Welcome to post 10 bazillion of Gelato Nation! I feel like all I do lately is write about Gelaterias. I guess that is because I seem to have a sixth sense for them. Any town we go to, I can always find the tell-tale signs. I look for people in the streets walking with those quintessential shovel-spoons, I scan store windows for neon or painted signs with letter combinations beginning in G and ending in O with a T in the middle. I sniff out the smell of cones baking in the oven. I search the faces of people for that Gelato-Blissed-Out look.

And then I spring and devour in delight! This has become a joke at home now, everyone thrilled with my new my super-gelato-powers to scope out the good stuff!
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As everyone knows I love Anthony Bourdain. Sure he can sometimes be a little gruff and opinionated, but who isn’t? I respect him for the way he travels about the world with an open mind, sense of adventure and appetite for anything that hits a plate. To me, that is the be all - end all, the height of achievement, something I look to be doing in the future. Perhaps not on National TV as he does, but just for myself. Tony is not only an accomplished chef, the star of a travel TV show and a cookbook author; he is also a fiction writer as well! What can this man not do?

Often when watching his shows or sometimes just sitting on a beach wishing it could be that way forever, I dream of “going bamboo”. Just going off to some beautiful island somewhere, changing my name and falling off the grid. So I was not surprised that one of Tony’s fiction pieces is thus named Gone Bamboo.

So for all of us who dream about getting away and living the good life somewhere un-noticed, this book is for you…or is it?? You know with Tony at the helm, things are never what they seem!

You know the saying “Ask and you shall receive”? Well I asked for good Cuban Food and St. Augustine, Florida delivered big time! I had a great foodie experience in St. Augustine enjoying Cuban food and all of my favorites, in one day! It was a big challenge, but I was totally up for it!
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When you go on Vacanze (vah-cahn-tsah) – Vacation if you are going to be there for more than a day, you will need somewhere to stay. Perhaps you will stay in:
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Well there was so much to see and do in Ft. Lauderdale that I could probably write posts about it for the next 2 weeks. But in lieu of the fact that I just got back from yet another great destination, I am going to give you all the highlights instead! First I must say Ft. Lauderdale is perfect for a romantic getaway. Romantic Getaways to the beach is a no-brainer. There is nothing more romantic or relaxing than having nothing to do all day but sit at the beach, watch the water, play in the waves and eat, drink and be merry. We had a great time and would recommend it to any interested parties!
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I am going to start off by saying that I feel kind of like I failed at this. I went to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this weekend, in search of good Cuban food – at the very least a good Cubano Sandwich. I didn’t think it would be a challenge, I mean Ft. Lauderdale is known for Cuban food, so how hard could it be?
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Our quest for authentic Italian Gelato in America lead us to Ft. Lauderdale this weekend, and it fulfilled our greatest hopes! Owners of Gelato Dream and Ciao Café (right on the strip on Ft. Lauderdale Beach Blvd), Leonardo and Silvia Baldi are building a Gelato empire in the US and that is a good thing for all of us! They came to Ft. Lauderdale from Asti, Italy 5 years ago and opened their first Gelato stand – Gelato Dream. It was so popular that they had to open Ciao Café a mere 3 years later. Even though there are 2 locations now, we still had to stand in line – something I have never seen before and it boded well!
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We were very lucky to spend this last weekend in Ft. Lauderdale with our very dear friends Nicki and Lisa, Lisabeeen that is. If anyone had any doubt as to Lisa’s absolute dedication to really good espresso, the proof is in the picture. Here is Lisa, in our hotel lobby, about to go down to breakfast, HAND-grinding her fresh roasted beans to make at the table with her portable espresso drip pot. We love you girlfriend!

Order your beans today!

I am happy to report that I am the newest freelance travel and food writer for a local newspaper here in Ocala. I have to thank all the loyal readers of this blog for getting me to this point. All the support and comments have really helped me to keep pursuing my dreams!
If you dream big, you will recieve big! … and I am still dreaming.

This week’s big event was the fantastic Middle Eastern Hafla we attended in Ocala, Florida. Therefore, it is only appropriate this week that the Italian Word(s) of the Week are also Bellydance related:

La Danza (lah dahn-tsa) – The Dance

Il Ballo (eel bah-low) – The Dance

La Danza del Ventre (lah dahn-tsa del Ven-treh) – Belly Dancing

Il Velo (eel veh-low) – The Veil

Danzare (dahn-tsa-reh) – To Dance

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Something really special happened this weekend in Ocala, Florida. It was a magical sort of something. Where one minute you are in an empty ballroom in the middle of CTAE (Community Technical and Adult Education) and the next you find yourself transported to a Middle Eastern Hafla (or dance party). This is an event that happens annually in Ocala, but only for one night and trust me, you do not want to miss it next year.
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This week, to keep the Mediterranean Food theme going, I am featuring Moroccan Modern
as the Product of the week. This cookbook features the fabulous foods of Morocco. Tasty bits like Tagine. Tagine dishes are slow cooked at low temperatures, resulting in tender, falling-off-the-bone meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. Tagine is also the name of the pottery vessel in which this traditional Moroccan dish is cooked. The cookbook also teaches you how to make CousCous the right way, and how to make delicious salads with the fruits of Morocco, like dates, almonds and oranges. Each recipe also has a full sized picture of what the recipe should look like – something that in my opinion is invaluable when publishing a cookbook, and often times something too many forget. The simple way in which the cookbook is written means that is perfect for novice and chef alike! Start drooling!

Who out there has ever dreamt about having a house perched on a cliff looking out to the sea?
I know I have, it is actually something I dream about often. Something I have put out there as a carrot in front of me to keep working hard in all my endeavors. So when I found this book, I was in awe. Some of the most beautiful houses by the sea are featured in this book, called, well…Houses by the Sea: Mexico's Pacific Coast .
If you have ever dreamt about having a dream house on the sea, you have got to check this book out, so you can pick out your next home!
I promise, you will enjoy it immensely!

One of the best things about living in Florida is going to the beach. The next best thing about living in Florida is going to the beach in April or May and going swimming when there are no tourists. For me, the beach is the ultimate place to get grounded. All I have to do is enjoy the sound of the waves brushing the shore and the squawks of seabirds flying above, and not forget the sunscreen. To me, the ocean is the beauty of Nature at Her finest.
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In honor of Mother Nature at Her Finest, I give you:

Il Mare (eel mah-reh)— The Sea/ The Beach
Conchiglia (la kon- keel- e- ah) – Shell
Sabbia (sah- be- ah)– Sand

Music really sets the mood and ambience of any situation. Sometimes all it takes is the perfect piece of music to transport us to another time or place far away. If you are looking to journey to an Italian Café but can’t quite afford the airfare, I suggest purchasing this CD instead Putumayo Presents: Italian Café . Whip up a nice espresso drink, or go get one at your local coffee house, put the CD in, sit back, relax and get ready to be transported to an Italian Café!

Now that we know what types of eating establishments exist In Italia, we should now learn the names of mealtimes and what kinds of food you can expect to find during those meals.
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