Arrivederci Roma!

So I've been in the United States for 5 days.  I left Rome 6 days ago and I miss it like crazy but I know I'll be back... at some point.  For now it's time for a new adventure and a new life but I can't help but feeling like I left a part of myself behind... again.  My heart is in Florence, and now in Rome too.
It's okay though because I know I'll be back in Italy one day. Florence and Rome are not going anywhere, and neither are my Italian friends.  Unless, of course they come visit me, which of course, I really hope they do.
So for now I'm going to spend my time in New Jersey like a new adventure and see what happens and where the world brings me next.
I wrote this while sitting on the plane on my way home and I was singularly unprepared. Everything had been packed and checked but I was sitting there and I wasn't ready to go. It's a good thing I had 22 hours in Porto, Portugal to sort myself out.
I had been awake since 7am on Sunday morning after staying out with my roommates until 4am. My roomies

and I had gone to Gazometro (behind our apartment) for some dancing, drinks and a late night sandwich.  The dancing and drinks were great.  The hamburger less so.  It was just a little sloppily prepared but what do you expect at 3am?
I got up early with the help of my evil alarm and Dr. Who (I had put it on when I got home for some reason) messing with my dreams.  I finished my last minute stuff, took cold medicine, cleaned the room and chatted with my roomies, without crying once.
Then my roommate Simona was amazing enough to walk me and my heavy bags (well, they weren't that bad, but would have been insanely inconvenient for 1 person) to the train station.  She even waited with me on the track and helped me get my suitcase and carry-on onto the train before hugging me goodbye.  She is so amazingly sweet and I am so grateful that she was there with me.
At the airport everything went smoothly and I miraculously didn't have to pay any overweight fees on my luggage and I went through security pretty quickly. I only received a few odd looks at the 4 jackets combined into 1.

Then I had 2 hours with nothing to do so I found an adorable wine bar and decided to treat myself rather than getting fast food.  I was sorely tempted to get a cheese platter and wine but seeing as it was only 10:30 in the morning I decided not to act on my lush instincts.
Instead I got a caffè and a strawberry torte.

Both presentations were absolutely lovely. It was on the expensive side, but flavor wise it was absolutely

worth it.  The coffee was rich and smooth with a hint of hazelnut.  It was served with a kind of homemade hazelnut candybar.  It was delicious and rich, but small enough that I didn't fill up on it. The bottom layer was cookie, butter and hazelnutwhile there was a cremy layer of hazelnut and chocolate goodness above.
The crostata, strawberry torte was quite good as well but I think it looked better than it tasted. I liked that it wasn't super sweet but I would've liked the crust to be more flavorful. The strawberries were okay but not fresh since they were covered in some sweet gelatinous substance.  It was good but not the best I've eaten. I think their panna cotta and savory dishes probably would've been better, especially the savory since it was definitely more of a wine bar.  I loved the atmosphere and look of the restaurant even though the waitresses weren't super attentive. I was sitting at the bar in front of them and it took forever for them to take my order.
After that I didn't mind much because I just sat enjoying my breakfast without being rushed.

I flew TAP this go round (I've flown with them before) and the staff seems quite friendly. The food on my first flight was okay. It was neither spectacular nor inedible so I was pleased. They served white rice with chicken and bacon, a roll and fresh melon.  I also had a glass of white wine (1pm was definitely better than 10am as a starting point). The rice was super bland so I really only ate the chicken and bacon for the protein. I really liked the quality of the roll. It was fresh and flaky and the fruit was actually really fresh as well. The wine had a slightly bitter after taste, but not bad at all for airplane wine.
Overall I was pleased with my food.
My only issue was the landing because my ears popped so badly that I was almost deaf upon landing for
about 4 hours.  It sucked but I still enjoyed my 22 hour layover in Porto, Portugal. The arrivals hall was amazing. They were having some kind of event and it was great with food to try and people greeting. Someone even gave me a little rooster statue (so adorable and colorful). It was a great entry into

the country and then I headed into the city. I enjoyed my time so much that I'm going to write a whole other blog about it!
Then the next morning I went back to the airport and flew back to the Jersey.  I had no problems going through security and grabbed a tea to help with my sore throat.  I even bought 2 bottles of Port Wine for €15 to bring home to Mom.
The flight food was kind of terrible.  Beef and mushrooms with white

