Risotto and Rigatoni Carbonara: FROM SCRATCH

You read that correctly. For my Food and Culture class, we have an instructor named Christina who is the head chef of a place called Glass Ristorante known for its amazing food and atmosphere. For our first lesson she taught us how to make Risotto the Italian way. I must admit, cooking is a lot easier than it seems as long as you have the confidence to do it. The Risotto way good, but I made the mistake of adding a little too much Gorgonzola cheese.

Afterwards we learned how to make Carbonara sauce which is particularly simple and incredibly delicious. I have yet to order it at a restaurant for fear that I can simply make it now much better than they can.

Tavuklu Pide: Turkish food in London-town

For one of our last meals in London my trip mates and I stopped into a restaurant called Tas Pide. We didn't really know what to expect, as none of us had ever been to a Turkish restaurant before, yet it's entry was covered in stickers displaying its critically acclaimed status. We figured we didn't have much to lose. It turned out to be quite thematic; everything from the tables to the pitchers had a Mediterranean feel to it. We ordered our meals based off of mainly pictures, and hoped for the best. As it turns out, we got what we hoped for. The dish was minced chicken and other select veggies minced finely and served in a dish of turkish-style dough or bread called Pide. It was totally out of the norm presentation, yet the taste was remarkable.

Chicken, Charleston pepper, red pepper, tomato puree, cheddar cheese & dried red basil

I would recommend this place to anyone travelling to London on a budget. Not only was the food They also gave us free soup, bread, and water; something that we Italy-dwellers are not accustomed to without a price.

Bewley's Goat Cheese Sandwich: An unexpected surprise

All I've heard from everyone who has ever been to Ireland was that the food there is utterly horrendous. From what I experienced, Dublin had a phenomenal food scene...at least for me. Our first night there we had a smorgasbord of food from a bar called O'Neill's. It was good, but the next morning was easily my favorite meal I had during Spring Break. I had a Goat's Cheese sandwich with rocket (salad), roasted red peppers, and a tomato pesto sauce. It was amazing and despite what everyone had told previous about Irish food. It could be that we ate at one of Ireland's oldest establishments on Grafton St. but it was truly a meal beyond contention. Dublin proved to be one of my favorite cities in part because of the meals. I cannot wait to go back and enjoy one of my favorite sandwiches ever yet again at Bewley's in Dublin.

Gnocchi Pesto: Dreams do come true

What happens when you take the best type of pasta that exists and combine that with the best pasta sauce there is? The answer my dear friends is to your left. That is the image of a perfect Gnocchi Pesto I ordered in Venice. I understand that Venice is the seafood capital of Italy, but some exceptions must be made. This was ordered as my first meal and boy did it satisfy. Biting into gnocchi feels like pushing down on a pillow with your teeth; nothing short of heavenly. The pesto held up its own as well. It was creamy and bold, but not overpoweringly filled with basil. Overall I couldn't have expected more from it. I would go on to have fish courses later on, but my vice took control of me in this instance and I'm glad it did.

Pastries: Boy do I love pastries

This little photo was taken after a dinner a group of us Americans had with a bunch of Italian students from a Rome university. We were walking home after the stuffing meal that was pizza and beer (clearly) when we were whisked into a little pastry shop south of Trastevere. They told us we could get croissants here with kinderbars inside, so naturally we didn't put up a fight. We looked up and down the windows of pastries and while I, among most of us, set ourselves on the kinderbar-croissant hybrid, the store was filled with other treats that were screaming to be eaten. We left most of the pastry shop unscathed, but we promised to come back and do some damage the next time. I can assure you there will be a next time.

Le Deu' Falafel: Parisians do Israeli food right

So my trip to Paris was filled with great food...just not your typical french cuisine. I was directed to the Jewish Ghetto of Paris by friends of mine who were studying there. They told me it was the home to the best falafel in the world. Naturally, I was skeptical (as a self-proclaimed falafel connoisseur) so I had to go and try them myself. We waited in a long line out the door where a very obvious Israeli man took my order and got me on my way in under 15 seconds. I got to the front window where the staff were doing parlor tricks, flipping the falafel in the air and catching them in the pita. They fill the pocket with all the goodies and gave it right to me fresh. I must admit, it put other falafel, even some from Israel, to shame.

It was moist yet full of flavor. I ruined my appetite for dinner at a nice restaurant to enjoy the love I received from this sandwich. As you can tell from the picture it was quite a delicious snack.

Pizza con Ricotta e Spinaci: Sweltering heat makes a pizza complete

This pizza came from Pizzeria di Nonno Mede, a recommendation from our Food and Culture instructor Federico. It was truly a great choice, and the view could not be competed with, looking over a horizon of tuscan residences. The only thing that trumped the scenery was the pizza. Covered with spinach leaves and clumps of fresh ricotta, the pizza tasted like it came straight from heaven's wood oven. The crust was cooked to perfection while its thinness helped to maintain its authentic Italian feel. I would definitely see this pizza coming home with me if that were in any way possible.

Farfalle Arrabiata: Simple, but free

My first run in with a typical "bowtie" dish as I thought it was called was at a restaurant called Miscellanea. We went there to watch the Super Bowl, but we were treated to much more than the game. As it turns out every Super Bowl the owner of the place, Micky, offers students like us a free dish. We graciously accepted and found ourselves with bowls of farfalle arrabiata. I had tried arrabiata sauce yet, but it looked delicious enough. The noodles were cooked al dente as we would come to expect and the sauce was homemade and fantastic. It was not our last time at Miscelllanea, although the food was never free again. I would have to say that the dish was one of the best bangs for my buck (euro) in Roma.