Two of My Summer Favorites

I’m enjoying a relaxing summer and escaping the Bolognese heat at the seaside as much as possible.  I so enjoy my time with Kristi, her two boys and the interesting cast of characters I’ve met in Ravenna.

I don't eat donuts.  These are bomboloni and they're good for you.

I don’t eat donuts. These are bomboloni and they’re good for you. Trust me!

So, in Italy, these are NOT creme filled donuts.  That’s why I can eat one for breakfast every morning with my cappuccino while I’m at the beach! *wink*

They are called bomboloni, affectionately referred to as bomba (translate: bomb).  It’s not because it’s a calorie bomb, it’s because it tastes bomb.com.

I was at a party the other night and instead of a beer run, someone made a bomboloni run around 1am (the bakeries in Italy will sell stuff all night long to drunk people while they’re baking fresh pastries for their early morning breakfast runs to the local bars).  Genius.  I myself have only been once.  I was walking home with my friend Zu and he mentioned he was hungry.  A few seconds later we were turning down a dark side street, he peaked his head through a door and a woman brought us a couple of slices of margherita pizza.  It smelled heavenly in there.  As we were leaving a line was forming in that alley way.  My travel experiences are much more rich when I experience things with the locals.

The bomboloni at Villagio dei Pini on the beach outside Ravenna are fresh and fantastic.  I don’t wake up early so I usually get one of the last ones left.  I ate my first warm bombolone in the wee hours on Thursday.  The sugar was a little melty on the top and the creme filling was warm, whipped perfection.  I will remember that moment forever.  It was better than sex.  (Not really, but it’s a decent, temporary replacement.  You know I have the flare for dramatics.)

And this is my 2013 summer drink:

My 2013 Italian summer cocktail.

frutto della passione + booze = delicious summer nights

Although it looks like there’s a dead turtle floating in it, it is quite delicious.  It’s a passion fruit Caipiroska.  (muddled passion fruit, lime and sugar with vodka and a sparkling water topper)  It’s also fantastic made with fresh strawberry in lieu of passion fruit.  Try it out with your favorite fruit this weekend if you’re having friends over or are hanging out poolside.  You’ll love it and YOU’RE WELCOME!

I’m now packing for a trip to Sicily with some of my favorite people.  I look forward to ten days of soaking in the Sicilian summer beach scene, sharing delicious meals with my friends and drinking a lot of amazing wine – for cheap! I’m told this particular area of Sicily has the largest land usage for wine production in all of Italy.  I’ll report back with pictures and details.

I still owe you a recap of Narnia, but I’m taking some time to write that piece.  I’m going to submit it to some travel publications/websites and see what happens.  Who knows, maybe this time next year I’ll be getting paid to have these experiences.

Have a great weekend!

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