I wrote this in the last days of our time living in Italy. The whole experience was a bit too raw to share until now. Please understand that these are merely my reflections on my unique experiences, and in no way do I claim to be an authority on Italy’s culture or people. There are countless definitions…
Life in Italy
Crispy Thin Crust Pizza
Our first meal when we arrived in Italy was pizza. Exhausted and jet-lagged, we were feeling hungry and groggy. We walked the route from our apartment along the main street of our little town to explore our new surroundings, and then picked up two pizzas to bring back with us for lunch (or dinner to…
Foodie Field Trip: Mercato Centrale in Florence, Italy
First, I must apologize for my silence lately. My lack of posting has been intentional, as I was giving my undivided attention to enjoying the time that my parents spent visiting us in Italy. Now I am getting back on track just in time to pack up and go back home next week, and then…
Homemade Gnocchi with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce
If there’s one thing I thought would be easier to get used to while living here, it would be the lack of conversation. In two months, I have only spoken to my husband of course, and my family a few times via Skype. Everything else is patchy Italian for survival. While I’m definitely not lacking…
Nutella Tartlets with Banana
There’s this rumor going around the Internet that there is a threat of a Nutella shortage looming…Well, I guess I owe you all an apology then. My Nutella comsumption has increased sevenfold since we arrived in Italy. Why? I’m not sure. It could be that it’s so delicious, and the Italian version seems somehow creamier…
Homemade Focaccia
I love bakeries. I wish I could live in one. Seriously. The next best thing to living in a bakery is baking where you live, I suppose. Baking bread, especially Italian bread, can be tricky in a home oven. It’s tough to get the temperature hot enough for it to turn out with the correct…
Bolognese (Ragù alla Bolognese)
All meat sauces are not created equal. While there’s nothing wrong with tossing some ground beef into your favorite tomato sauce, there happens to be a much better, more authentic way to prepare a meat sauce that will sort of take your breath away. Believe me– this is coming from the person who likes ground…
Foodie Field Trip: Rialto Market
One of our favorite things to do when we visit other cities is to check out the markets. Vancouver’s Granville Island Public Market, Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, Los Angeles’ The Original Farmer’s Market, etc. We love them all. It will come as no surprise then that the Rialto Market was at the top of my…
When Little Things are Everything {Life in Italy}
I can’t even begin to count the ways that my life here is different than it is at home. The language is different. The money is different. The people are different. They don’t have Target. Netflix and Hulu don’t work here. And so on and so forth… Everyday tasks and errands have taken on a much larger…
Hiking in the Dolomites and Staying in a Rifugio
We’ve gotten to see and do a lot of things in the month since we landed here in Italy, but the one place that has monopolized our conversations and has us plotting our return would definitely have to be our visit to Rifugio Dolomites- Monte Rite. Back home in Michigan we do a lot of backpacking,…