To some people, Sicily conjures up images of endless citrus groves and fields of olive trees, blood oranges and golden olive oil galore.  To others, it may be all about the wines (especially dessert wines and fortified ones like Marsala) and the abundance of fresh fish.  To me, as you know, it’s all about the sweets.  I already plan on returning one day to experience those other delicacies too – notably the wines and the island’s king of fish, swordfish… when I’m not 6 months pregnant ! (How’s that for a surprise – and total disclosure ?!)  Thankfully though, gelati, granite and marzipan are not on any lists of foods to avoid.

And Sicily is truly a heavenly place for us sweet lovers.  Let’s put it this way, ice cream sandwiches (literally, ice cream in a sandwich) are a way of life; and brioche dipped in sweet, icy granita is common for breakfast.

And so, without further ado, the highlights of my sweet discoveries in Sicily… Read the rest of this story >>

I’m just returned from Sicily, so you know what that means – there is soon to be a Sweet Sicily post on the blog here !  But before I get to the gelato, granita, cassata and marzipan, first a stroll through a few Sicilian markets, where I spent most of my time.  (When not eating gelato, granita, cassata and marzipan. Not to mention cannoli and torrone and chocolate and…)

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I went to Rome.  And I visited the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, Campidoglio and Campo dei Fiori.  But I know what you’ve all been asking.  What and where did I eat ?!

Even though my lists only had addresses for gelato, chocolate, torrone, pastries and breads, remember, I wasn’t alone on this trip.  So I did sort of have to eat some savory.  And hey, it’s Italy… land of pasta, pizza, prosciutto, mozzarella and more.  I was okay with that.

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One of the (many) reasons I love living in Zürich is how we are in the center of Europe.  We drive thirty minutes north and we’re in Germany.  Spend just over an hour on the train heading northwest, and we get off in Alsace, France.  Head east for less than an hour and we’re in Austria.  Or go south two and a half hours and it’s pizza and pasta just over the Italian border.  Beyond the car and train, affordable flights make yet more cities an easy visit, even if just for the weekend.  That’s how we found ourselves in Rome, joining friends heading there from Paris.  It was a few days filled to the brim with history, culture and art, a nice dose of blue skies and sun, and countless scoops of gelato.

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I love finding goodies in my mailbox, whether it be a new magazine I am subscribed to, a book I ordered online, or better yet, surprises by way of a care package from my parents in New York City or a postcard with a simple “thinking of you” from a friend or family member around the world. Guy Trebay wrote a wonderful piece on the future of the postcard in this social media heavy world (Travel + Leisure, February 2010), and I too grow saddened at a world without traditional paper postcards, mailed with a licked stamp, arriving days or weeks after you’ve already returned home from that trip.  I send hand-written letters, use a filo-fax, make lists with a pencil and eraser, have vintage postcards and paper photos on my wall and love checking out the fun, new stamps at the post office. And of course, I send postcards on my travels. Read the rest of this story >>

A quick detour to the rapeseed fields of the French countryside, and now back to Venice we go… for a few sweet addresses to put away in your travel files. And a sweet announcement to go with: this is MyKugelhopf’s 101st post! I hope along the way, your sweet tooth has been satisfied, travel plans have been made, and perhaps out have come the baking pans too! Here’s to the next 100! A big thank you for joining in the adventures here and for your comments, which I love! (So please do keep them coming!)

To mark the occasion, I thought of sharing my 101 favorite Venetian sweets with you – but I don’t want you all to go in to sugar shock. Just a few highlights instead. My travels serendipitously led me to these places below…

My mother had brought me back bags of delicious meringue-like cookies and treats from her trip to Venice years ago, and I could still picture the label.  It had a round, brown or red flower on it, as I recalled.  While I didn’t know the name of the pasticceria, I knew I wanted to find it!  And there it was, in one of Venice’s most renowned pastry shops, no surprise to find the label there.  Marchini, I said to myself, but of course!

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I knew I’d see gelato all over the place.  Trattorias and pizzerias left and right.  I was told about the carnival masks I’d be confronted with too, in every size and color.  And forget about “I love Venice” souvenirs – there’s no shortage of those either.  But I can’t believe no one ever told me about the omnipresence of… torrone !  That soft, chewy, white as snow confection, also known as nougat.  Yes, roughly 80% sugar and dotted with almonds, hazelnuts and/or pistachios.  It’s everywhere in Venice, and I could not have been more happy about that.  Not only nougat, but sugar in all different forms.  A true sweet tooth heaven.  Who knew?!

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Many of you readers agreed it was great advice in my last post about visiting Venice: Forget the map and get lost in those winding, labyrinthine streets, go up and down the foot bridges and endless stairs, and find yourself navigating passageways that will inevitably lead to… a gelateria!

I can’t even guess the number of gelaterias there are in Venice. You’re not likely to see a street without one. And boy do I love those streets with half a dozen!

But… how to choose?

I arrived in Venice ready to do a throw down of the best gelato shops in the city. I had my list of addresses starred on my map (yes the same map that would end up staying in my pocket all day long). I headed straight for La Boutique del Gelato near Campo Santa Maria Formosa (the tiramisu was subtle, not too strong and the stracciatella was like chocolate chips floating in clouds). I then made my way to Il Doge by the Campo Santa Margherita (where the mint was bright green and refreshing). I made sure I had the address for Alaska in Sante Croce, to try the less traditional flavors like avocado, artichoke and fig. And I had the addresses for Clausin, Nico and Paolin too. But you really don’t need to. And I quickly realized I was going to simply go where my feet took me, and try the gelato there!  I even stumbled upon Grom doing that, which has shops all over Italy and is now quite popular in New York City and Paris too.

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Welcome to Venice.  Now, get lost!  Literally, that is…

If I can share one piece of advice about visiting Venice, it would be to forget the map and simply get lost in Venice’s labyrinth of winding streets, foot bridges, stairs going up and down and around, leading you to dead ends or hidden churches, or yet more mysterious passageways to peak through and follow as well. Read the rest of this story >>