Dripping in history, enclosed by dreamy medieval walls & boasting quite possibly the best food scene in Tuscany, lovely Lucca might be one of the most underrated cities in Italy. Many tourists flee to nearby Pisa missing the charm of its endearing next-door neighbor. Lucky for the Lucchesi, its streets are almost never overrun by foreigners.

Did I say best food scene in Tuscany? Bold statement, I know, but Lucca is well known for its traditional cuisine. Ingredients like local honey, farro & wild boar are in abundance & should definitely be paired with a red Montecarlo di Lucca or white Colline Lucchesi wine for good measure.

Follow along for some of my favorite stops & get a taste of all the great things Lucca has to offer.

I’ve found that there are two types of people in the world: those that eat all things beets & those that can do without. Can you guess which one I am? If you aren’t sure which bucket you fall in, please keep reading.

Not only are beets naturally sweet & hearty making them a great addition to salads & juices, they are also high in nutrients. In fact, beets are loaded with antioxidants, which gives them their rich red color.

If you are trying to add more vegetables to your diet, this Italian Beet Salad is an easy option. That’s because it requires a very short list of ingredients & can be prepared within 30 minutes – great for a weeknight side dish.

Am I the only person who uses Sunday afternoons for weekly food prepping? Or, at least to get me through the following few days? Doubtful. I know there are more of you out there like me…the type of people that take great pride in being uber planful – especially when it comes to food prepping.

I have certain Sunday evening “go-to” meals that I know will turn into Monday, Tuesday & maybe even Wednesday lunches. Most of the time, these are pasta dishes, but Riso al Tonno (Rice Salad with Tuna) is another great alternative. That’s because it’s tasty, light & easy to cook in volume.

Oh the many gastronomical treasures that can be found in the city of love. From specially fattened duck liver (foie gras) to perfectly flaky croissants, there is something for all foodies here.

The restaurant options can be somewhat overwhelming, though. I mean it’s Paris we are talking about. It’s hard not to have high expectations. So, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared ahead of time with a foodie agenda – yes, a foodie agenda. There’s no shame in the game. I was fortunate to visit last spring for the first time and had a list of “must eats” ready pre-departure thanks to Lonely Planet.

Whatever you do, don’t rush anything. The true Parisian experience is to live like a local. Walk around town with a fresh baguette in hand. Sit at a cafe, watch the people stroll by & lose track of the time. Drink wine & lots of it.

Alexa, play la vie en rose by Edith Piaf.*

It would be wrong to start a blog predominately featuring Italian cuisine & not talk about burrata.

What is it? Burrata is an Italian buffalo milk cheese. The outer shell is firm mozzarella, while the interior is creamy stracciatella. The word literally translates into “buttered,” if that gives you an idea of the indulgence that we are talking about. Although it may look like a ball of fresh mozzarella, the two are not to be confused.

Maybe you’ve noticed a recent surge in all things burrata on Instagram? In restaurants? At the grocery store? That’s because we’ve finally discovered something that the Italians have had all along – creamy heaven on a dish.

Okay, hear me out. Lentils might sound boring – I get it. But, they have so many redeeming qualities. For starters, they cook a lot faster than other beans making them a weeknight savior. They don’t even require overnight soaking – phew. If that’s not enough, lentils are low in calories, high in fiber & protein and have very little fat.

These nutrient packed legumes are not to be put on the back burner (figuratively speaking). With the right love and attention, they can become your new favorite main course.

Creating your own recipe is hard. Not only do you need to consider ingredients, but also cooking time, measurements, serving size…you get the point. This is not one of my strengths. In fact, most of the things I cook are either dishes I grew up eating OR recipes from cookbooks.

Sometimes you just have to consult the professionals. Eventually, though, you’ll start tweaking those recipes to make them your own. You’ll start to realize what flavors you like & what blends well together. You’ll start to create.

I typically skim through my favorite cookbooks to find inspiration for weekly meals. In fact, I rarely write out my grocery shopping list without doing just that. So, I share with you my top cookbooks to help you find whatever food inspiration you might be looking for.

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Spain. Looking back it seems like a dream, but the afternoon siestas, colorful buildings & streets lined in orange trees were, in fact, real. If you are thinking about where to go on your next vacation, let me stop you there. España is the place to be.

Like most things in my life, my vacations are typically centered around food, and Spain was no exception. What was on my list of must-eats? Rioja (for starters), spanish olives, jamon, manchego…shall I continue? Needless to say, Spain did not disappoint in the food category. In fact, some of the best food we had was in the capital city, Madrid.

Although I wish I could say that I just stumbled upon these places, I did a lot of foodie research pre-departure. In fact, Lonely Planet became my best friend during the months preceding our trip. But, the preparation was half the fun. And now, I share with you my list of “must eats” for your next trip to Madrid.

Would you rather…never be able to eat your favorite food for the rest of your life OR only be able to eat your favorite food, but nothing else? I struggle with this question as a food lover, but my final answer is the latter. And, that food of choice…that would have to be Nonna’s Chickpea Soup (Brodo di Ceci).

If you aren’t on the chickpea train yet, then more chickpeas for me. Let me give you some background here as you might be surprised to hear that chickpea soup, of all things, is my favorite food.

To say my Nonna (Italian for “grandmother”) spoiled me is an understatement. She would always ask me, “what would you like me to cook tonight, amore” in her thick Italian accent. My answer would always be chickpea soup. Then, she’d remind me mid-dinner, “I cooked this just for you, cicci.” Now, she doesn’t even have to ask. If I’m going to Nonna’s for dinner, I know chickpea soup will be on the menu. And, yes, she still calls me “cicci.”

Remember when I said I was a pasta snob? Well, that goes for pizza, too.  Are you surprised?

Sounds simple enough…dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, right? Yes & no. Pizza has become a craft, an art…a cultural movement if you will. The ingredient list might sound simple, but there are tons of  styles & many different theories related to the preparation of this dish. I can’t help but favor the Neapolitan style the most, though.

Naples is a rough place. I’m not saying that the mafia runs the place, but I’m not saying that they don’t. One thing the city has down pat, though, is their pizza. They even have an organization (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) that regulates how it’s made giving only the true pizza Napoletana a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) status. Needless to say, these people take pizza very, very seriously. As do I.