10.03.10: anniversary dinner (from Torino to the countryside of Piemonte in one meal, part two).
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.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EInside%20the%20Piazza%20San%20Carlo%20in%20Turin,%20Italy%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOh,%20Turin.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20were%20intending%20to%20take%20a%20day%20trip%20to%20Milan,%20one%20of%20the%20few%20plans%20we%20had%20in%20mind%20for%20our%20otherwise%20lazy%20honeymoon.%20Milan%20fascinated%20me,%20but%20lovely%20lovely%20Diana%20(I%20dare%20you%20not%20to%20go%20to%20her%20B&B%E2%80%99s%20website%20and%20not%20drool%20and%20then%20make%20travel%20plans)%20said%20that%20Turin%20would%20suit%20us%20more;%20yes,%20it%E2%80%99s%20closer%20to%20Acqui%20than%20Milan,%20but%20more%20importantly,%20she%20thought%20that%20its%20rich%20culture%20would%20be%20of%20greater%20interest%20rather%20than%20the%20cool%20industrialism%20of%20Milan.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EShe%20was,%20naturally,%20right.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBar%20Francia%20on%20the%20Via%20Garibaldi%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20loved%20wandering%20around%20the%20city%20that%20afternoon.%20We%20certainly%20didn%E2%80%99t%20get%20to%20see%20all%20of%20it,%20but%20simply%20immersing%20ourselves%20in%20the%20culture,%20even%20for%20a%20little%20while,%20was%20enough%20to%20fill%20my%20%E2%80%9Ctake%20photographs%20of%20European%20city%20streets%E2%80%9D%20urge.%20We%20got%20a%20late%20lunch%20(for%20us%E2%80%93it%20was%202%20PM)%20in%20a%20cafe%20in%20the%20Piazza%20San%20Carlo%20and%20the%20sandwich%20I%20enjoyed%20had%20prosciutto%20and%20cheese%20inside,%20but%20it%20was%20served%20as%20a%20rolotini%20(rolled%20into%20a%20pinwheel,%20of%20sorts),%20and%20it%20paired%20perfectly%20with%20the%20glass%20of%20house%20red%20wine%20that%20I%20enjoyed%20with%20it.%20It%20was%20just%20the%20right%20amount%20of%20sustenance%20to%20power%20me%20through%20the%20rest%20of%20our%20ramblings%20down%20the%20Via%20Garibaldi:%20rich,%20%20dense%20and%20fantastic.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EView%20from%20the%20Via%20Roma%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20left%20before%20the%20sun%20set%20%20because%20we%20wanted%20to%20get%20back%20to%20Acqui%20Terme%20at%20a%20reasonable%20time%20(and%20admittedly%20we%20were%20anxious%20over%20where%20we%20parked%20our%20car%E2%80%93we%20were%20kind%20of%20expecting%20a%20boot%20on%20our%20car%20thanks%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20signage%20in%20Asti,%20but%20fortunately%20nothing%20came%20of%20that)%20so%20we%20didn%E2%80%99t%20experience%20aperitivi%20time%20in%20the%20cafes%E2%80%A6but%20that%20hasn%E2%80%99t%20stopped%20me%20from%20wanting%20to%20enjoy%20that%20time%20on%20a%20lazy%20weekend%20afternoon.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20I%20had%20an%20idea%20to%20precede%20our%20rustic%20dinner%20with%20a%20play%20on%20that%20sandwich%20that%20I%20enjoyed%20on%20the%20Piazza%20San%20Carlo.%20I%E2%80%99ve%20written%20about%20aperitivi%20before,%20but%20for%20those%20who%20are%20new%20here,%20it%E2%80%99s%20the%20time%20when%20you%20can%20get%20a%20good%20cocktail%20(often%20made%20with%20Campari%20or%20Aperol)%20and%20then%20get%20an%20open%20buffet%20of%20food%20to%20snack%20on%20while%20you%20ate.%20I%20was%20flipping%20through%20Autumn%20in%20Piemonte%20and%20saw%20miniature%20versions%20of%20that%20sandwich%20I%20enjoyed%20in%20Turin%20that%20looked%20very%20easy%20to%20make%E2%80%A6and%20I%20was%20craving%20something%20with%20Campari%E2%80%A6and%20just%20like%20that,%20the%20decision%20was%20made.%20Enjoying%20a%20proper%20gin%20martini%20has%20become%20a%20sort%20of%20standard%20on%20our%20weekends,%20especially%20on%20Sundays%20(as%20it%E2%80%99s%20Mad%20Men%20day!),%20but%20I%20wanted%20something%20you%E2%80%99d%20get%20in%20a%20bar%20in%20Turin,%20so%20a%20Negroni%20felt%20appropriate.%20Made%20with%20equal%20parts%20gin,%20Campari%20and%20sweet%20vermouth,%20it%E2%80%99s%20the%20perfect%20accomplishment%20to%20these%20super-easy,%20very%20savory%20bites,%20and%20feasting%20on%20both%20will%20give%20you%20the%20urge%20to%20either%20don%20your%20best%20dressy%20outfits%E2%80%A6or%20your%20favorite%20dressy%20lounging%20ensembles.%20Seriously.%20This%20is%20perfect%20for%20those%20dinner%20guests%20you%20must%20impress,%20but%20they%20also%20work%20perfectly%20as%20a%20late-afternoon%20snack.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGiven%20the%20presence%20of%20a%20good%20amount%20of%20cheese%20and%20puff%20pastry,%20these%20biscuits%20were%20definitely%20dense%20little%20mouthfuls,%20but%20oh,%20how%20good%20they%20were%20to%20eat.%20I%20went%20for%20broke%20and%20made%20two%20of%20the%20three%20kinds%20suggested%20in%20the%20book%20to%20see%20which%20we%E2%80%99d%20like%20better,%20but%20in%20the%20future%20I%E2%80%99ll%20restrict%20myself%20to%20one%20because%20too%20many%20of%20these%20things%20will%20kill%20your%20appetite%20for%20a%20while.%20I%20was%20intrigued%20by%20two%20fillings:%20one%20with%20Gruyere%20and%20anchovies,%20and%20the%20other%20with%20prosciutto%20di%20Parma%20and%20Grana%20Padano.%20The%20former%20was%20strong%20and%20great%20for%20those%20who%20love%20anchovies,%20but%20the%20latter%20is%20definitely%20the%20one%20to%20serve%20to%20a%20crowd,%20as%20it%E2%80%99s%20difficult%20to%20go%20wrong%20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