May Daze
A peak spring recipe, "impossible" wine pairings + Meet Elvis Wine Bar in Rome
Issue #8
Summer is so, so close.
You practically taste it. You can certainly smell it. The buds are bursting.
By June, Rome will be an olfactory explosion. For now there’s freshness, greenness, and newness in the air. And of course, great produce (see recipe below).
Mother nature has been predictably unpredictable. If you know me well, I’m a traitor to my own romanticism and staunchly anti-spring. I call it the season of broken promises.
We don’t need a reminder that summer is coming. Look at a calendar.
These days, however, we’re more likely to be looking at the sky, to see how we should dress, and whether or not to wear socks and carry an umbrella.
And while we’ve been cloud-gazing and possibly cursing, time is flying!
If I didn’t have some MAJOR deadlines at the end of May, I’d be glad for the warp speed. Honestly I mostly am. I dipped my toes in Aegean waters last week and laid on the first layers of SPF 50. I’m ready.
La Vignarola: a Recipe as Good as Spring Itself
For those of you who are hanging on to spring and all its promise, try this recipe!
A quintessence of spring and a truly local delicacy, Vignarola celebrates strictly seasonal flavors in Rome and surrounding region of Lazio.
The recipe has evolved over centuries, and every household has their own variation. Vignarola originates as vegetarian, but in Roman fashion, a healthy garnish of crispy guanciale (cured pork cheek) brings savory dimension.
Ingredients include a combination of asparagus, lettuce, fava beans, spring peas, fresh herbs, and artichokes.
Vignarola may be hearty, but its crunchy, green quality, uplifted with fresh herbs is what distinguishes the dish as the epitome of spring.
“Impossible” Wine Pairings
Speaking of artichokes, they are considered one of the world’s most difficult wine pairing. Artichokes contain cynarin, a natural compound that supports liver function and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The downside: a harsh metallic aftertaste.
They’re not so tricky in the vignarola, as they’re sautéed for quite a while and have creamy legume companions.
Read more here for my take on how to tackle tricky food-and-wine pairings.
Spoiler alert: wine isn’t always the answer….
Meet Elvis Wine Bar in Rome
I feel cooler because Elvis is my local wine bar.
Effortlessly hip minus any ounce of pretension, the trio running Elvis, all hail from other regions of Italy. They’ve made Rome their new home and are giving back to the city through their love of wine, hospitality, and great music, naturally.
An outsider myself, who once harbored her own dreams of serving wine to her adopted community, Elvis is a vicarious pleasure. Also, the wine is divine, and the company is fabulous.
Read more here, and put Elvis on your itinerary next time you come to Rome!
That’s all for May, folks. Stay tuned for June!
I’m rolling out some expanded content and exciting new features, like ask me anything Wine Wednesdays and Travel Tuesdays, for an audience of paid subscribers. Fress subscribers will still get plenty of goods in your inbox.
Think of it as Tastefully Plus, or Tastefully Premium, or Tastefully Max.
I don’t appreciate a paywall either, but you bet I would resubscribe to the NYT if I could send their experts questions and get a personal response. I hope you’ll love it.
XO,
Annie