When I got back from Italy, my sister was surprised to see I’d lost weight.

“But! Every time I read your blog, it was all about food!”

Yes, so true. I ate constantly in Italy. And what’s more, I ate dessert at least once, sometimes twice or three times, a day.

Gelato - A good gelato will change everything. You won’t look at ice cream the same ever again. For me, a vanilla ice cream girl, I fell in love with flavor. Hazelnut. Custard. Pistachio. Here’s a tip: they say that you can tell the good, homemade gelato from the mass-produced stuff by checking to see what kind of containers they come in. Plastic = crap. Metal = homemade. That didn’t always guarantee I ended up with a really good cone of gelato, but it was a good rule to follow. Also, avoid bright colored gelato - the more artificial the ingredients, the brighter the color.

Tiramisu - in Tuscany they served it drowning in custard with chocolate shavings on top. Elsewhere, I had it sans custard, with the bottom layer soaked in espresso. Everywhere, though, it’s an excellent end to dinner. I think I read somewhere that the name, Tiramisu, means “make me happy.” Right on.

Canoli - I ate plenty of these pastries in Napoli, con fragoline (with little strawberries). And then I needed to lie down. Those babies are rich!

What’s your favorite foreign treat?

Thursday, January 10, 2008 | eats