Tag Archives: Capri

Lemon Obsession & Inspiration

For some reason I have been obsessed with lemons lately… lemons in recipes, lemon decor, fashion inspired lemon jewelry… whatever it is, if it’s lemon-themed, I love it!

Another new interest of mine is Pinterest, do you have an account? If not, get one! there’s so much inspiration on this site I don’t even know where to begin.

I can link my lemon obsession to my love for Capri, Italy. I only spent a few days in Capri, but I was swept away by the magical Italian island. I can’t wait to go back. If you don’t know the connection to Capri and lemons, read up on a past post of mine from last year!

Below are a few photos I didn’t share with you this past fall from Capri. The first one is a picture of my father and I sitting on a bench with a little old Italian man. We were sipping on cold beverages while waiting for our dinner table. This little old man didn’t speak a lick on English, but we tried talking with him any way. By the time we started talking to him he had just finished watching a wedding party leave a church in Anacapri.

The next photo is a picture of the inside of the Blue Grotto! Look at how gorgeous the water is! The most gorgeous shade of blue I think I will ever see in my life.

Here are some of my newly discovered lemony inspiration! If you have a recipe that uses lemon as a main ingredient, please send my way! I’d love to try out a new recipe! (All photos are taken from various Pinterest accounts.)

Pepe Rosso on Sullivan Street

My first summer living in Manhattan I lived down in the village, actually I lived in the heart of the village right by Washington Square Park. It’s a neighborhood of students — both under grad, graduate level, and even law students, not to mention there are loads of families that live in the neighborhood. Walk into the East Village and the mood will go from collegiate to hipster. Walk into the West Village and you’ll find yourself sitting in a sophisticated bistro. I love that I can walk for five minutes and feel like I’m in a different city!

Last night I met up with a friend who also happened to help me find my first New York City apartment, Sam. We met up on Sullivan Street right below Houston Street at a restaurant called Pepe Rosso. Typically you will walk into this little restaurant and take your food to go. I’ve done it numerous times on a beautiful spring or summer day and then I would take my food to Washington Square Park and people watch as I ate. But tonight, Sam and I snagged two of the 12 seats available!

pasta at pepe rosso

Pepe Rosso chefs know how to make a tasty pasta dish and the Caesar Salad is truly incredible. Plus, the prices on the menu are so cheap, I guarantee you’ll do a double take your first time eating at the restaurant. $10 or less for pasta! Incredible! But don’t expect for service if you sit down in the restaurant. There’s a water cooler that is self-serve and when you’re food is ready they will literally pass it to you over the counter. Customers sitting closest to the kitchen will even pass down plates of food in an assembly-like line to others that are sitting close to the window. And when you’re done, you clean your own table and pass your plate and cutlery items back to the guy at the register. Totally different than any other restaurant you’ve been to before, right? If the food is as cheap as it is, there’s no need for high-end service! But the guys working this joint are ridiculously friendly. Their warm smiles and peppy attitudes remind me of the Italian locals in places like Florence, Rome, and Capri.

The food also comes out so fast, it’s clear that the chefs are a well-oiled machine in this eatery! I ordered a very basic Penne Al Vodka that was insanely flavorful, creamy and rich. Of course I bathe the pasta in cheese! Sam ordered a lemon chicken and spinach dish that he nearly devoured within 5 minutes. There are so many choices to pick from on the menu, it would be nice to order for 5 people and sample a bit of everything!

When I compare Pepe Rosso to other Italian restaurants like Perbacco … well, there’s just no comparison. While Pepe Rosso is very tasty, Perbacco still blows me away! Pepe Rosso has very basic cuisine that hits the spot. And if you’re looking to have a picnic in Washington Square Park, I strongly suggest you order from here!

Have you ever walked Sullivan Street between 4th Street and Houston Street? If not, do it. There are so many gorgeous town houses that will have you day dreaming. It’s the heart of the Village, no tourist heads here — they are missing out on such a charming, sophisticated, and insanely intriguing neighborhood.

Celebrating The Holidays

This year, I traveled home to Hershey, Pa. to visit with my mom, dad and sister for Christmas. It was such a short trip, but then again Christmas did fall on a weekend — so the holiday didn’t feel like a special day, rather it felt like any other Sunday.

When I got home on Friday night, I hurried over to a restaurant in downtown Hershey to see my friend, Stevie, she just recently got engaged! I’ve been waiting… for years … for her to get engaged! Her future hubby and her have been dating since High School! I’ll never forget the first time I met him — he was sitting on my friend’s bedroom floor watching tv. (It’s strange, the things you remember…) I am looking forward to their wedding day and I can’t wait to hear all about the wedding planning details over the course of the next several months!

