Italy and Beyond

As my time abroad approaches an end, I can only say—I swear it has been more exciting, tasty, and random than my blog would have led you to believe. I will definitely be posting residual entries that I have compiled from my scribbles on napkins, plane tickets, menus…I’m in the process of typing them up, promise :) In addition, I will be back on track in New York, posting my adventures working for a culinary magazine, surviving in the dorms, and just generally living in the city.

Otherwise, my life here has been completely spastic. In Germany, I hit up the small Currywurst stands to chow down on sliced wurst with curry sauce and crisp fries, all eaten with a clear plastic toothpick on an unpronounceable side street. In Austria, I visited a fondue house where I polished off an entire plate of bread, vegetables, and assorted pickled items all drenched in thick cheese.

Back in Italy, I headed to Zaza’s, where I indulged in a multi-course meal of the most flavorful truffle cream sauce over fettuccine and grilled seafood (swordfish, calamari, and prawns) with roasted peppers; all of the ingredients straight from the bustling mercato centrale across the street.

In my apartment near the Arno river, however, my gourmet aspirations give way to laziness and a desire for something simple. Canellini beans, small peas, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic—heated and eaten directly out of the pot; whole wheat pasta and tomato basil sauce with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Abashedly, I admit that I savor each of these meals equally, from the wurst to the truffle, from the calamari to the beans.