The Return of Live It's blog

I'm back! After a long absence from blogging, what is the one thing that would inspire me to start writing again? Food, of course! Enjoy - I will see you soon (I promise!)

Grazie mille Mario Batali & Co. I travel quite a bit to Italy but my home is here in the States. It may seem odd to you that I would travel to NYC for the sole purpose of going to a food emporium but this isn’t just any food emporium, this is the mother ship: Eataly. At a time when I was craving the fresh seasonal offerings that you can only get in Italy, Doug and I boarded the train and headed to 23^rd and Broadway for a hedonistic day of gastronomic delights. Kid in the candy store doesn’t begin to describe how I felt. My pulse quickened as I entered - that was before the espresso. I knew I had to control myself - how many calories could one truly enjoy in a few hours? (don’t answer that!) With 11 eateries and a whole market of take home goodies imported directly from Italy, not to mention a wine shop dedicated exclusively to Italian labels, I was in a serious quandary. Where to start? I need a plan, I thought. And there I saw it, highlighted on a blackboard as one of the specials at the Verdure (vegetable) restaurant: Fried Artichokes. I dragged my carnivore of a husband to the counter, plopped myself down and nibbled on Roman style bread while I waited for the artichokes to arrive, hoping they would be even remotely like the ones I so relished in Rome. I wasn't disappointed. As I savored this dish that was simple and yet incredibly flavorful, I felt transported if only for a little while to the Eternal City. So, all my dear Italophiles, if you can’t get to Italy I encourage you to make a pilgrimage to the mecca that is Eataly and experience it yourself. Because I haven’t even mentioned the salame and cheese panino that I sampled after the artichokes... to be continued. Buon Appetito!