Bakeries are called fornos in Italy which literally means oven. Being gluten free in a country that is all about it's pastries, pastas and breads, one might think the local forno might be a no entry zone. But a closer look can reveal more options...
Beyond the loaves of powdery bread, thick foccacia and bite size cookies might hold a tray of perfectly grilled melanzane (eggplant), peperone (red bell pepper), e zucchine. Just like the best breads, if you are not early enough to the forno, you might miss out and have to wait till domani, when another batch of these cooked vegetables flavored only with olive oil and their own juices, are set to sell. Rarely do I buy jarred roasted bell peppers at home in California, as the vinegar taste is often overpowering and distracts from the sweetness. When I've grilled eggplant, it often gets oversaturated with oil if the heat is too low because of eggplants' ability to act as a sponge and hold the oil or charred if the heat is too high. (Home cooks, do you have these problems???) But of course the Italians have figured it out, and these Mediterranean flavors accompanied with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto cotto make a fine gluten free lunch.
Ciao!!
-Francine
Beyond the loaves of powdery bread, thick foccacia and bite size cookies might hold a tray of perfectly grilled melanzane (eggplant), peperone (red bell pepper), e zucchine. Just like the best breads, if you are not early enough to the forno, you might miss out and have to wait till domani, when another batch of these cooked vegetables flavored only with olive oil and their own juices, are set to sell. Rarely do I buy jarred roasted bell peppers at home in California, as the vinegar taste is often overpowering and distracts from the sweetness. When I've grilled eggplant, it often gets oversaturated with oil if the heat is too low because of eggplants' ability to act as a sponge and hold the oil or charred if the heat is too high. (Home cooks, do you have these problems???) But of course the Italians have figured it out, and these Mediterranean flavors accompanied with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto cotto make a fine gluten free lunch.
Ciao!!
-Francine
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