Dessert from my first full Italian meal

The first thing people think about when talking about Italy is the food. Well, I can say for sure that the food is definitely something worth talking about. The food is absolutely INCREDIBLE! I’m not sure if it is because I am an American and the way our food is processed and handled that makes eating such a magical thing for me or if it is because the Italians really know what they are doing when it comes to food.  I will say that this is the best food I have ever tasted in my entire life and I will be sad when I can no longer have it.

Strawberry cheesecake

Since being here in Italy I have had an assortment of pastas. I think I eat pasta everyday! Penne pasta in Arrabbiata sauce is my favorite so far. This pasta is very easy to make and is very spicy.

Pasta from my first full Italian meal

Another thing that I absolutely love is fruit! You probably wouldn’t think that I would be eating so much fruit – well neither did I but the fruit here is so sweet. My favorite fruits to eat are bananas, apples and watermelon. They also have pretty good fruit yogurt. My last and all time favorite food to eat is gelato! My roommates and I found what I believe to be the best gelateria in Trastevere! It is called Old Bridge Gelateria. We like it not only because the gelato is great and authentic but also because they make milkshakes! My favorite flavor to get is cookies, which I think is a mix of vanilla, caramel, nutella, and cookie crumbs. It is an amazing milkshake and I have become an addict.

Two really exciting things I did during the month of September was go to a cooking class where I learned how to make an authentic Italian meal from scratch. During my cooking class I had the pleasure of making homemade Cavatelli shaped pasta from scratch.

Pasta Cavatelli I made from scratch during cooking class

The second was going to an organic vineyard and wine tasting. During my time at the vineyard I had the chance to meet the owner of the vineyard Mr. Sergio Moturra and have a private tour of his factory and vineyard. He even let us taste the red and white grapes from which his wines are made! It was a wonderful experience.

Grapes from Mr. Moturra’s vineyard

Overall this past month has been wonderful! So many great things have entered my stomach and made me a very happy person. I cannot wait to eat more!

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Darrah is a student at Pace University studying at John Cabot University during the Fall 2013 term.