The Italian Adventure

 

Italy.

What comes to mind?

Probably something along the lines of… PIZZA. PASTA. BREAD. ICE-CREAM.

Yes, the stereotype is true… Italians LOVE pasta
Yes, the stereotype is true… Italians LOVE pizza.
Yes, the stereotype is true… Italians LOVE ice-cream.

I kid you not, Tim Noakes would be no fan of Italy. Pasta is consumed in large amounts every single day and no matter how cold it is, it is NEVER too cold for ice-cream. Italians are believed to be the highest consumers of ice-cream worldwide and after my 2-week trip in Italy, I know why – nothing beats an Italian Gelateria.

 

My Italian Foodie adventure was delicious, to say the least and my A type blood group was more than happy with the staple diet of carbs and lack of meat. One would think that after two weeks in Italy, I would be thrilled to be back to eating the South African variety of food but alas, I spent my first two weeks back in Cape Town preparing and consuming my favourite Italian meals.

There are 2 Italian Dishes (besides the obvious PIZZA) which became my Italian Staple:

1. The Amatriciana Pasta Dish (something that SA needs to bring on board their menus ASAP)

1. The Aubergine Parmigiana  (a vegetarian’s dream)

The Amatriciana is a smoky, tomato based pasta dish which is an Italian classic. Find a recipe here.

 

 

The Parmigiana is a cheesy, aubergine dish which can be served as a main or a side. Find a recipe here.

These two meals were the family favourite during our stay in Italy. Both dishes offer a rich, tomato base and cheesy flavour. YUM.

So now dinner is covered, but dessert? Well, Ice Cream of course. There is definitely no shortage of this delicious treat in Italy. Every street is lined with Gelateria’s and this is no exaggeration. The Italians are spoilt for choice and within each Gelateria, the flavour selection seems infinite. My favourite was definitely the Coffee and Chocolate Hazelnut, while my little sister opted for Nutella ever single time.

 

I was lucky enough to stumble across the World’s Best Ice-cream in San Gimignano, Tuscany. Gelateria Dondoli won first place at the Ice Cream World Championships from 2006 – 2009 and this was most certainly well-deserved. It was hands down the best ice-cream experience ever. The flavours were rich and the texture was exceptionally creamy.

I truly embraced the ice-cream eating culture in Italy and loved every second of it. According to a study done on an elderly group, the one thing they wish they had done more of in their life was eat more ice cream. Something the Italians are definitely doing right.

Life is short . Eat Dessert first!