Surviving Summer Heat Wave
We are getting ready to be hit a third time with record breaking heat.
I am so lucky to be retired. Cooking and touring during a heat wave is insane.
At home, I can get up early and cook to prep food for later. I tend to do multiple recipes, so they last a couple of days.
We eat a lot of ready-to-eat food, like salads, mozzarella and tomato, prosciutto and melon, and simple grilled fish or chicken.
We have more fruit, which we buy from a farm shop at the market twice a week.
If you are out and about, the best way to cool down is a granita or a caffe’ shakerato.
When you buy gelato, be aware that the pretty cones cost more, and also sitting at a table ordering one of those huge gelato dishes is expensive.
I tend to order a 2-3-euro cone or cup and would rather stop more often since it melts so quickly.
Every year, some tourists scream about being overcharged for gelato they had at a local bar while sitting at the table. BEWARE. They have prices on the menu, but people often just order without checking them.
Water also costs more sitting down. I consider it renting a space. Often there is whifi, restrooms, and A/C as well as ICE for your drinks.
While you are there, take time to rest and don’t rush the experience of just relaxing.
That is the Dolce Vita. Most Italians stand at the bar and order, where prices are much lower.
My other favorite way to get a gelato for dessert at a restaurant is to order an affogato. Often they will have a commercial premade gelato, called a Tartufo, which can be served “affogato”. There is a chocolate tartufo and also a plain vanilla one. Often they have another flavor in the center.
Calabria is famous for their artisanal version, the tartufo di Pizzo. I tried making them once before moving to Italy. It’s an art form.
In Rome, they are also famous at Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona. They have been making them since 1946. A very high-quality version.
Most people get gelato affogato, which means "drowned" in Italian, with espresso, as a dessert in a restaurant.
You can also order it with liquor. I love the chocolate version with whiskey.
This week, I am sharing my watermelon granita, which is easy to make at home.
