The Love of Antipasti

Michelangelo’s, “The Creation of Adam”, inside the Sistine Chapel.

Next on our list of famous sights to see in Rome, was the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. We followed the masses of tourists who were also heading toward the Vatican and once we were there it was truly amazing. The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is probably the only thing we’ve seen that compares to the sight of the Vatican City. As we made our way inside the chapel, we decided to tackle the 551 steps to the top of the dome which over looks the square and Rome. When we reached the top, the sight was everything that we had hoped for. A 360 degree view over all of Rome. After taking many photos, we made our way back down and took a short walk around the Vatican City to the Sistine Chapel. We were excited about seeing the famous paintings by Michelangelo, and by far the most famous, “The Creation of Adam”. As we made our way through to the Sistine Chapel we were amazed at the size and volume of all the paintings, every inch of the chapel was painted to depict many famous moments in time. As we made our way through the crowd, we got to the centre of the chapel and looked straight up, and there, in the centre of the ceiling was the painting we’d all come to see. So after a busy afternoon, it was that time again, time to eat and have a cocktail. After having lots of pizza and pasta on our first day, we were keen to explore some other Italian food, particularly antipasti.

Aside from the amazing pizza and pasta that there is to eat in Italy, it’s important not to forget about the other classic Italian dish, Antipasti. Usually before any meal, it’s normal to order a selection of cold meats, olives and cheese. When Cara and I went out to eat, we were sometimes served these dishes without even ordering them, free of charge. Prosciutto is by far the most popular of the cold meats featured on a standard antipasti dish. Prosciutto is the ham of either a pig or wild boar. It usually comes from the thigh or the hind leg of the animal. The meat is finely cut, cleaned and well salted, then left to age for a time ranging from 9 months to 2 years. The result is a delicious, soft, salty and chewy meat which falls apart and melts in your mouth.  Along with the cold meats, often come a selection of olives, cheeses and lots of bread. Every meal we ate we nearly lost our appetites due to the amount of antipasti dishes served before the main meal.  After our busy day, I was keen for a nice refreshing beer to go with our antipasti. I decided to order one of the beer cocktails that were on offer. The “Peach Lager” was a beer cocktail which consisted of fresh peach puree, peach schnapps and cointreau and topped up with Peroni. Peroni lager is by far the most popular beer in Italy. This beer concoction was sweet and refreshing. The puree made the drink quite heavy in texture, but it was still a definite thirst quencher after another long day exploring Rome.

“Peach Lager Beer Cocktail”
In a pint glass:
30ml Peach Schnapps
15ml Cointreau
45ml Peach puree
Topped with Lager

The Snickers Bar

One of the most common cocktails found on hundreds of menus, is the modern classic, the Toblerone. This cocktail i feel has been done to death. So many different ways of making it and serving it. It was time we made a cocktail to blow the toblerone out of the water . So i came up with another chocolate bar to imitate, the snickers bar.

This cocktail is more than just a drink, it is a dessert. Full of all the naughty things such as ice cream, chocolate sauce, thick creamy liqueurs and the worst (but also the best) part, a generous tablespoon of smooth peanut butter.

Start with 2 - 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a blender. Coat ice cream with chocolate sauce. Add 30ml frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur produced in the piedmont region in northern Italy. It's origins date back more than 300 years to days of early christian monks who lived in the area). Then add 15ml of butterscotch schnapps, 15ml of white creme de cacao (chocolate liqueur), followed by 15ml of Baileys Irish cream. I don't know many milky cocktails that don't include baileys. It is such a versatile liqueur. Even just ice cream with baileys poured on top, you can't go wrong. Last but not least, a nice big spoon of peanut butter. Add ice to your blender, and blend until mixture is nice and smooth.

I often get asked about when blending cocktails, how much ice to add in order to get the exact amount. It's quite simple, in order fill your glass exactly, use your serving glass as a measure. Fill the glass with ice, then tip it into your blender. This should give you the exact amount you need, so you don't fall short, or have too much left over.

Once your snickers mixture is blended smooth, simply pour it into your glass. I like to sometimes get creative and decorate the glass with funky patterns, but I'll leave that up to you.

Don't have this cocktail if your just about to go out for dinner, because it is very think and it will fill you up.  It is a perfect after dinner drink. A great way to finish of a night. Enjoy!

In a blender:
2 - 3 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate sauce
30ml Frangelico
15ml Butterscotch schnapps
15ml White Creme de Cacao
15ml Baileys Irish Cream
Tablespoon of smooth peanut butter
add ice and blend until smooth.