The next day, it was already Christmas Eve Day! Both me and my mom were very excited when my friend Jesse stopped by the house to visit for a few hours. What I love most about my friends is we can keep in touch but not see each other for several months — but when we finally get together we pick up literally right where we left off. Jesse is a swim coach down at William & Mary… I’m so proud of him, he’s super smart and has already received his masters from Drexel and this past summer he had an internship with the United States Olympic swim coach! Jesse makes my resume look wimpy!


Jesse is a vegetarian, not a pescatarian. I clarified that because sometimes people say “I don’t eat meat, I’m a vegetarian… but I eat fish,” but what they are really meaning to say is that they are a pescatarian — meaning they eat fish but no red meat. But Jesse is a full blown vegetarian, and since we were cooking our fish dinner when he was visiting, I put out some tasty kalamata olives for him to snack on. This past September when my family and I went to Italy, I bought my dad an adorable hand painted olive dish in Capri — the dish spirals around, creating the perfect little plate to serve your olives on.

Speaking of fish dinner… We didn’t exactly have every single type of fish, but rather we made fish that would be perfect to snack on — calamari and shrimp. My parents love to shop for their meat and fish at a small neighborhood grocery store called Pronios located in downtown Hershey. The quality of their food is unbelievable, but I also think that my dad enjoys shopping there because it reminds him of the corner grocery store his father owned. My dad used to work out in “the store” helping my grandpa while he was growing up.


My mom prepared the fish by cleaning then soaking the fish in milk. A trick I never knew until this past weekend is to soak your calamari in milk to get rid of the fishy stench. It actually works! My mom covered the fish in a seasoned breadcrumb mix before lightly frying.


While we were cooking up the fish, the doorbell rang. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers was delivered to the house. Once unwrapped and admired, we opened the card to discover that the fantastic “Holiday Bouquet” was from my boyfriend! Sadly, he wasn’t able to join me and my family for the holiday, he was back in NYC hard at work! The flowers he sent us though were magnificent, and they were also a gorgeous addition to our dinner table… then to our living room table… then to the island in the kitchen. The flowers were loved by everyone, they managed to make their way to practically every table on the first floor of the house!

My mom also had decorated the house beautifully — which she does every year. I love going home to Hershey to see the house decorated for the Christmas holiday. The tree is covered in delicate ornaments my mother has collected over the years, the garlands are strung over every banister in the house, and every where you turn there are elegant and festive decor that spreads throughout the house.

Unfortunately, my dad wasn’t feeling well on Christmas Eve, so we decided to not attend Christmas Eve service so he could rest. We also chose to open up our holiday gifts in the evening since I needed to leave Christmas Day to go home to New York.

For months now, I have been itching to give my mom her Christmas present — two tickets to the Westminster Dog Show! I was so happy to see her smile when she opened the envelope that held the tickets. The show will be here in New York City in February 2012! So, I am very excited to be taking her to the show! It’s a two-day event, but I only got her tickets for one day, but it’s an all day event and we will be going on the second day so we’ll be there when they announce the winners!

I was shocked when my parents gave me my big gift… Just take a guess at what I got… Hint: it was on my Christmas Lust List a few weeks ago…

My mom and dad gave me a KitchenAid mixer! The moment I unwrapped it I couldn’t help but think, “what’s the first thing I am going to mix in my new KitchenAid?” And I have yet to decide! The mixer is so heavy I unfortunately couldn’t carry it home with me on the train… so my parents will be sending it to me some time over the next few weeks.

When I got home to New York City, I couldn’t help but look around at my kitchen. I probably had a silly expression on my face when I realized that I have no place to put my new monster of a mixer. With the holiday money my extended family gave me this year — I have decided to finally get an entry table that also has storage underneath. That way, I can store my Breville juicer and keep my mixer on my counter. All that’s left to do is purchase the entry table and put it together. I’ll be buying the table from Ikea, which means I will be spending hours assembling since Ikea furniture seems to be so difficult to put together.

How was everyone’s holiday!? I can’t believe how quickly Christmas came and went this year! I wish that the holiday could be in February, that way we could play holiday music over the course of several winter months!

International Nutty Buddy Ice Cream

Even in Capri, Italy you can find a Nutty Buddy ice cream cone cone. After my family and I had dinner at a tasty pizzeria we were going to try to find a pastry shop with cannolis but that never ended up happening. I had my mind set on something sweet for dessert so I stopped into a local grocery store to grab an ice cream. Note: this was not a gelateria so there were only a few options. I jumped when I saw the Nutty Buddy, I couldn’t help myself. By the way, is that what they are called? I know that some brands called them “Drumsticks” but “Nutty Buddy” is what I grew up calling them. The simple yet classic childhood ice cream cone really hit the spot. The best part? Of course it’s the tip of the ice cream cone that is filled with chocolate!

