It's been a while I know .... But I'm back!
So I've finished my a-levels this summer and have a place at university, but I am taking a Gap Year before heading to university. So at the moment I'm living in Italy and working as an aupair.
I've been out there for 3 months already and seen so many beautiful places, met amazing people and best of all tasted incredible food. Through living and working within a family I am getting to experience Italian culture (and cuisine) first hand. The mom in the family has taught me multiple Italian recipes and the grandmother is a ledginary cook!
So I've finished my a-levels this summer and have a place at university, but I am taking a Gap Year before heading to university. So at the moment I'm living in Italy and working as an aupair.
I've been out there for 3 months already and seen so many beautiful places, met amazing people and best of all tasted incredible food. Through living and working within a family I am getting to experience Italian culture (and cuisine) first hand. The mom in the family has taught me multiple Italian recipes and the grandmother is a ledginary cook!
So Italy is known for its legendary food; in particular pizza, pasta and coffee. So here's my round up of where I've had the best of each of these during my travels ....
So far the best PIZZA that I have tasted was in Florence in this cute little family run pizza shop. It was made with sourdough, so the crusts were gooey and the base crispy - just how I like it. The topping was classic tomato sauce and then rocket, mozerella and tomatoes as well, but the freshness and flavour was AMAZING! I might just have to go back to florence to eat this amazing pizza again!
So far the best PIZZA that I have tasted was in Florence in this cute little family run pizza shop. It was made with sourdough, so the crusts were gooey and the base crispy - just how I like it. The topping was classic tomato sauce and then rocket, mozerella and tomatoes as well, but the freshness and flavour was AMAZING! I might just have to go back to florence to eat this amazing pizza again!
There's a joke with the family I live with as they know how obsessed I am with pesto PASTA. In the north of La Spezia there is a little fresh pasta shop, where the grandmother bought pasta from and then made homemade pesto to go on top! It was delicious especially with the toasted pine nuts sprinkled ontop. I would eat this for the rest of my life! Where I am is near Genova, which is the home of pesto. Interestingly a lot of people make the pesto without garlic which is a million times nicer! After eating pesto without garlic you appreciate the flavours more and they come through more clearly and subtly. Whereas with garlic it overpowers the pesto. So never again will I be eating pesto made with garlic!
COFFEE - where to start? Thinking through the last 3 months I haven't tasted a coffee which has been bad. Some coffees stood out move then others due to the design on top (drizzled chocolate or shapes like hearts) or it was made with funky flavours (like the Nutella coffee (below) I had - where Nutella was put around the edge of the glass, then a double shot of espresso and finally whipped cream and a biscuit on top). In La Spezia there is one cafe that I love as the coffee is cheap (€1.30) and then they drizzle melted chocolate on top - heaven!
