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Rome Colosseum: Underground, Arena & Forum VIP Access

January 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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Whether you’re on a quest to see the New 7 Wonders of the World, adventuring off your bucket list, or you’re taking a grand European tour, a VIP visit to Rome’s Colosseum and Forum sites should not be missed.  In particular, there’s a special experience that I highly recommend – visiting the Colosseum’s underground dungeon area, taking a stroll on arena floor (the “stage”), and seeing Rome from the Colosseum’s third tier. All of these special areas are kept under lock and key – but are accessible via special access…

I had the opportunity to meet up with Vincenzo, one of the fabulous Walks of Italy guides – and tagged alongside the VIP Access Colosseum and Forum Tour*. Walks of Italy’s small group VIP tour grants special access to otherwise off limit areas within the Colosseum and Forum areas, and I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with Vincenzo’s group.

Vincenzo is a true raconteur – a spirited storyteller who creates a lively and interactive environment. Vincenzo is simply charming, his knowledge and personality carry us through the day.

Escorted behind gated areas, I noticed we caught more than a few curious glimpses from the other tourists. I could literally feel their curiosity pique.  Where were we going? What kinds of treasured experiences were we going to encounter (that they would not)? How did we arrange for all of this, and, seriously, what’s behind all of that security?

In addition to the many hovering “Curious Georges”, I also noticed more than a handful of people try to sneak into the restricted access areas or voluntarily tag themselves along our tour (to be honest, I don’t blame them one bit. It would be heartbreaking to come all the way to Rome and then find out that a little advance planning could have made for an entirely different experience.  Luckily, Vincenzo and the Colosseum staff watch the group like a hawk, so the sneak-aboards aren’t too successful).

To give you a taste of the special access (but not to give the tour secrets away), here are some of the photos of the Colosseum underground tunnels and dungeon area.

The underground dungeon area provides a glimpse into the brilliance of its architectural design. As we walked through the underground dungeon, I wondered if this type of layout inspired today’s modern Cirque du Soleil shows (killing differences aside) — with tunnels, trap doors, and spaces for storing show props and house animals.

On the main level, we were able to experience the true “gladiator” experience.  The main platform is also a restricted access area.  Walking out onto the main deck alone provides a small glimpse into what it would have been like to be the gladiator with all of the Colesseum attendees watching your every move. It’s probably the closest that I’ll ever feel like a gladiator.

The tour continues into other special areas of the Colesseum and then winds its way through the vast Forum area.

Many thanks to Walks of Italy for providing an unforgettable experience – and to Vincenzo for being such an inspiring and entertaining raconteur!

In Italy, the customary way to wish someone “Happy Holidays” is “Buone Feste!” or “Tanti auguri!” and to say “Happy New Year!” is “Buon Capodanno!”

To celebrate the New Year, Walks of Italy has a special deal going on until March 1, 2013! Low Sodium Blog readers who book any Walks of Italy services can receive a 15% off discount off all Walks of Italy services through 2013 (the Walks of Italy services have to be booked/paid before March 1, 2013).

To take advantage of the discount, simply book online and enter discount code WALKSLOVESBLOGGERS into the appropriate field.

Enjoy Italy and “Buon Capodanno!”

*Disclaimer: Walks of Italy sponsored my VIP Access – Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Rome Tour; the opinions expressed/photos used in the above post are my own.

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Zabaglione – Make A Decadent Dessert Using Three Ingredients!

December 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Simply sublime when eaten fresh, Zabaglione is decadence made with only three ingredients!

Try a spoonful, or four. Warm Zabaglione magically melts in your mouth and becomes sheer happiness.  Its taste far surpasses whipped cream.  Light and airy, its texture lies somewhere between a whipped sauce and a frothy custard.  Served atop berries, or simply placed in a cup garnished with crushed amoretti biscuits and a sprig of mint, it is unpretentious and classic. Many find themselves going the traditional route – dipping Italian cookies or biscotti into a cupful of Zabaglione, bite after bite, the happiness becomes addicting.

One of the first things we learned after switching to a low sodium diet is that ordering low sodium desserts can be a challenge when dining out.  It’s a good thing for low-sodium, gluten or dairy free eaters* that most restaurants keep these three staple ingredients on hand: eggs, sugar, and wine!  (Although, you might have to plead your low sodium case with the owner to order Zabaglione off-menu.)

