Niko Romito is a superstar. The chef’s Reale restaurant in Abruzzo, where he elevates local culinary traditions to an art form, is one of Italy’s ten three-star Michelin shrines. His Spazio restaurants in Abruzzo, Rome, and Milan — entrusted to the care of chef Gaia Giordano — have set a new benchmark for mid-range restaurant concepts.
Niko Romito and Gaia Giordano
Spazio Pane e Caffè in Rome, which opened in 2018, is an exquisite place to fuel up in the morning. “Breakfast is a special moment,” explains Giordano, “which brings me back to the work my father Antonio did for 40 years in his pastry shop in Rivisondoli.” In addition to a stellar cappuccino and flawlessly baked goods, Spazio Pane e Caffè offers seasonal fruit juices and savory breakfast dishes, such as toast, eggs, and cheese. Recreate one of Romito’s treats at home with the following recipe.
The Recipe: Niko Romito’s White Wine Cookies
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup, all-purpose flour
⅓ cup dry white wine
⅓ cup seed oil
⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Brown sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 320°F.
Combine white wine, oil, and sugar, then add the flour and baking powder to the mixture until it forms a dough.
Roll out the dough until 1⁄4” thick, then cut into 1 1/2” discs.
Dip each cookie in brown sugar then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 7 to 8 minutes.
Italian breakfast: White wine biscuits by chef Romito are the top right
Text Sara Porro / Ph Giacomo Bretzel
Article originally published on La Cucina Italiana print magazine #2
