Turin, Italy – Back for a bit

After somewhat of a hiatus, we are back for a bit in Turin. Several things required our attention at home and therefore we have been away longer than we would have liked.

In many respects the city is just like we left it last year, in some others, not so much. There are major public works projects going on, so there are some major thoroughfares that are closed and other scaffolding eye-sores to try and ignore. Aside from that, it is rather quiet, since most Italians have left for their August vacation.

Weather

We thought the weather in North Carolina was strange, being as wet as it has been before we left. But it appears to have followed us here as well.

Though not unheard of, this is not the rainy season in Turin, thunderstorms are usually rare this time of year. This one popped up from nowhere and caused quite a scene. It also was severe enough to trash most of the vegetation, especially in our courtyard. My only hope is the sorrounding wine regions were spared.

Restaurants

For the month and a half that we will be here, we have visited or re-visited the following restaurants in our city.

Trattoria D’Agata

This restaurant has great food and decent house wine, if you like that with your lunch. The Chicken Cutlet is huge and very filling, so be careful what else you order with it. The Caponata is amazing, so that is a must order item, if you don’t you will regret it, there is nothing comparable in the States. The Arancini is also a must try!

At Home

We cook Italian and rather conservatively most evenings. A typical dish that is easy to make and tastes great, especially with tomatoes from Italy, is Pasta e Patate in olive sauce with Pecorino Romano DOP cheese sprinkled over it. Yum.