Depending upon the origin of the restaurant, chef, owners, or where your taste buds happen to land in Western Europe – you might need to become multi-lingual to order up a cup of happiness; it’s been known to travel incognito using the following names: Zabaglione, Zabaione (Italy) or Sabayon (France).

Wine – yes, the wine you use will affect the end taste. 

My cardinal wine cooking rule is to always cook with wine that is good enough to drink with a good meal; cooking with unpleasant tasting wine will definitely ruin the flavor of your zabaglione.

Marsala and moscato wine are popular choices.  Personally, we like using an Italian vin santo wine.  The tradeoff is that vin santo’s availability and cost relative to marsala wine may not present a compelling set of circumstances enough to buy a bottle simply to make zabaglione; the upside is that vin santo (much like marsala) is a sweet wine which keeps relatively well under refrigeration. So fear not, you don’t have to rush and feel you have to drink the whole bottle of vin santo in one evening.  Sparkling wines can also add a flare to your Zabaglione: Moscato D’Asti, and prosecco tend to be the most frequently used.

Zabaglione Food Pairing Suggestions

*Note: Yes, Zabaglione is one of our “special occasion” desserts because the recipe uses wine.  If you’re curious and want to know more about cooking with alcohol, read our blog post here .  We recognize that alcohol isn’t meant for everyone’s diet – so we’re sorry if alcohol is on your prohibited foods list and we’ve inadvertently taunted you. Also, this dairy-free Zabaglione recipe is also a good dessert consideration for gluten or lactose free eaters – our zabaglione recipe doesn’t use dairy; heavy cream can often help prolong the shelf life of zabaglione, but also affects the flavor and texture. You’ll want to be extra careful when choosing the wine (allergens).

Zabaglione Recipe

Zabaglione Ingredients

4 egg yolks (**we use raw, pasteurized eggs for this recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vin santo or marsala wine ** (see above for other options)

Directions

Use a double boiler / bain-marie; bring the water to a boil. (To construct a makeshift double boiler – fill a pot with 1 – 2 inches of water; bring to a boil.  Select another rounded pot or [copper or heat tolerant glass] bowl that can sit comfortably on top of the pot, the rounded bowl becomes important because otherwise the ingredients will stick to the edges, overcook or burn.  Do not select a bowl that sits low enough to touch the boiling water – you’ll scald the zabaglione this way.  Essentially, you’re using steam from the bottom pot to heat the liquid in the top pot).

Combine and whisk all ingredients together (i.e., top part of the double boiler/a> or rounded copper or heat tolerant glass bowl).  Once you combine all of the ingredients, it is essential that you continue to whisk (to ensure that the zabaglione stays uniform); sugar and egg yolks don’t play well when left alone.

Keep whisking; literally your arm might feel like it’s going to fall off if you’re not using an electric mixer.  I actually stand on a kitchen stool, because I find that it makes whisking a little easier over a bain-marie (plus, I’m old school – I like to use a traditional whisk instead of our electric mixer for spontaneous desserts).

As the heat increases the overall temperature of the zabaglione, the texture will change. Bring it up to 145-150F and keep whisking.  The heating process may seem like a long time because you’re busy whisking away, but it actually doesn’t take too long (usually less than 5 minutes).  The completion test is the ribbon – the point when you can lift the whisk away from the zabaglione, and for a few scant seconds, it makes a ribbon-like pattern before becoming uniform again. Be sure to watch the temperature, because there’s a fine line where the zabaglione might get too hot, start to curdle and scorch.  Quickly bring the temperature down, continue to whisk for about a minute, and remove from heat.

Serve warm.

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Recipes, Low Sodium Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Pristine Sistine Chapel with Walks of Italy

December 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Everyone, meet Jason Spiehler (left) and Stephen Oddo (right) – the co-founders of Walks of Italy, a sustainable travel company that provides high quality personal experiences and small group tours. We initially crossed travel paths with Jason and Stephen back in June, 2012 – Walks of Italy was a sponsor at TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange Conference).

Together with about 700 other travel bloggers – we descended upon Keystone, Colorado. After discovering that I would be traveling to Italy solo for a week (as part of my around-the-world adventure), Jason and Stephen kindly extended an invitation to walk with their Rome-based small group tour crew, to experience Italy as [in-the-know] Romans do.  Wow. What an amazing opportunity! Today’s post focuses on Vatican City*(coincidentally, a UNESCO World Heritage site).