rice.  I ate it all, but it was flavorless. I should have gotten the baccala (a Portughese specialty) but I was scared to get fish on the flight (plus I don't always love fish... I'm challenging sometimes).  The bread was good but the salad... Gross. The salad on the side was gross, it was way too salty. I could not eat it.  The dessert was a strawberry mousse and it was okay. It wasn't super flavorful but it was light.  I didn't finish it all, because I wanted more strawberry flavor. Not the best meal I've had with TAP.  The wine on this flight was good and didn't have the same aftertaste.

There was also a snack towards the end of the flight. It was simple, just a sandwich. One side was wheat bread with cheese. The other was white bread with ham.  Slightly odd but it tasted good.
7 hours, 2 meals, 2 glasses of wine, 1 glass of pear juice, 2 cups of tea.  It was a decent flight and I got to watch the second Amazing Spiderman and the second Captain America! So good.  I also rewatched Julie and Julia. I forgot how cute that movie is. The foodie in me was definitely pleased.
Then we landed and my ears popped again, but on the bright side, I only lost hearing in one ear!   And now I'm in Jersey... and 5 days later, I still need to finish unpacking.
It's been a whirwind.  I've been all over the place.  So in the next few days, expect some updates about my last days in Rome, about Porto and then adventures here in the states (plus all the restaurant review I still have to type up from Rome).

Travelling Take II

This is much much delayed... I had written it in a notebook  and I only recently had time to actually type it up.  

It’s been a crazy couple of months or so. I left Rome on a Sunday afternoon and flew into Berlin Tegel for a 17 hour layover and then a very long flight to NYC. Hectic and exhausting. I honestly wish I could sleep on planes. 

Instead of sleeping I spent my time writing blogs or rather trying to write since I’m still very much behind.  I spent far more time watching movies and reading books instead.

But on the bright side I had some brilliant food along the way.

Not the best picture of the cafe but it was good.

Before leaving my apartment, I ate a sandwich with roasted peppers and cheese. I had made the peppers a couple of days before, so I finished them off before leaving the apartment almost empty for a month.  It was pretty good and tided me over until I got on my short flight where they gave us a pretty standard snack. 

Once I got to Germany I found a little coffee shop that looked pretty classy with beautiful signage and good looking buffet style food.  It was on the expensive side but then again, most airports are filled with the overpriced. Almost everything bought in an airport will cost more than it would in an ordinary store.

The sandwich options

The other dessert options

I was looking for a place that would have the best tasting food and I think I was pretty successful.  I got myself a roast beef sandwich with tomato, cucumber, cheese and a lovely rémoulade sauce and for dessert, I got a lovely cake that involved meringue and raspberry.  When I saw it, I thought it looked like raspberries but upon tasting it, I discovered it was strawberry, which works for me because I love strawberry.  I also got a coffee which I proceeded to spike with Bailey’s. I bought a small bottle in the Rome airport, thinking to bring it home, but there was no place where I could

wait without having to go back through security, so I had to drink it.  No liquids on the plane after all.  Cheers to that. J

I really enjoyed my sandwich, which I wasn’t sure I would.  The roast beef was surprisingly fresh and flavorful as were the vegetables, which also added a very nice crunch. The sauce was quite good and added a little bite and moisture to an otherwise plain roast beef sandwich.

The coffee was ordinary black American coffee but adding the Bailey’s was pretty baller. It made the coffee rich and just sweet enough,

which meant it went quite well with my dessert. Oh, that dessert! It was so delicious. I really want more of it honestly. The cake was light and pretty fluffy and made a lovely contrast to the semi hard meringue. The meringue was made quite well, not too sweet which meant that the sweetness of the berries was perfect.  Each component on its own was nothing particularly special, but a bite with a bit of each was utterly delightful. 

My Bailey's spiked coffee of deliciousness

That was the end of my dinner and meant I needed to find a place to settle in for the long layover. I found the one available outlet and settled into my cold corner. I watched movies and relaxed on the floor. I tried to nap, but I wasn’t overly successful since I was cold and uncomfortable. 

