Food Glorious (Italian) food

The best

Let me start by saying that the bar is set pretty high for food in Italy when the McDonald's restaurants have gourmet filled rolls and pastries on the menu alongside their Big Macs or in this case a 'Mozzarillo', which comes with a slice of Mozzarella on the all-beef pattie.

I had some wonderful food during my three weeks there ranging from street fare to top class restaurants. Right at the top of the list of my favourites is the gelati. Oh. My. God. it is SO good and everyone ( yes everyone) eats it. You can order it in a cup or a cone. I always went for the cone because let's face it, it doesn't look too classy licking out the cup right at the end. But o

h my word, it is satisfying to pop the last bit of cone into your mouth and know that you've had the last drop off yummy goodness.

These are my top three flavours:

1. pink grapefruit (which I paired with lemon... yum)
2. melon (cantaloupe) Oh yes. mmm (tips head back and drools like Homer Simpson.)
3. amarena. (cherry mixed with vanilla) It simply OOZED extravagance.

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There was a period BC ( before children) when I only used to have black coffee for breakfast, but since the kids came along, I've been a cereal and toast kind of gal. That would only change if I was at a hotel and was offered a full English Breakfast, because as far as I'm concerned, any meal I don't have to cook myself is a bonus!

However, breakfast is quite a different proposition in Italian hotels. Fruit juice - blood orange or grapefruit - seem to be pretty standard - and are quite sweet compared with Australian juices.

There is a token effort with cereal and fruit, but the main event is the cold meat, cheese and hard boiled eggs that are eaten with rolls, and the filled sweet pastries and tarts that I would associate more with desserts. Often the hotels will serve fresh fruit and yoghurt too. Coffee served with a jug of steamed milk is pretty standard and I usually got two cups out of my pot. I have to say that a good Italian breakfast was a fine way to start to the day.

The very best breakfast I had was in Venice. I don't think I will ever forget the fresh bread roll that I filled with a scrape of salt free butter, a generous smear of Philly cream cheese, a slice of ham and a two or three black olives. Oh My. It was good - and I enjoyed it even more when I had it again the next day.

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I was in the back streets of Venice when I bought my first slice of pizza. It only cost me two euros there, but when I bought the exact same thing near the Rialto bridge, it cost me four. I guess location is everything.

When you buy it by the slice, you get it on a square of white butcher's paper and it's all a bit precarious eating it on the go. I was amazed that I didn't end up wearing mine all down my front because the hot melted cheese had no grip at all on the tomato base.

As a rule, toppings are kept very simple. I usually went for the mushroom one - and that was all it had on it after the tomato and cheese - a few scattered slices of mushroom. Back home there would be 6,7,8 toppings - sometimes more on a typical pizza

Now on the other hand, the sky's the limit with pasta. There are so many shapes and flavours and regional specialities that it's hard to keep track of things. Our guide, Father Joe, certainly knew the best places to go for terrific pasta and sauces.

My top five pasta dishes:

1. Black ravioli filled with sea bass with a light tomato sauce (Venice)
2. Risotto al funghi (Lake Maggiore)
3. Pesto lasagne. (Portofino) This was two sheets of pasta and sauce. We actually folded it on itself to give it the appearance of more layers. It still tasted good though.
4. 'Strangle the priest pasta' with a zucchini flower sauce (Rome) Magic
5. Trofie with pesto (Vernazza)

I may have to put a pasta maker on my Christmas list. It will be very hard to go back to 'bought' pasta after this.

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Sunday lunch in the outdoor patio of a restaurant in the countryside on a glorious Autumn day is a remarkably civilised way to spend three or more hours. We saw families - many with young children - at this lovely place on the Appian Way.

I don't think my kids would cope with sitting still that long even now. We sat down to four or maybe five courses (none of them huge, thankfully) and we knew we were eating truly authentic Roman fare.

The standout for me was the arrival of the two suckling pigs that were baked crispy brown. I can just about hear the crackling break when the waiter tapped it with his knife blade.

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The dessert that still makes my mouth water is the Panna Cotta we had in Pisa at a sidewalk cafe. It was served with 'fruits of the forest' and it had the most divinely smooth and even texture. It was a little slice of heaven.

Technically it's only cooked cream mixed with gelatine - but I'm told it is quite tricky to get it right. I found out that the hard way when I ordered it at another restaurant a few days later. It was rubbery on the bottom and runny on the top. Not so nice.

Now I can't finish this blog without mentioning two other tasty morsels that don't quite fit in anywhere else:

1 We went to a restaurant that is near the Pope's summer residence. It was a huge meal and quite lovely - but one of the antipasto dishes was particularly memorable: a thick slice of potato topped with a slice of gorgonzola and a sliver of carrot. it was only two bites big, but oh my... it was so delicious my eyes crossed for a moment.

2 The other was my introduction to Limoncello on my last night in Rome! Hoo boy, it packs a massive punch. It's made with some incredibly overproof alchohol and lemon zest ( and sugar). I would have loved to bring back a bottle or three, but all of the bottles had long, fragile looking necks and I wasn't prepared to risk it in my luggage. Alcoholic lemon scented clothing anyone?

Half of my time away was spent with a privately arranged tour, the other half was spent on my own. I am grateful to the tour organisers: Father Joe Villa, his brother John and our local guide Michela, who exposed our group to some amazing foods that I suspect the average tourist might miss. I had some less than stellar meals when I was travelling on my own.

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and the worst

Typical tourist fare at Il Duomo Florence: set menu, four courses 9.95. I should have been suspicious. It was too close to the main tourist attraction and it was far too cheap.

But I was too footsore and hungry to look for anywhere better.

I'll grant that the service there was quick - and the beer was good. The waitress was back within minutes of my order: antipasto, salad, pasta and lasagne. Umm the only trouble was, it was all on the same plate.

Oh dear.

But I guess you have to have the bad to better appreciate the good.

Next time: My WTFery moments