I’ve become disastrously negligent with my blog of late, so I’m going to attempt something a bit quicker in the hopes that it will happen more often. Here you have it: more pictures, more info’, less fluff.

When it comes to second homes Spain, and Catalonia in particular, has been my great love for years….. but right now I feel rather like I’m having an affair, I just can’t get enough of Rome. It all kicked off with a couple of visits, in my Queen of Beans role, to the United Nations FAO last year, although what really ignited the passion was Rachel Roddy’s cookbook, (and it’s so much more than a cookbook), Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome. If you’re planning a trip to Rome or just want to bring a bit of Rome into your home you just have to own this book or, at the very least, read Rachel’s weekly column in the Guardian Cook. I spent a morning making pizza bianca with Rachel and fabulous son Luca and if you’d like to spend some time cooking with her she’s one of an inspiring trio who run the fabulous ” Market to Table” classes in Trastevere.

Testaccio is where you’ll most likely end up if you’ve become as obsessed with Rachel’s writing as I have (I’d like to point out that this post will be as much of a surprise to R as it may be to you – it’s just that I’ve become her number-one fan/bordering on stalker). The rather hazy picture below, snapped from an EasyJet window shows Testaccio in the bottom left corner. You can actually see our fab’ Airbnb (familiar washing-line view from the door) situated between the triangular and square piazzas in Testaccio. I’m sure that I’d be able to do an “X” marks the spot if I was more techy. It’s a perfect neighbourhood; walking distance from all the top spots yet a million miles away from all the touristy tat stalls and over priced gelato.

Testaccio market is a proper, buzzy, local business with luscious piles of fruit and veg’, butchers with plenty of offal, fishmongers, cheesemongers, hardware stalls, shoe shops and a seemingly limitless array of underwear and aprons on offer too. Don’t miss one of   Sergio Esposito‘s famous allesso (boiled beef) and cicoria sandwiches.

I’m not much of a fine diner (can’t afford to be either, if I’m honest) and holidaying with our daughter Imi made it a perfect excuse to focus predominantly on vast quantities of pizza and gelato. I can’t claim to have discovered any of these great establishments (with just 4 days in a place you haven’t t got time to make the wrong choices)  I turned to info’ from Rachel ( Roddy of course), Katie Parla, A Diana Henry piece for The Telegraph  and gleaned valuable snap shots from Dan Vaux-Nobes’ Instagram (@essexeating).

So, in short, Pizza we loved:
Bonci Pizzarium, Via della Meloria, 43, ( walking distance from The Vatican or Cipro Metro station) This is pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) which is fab’ as you can taste so many different types – favourite was probably broccoli, hazelnut, potato and mozzarella or perhaps the n’duja with burrata

Pizzeria Remo, Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice, 44, Testaccio. Real favourite with the locals + tourists in the know. Often a queue outside, great classic pizza, wonderful fried suppli di riso and also the best beans imaginable (and I know my beans)

Trappizino, Via Giovanni Branca, 88, Testaccio. Can barely be termed a pizza at all, more like pizza corners stuffed with traditional Roman dishes such as aubergine parmigiana, chicken cacciatora or beef tongue with salsa verde. Heaven, really heaven and fantastic local craft beers on offer in their little bar next door.

Tavernaccia Da Bruno Via Giovanni da Castel Bolognese, 63, Much more than a pizzeria  –  had the most spectacularly good wood-roast porchetta and pigeon, sautéed cicoria to die for, and Imi declared that her Pizza Margherita was the best in Rome.

Favourite Gelato (the difference in price between the historic centre and less touristy areas was HUGE)

Gelateria La Romana, Via Ostiense 48, Testaccio (quite a big chain but extremely good nevertheless, you’ll find other branches) Panna cotta with fruti di bosco and toasted pine kernels was sublime. Love the fact that we had to queue at 10pm on a chilly night in April.

Panna & Co, Marmorata 115, Testaccio. Our “local”, we had a few! Imi The Gelato Queen’s favourite gelateria of the trip with pistachio meringue coming in as the top flavour.

One to strike off: I marched Mims and Peter half way across Rome for the famed Carapina gelato – it’s closed down! May be about to spring up elsewhere but do check. Otherwise Come il Latte gets great reviews but we never quite made it.

Top Coffee:

Pasticceria Barberini, Via Marmorata, 41,Testaccio. Morning coffee and pastries here became the daily ritual. Love the way the locals down their espressos in a matter of moments and then get on with their day. Spectacular range of cakes- everything we tasted was ridiculously good.

Caffe Sant’ Eustachio, Piazza di S. Eustachio, 82 ( near the Pantheon) The BEST coffee ever. Reputedly down to own roast beans and water from an ancient aqueduct. Be sure to stand at the bar, its what all the locals do and they’ll sting you if you sit down outside.

We ate in plenty of other places but these were the faves. Also, for me, one of the joys of renting a flat is being able to cook/cobble together something yourself. Testaccio market and then the very exclusive but amazing Volpetti (a delicatessen like you’ve never experienced before – also in Testaccio) are great places to stock up. We had a picnic too but that’s another story and another blog post, along with a crostata recipe and news of Rachel Roddy’s next book.

Thanks to “With Mustard” for requesting this little list (I’d not have got around to it otherwise)