At around 7am, as everything was opening I walked through the airport again scouting around for shot glasses. Sadly I found none! It was ridiculous and quite shocking to me. I feel like shot glasses are fairly typical souvenir fair and yet they were nowhere to be found.

However, on my hunt I did find breakfast. I got myself a very large coffee and a bagel (the first of many that I had in the states on my vacation). The coffee was strong but didn’t do much to keep me awake sadly. The bagel was pretty good but not the best I’ve had (Boulevard Bagels on Bergen Boulevard in Fort Lee are the best of the best). It was an everything bagel with turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato and a mustard relish.  The mustard relish was too die for (although just a tad messy).  I originally wanted to get a breakfast bagel with sausage, egg and cheese but they insist on putting lettuce and tomato even on those… which I can’t help but find slightly odd. As it is I was quite happy with my turkey bagel and I was even more content to find a very, very comfortable chair that I wound up taking a nap in. 

Eventually after a couple more hours of meandering I was finally able to board the plane and start the last lag

towards home.  I was incredibly surprised at how good my food was. I think it was probably the best plane food I’ve ever eaten which is saying something because I’ve had quite a few airplane meals. I got their chicken dish and it was full of flavor but not overly salty.  I don’t know what the name of the dish was, but it was quite scrumptious and I ate every bite. Even the mashed potatoes were delicious as were the reduced onions between the chicken and potatoes. The only thing I didn’t like was the brownie. That was on the gross side so I didn’t touch it, which is fine, because it’s not like I needed dessert. 

A couple of hours later they brought a snack and even that was quite tasty. It was cold chicken fingers with a light potato salad that was packed with flavor but not too much mayo. Here is where the airline did dessert right. It was utterly delicious and not too sweet.  It was a berry cheesecake made quite light. And the coffee was pretty good too. 

Overall I had a really good flight even though as per usual I couldn’t sleep. 

It was far more pleasant than my return flight for sure. Sadly my return on TAP Portugal was not nearly as much fun. The entertainment system was down the entire flight so I couldn’t watch any movies. Lucky for me I had lots of books to read instead. The food also wasn’t nearly as good as the food I received on Air Berlin.

I got the chicken dish for my main meal and it was on the salty side. The vegetables, string beans and red

peppers were lightly cooked and I liked them quite a bit. The mashed potatoes were also good and helped counteract the salt in the marsala sauce for the chicken (I assume it was supposed to be a kind of marsala since there was a mushroom in it… yes only one). I was underwhelmed over all.

The snack however, was worse.  I didn’t even take a picture of it so I don’t remember what it was but it wasn’t great. 

At least it was a short flight. I got to Portugal in about 5 ½ hours and then had a shorter layover. I was tired but happy. Once the stores opened, little hungry me decided to get my last Starbucks for the foreseeable future. I had a great café mocha with lots of whipped cream to wake me up again. I also got a turkey sandwich  (turkey appears to be my travelling sandwich) with caramelized onion. It was a really good way to start my morning and also another great place to take a nap in the airport. I love big comfy arm chairs. 

Then I had a lovely 3 hour flight to Rome. I was a little cranky because I had finally fallen sleep on the plane and the stewardess woke me up to give me a snack. I would have much rather kept sleeping, but that’s ok. I had a little to eat and then tried to nap another second or two before giving up to read. 

Eventually I got back to Rome and went straight home where I impressively went right back to eating.  Ok, maybe I did a little unpacking too.  

A Brand New Adventure: Rome Part I

So a little less than a month ago I decided to move back to Italy.  I decided to move to Rome, a city where I've never lived before. It should be an incredible journey and I'm going to try to document some of it for you through the food I eat and try along the way.
Forgive me for the next few weeks because I'm also going to be trying to finish updating about the food I experienced in Canada plus I still have a couple of posts to get up about food in the states.
That being said, I'm really looking forward to blogging about my experiences here in Rome.

