{Cookbook Review}
I recently introduced you to a fine, vegetarian cookbook here. At exactly the same time I received this new release, which I would like to present to you today!
“Visiting Rome” from Stefan Maiwaldwhich was also published by Callwey Verlag.
I really wanted to take a closer look at this book and discuss it here in the blog because I’m in love with Rome. So far I’ve only been able to spend a few days there. That was a few years ago with my sister, but love couldn’t have hit me more suddenly. Rome and I fell in love straight away – the food, the people, the atmosphere, the art. I could go on forever listing what immediately grabbed me about this city and never let go!
And to be honest, that’s exactly how the book conveys it!
It is, so to speak, a culinary-focused travel guide with great recipes from restaurateurs from the Eternal City. It feels like a long walk with lots of samples!
“Visit in/auf…” is a series published by Callwey Verlag that portrays various places in more detail in wonderful images.
But as always: from the beginning!
Optics and presentation:
As usual at Callwey Verlag, the book impresses with its very high-quality and elegant workmanship. “Visiting Rome” invites you to the Eternal City with its atmospheric pictures by Andrea di Lorenzo. The table of contents is based on the different districts and their very own specialties and peculiarities. Each chapter briefly introduces the respective area and is then dedicated to carefully selected restaurateurs and their recipes. Stefan Maiwald introduces the individual restaurateurs and their cuisine and, of course, why they deserve a place in this book.
Each host then shows at least one of their own recipes with an attractive photo. On top of that, each protagonist also reveals their favorite culinary address! At the end of each chapter there are also some insider tips and interesting facts about the district in a clearly structured manner.
Thanks to the sensible division, the (uninformed) reader can quickly find his way around!
Pasta with vongole and cannellini beans
Recipes and how to cook them:
As a cooking enthusiast, I of course immediately started working on the recipe. In my usual manner, I went through the chapters and thought about what appealed to me! First of all: What was on offer here felt very authentic. You can find both Basic recipe for Roman pizza dough as well as for Roman-style artichokesbut also really unusual or lesser-known dishes and also fantastic creations of the Roman restaurants. A true cornucopia of culinary delights in Rome! From Chitarrina pasta with sheep ragout, tarragon and lemon or Roman oxtail with tomatoes, sultanas, pine nuts and dark chocolate or Risotto with scampi, smoked butter and lemon cream or even Suprema di pollo, stuffed chicken breast with scamorza, eggplant tartare and bean salad.
What I find very helpful and pleasant is that the recipe pages are designed exactly the way you would want if you are seriously interested in cooking: clear, all the ingredients that are required are immediately visible and the recipe description leaves no questions unanswered in my opinion. The photo also gives you an idea of what to expect.
This time I have tried three recipes so far:
First of all, I have Tubetti with fagioli and coffee prepared, i.e. pasta with cannellini beans and mussels. Unfortunately, mussels weren’t available in good quality in my city, but funnily enough, they weren’t available in Vongole, so I had to improvise a little. Otherwise, I followed Adriano Rausa’s recipe (Restaurant Giano; Trevi Fountain & Tridente chapter) and the whole family was able to enjoy the delicious dish. The pasta is cooked in a stock similar to cooking risotto, which can also be accompanied by the mussel stock. This makes for a really fine sauce that is really aromatic thanks to the addition of Pecorino and herbs. On top of that, the peeled, cooked mussels, it was a super tasty affair! Wonderfully warming, a bit like a stew, but more elegant.
The second dish was the Melanzane marinatei.e. marinated eggplant with garlic, chili and parsley. Prepared according to a recipe from the Trecastelli brothers (Fratelli Trecca right at the Circus Maximus), the magic of this dish is of course the quality of the ingredients, but also the care and a little time. The aubergines are cut into wafer-thin slices and briefly cooked in the oven. And then you can take an overnight beauty bath with various aromas. Simply delicious!
For the third dish from this book, I deliberately tried something that at first seemed very unusual: Crostone with pesto di fagiolini – Crusty bread with green bean pesto, soft cheese and pickled peaches based on a recipe by Sara Bonamini and Flaminia (Tulipane in the historic center). That sounded so crazy to me that I had to test it! Okay, and I also happened to have some delicious Taleggio in the fridge that was almost calling for it! The flavor combination sounds fancy, but it just makes sense. It’s an interplay of all flavors and that’s exactly what makes it special! We really enjoyed it!
All three recipes I chose were easy to make and not only enjoyable to eat.
Conclusion:
“Visiting Rome” is a real homage to Rome’s cuisine. And the fact that you actually “walk” through the neighborhoods makes it feel very close and authentic. The fact that the recipes were provided by so many different chefs also ensures a great variety and exciting ideas. The only major flaw in the book is that you actually want to go there straight away. With a built-in wanderlust switch, so to speak!
The book really gives great tips for your next trip to Rome. The only catch is that you have to create your own small list beforehand because the book is a bit too bulky for your holiday bag ;-)! But of course that shouldn’t be the aim of this visually stunning work – but rather a reference work for the home and a fantastic source of inspiration. If you’re still hungry, it’s your own fault!
In this book I also discovered a lot of very exciting recipes that will still make it onto our plates. The majority of the recipes are guaranteed to not cause any difficulties even for a “bloody” beginner cook. However, a handful of the recipes are a little more demanding, so with a little experience you will definitely find it a little easier. Because the recipes are marked with levels of difficulty, this is clearly visible and therefore definitely not a point of criticism. This takes diversity into account and every reader is guaranteed to find something to suit their taste!
My conclusion: Urgent purchase recommendation for all Rome fans (or those who want to become one) as preparation for the next trip!
Note: Many thanks to Callwey Verlag for providing a review copy. My opinion about the content remains unaffected.