My love affair with Italy started over 20 years ago.
Like all love affairs, it has been exhilarating, exciting and passionate. There have been ups and downs, and times we even almost called it quits.
I was born to Italian parents in Melbourne, but I somehow knew Italy was my destiny. I grew up in a house that was full of people, with regular gatherings centred around cooking and food.
Everything I learnt about food as a child and young adult, I owe to my Italian mother. She arrived in Australia when she was only three years old, and her formative years were spent in a household of Italian migrants trying to make sense of their new life in Australia. She still talks about how a stool was custom-made for her to reach the table and sink. She used to help her mother make pasta at home on a long wooden board, as well as traditional sweets and pastries that eventually became the scents and tastes of my very own childhood.
My father arrived in Australia as a young adult. To this day, after nearly 50 years in his adopted home, Melbourne, he still has an Italian accent, is an Italian soccer fanatic who wakes up during the night to catch matches live from Italy, and is beyond happy when my mum cooks a dish that nostalgically takes him back to his childhood in Abruzzo. Together, my parents instilled in my siblings and me a love for Italy that will live on for generations.
I was six years old when I first visited Italy. It was the 1980s and my memories of the small towns of Italy in summer are of eating gelato at my uncle’s bar, meeting my paternal grandparents, and staying out in the town piazza until the wee hours of the morning. I vividly remember stolen sips of my grandfather’s homemade wine, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee still conjures an image of my grandmother serving caffè to every welcome visitor.
We travelled back to Italy as a family in the 1990s, but my third visit as a 16-year-old was, for me, a turning point. I just knew that, one day, I would live in Italy.
It took me almost 20 years to muster the courage. I visited Rome over a dozen times in my twenties. Every time I left the city, I cried. I felt like I belonged in Rome, and the pull eventually became too profound to ignore. I loved the grandeur of her monuments — the ochre gold of the oldest walls I’d ever seen, and the chaos and winding cobblestone streets that had touches of history at every turn; I couldn’t believe that a modern-day bustling metropolis could sit in harmony with relics and ruins of the past. I loved meandering the streets and getting completely lost in them. It made me feel alive.
In 2011, I walked away from my life in Australia and moved to Rome. I had never lived outside of Melbourne; in Rome, I knew only one person. I knew it was going to be hard and it was — the fear, the struggle, the initial feelings of loneliness, and even displacement. What I know now is that it was worth it.
When I first moved to Rome, I knew food would continue to play an important role in my life, but I didn’t know just how much. In a country famous for its food, Rome boasts a fascinating and unique cuisine that is intrinsically tied to its history. Cucina Romana is founded on the principles of cucina povera, literally ‘poor food’, traditionally consumed by the lower classes, and influences from Ancient Rome through to more recent events are reflected in the food culture of the Eternal City today. Given the passionate nature of Romans as a people, it’s no wonder dining is taken pretty seriously. From carbonara recipes to artichoke frying techniques, just about everything food-related is up for discussion and causes much debate in Rome and, of late, around the world.
Bring an Italian touch to your festive baking with your own , from Maria's new book.
Mini panettone Source: Smith Street Books
While many classic cuisines are often broken down into a chronological sequence of how and when you eat, in my experience of living in Rome I find that dishes are much more identified and defined by where you eat. The trattoria, for instance, while found in cities and towns across Italy, is synonymous with Rome, and the dishes here are quite different to what you would find in a restaurant, bistrot or wine bar. The pasticceria is for cakes, the biscottificio for biscuits, and the forno for bread and other baked goods. When I want to indulge in fried treats, I head to the friggitoria, while pizza is usually eaten in the company of friends at la pizzeria.
Maria's new book celebrates the food and people of Rome.
Maria Pasquale shares her favourite recipes from her adoptive city, Rome. Source: Smith Street Books
My new book I Heart Rome is dedicated to the city that has adopted me and nurtured me, that gave me a new lease on life. It is a collection of my stories, recipes I’ve tasted and the amazing people I’ve met. I Heart Rome and I hope you will too. Here is a taste.
Born to Italian parents, Maria always knew Rome was her destiny, although she was raised in Melbourne. With a formal background in political science and history, she is now an award-winning food and travel blogger - find her at - and journalist. This article is an edited extract from (Smith Street Books, hb, $49.99).
Cook the Book
Rome's version of a flatbread; do as the locals do and add some mortadella to your freshly-baked pizza bianca.
Pizza bianca Source: Smith Street Books
Roman-style broccoli is bright green and almost cauliflower-looking. This popular Roman side dish can also be added to pasta with a splash of olive oil for an easy meal.
Roman broccoli with anchovy Source: Smith Street Books
Light, crunchy and rustic, this version includes cocoa for a sweet yet bitter hit. The main ingredient, as the name suggests, is wine, and it is also customary to serve these biscuits with red wine for dipping.
Sweet wine biscuits Source: Smith Street Books
Porchetta is rolled, spiced pork with crackling that, put simply, just makes you happy. Grab a glass of good wine, a carving knife and simply enjoy!
Porchetta Source: Smith Street Books