So far so good! I've been here just about a day!! :D

I had a pretty epic time travelling, and there was some good and some bad food along the way.  I

flew out of JFK and decided to sit down for the hour before my flight and get a drink and a snack before leaving US territory. A farewell of sorts to the food in the US.
I was flying AirBerlin (exit 8) so had terminal 24. I automatically spotted this little retaurant with its bright colors and appealing name "Drink" (obviously my goal was the drink more than the food, as travelling can be stressful lol).  I decided to try their Crème Brulée Cheesecake and their mixed drink "Raspberry Dream" which was made with prosecco, pineapple juice, and Chambord black raspberry liquor except that I asked for pear juice instead of pineapple (I

wasn't in the mood for the sweetness of pineapple).  I have to say that I really loved my drink. It was just sweet enough with a lovely tang of raspberry. Plus the prosecco bubbles were a lot of fun, and very fitting considering it's an Italian alcohol.  It was on the expensive side for a cocktail... but I was in an airport and didn't really expect anything different.  The dessert on the other hand was quite reasonably priced. It wasn't my favorite cheesecake but it was pretty damn good.  The sugar on top was crisp with a nice smoky bite and the cream cheese center was creamy and delicious and it was drizzled with a soft caramel sauce.  The only thing I didn't love was the crust. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't the way I like my crust.  It may have needed more butter or it needed a different base. I'm not sure what kind of cookie or graham cracker they use, but something was just a tad off for me.  In any case, I ate it all, so it was pretty good. :) The wait stuff was nice and friendly. Plus it was a nice quiet getaway from the hectic atmosphere of the boarding gates.  It was just what I needed to help me relax before boarding my plane!

When I boarded, I promptly fell asleep and missed take off. I think my dessert and cocktail put me in the perfect mode to do that! I was a happy camper and then got out my headphones to start watching movies on board.  I really liked their film selection and by the time I was halfway through Freedom Writers (AMAZING AMAZING MOVIE) they were serving dinner and drinks.
I didn't take any pictures of my dinner because it really wasn't all that photogenic.  It was decent airplane food but I've had better. I chose to get the chicken dish because it was either chicken or pasta. Since I was going to the land of pasta on a German flight I figured chicken would be the better option.  The chicken was served over rice that was highly overcooked.  The chicken itself was good and I ate it with my bread and cheese rather than with the rice. It was also served with a potato salad  but I don't love potato salad with mayo so I only nibbled at that.  Next time I think I'll try the pasta (and then I'll let you know how that goes!). I did get two glasses of white wine with dinner. So I was quite pleased. Then I also had a wonderful berry crumble coffee cake to go with my coffee. That was actually quite delicious.  The coffee was good, not too strong and the cake was just sweet enough to make me happy (meaning it wasn't super sweet). The cake was also perfectly baked and therefore, much appreciated.
For breakfast they served bread with cheese, salami and ham. There was butter and jam, too.  They also had fresh strawberry yogurt which was quite tasty. It wasn't much but it was a nice snack and good way to bring my flight to a close so I wasn't hungry in the Dusseldorf airport.
On my connecting flight they offered a pretzel like bread that was utterly delicious. It was a quick and easy snack and broke up the monotony of my sleeping.

When I finally got to Rome I was hungry but not hungry. I was too tired and jetlagged to be actually hungry.  I had a espresso at the caffe below work and a new candy that I've never tried before. It was cherry and yum but I've forgotten what it's called proving that I was utterly out of it yesterday. After my awesome coffee Endira shared her homemade salad with me too. So yummy with chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, spring mix, cheese, and sauteed pork with mushrooms.  It was a really nice combo and great of her to share.  And the tomatoes were so fresh and delicious. I forgot how much I love Italian tomatoes because they have bursts of amazing flavor.

After teaching a few hours, we traveled to Rome proper (work is a little out of the city) and got

The sausage, mushroom and mozzarella pizza

amazing pizza right by Endira's house.  I didn't catch the name of the place but it's right in the San Lorenzo area of the city. We got two pizzas to share. Both were white pizzas so no tomato sauce. One had sausage, mushrooms and mozzarella while the other had fior di zucca or zucchini flowers on it.  We got the pizza to go and it was utterly delicious. I think one night I may sit down and eat there, so I can do a whole blog about it too!  The crust was thin but not too, too crunchy. The toppings were fresh  and very flavorful. Everything was well balanced, so nothing was too salty and they definitely weren't too greasy either.

Pizza with zucchini flowers