Eating Your Way Through Italy

Michelle Jerson|June 19, 2018 11:36 am EST

[[{"fid":"4995061","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"center","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Sant' Ambrodio Market; Florence","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","alignment":"center","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Sant' Ambrodio Market; Florence","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Sant' Ambrodio Market; Florence","style":"width: 750px; height: 500px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-center","data-delta":"1"}}]]I had always heard how incredible the food in Italy was and how it's prepared with such fresh, basic ingredients. With two and a half weeks, I wanted to sample as much as I could in the various regions. [[{"fid":"4995062","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Pici","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Pici","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Pici","style":"height: 500px; width: 750px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-right","data-delta":"2"}}]] I chose an itinerary that included Rome, the countryside in Tuscany with a base in Montepulciano, Florence, Venice and the Dolomites. The food was terrific in each location, but it was interesting to learn about the dishes unique to each region. While I enjoy walking the city or cobblestone streets and sampling anything that looks good, I also like food tours because it's a great way to learn the local staples of a region. For that, I enlisted The Roman Guy and LivItaly Tours who generously hosted us so we could sample and learn about the foods in each part of the country. [[{"fid":"4995077","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Testaccio Market with the Roman Guy","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Testaccio Market with the Roman Guy","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Testaccio Market with the Roman Guy","style":"width: 750px; height: 500px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-right","data-delta":"5"}}]]While there is a ton of history, architecture and the arts to explore in Italy, my priority was the food and wine! I booked two food tours in Rome, two in Florence, one in Venice and a cooking class on a farm In Montepulciano with Strada del Vino Nobile, The office is located in Piazza Grande and you can book a variety of tours with them. I also wasn't sure how my 14 month old would do on a food tour, but let's just say she learned how to feed herself with a spoon while eating gelato and she couldn't get enough of the pizza and pasta!

Rome is comprised of neighborhoods, each with its own character and food such as the Jewish Ghetto in Trastevere and Testaccio. With LivItaly Tours, we started off the night with traditional prosciutto and wine, followed up by a fried artichoke in the Jewish Ghetto. The fried artichoke, also known as carciofi alls guidia goes back to 1555 when Pope Paul IV relegated the Jews to one area. [[{"fid":"4995070","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Artichokes in the Jewish Ghetto","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Artichokes in the Jewish Ghetto","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Artichokes in the Jewish Ghetto","style":"width: 750px; height: 500px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"3"}}]] They had very little and put together meals that was inexpensive but still kosher. They used artichokes, cheese, salt cod and aubergines. They were isolated for 300 years, but today, the Jewish Ghetto has some of the best food in Rome.

No food tour or day is complete without pizza, pasta and gelato and we had all three mostly everyday of our trip. The pizza in Rome and Florence is square with a thin crispy crust and toppings can include artichoke hearts, olives, anchovies, zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, and the classic mozzarella or pecorino cheese. In many places, you can choose how big of a piece you'd like and pay by the weight. The pasta in Italy is thick. Pici is thick hand-rolled pasta, like fat spaghetti. It originates in the province of Siena in Tuscany in the Montalcino area. It is made solely from flour and water. [[{"fid":"4995076","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Gelato Making with LivItaly Tours","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Gelato Making with LivItaly Tours","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Gelato Making with LivItaly Tours","style":"height: 500px; width: 750px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"4"}}]]

One of things I wanted to do in Italy was take a cooking class. I enjoyed our class on the farm where we picked the vegetables and fruits we'd be using in our dishes. we learned how to make pasta from scratch as well as an appetizer and dessert. I definitely have a new appreciation for the people who make the pasta by hand. It is not easy! We made pici and the strands needed to be rolled really thin all throughout or we were told one section could be overcooked while another undercooked. We also learned that people don't just choose a sauce for any pasta. There are specific sauces that go best with certain pastas. At the meal we created, we had carbonara sauce with our pici; a sauce made of eggs and bacon and pecorino cheese. It is believed that carbonara was invented when american soldiers needed something to eat and since they were used to eggs and bacon, the Italians cooked them this sauce.

