging a right on the first street, Quai de la Tournelle.

Walk along the Seine River. Peruse the famous Seine Booksellers until reaching Rue Lagrange. Go into the little park diagonally across, Square René Viviani, to relax beside Paris’ oldest tree. (It’s seen better days.)

Take the park’s northwest exit, directly across from Rue de la Bûcherie to stop in at Shakespeare & Company (37 Rue de la Bûcherie) bookstore. Can you feel the presence of Lost Generation greats, including Hemingway, who posted up at this shop? Fill your water bottles at the green fountain out front.

Follow Rue de la Bûcherie until it turns into Rue de la Huchette for a taste of the Latin Quarter. Huchette dead-ends at Place Saint-Michel. Go left to see the Fontaine Saint-Michel, then turn around and walk back to the Seine River and continue strolling the Seine River promenade, heading west away from Notre Dame past more booksellers.

If you’ve got the energy, take a right at Boulevard du Palais for Sainte Chappelle’s stained-glass extravaganza or escape the heat and crowds in the Conciergerie’s cool confines and murderous history.

Evening

Continue walking along the Seine River. Eventually, you’ll reach the Pont Neuf, Paris’ oldest Seine River bridge, but don’t cross it just yet.

Instead, take a left on Rue Dauphine and purchase dinner picnic supplies at gourmet outfitter, FRANCART Maison Gourmande (30 Rue Dauphine) or grab some takeout nearby.

Take your booty back across Pont Neuf to the little park to the left under the bridge at the very tip of Île de la Cité, Square du Vert-Galant. Spread a blanket in the grass or sit by the Seine and breathe it all in.

(I can’t promise this will happen to you, but one time my family and I were picnicking here when one of the Seine’s ubiquitous firefighter boats pulled up in front of us. Two firefighters jumped into the river; one swam ashore and winked at us as he got out. He proceeded to run up the stairs to the Pont Neuf, climb over the bridge’s concrete railing, execute a perfect dive back into the Seine and swim back to the boat, which then motored off.)

Catch the Metro home at Pont Neuf (finish crossing the bridge to the Right Bank and take an immediate left).

***

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