My friend Nicole (her blog Zoomata has interesting and wacky Italian news) asked me if I had tried the summer version of Pocket Coffee. And not only that, but she had one in her possession to share with me.

Summer version of Pocket Coffee?? Yes, Pocket Coffee has a summer brother and thy name is Pocket Espresso to Go!

I pride myself as being a pretty curious person, especially when it comes to food – I often wander the aisles of local supermarkets when I travel, even within Italy, to see what regional and local differences there are in selection. So the fact that I hadn’t heard of or seen this summer version was indeed news to me.

I was then introduced to a friend working for Ferrero who agreed to bring me some of the Pocket Espresso to Go for my very own.

Yippee!

Pocket Espresso to Go has only been released in a few select markets throughout Italy (and only a few stores in those cities – I still haven’t seen it in Milan, but found it in Puglia) and only has an Italian product page for now. I found mention of them “in the wild” as early as last summer (including a post on the Food Section), but I’d never seen them before.

There’s a lot of potential in those little packages, especially when you realize they aren’t susceptible to the hot weather like the original Pocket Coffee. And I’m going to be giving some to you!! (Giveaway instructions below)

But first, let’s meet Pocket Espresso. These little containers are a liquid mix of the original Pocket Coffee : real espresso and dark chocolate. The flavor of Pocket Espresso isn’t a big surprise – it tastes like a melted Pocket Coffee, though some claim the chocolate flavor isn’t as strong.

It works for me.

Just like regular Pocket Coffee, each piece has 1/3 the caffeine of a regular cup of espresso. And, in case anyone was wondering, they are only 47 calories with 1 gram of fat! That’s a snack I could grow to love.

Perhaps the most genius part of Pocket Espresso is the packaging. They are made to look very similar to the original Pocket Coffee, but they are slightly larger.

Isn’t it cute?? Yes, that’s a little straw there. It’s cute. It makes me happy. I brought a box to work and we had a lot of fun sipping from our little straws while everyone else was drinking regular espresso around the coffee machine. There’s something about sipping from a tiny container with a little straw that ensures no one will keep a straight face. Try it in your next board room meeting, or instead of sipping water during a speech, or even better, next to your friends chugging back those gallon-size coffee drinks. Definitely a conversation starter.

You can drink them directly from the box, but I put a few in the fridge for when it’s really hot and I want something a little more refreshing – they are good!

My Ferrero contact wasn’t able to tell me when or how quickly they might be available in other countries outside of Italy (or throughout Italy, for that matter) but hopefully we can make some noise to encourage them to hurry up! I’m running out of my personal stash!

Pocket Espresso to Go Giveaway

I’m giving away two 3-packs of Pocket Espresso to Go. You get two chances to enter – and I’ll be picking one winner from each method of entering! I’ll accept entries until midnight, Pacific time (GMT -8) on Friday, June 12th.

1. Comment here and tell me what your favorite summer drink is. What refreshing drink do you look forward to in hot weather?? (Note: I have comment moderation turned on due to high spam, so please don’t be alarmed if your comment doesn’t appear immediately)
2. Tweet about the giveaway (I’m on Twitter: @rosso) and include two things in the Tweet: 1) the URL to this post and 2) my id @rosso – that’s also how I’ll keep track of who’s entering. If you prefer not to be creative on your own, you can Tweet this with the short URL (http://tr.im/nZG0) already provided : “Win some new Pocket Espresso to Go (summer Pocket Coffee) from @rosso http://tr.im/nZG0“

PS: Did you know Ms. Adventures in Italy has a Facebook Fan Page, too? Become a fan!

Disclosure: While I did receive a few packages of Pocket Espresso from my Ferrero contact, it was done as a personal favor through our mutual friend, and he did not ask me to write about Pocket Espresso or give them away. So I’m not! The packages I’m giving away are ones that I bought with my own money down in Puglia. Enjoy!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Pocket Coffee: Real Italian Espresso covered in Chocolate (Giveaway!)
• Italian Weddings: Greeting the Bride and Groom with Rice, Pasta and Confetti
• 2009 Year in Pictures
• Chocolate Brownie Birthday Cake with Homemade Caramel and Pistachios Recipe
• A Wedding in Tuscany

Some housekeeping:

• I’m participating in (Dessert First) Anita Chu’s The Field Guide to Cookies Book Tour! Check back this Thursday for a recipe from her fabulous book, and visit the other bloggers involved in the meantime!
• If you’re an Expat Blogger in Italy, and you don’t see your blog on my Expat Blogs in Italy list, contact me to be added!