The gelato that is made with milk is creamy and the sorbet is fruity. My favorite was the chocolate sorbet. If you can't make up your mind, don't worry, there will be another opportunity to get one on the next block. The Roman Guy took us to a gelato store owned by a woman in her 60s who specializes in low sugar, lactose free gelato and her vegan chocolate and nutella was incredible and the best I had in all of Italy! We also went to Testaccio market and loved the pizza and other local foods we tried.

In Montepulciano, we did not have one bad meal. The owner of the home where we stayed recommended Trattoria Cagnano and it did not disappoint. The whole branzino at just 12 euros was cooked so well and the pastas we ordered were equally as satisfying. The tuscan soup is also a popular dish and we found it can be made thick with legumes and vegetables or on the thinner side with just vegetables. We also sampled a few pastries at Caffè Poliziano including the traditional triangle fruit cake, Panforte. The meat in this region is so tender and when so flavorful. Tuscany is known for the Chianina, a breed that was originally bred in the Valdichiana region and still lives there in its natural wild state. They are tall and among the largest cattle in the world. [[{"fid":"4995083","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Steak, Pasta, Artichoke Hearts in Montepulciano","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"8":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Steak, Pasta, Artichoke Hearts in Montepulciano","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Steak, Pasta, Artichoke Hearts in Montepulciano","style":"height: 500px; width: 750px;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-right","data-delta":"8"}}]]

Florence was another food adventure. I enjoyed walking into the shop across the street from where we stayed and getting some grilled veggies in olive oil, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and a traditional dish of radish, veggies and beans. I also love that I went into a pizza shop, asked if they had any pizza without cheese and they said no, but we'll make a slice just for you. How big do you want it? [[{"fid":"4995081","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Sant' Ambrogio Market","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"7":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"Sant' Ambrogio Market","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"Sant' Ambrogio Market","style":"width: 750px; height: 500px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"7"}}]] And just like that, I had a customized slice of pizza with grilled veggies and anchovies for under 4 euros. With LivItaly, we did a market tour of Sant'Ambrogio Market where we learned about some of the local veggies in the region and then met with an owner of one of the most popular gelato shops in the area. We enjoyed learning how to make gelato and made a batch ourselves with the ingredients and recipe shown to us. It was quite an interesting class. It also made me feel less guilt for eating as much gelato as I did on the trip because he told us that in a cup, most of the gelato is made up of water and air as it's turned in the machine and then a fraction of the cup is the actual fruit and sugar. [[{"fid":"4995079","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":" Cicchetti in Venice","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"6":{"format":"default","alignment":"left","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":" Cicchetti in Venice","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":" Cicchetti in Venice","style":"height: 500px; width: 750px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"6"}}]]

Venice is known best for its cichetti, their version of tapas. They are pieces of toast or small sandwiches and can be topped with fish like baccala, tuna or salmon or deli meats. I really enjoyed Enoteca Cantinone Già Schiavi. To drink, Venetians have a glass of local wine or start off a meal with a glass of prosecco or a spritz. In Florence and other parts of Italy, happy hours are popular. Buy a spritz or other drink for a few Euros and included is a small buffet of snacks.

The Dolomites in the northern section of Italy is a unique region for food since it is so close to Austria. We stayed at ADLER Dolomiti Spa Resort and on their dinner menu and buffets, there was a mix of German and Italian influences in their dishes which included ox, ravioli stuffed with veal, and a variety of fish dishes. On the buffet, there was always a selection of cheeses and prosciutto. [[{"fid":"4995088","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"ADLER Dolomiti Veal Ravioli","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"9":{"format":"default","alignment":"right","field_image_alt[und][0][value]":false,"field_image_title[und][0][value]":"ADLER Dolomiti Veal Ravioli","field_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_image_caption[und][0][format]":"filtered_html","field_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_image_credit[und][0][format]":"image_credit","field_has_syndication_rights[und]":"1","field_licensor[und]":"","field_license_id[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"title":"ADLER Dolomiti Veal Ravioli","style":"height: 500px; width: 550px;","class":"media-element file-default media-wysiwyg-align-right","data-delta":"9"}}]]

Wherever you end of up Italy, I'm sure you will have a terrific time sampling the local cuisine! And just remember, no matter how full you are, there's always room for gelato!