Buon Appetito!

No! I refuse to be another one of the countless blogs begun with good intentions and then abandoned after a few enthusiastic posts! I remember being utterly frustrated while searching for a good blog name at the dozens of derelict sites littering the blogosphere.

So, in the spirit of getting things cooking again, I present some pictures of the tantalizing tastes of Italy that I encountered on a very recent trip to the Lazio, Toscana, and Veneto regions of this vibrant and welcoming country. Enjoy, while I head off to the kitchen to prepare for my next post. Buon appetito!

Italian broccoli, anyone?

Juicy Clementines

Puntarella and radicchio, commonly used in salads.















"Roma" tomatoes!

Zucchini and zucchini blossoms: so pretty. I was disappointed to not have seen the blossoms on the menu anywhere we ate, however.

Berries...

...and beans (cranberry beans?)...

...and brain food.





Aubergines: The Italians did not disappoint with eggplant!

Spice cones...

...peppers on a string...


...and a myriad balsalmics!

Plus...let me not omit "Il Dolce." Store windows everywhere were lined with countless tasty temptations. The French term for window-shopping is leche-vitrines, which translates literally to "window-licking". No doubt they were staring at pastries such as these when the term was coined?

Castagne confettate, better known as Marrons glacees: technically, French, but delicious in Italy

Pretty marzipan fruits.

Halloween treats -- for the tourists?

I admit, some of these treats found their way out of the windows and into our hands, and ultimately, our tummies.

These lemon jujupes were molto delicioso....making us realize, you're never too old for jujupes!

Okay, I think that's all the patience I have for blogger right now. As I upload these, I realize that I did not get a single picture of the two things that my husband and I consumed in copious amounts: caffe macchiati and gelati! Perhaps this is a reflection of our urgency to actually consume these items that were better in Italy than anywhere else I have had them so far. Oh well, I guess that's as good a reason as any to return some other day!

Arrivederci!