So, you’ve decided to brave the divine chaos that is the 2024-2025 Vatican Jubilee Year. Congratulations! You’re about to dive headfirst into what promises to be the most celestial stampede Rome has ever seen. Tens of millions of pilgrims and curious wanderers are flocking to Rome this year, turning it into the spiritual equivalent of […] The post Holy Hustle: A Survival Guide to Rome’s Jubilee appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

While the high-speed train zips between Rome and Naples in just over an hour, I much prefer to meander between these vibrant cities. My travels are a culinary quest, and after 20 plus years living in Rome, I’ve discovered that the artichokes and pastas you encounter along the way rival the delights waiting upon arrival. […] The post A Gastronomic Road Trip From Rome to Naples appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

Certain brand names become eponymous with the products or foods they represent. Even in this new era of heightened awareness of Italian regional cuisines, the word “pesto” has met a similar fate, becoming synonymous with a specific version: pesto alla genovese, a blend of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and grated cheese from Genoa […] The post Pesto Recipes from the Italian Islands appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

There’s this extraordinary slice of Rome wedged between the Stazione Trastevere, the Tiber, and McDonalds. If you can overlook the aromas emitted by the latter landmarks, this swath of Trastevere’s deep south is almost perfect. In addition to its pretty, pastel-hued 1920s housing blocks and views of Monte Testaccio and Gazometro, it is home to […] The post C’è Pasta…e Pasta For Roman Jewish Classics appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

For someone who travels as much as I do, you would think I would know how to pack fine foods to avoid having them confiscated by security. That, sadly, is not the case. Each time I fly out of the Catania airport (the closest major airport to Noto, a pilgrimage destination for sweets lovers who […] The post Recipe: Crema di Pistacchi (Pistacchio Cream) appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

Rome is home to the full range of coffee bars that represent the state of coffee drinking in Italy today: from pre- and post-war bars with old-world interiors and a balance of traditional atmosphere and service blended with modern sourcing practices; to mid- and later-20th century cafes in which going for a coffee is almost […] The post A Guide to Rome’s Best Coffee Shops appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

The Aperol spritz may have captured the hearts and minds of Italophiles across the globe, thanks to an aggressive and ongoing marketing campaign by its parent company, Campari. But Select Aperitivo, Venice’s own red bitter liqueur founded in 1920, holds its own in the city on the lagoon. The fire-engine-red, low alcohol-by-volume aperitif is served […] The post Venetian #SpritzLife appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

Sicily’s famous sweet-and-sour relish may be most associated with eggplant—it is the main ingredient—but when I was learning to make caponata, my teacher Giacomo reprimanded me for not giving the celery its due. I didn’t take it personally. One of the main ways I have learned about traditional cooking in Sicily (and everywhere else in […] The post Recipe: Caponata (Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant) appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

In Rome, you’ll often see porchetta—deboned, slow-roasted pork—in gourmet delis, market stalls, and butcher shops, when the intense smell of the herb- and spice-rubbed roasted meat will hit you with a serious craving for it as soon as you walk in the door. There are few things in this world as delectable as porchetta done […] The post Recipe: Vito Bernabei’s Porchetta appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more

Rome’s enoteche, or wine bars, are the ideal place to drink wine paired with meat, cheese, or a light meal. Some offer full lunch and dinner service while others stick to the basic antipasto menu.  And almost all of them open before regular Roman lunch and dinner hours so if you need to be fed […] The post Rome’s Best Wine Bars appeared first on Katie Parla ..read more