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August 28--Campo di Fiori |
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written
by Ben Jacobs / 07.12.2004 |
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Itinerary |
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This morning we met Bill Guion, a professional caterer and 30-year veteran of Rome. He would be giving us a tour of the Campo di Fiori and the surrounding area. The UW Rome center is located right next to the Campo, and in the Campo itself is a huge market. Bill's tour would include the market fruit and vegetable vendors, as well as meat, cheese, and fish vendors located near the Campo.
We first stopped at a 150 year old butcher, where Bill explained to us that, unlike in the States, we would have to choose a huge slab of meat, and then explain to the butcher what type of cut we wanted. Our next stop was a fish market, but, since it was August, their selection was sort of paltry. We then walked to a bakery and sampled pizza bianchi, a typical Roman breakfast. We continued to a cheese shop, where Bill bought the cheese he would need to cook up a storm in the afternoon.
After the cheese store, we walked around to see the outside of the French Embassy, located in the Piazza Farnese, one block from the Campo. We then went back into the Campo to see the fruit and vegetable vendors.
When you walk into the Campo, all you can see are stalls. The entire place is covered with them. Under their huge umbrellas, you can find an assortment of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and tourist items.
These vendors are in the campo from about 6 AM to 3 PM every day except Sunday. You can find pretty much any fruit or vegetable your heart desires. We were shown how to order fruit, and that, although it is actually illegal to touch the fruit, it's ok if you are going to buy some.
After this, Bill left, and as a class we continued on to see what used to be the Theater of Pompey, and is now the back of the UW Rome Center.
In the evening, we all went to Shawn's apartment, and Bill gave us a lesson on Italian cooking. He gave us some typical Italian antipasti, as he showed us how to make a tasty cherry tomato pasta sauce. He also made a chicken dish for us. The highlight of the evening for me was when he taught us how to make panna cotta. I had no idea it was so easy!
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Highlights |
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Our first stop was a butcher shop that has been run by the same family for about 150 years. While they had much of the usual stuff one might see in any Albertson's or QFC, it appears that Romans also really like the insides of their animals as well. Options in the butcher included turkey gizzard, lamb's lung, and even lamb's brain.
We were shown the best fish merchant to go to, although warned that fish is the most expensive foodstuff that we can buy in Rome, because almost all of it has to be imported from Norway. We saw a fresh pasta shop whose owners will even prepare customized ravioli for our dining pleasure.
I found the most impressive stalls to be those of the fruit vendors. Located in the middle of the Campo, these vendors have pretty much anything you could imagine, from cherry tomatoes, to zucchini flowers, to yellow watermelon.
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Images |
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| Bill and Shawn |
| Bill and Shawn |
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| Bill Cooking |
| Bill is cooking us an Italian meal |
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This first picture shows Bill on the left, and the great Wong on the right. Bill, a professional caterer who has lived in Rome for the past 30 years, showed us all around the Campo, and explained how to purchase food from the vendors.
The second picture is of Bill in Shawn's apartment. He is giving us an example of an Italian dinner. We had antipasti, a pasta course, a meat course, and obviously, a dessert. It was great.
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