My 24th Birthday, In Italy!

I never would have thought that I would be celebrating my 24th Birthday in Italy! When I woke up in the morning I was still in Anacapri. I ate breakfast and luckily (unlike the day before) I managed to not feed to fish my scrambled eggs that were half digested. After packing my bag my family and I got in a taxi and enjoyed one last scenic drive down from Anacapri to Capri. The island is gorgeous in the morning, and all of the locals are either driving to work or walking with their daily groceries. Then, we left Capri (so sad). After about a 45 minute ferry ride we arrived in Naples and got on our way to Florence.

I swear I heard my mother tell me we would be taking a high speed train to Florence … but no. We were on a bus for 7.5 hours!

So after 7 and a half hours of driving (and sleeping) we arrived in Florence! We arrived in the afternoon and had some time to walk around and enjoy some free time before dinner. I’ll have to show you photos from dinner in another post!

But at the end of our dinner, I was surprised to see that I had an Italian birthday cake! “Happy Birthday” was even written out in Italian! The cake was delicious too! It was not a traditional American cake… It had lots of different textures, from soft and creamy to crunch and flaky. Everyone enjoyed it! The only thing missing on the big day was my boyfriend! He was back home in NYC :( He sent me a very sweet birthday email and in the subject line it read, “Old Maid.”

My 100th Post Is Here!

I can’t believe that my blog has 100 posts! Instead of writing about food, I figured I would share a few of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Italy. So far I have shown you loads of pictures of the food I had eaten while touring the country, and every once in a while I slipped in some scenic photos… But today I have picked a few of my favorites that I want to share! I hope you enjoy them!

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The Best Potato Chips In The World!

I know what you’re thinking. But I couldn’t help myself! I had to share with you the tastiest potato chips I have ever had in my entire life!

While making the long journey from Capri to Florence (7.5 hour drive, ick), we made a few stops along the way and someone in my tour group grabbed the only bag of potato chips the rest stop had to offer. He let me try the chips and I immediately purchased a bag myself.

First of all, the chips come in this brown paper bag and are sealed inside with a plastic bag. I poured out half the bag so my dad could snack on some. I put his half in the paper bag and my half in the plastic bag. Surprisingly, there wasn’t even a drop of oil/grease on the bottom of the paper bag when he was done with the chips! I couldn’t believe how guilt-free these potato chips ended up being! They were perfectly salted and crispy. I haven’t been able to eat any chips since I got home because I know I would hate going back to the unhealthy, terrible quality potato chips.

The chips clearly didn’t have any preservatives in them because they got spoiled pretty quickly (I bought another bag and opened it, didn’t finish it, and when I went to eat them the next day they weren’t good any more). Also, Italian grown potatoes (you can’t get them any where but Italy) are so delicious! Even when they are cooked for dinner you don’t need to do anything to them to make them so tasty. Forget adding butter, just a little bit of olive oil and you’re good to go!

Food (Pizza & Pasta) in Capri: Part III

There is something about Anacapri that has me obsessed with everything and anything Capri. It was interesting to learn that those working certain jobs in Capri are able to be working only because they were born and raised in Capri. For example, the guy that rowed our boat into the Blue Grotto had to have been born and raised in Capri otherwise they weren’t able to have that certain career. This is brilliant because it keeps the locals in business and the greedy money making, destroyers of all things authentic off and away from the Italian paradise.
While walking the streets of Anacapri in the early evening, my family and I had to pick a place for dinner. We came across this gorgeous square and the main part of the square was the church. Actually, after vacation I soon discovered the E! News host Giuliana Rancic got married in this exact church a few years ago… I am officially jealous of G! Right next to this square was a pizzeria/pasta restaurant and of course we thought the menu sound fabulous!
We sat outside, perfect for people watching. But when I peeked my head into the restaurant I saw a gorgeous pizza stove and an adorable little old man tossing pizzas. Naturally my mom and I immediately headed inside to take pictures of him making pizza, but before I knew it I was behind the counter top spreading dough myself! The pizzaman also ended up being the owner of the restaurant! He didn’t speak a lick of English, but he flirted with me as if he was a 25 year-old guy. He was just too cute, I couldn’t even get him to turn to face the camera for a picture, so I stared right back at him.
We sat down for dinner and had a few delicious dishes! My dad always goes right for the red sauce plates, for some reason, and he never really tries anything new. I guess what works for him is what he sticks with. I usually laugh on the inside because I feel like he’s missing out on some of the most delicious foods, but this time he was right on by ordering the spaghetti in a red sauce. I have never had a more delicious red sauced pasta dish before in my entire life! Italians cook their spaghetti just right, Al Dente = the best way to prepare pasta! The pizza was also delicious, it was filled with salami, mushrooms and olives! I was surprised to see that my pizza came with separations, the toppings weren’t all mixed together. I actually enjoyed this because the extra crusty separations added more texture and crispness.
Another aspect of Italian restaurants that I adore is how almost every restaurant I ate at has their own signature bottle of wine. Not just a wine that the restaurant thinks is the best, but they typically have their own label and possibly even their own vineyard. This is incredible because no restaurant is going to create a wine that tastes bad with their food!

