My three most favorite foods while abroad were actually a surprise to me. One I was already familiar with, the other two were new!!! Two new ones for me which actually now makes me want to explore more…that’s on my agenda for 2020.

One thing, well one attitude I have when traveling is to try different foods and explore the culture. I want to know people from different parts of the world. Not just by name, but know something of their life.

I believe, because I share my life with them, that this is a very rewarding foreign exchange. That’s my approach….but, here I’m talking about some foods.

I’m not your food freak, I think they are referred to as ‘foodies’. No, I have some staple items that I fall back on that’s sort of like the basics of life. I don’t explore too much risqué foods and for me, the price can set a boundary to my exploration.

Here’ ‘Nachos’ in Bucharest. No, it’s not on the favorite list.

That’s chips and salsa….not ‘Nachos’ as I’d expect from America. You know, chips piled a half foot high with every imaginable food piled on topped with thick ‘nacho cheese’!!! Oh, and yes and a beer.

This was not one of my favorites….nope. I don’t think I even finished this off. The beer was outstanding though (Summer Sex).

Sometimes you’ve got to get thru a lot of mundane stuff to find something that’s really good!!!

Here’s my first of my favorite foods abroad…..by the way this isn’t in order, it’s just the one that popped into my head. And I’m thinking…..yeah, this is simple and in other countries it’s not a big deal but to me, WOW!

Arancini

Arancini is an Italian food….I think it’s an appetizer, not sure, but I did make a meal of it a number of times while staying in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Arancini are stuffed rice balls which are coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried. They are usually filled with ragù, mozzarella, and peas.

Cajuns now serve a modified version of this dish with their local cuisine. Which is great by the way. But, it’s at it’s basics an Italian food. Centuries old.

There was a few other foods I enjoyed in Italy…..well, quite a few. Enjoy!

Let me try to give you a run down on these above….

The first and third photos (the 3rd is inside Vatican City) are panini and the Middle is the delightful couple that owned the Coffee Bar (across from my hotel) that so enjoyed delighting my palate with their samples (including anchovey, yep and I ate it too….) and of course I’d buy my paninis from them. Worked out good for all of us.

The 2nd row, first photo is a simple pasta dish alfredo, the middle one is Gnocchi, and the 3rd is the marvelous pastry!!! Oh my…..

Panini…..I loved panini

The 3rd row left to right starts out with another pic of pastry. The middle was Pizza from Naples which was the best pizza I tasted in Europe and I ate quite a bit of pizza. The 3rd photo is like a frittata…..delicious!!! I had mine with a lovely red wine…..

The 4th row first two pictures was a surprise to me. Why a surprise you may say since it’s rather obvious what’s there?? Well it was smack dab in the middle of the Pompeii Ruins!!!! A coffee bar with these delights. Seemed out of place and rather irreverent.

https://johngaudet.picfair.com

4th row, 3rd photo is a pic of the deli inside a grocery store in Rome. The picture is approximately 4/5 the width of the store. I was shopping European style!!! Loved it!!!

The last row is a pic from a deli bar that was a favorite.

Pizza…..

My first introduction to pizza was in Lisbon, Portugal. It was very simple and really doesn’t show up on my taste bud radar. The pizza in Vatican City was probably the cheesiest pizza, the simplest and by far the most expensive.

Then there’s this pizza surprise in Marseille, France.

Don’t let this pizza fool you…..that’s the only ‘red sauce’ pizza in 6 months in Europe and it wasn’t pizza sauce that we know, it was a red ‘pepper’ sauce. I LOVED the basalmic drizzle!!!! I’m thinking from my pizza experience that the ‘red sauce’ is an American thing.

Here’s my next favorite….

Chili Relleno

From Mexico!!!! It was actually one of my favorites in the states, but having it made authentic!!!! WOW!! A great culinary experience.

The first two pics are of my Chili Rellenos……these are my two favorites. 1st left is at La Bueno Vida in Akumal and the 2nd (middle) is from Papacitos in Puerto Aventuras. Both were EXCELLENT!!! Oh, and the 3rd pic is what one of these plates look like after the damage is done.

Mexico gave me a really great food experience…..here’s a few other things I liked.

Top row to the left is Quesadillas. Ladies are making them for me while I wait. Cool. The top middle is a ‘mixed’ food platter…..I cleaned that one up!! Top right is a Burrito!!! HUGE!!!! I went back more than I can count.

More Food…

On the 2nd row to the left is some authentic tacos!!! A friend referred me and I wasn’t disappointed! The middle photo is another Burrito at a favorite hang out in Playa del Carmen, Señor Frogs!!! And the 3rd was walking distance from my apartment. It was a new place ‘Celia’ and I don’t know the name of this one but what it is, is cheese that’s fried on a griddle rolled and stuffed. Of course it came with a Corona and various salsas for my tasting pleasure.

For the 3rd favorite we have to head back to Europe. Porto, Portugal home of Port Wines and this cool dish….

Francesinha

Much like the Arancini……I couldn’t get enough!!! Severed with fries!!! YES!!!!

Astonishingly to me, the delicacy of Portugal and most Mediterranean countries is Sardines!!!! I didn’t venture, shame on me. The next time, I will (and there will be a next time), I loved Portugal and it’s the least expensive of the Western Europe Countries. The average monthly salary in Portugal is $600 Euros which is about $750 American depending on the exchange rate. Which means that while the exchange rate isn’t favorable, it’s made up on the goods and services end.

Here’s some more foods and ……beverages.