I've taken far too long a sabbatical from updating this blog so I figured
that the only way I could triumphantly return would be with a whopper
of a post. Good thing I have about 800 pictures from a trip I took to
Italy last year, which I think will do just the trick. Since most of
the food speaks for itself, I'll just post the photos here with some
minor comments and let you enjoy. Viva Italia!
VENICE, ITALY
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| Shortbread cookie with chocolate center - first taste of Italy gets an A+! |
First dinner
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| First course - sauteed vegetables |
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| Second course - pasta with herbs and butter |
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| Third course - steak with salad |
Breakfast
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| Plain yogurt |
Lunch at an Italian style cafeteria, lots of options to choose from
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| Pasta with red sauce |
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| Steamed brussel sprouts |
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| Real caprese salad |
Mid-afternoon snack
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| Hot chocolate made from real melted chocolate - divine! |
Second Dinner
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| Fritto Misto and bruschetta |
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| First taste of Italian pizza |
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| First taste of Italian gelato - white chocolate (thanks to Dad for being the hand model...) |
Lunch on the bus drive to Florence - Autogrille (truck stop)
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| Cheese plate |
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FLORENCE, ITALY
First dinner
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| First course - charcuterie, bruschetta and pate |
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| Second course - pasta |
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| Third course |
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| Fourth course - meatballs |
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| Fifth course - panna cotta |
SIENA, ITALY
Siena was a stop on our way from Florence to Rome and is the famous site of the horse race (seen in the James Bond movie - Quantum of Solace). Siena was a quaint little town but somewhat forgettable except for the lunch that we had at a place called Enzo. It was one of my two favorite meals from my entire trip and is in my top three favorite meals of all time. The place is owned by an Italian family with the father as chef, a daughter as pastry chef and the rest of the family (mom, brother) working the front of the house. To say that the meal was made with love is an understatement.
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| First course - pecorino cheese and walnut flan with Montaicino honey |
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| Second course - little dumplings of ricotta cheese and pumpkin with black cabbage, local ham and specially mature pecorino cheese |
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| Third course - rare sliced beef with thinly sliced cured ham and salad |
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| Fourth course - upside down apple cake with warm cream |
Lunch on bus ride to Sorrento - another autogrille
CAPRI, ITALY
We took a day trip to the Isle of Capri and had the most expensive meal of the trip, which was a lunch!
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| Olive appetizer - I don't eat olives but was told these were good |
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| Fulfilling a dream of mine to have proscuitto wrapped melon. Little did I know that it was a full sandwich that is the size of a football. |
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| Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella panini |
SORRENTO, ITALY
Dinner in Sorrento
POMPEII, ITALY
Lunch after viewing the Pompeii ruins
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| First neopolitan pizza in Italy - amazing! |
ROME, ITALY
First dinner - we wandered the streets near the hotel and found a place serving Italian comfort food
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| Arancini - rice balls made of leftover risotto with cheese and sauce in the middle, deep fried to perfection |
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| First gelato in rome near the Pantheon |
One of my goals while in Rome was to spend some time people watching in the Piazza Novona. Thankfully, I got my wish and it lead to the second greatest meal I had while in Rome. My parents and I had walked around the Piazza for an hour or so, enjoying the art, music and people who were gathered there. After taking a survey of the various food options, we ended up at a place called Domiziano, which is centrally located in the Piazza and provided the best people-watching opportunities. We were seated at a table just off the main thoroughfare and had an amazing meal.
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| Mussels cooked in white wine sauce |
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| Pasta Carbonara |
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| Ravioli |
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| Saltimbocca alla Romana |
After dinner, we walked around the Piazza some more, sad to leave what had been such a great host for the evening.
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| Famous Italian gelato chain - I had hot chocolate made from three different types of melted chocolate |
Lunch in Rome - back to our favorite neighborhood comfort food place
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| Pastry filled with ham and cheese |
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| Calzone |
Last dinner in Italy
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| First course - bruschetta with sauteed zuchinni and eggplant |
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| Second course - mushroom ravioli and fettucine with red sauce |
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| Some sort of berry pie |
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I look forward to the day when I can return to Italy to some old favorites and some new adventures. In the meantime, I have all these pictures to remind me of my amazing trip!