This was my second time visiting Vatican City and it literally was a night and day experience – partly attributed to Walks of Italy’s Pristine Sistine tour itself, and partly due to the fact that I was able to compare my experience of pre-restoration (1993) to post restoration frescos. Time can be favorable under the right set of circumstances.

Walks of Italy calls their early morning tour the Pristine Sistine with good reason: it’s a special experience that grants small group access (up to 12 people per group) to the Sistine chapel – well before the general public are allowed to enter (i.e., the Vatican receives over 20,000 visitors daily).  The Pristine Sistine tour provides patrons a rare opportunity to walk freely inside of the chapel (and not feel like a sardine); the other significant benefit is that this is one of the few times that the Vatican allows guests to talk (quietly but) freely with their knowledgeable [Vatican approved] Walks of Italy guide inside the Chapel itself. The real-time explanation and interpretation of the frescos, along with having a remarkable amount of personal space makes a world of difference.  To me, this is the preferred way to visit the Sistine Chapel.

Inside the Sistine Chapel, I was in awe. The fresco restorations were simply incredible – literally, it is like comparing a black-and-white photo to a vividly colored one. Since we weren’t allowed to take any photos within the chapel itself, you can see the pre-and post-restoration work here (via Wikipedia).

If you visit later in the day, via regular public access, the Sistine Chapel experience is an entirely different animal. Packed to the brim, people stand nearly shoulder-to-shoulder; the temperature inside the chapel is much warmer (due to the sheer volume of people); the Vatican museum stewards constantly bark at the visitors in an effort to keep the chapel under control (there’s a no talking/photography policy within the chapel itself. I later walked through the Sistine Chapel and had to squeeze through sardine pit; it was a stark contrast to the “Pristine Sistine”).

Rich in art, history, and culture – it’s easy to spend days inside the walls of the Vatican.  The Pristine Sistine tour led us through the Vatican museums, Raphael rooms, and some other special gems (we can’t give all the secrets away).  Our tour wrapped up inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.

Inside, we saw Michelangelo’s Pieta (behind bulletproof glass – another sad “sign of the times”).

Tips on Visiting the Vatican:

  • Be sure to dress appropriately – dress code is strictly enforced for both men and women. (i.e.,  no shorts, bare shoulders, miniskirts/other revealing (or offensively marked) clothing).
  • Stay close to your guide, especially while inside St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s easy to lose your group while being in awe of the art and architecture (I temporarily lost my group, quite by accident, and nearly didn’t find them again).
  • Climbing to the top of the cupola at St. Peter’s Basilica is something everyone should do at least once (320 steps) in your lifetime.  The view from the top is simply stunning. There’s an elevator that provides rooftop access (but not the top of the cupola).  The Vatican charges additional access fees (note: this is not included in the Pristine Sistine Tour, but I highly recommend doing this – the view from the top is well worth the additional effort).
  • Warning: the Sistine Chapel is not immune to pickpockets , especially during peak visiting hours.  Having squeezed through the sardine pit myself, I could see how this is likely.

Special thanks to all of the folks at Walks of Italy for really amazing tour and Vatican experience!  The Pristine Sistine is one of those experiences that I’ll always remember!

*Disclaimer: Walks of Italy sponsored my Pristine Sistine Tour; the opinions expressed/photos used in the above post are my own.

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Homemade Horto-merothikopita Pie Recipe (Greek-style green & herb pie)

August 10, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Today’s recipe is inspired by our personal friend George Menzelos (who happens to be the founder/owner of Arianna Trading Company, he’s a supplier of amazing tasting organic Greek olive oil). Coincidentally, George also [inadvertently] personally inspired us to create a low sodium olive oil pastry crust recipe. We’ve taken George’s original greens and herbs pie recipe and converted it into a low sodium version (our version is pictured above).

Here is George’s story behind his homemade horto-merothikopita pie
[horta = greens] + [merothika = herbs] +[pita = pie] =  ["greens-herbs-pie"]

Welcome to Greece!  My greens and herbs pie is not a traditional Greek dish in so much as it’s a creation by a Greek/American foodie who’s a health nut. Having traveled around the different regions of Greece, I have seen many variations on spanakopita, they use the greens and herbs they have in season and what is available not just spinach. Greens of all kinds are a huge part of the traditional Greek diet and have been attributed to their good health and longevity. Unfortunately with globalization and especially since it’s entering into the EU there has also come fast food into the Greek people’s diet. You now see the same cardiovascular diseases and obesity happening among Greeks particularly in the young people.

