The gourmet's guide to Europe

The Zuppa di Pesce is a Bouillabaisse without any saffron. The fish and shell-fish (John Dory, red mullet, cuttle-fish, lobster, whiting, muraena, and mussels) which compose it are served on toast. The Fritto di Calamaretti is a fry of cuttle-fish in oil. Cinghiale in agro dolce is wild boar cooked in a sauce of chocolate, sugar, plums, pinolis, red currant, and vinegar. A Bacchio e Capretto alia Cacciatora is very young lamb and sucking-goat cut into small pieces, and cooked in a sauce to which anchovies and chillies give the dominant taste. Polio en padella are spring chickens cut up and fried with tomatoes, large sweet chillies, and white wine. Pasticcio di Maccheroni is an excellent macaroni pie, and Gnocchi di Patele are little knobs of paste boiled like macaroni. Broccoli, green peas cooked with butter and ham, and, above all, the Roman artichoke stewed in oil — which is to be obtained at its best in the old Jewish eating-houses of the Ghetto — are the vegetables of Rome. A very small ham is one of the local delicacies. Gnocchi di latte are custards in layers, each of which is seasoned with either sugar or butter, or cinnamon or Parmesan cheese ; and Zuppa Inglese is a rich cake soaked with 2 66 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe liqueurs and vanilla cream, covered with meringue and then baked. Uova di Bufola is a little ball of cheese made from buffalo’s milk. The best kind, Abota , is kept in wrappings of fresh myrtle leaves. Marino (red) and Frascati (white) are two of the best local wines. Orvieto has a faint remembrance of the champagne taste. Monte Fiascone is a dessert wine. The Clubs of Rome The two clubs of Rome to which a certain number of the Anglo-Saxon residents belong and which extend courtesy to properly vouched for strangers are the Caccia and the Nuovo, both in the Corso. These are both small clubs, and are more like an English county club than one of the great clubs of Pall Mall or St. James's Street. An Englishman who knows his Rome well writes thus to me concerning the Circolo della Caccia (Anglice, Hunt Club) : u It is a sort of mixture of the old Fox Hunters’, Boodles, and the modern Turf, all in one. An Englishman with good introductions and sporting inclinations can, if properly proposed and seconded, become first of all an honorary member for a month. If he wishes to use the club for a longer period, his name is put up and he is balloted for. In the meanwhile the would-be member should take care to be introduced to as many members of the club as possible. The house dinner is excellent. There are two rooms for cards. In the outer one ecarte is played for low stakes. In the inner sanctum, on great occasions such as Carnival, there is sometimes high play. ‘ Chits ’ are given for all expenses incurred in the club — wine, cigars, dinners, &c. ; and bills are settled weekly or monthly. Nearly every one in the high official and diplomatic world belongs to the Caccia ; even the Neri, or Papal adherents. In fact, a more cheery, well-conducted, and Italy 267 hospitable club does not exist in Europe.” The Nuovo is rather more quiet than the Caccia, and there is less play than at the larger club. A Ladies’ Club has recently been instituted in Rome.