One of the highlights of spending so much time in Puglia, and in Manfredonia to be more specific is my close proximity to one of my favorite gelaterias, Gelateria da Tommasino!

It’s an institution in Manfredonia, and while it doesn’t have a flashy patio for seating or even an indoors for when it’s raining, it’s always packed. Take this picture for example, taken this summer in August.

Not impressed? What if I told you it had been taken at 2am? Or that at midnight on a weekend, I found myself with the number 14 – a mere 42 people between me and my beloved gelato. I think the only time I’ve seen lines longer are at the Questura (police station) managing work visas.

Needless to say, I took a few turns around the park and came back to find my number was approaching.

So, how’s the gelato?

I’d have to say it’s in my Top 5 Gelaterias in Italy, and the prices mean that it will always have a place in my top rankings, and in my stomach.

Oh, did I not mention the prices? It is by far the cheapest (good!!) gelateria I’ve found in Italy, with cups and cones starting at just 1 euro! And these aren’t kiddie servings. The cone below was the next size up at 1.50euro. You can use the wafer as a benchmark for the size – I’ve never even ordered the 2 euro size.

If you can’t come to Manfredonia, don’t worry. Tommasino has their gelato, and more specifically their Ice Cream Cassata in many of the restaurants up and down the Pugliese coast.

If you do come to Manfredonia, a caveat: this gelateria is most definitely not open all day, so plan your stop accordingly. It usually opens in late afternoon or even the evening around 6/7pm, and is open until late night (2am or so).

Gelati Da Tommasino S.R.L.
Piazza del Castello
http://www.gelatidatommasino.com

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Where to Find Great Italian Gelato: Tour del Gelato
• Tour del Gelato: Gelateria Marghera
• More Italian Gelateria Stops on the Tour del Gelato!
• Tour del Gelato: Grom in Torino
• Join the Tour del Gelato!!

Pesto is definitely an O food!

One of my favorite things to do in a new place is to go to the supermarket. I like to find new things, things I don’t understand, things that are delicious and even those that are disgusting. I still try to go into supermarkets in any new place in Italy since the food can vary so much from region to region, and even town to town.

Spending a lot of time in the Gargano region of Puglia, I was happy to find a Pesto Garganico variation on the traditional Pesto Genovese. When I got home, I was determined to recreate it for myself.

In the markets in Italy, you can often find untreated sundried tomatoes to be used in recipes, or to take home and put in jars with olive oil and other spices. When I was in Sicily, my friend’s aunt recognized the food curiosity inside of me and sent me home with a big bag of tomatoes that she had dried herself.

Pesto Garganico: Almonds, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto Recipe

50g almonds
10-20 basil leaves (about a 1/2c.)
2 sundried tomatoes
1/2 clove garlic
Olive oil (1/4-1/2 cup)

1. Chop or cut the sundried tomatoes so that they fit into the food processor, removing the stem parts if still attached. Briefly pulse the garlic, almonds and tomatoes together with a little oil.
2. Add the basil leaves and pulse to the consistency you desire. If you like your pesto runny, add more oil.
3. If you don’t plan on using the pesto immediately, break it into meal-size portions and freeze them separately. I think that ramekins are the perfect size for storing meal-size portions of pesto and thanks to my mom, I use them as well.

Some other non-traditional versions of pesto to try:

• Recipe for Roasted Yellow Summer Squash with Sage-Pecan Pesto from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Tomatoes from Food Blogga
• Pesto di Peperone “Red Pepper” Pesto from Lucullian delights
• Almond Pesto from Cafe Fernando
• Cilantro Pesto from Simply Recipes

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• 7 layer dip Recipe, Italian Style, for Crostini
• Recipes
• O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Round-up, Part 2
• 3 Cheese Pesto Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
• Summer Means Aperitivo in Italy