“Favorites”

I have tasted good food, great food and food that you possibly want to spoon into the trashcan. While I am in Europe I try to expand my culinary horizons and experience new flavors and meals that I traditionally would not choose to eat. I would not stuff seafood into my folder of “favorites”. However, I am giving it all a green light while I am here. Not to say that this lunch had been anything foreign or extravagant but it would definitely take place in the folder “can I eat this everyday?” It was absolutely mouth-watering, leaving me only to close my eyes and give my palate every opportunity to soak in its goodness. The artisan flavors from the pesto were impeccable. The combination of italian sauces spread out upon a rustic sunflower seed bread from Finland was beautifuly delicious. Not only was I completely satisfied with lunch, but the flavors crawled later into dessert with fresh blueberries in a straccatiela yogurt.

 

I have tasted pesto before. I make sun-dried tomatoes on the regular. But something about this lunch triggered my appetite. It was remarkable and forever remains in my “favorites”.

If you have been up to date on the blog or talking with me in any other social outlet, you would know that my cousin and I are doing a 20 day gelato challenge. 20 days of pure heaven. 20 days of taking our tastebuds on an international culinary ride. A photograph has been taken on each flavor embarkment and there will be a final post at the end of the journey. We have tried great flavors and are having fun experimenting. We always go for the smallest cup which would be shocking to the frozen yogurt stores in the states. You can imagine 20 straight days of pure gelato to your thighs. We are sticking with the small cup.

For today, however, we decided to change our usual routine of walking the streets in search of the best looking and tasting gelato. We are making our own. I always prefer a salted version, but it seems that nobody else is catching on to this incredible combination of sweet and salty flavors for dessert. More for me, I guess. So salted caramel, espresso salted caramel and any other creation I could think of was out of the question. We went with a flavor that nobody can resist. The sweet flavor of sugar and water cooked and simmered together to create an amber syrup, the thick creaminess of the custard that slides its way down your throat is remarkable. Crème Brùleè is magnificent in all its glory. It is also freezing its way to thick gelato consistency at the moment. Pictures and recipe to follow.