food

Food (Dessert) In Capri: Part II

When I moved to New York I realized that when someone says “lets go out for Italian food” or “lets go out for Chinese food” my idea of what the food is going to be might be completely different than what the restaurant might have. Now I’ll ask my friends what region of Italy the food at the restaurant will be from (will I be eating a dish with a meaty red sauce? or will it be light and buttery?).
While in Italy, I could see an obvious difference in the types of cuisine in each city and town. Cinque Terre is known for their local sauce, pesto (aka the love of my life), caprese salads seemed to be all over the place, and a rum cake was the specialty dessert in Capri. The shape of this rum cake looks like a mushroom — its shape is so strange but that’s what makes it so unique. Our first night in Anacapri I thought that the kitchen just goofed on the dessert, the shape is just too weird, to any tourist it might look like the dessert chef just didn’t know what he was doing. But when I saw the dessert in a pastry shop in town the next day, I realized that it was made exactly the way it was supposed be made. This spongey, fluffy, dessert was perfectly moistened. The flavor wasn’t too overwhelming but it had enough rum to make it tasty. The addition of the fruit preserves was what put this signature dessert dish over the top! The strawberry and raspberry preserves were the perfect compliment to the mushroom-shaped rum cake. Plus, the cream frosting added the rich texture to the soft flavoring of the preserves.
Those Capri locals sure know how to make one heck of a rum cake!

Food in Capri/Anacapri: Part I

There wasn’t a location I went to in Italy that I did not love. But there was something about Capri (and Anacapri — where we stayed) that captured my 25% Italian heart. First of all, there are not many that live on Capri year-round; it’s more of a summer getaway home that the affluent have in Italy. Almost like Fire Island except much more beautiful, sparkling blue water, with better food, and of course Italian architecture. It’s easy to get to Capri, it’s only a short 45 minute ferry ride away from Naples (just like Fire Island, you arrive by boat).
We stayed at the Capri Palace in Anacapri. Anacapri is not a different island than Capri, rather it sits at the top of Capri. In order to get there you have to drive up a very tight, narrow road that’s built so close to the steep edges of the mountain. The views were idyllic but even the picturesque landscape didn’t stop my dad from panicking (he has a fear of heights). I can’t blame him though because there were a few moments (yes, I am admitting this) that my stop flipped… This happened when our car got so close to the edge I thought my life was going to end in Capri. I can’t wait to return. Capri will be the place I will return to immediately the next time I go to Italy.
The food was delicious as well! I wouldn’t mind spending my summers in Capri, strolling the streets as the sun goes down, and picking an intimate cafe to wine and dine at for dinner each night. Now I know why celebrities get away to Capri — this tranquil island is interested only in giving you the peace that you should experience in life.
When it came to my meals, it started with a pretty heavier than usual breakfast (huge mistake I would later learn). Pictured below is my breakfast in Anacapri. Delicious, flavorful scrambled eggs, pancakes with scrumptious syrup, and what’s missing in the photo is my yogurt and fruit bowl.
breakfast in Capri
After breakfast we did the most touristy thing any one could do in Capri… we took a boat to La Grotta Azzurra (The Blue Grotto). We waited for about an hour and a half before we could get into our row boats to head into the cave. At that time I managed to share my breakfast with the fish while my motor boat bobbed up and down. Once we got in our row boat, we had to lay down in order to squeeze into the entrance of the cave (it’s about 2 meters high and 2 meters wide). Once inside we were rowed around the magical cave that was filled with the bluest of all blues (I’m sure Crayola wishes they could recreate this shade). The visit in the Grotto didn’t last long, we were out in no time and heading back to land.
After our boat docked we had a quick moment before we hopped on a trolley-like car that took us up to another neighborhood of Capri. While waiting for the trolley I enjoyed a lemon gelato (a refreshing treat to have, especially after feeding the fish).
Our visit to Capri was perfect. We saw so many breathtaking views! Below are a few photos from Capri, I’ll be sure to add more this week!