As part of what I’ve studied about adding alkaline based foods into my diet, I regularly prepare a raw greens & herbs pesto. This pesto is a puree of many types of greens and herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and walnuts that I whip up in a food processor. I try and make this a part of my weekly routine and it keeps refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. This pesto oxidizes so I keep a layer of olive oil covering the top. I use this pesto as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, raw on cooked pasta, as a dip or just eat it straight up from a spoon, yum.

This greens pie is actually the byproduct of making my pesto. I can buy up more variety of greens for use in both. Because it’s been baked the greens and herb pie will last much longer and it also freezes beautifully. This is a great way to get a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals into your diet that’s simple and tastes great. Note that I do like to buy and use the whole bags of organic pre washed greens for the most part and use the upper stems with the leaves of a whole bunch of herbs to cut down on prep time. After preparing the base of the greens mixture I separate the mix into the raw and baking parts adding in the remaining ingredients, often saving and baking the pie the following day. It’s a great way to get in a healthy portion of greens and herbs into your diet. This pie is a perfect side dish to grilled fish or meats and it makes a great breakfast or lunch.

Our low sodium version of George’s horto-merothikopita pie recipe

Makes 1  – 12″  pie

Ingredients

1 or 2 unbaked low sodium pie crusts (depending if you want to make a covered pie or an uncovered one — we made ours “uncovered”).

Step A

1/2 cup chopped scallions

16 oz of spinach, kale, arugula mix (we used 6 oz kale, 6 oz spinach, and 4 oz arugula)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh dill

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Step B

1 cup low sodium ricotta (or goat) cheese

3/4 cup packed green onion/scallions

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic

Optional:  top with whipped mascarpone cheese (as seen).

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. In a food processor, chop all ingredients listed in step A (scallions, spinach, kale, arugula, mint, dill and cilantro). Remove and place in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a food processor, whip together the ingredients listed in step b (ricotta, green onion, eggs, olive oil, and garlic).
  4. Fold together and place in unbaked pie shell
  5. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  (Place foil loosely over the top for the first 20 minutes) . Enjoy!
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Catch of the Day: Branzino, Loup De Mer, or Mediterranean Sea Bass

September 30, 2011 By
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And the catch of the day is… Mediterranean Sea Bass.

Whenever I think of Branzino, I think of the Italian Amalfi coastline…basking in the warm Sorrento sun…

…going to the island of Capri, and sitting in these little boats to get to the Grotta Azzurra.

Though highly touristy, the Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto), is a magical cave where the outside sunlight (light refraction) passes through an underwater cavity (afternoons) and fills the cavern with the most amazing blue light.

The little (traditional fishing) boats that my mom, sister and I took, the Isle of Capri, and Branzino are forever tied together — and when I eat Branzino, it always reminds me of this mysterious and very special place…

No matter what name its’ passport bears, Mediterranean Sea Bass is one of our favorite fish.  It often travels incognito under other names:

  • Branzino/Branzini or spigola (plural) (Italian),
  • Lavraki (Greek), or
  • Levrek (Turkish),
  • Loup de mer (French),
  • Lubina or róbalo (Spanish)
  • Wolfsbarsch (German)

Delicious low-sodium examples of sustainable aquaculture, these buttery-esque, delicate white fish roam wild in these areas:

Food wise, USDA database notes that bass (Fish, sea bass, mixed species, raw or Fish, bass, striped) weighs in at 58 mg/sodium per 3 oz serving – not too shabby and very tasty!

The number of hungry eaters and preparation methods will determine how many Branzino you’ll need to buy.  My general rule of thumb is as follows:

  • Perfect for pan frying, cooked whole – for one person, pick a Branzino that is at least 1 lb.
  • Roasted, baked, grilled, or steamed in parchment, cooked whole – 2 lbs is almost the perfect size for a providing two nice fillets….

…wait and see what we do with ours.  We”ll keep you posted!

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Cooking & Food Tips, Low Sodium Ingredients, Will Travel For Food... Tagged With: , , ,