I’ve said this so many times over the past few weeks, but man. Japan is dreamy.

It’s so clean and quiet and beautiful and delicious. I went with one of my very favorite travel buddies, and we went to:

• Tokyo
• Gora/Hakone
• Kyoto

We were in Japan for a total of about 10 days, and I could have stayed for at least another month. It was just so unlike anywhere I had ever been before, and I can’t wait to return sometime in the future.

Now, as with most of my travels, food is of the utmost importance. In fact, I base most of my travels around the foods I’m going to consume while there.

But I had heard many times before that being vegetarian/vegan in Japan is tough because so many of their traditional foods have things like fish stock or chicken in them.

And to an extent, that’s true. You can’t just walk into any ol’ restaurant you find and expect to find vegetarian or vegan options on the menu. Even in the major cities we were in.

But with a little planning, you can absolutely, 100% find some truly unforgettable and incredible vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks in Japan.

Here were some of my faves:

Vegetarian & Vegan in Tokyo

We started our trip in Tokyo and ended up staying in the Shinjuku area, which I really loved. It was centrally located to the metro (which was incredibly simple to use…even for someone who is pretty useless when navigating a new city—hi, it me), and just a few minutes from many of our must-sees.

There are so many lists online about things to do in this exciting city, so I’m not really going to cover that here. Instead, let’s talk about the eats, shall we?

SUSHI GARYU

1F, Alivio Higashi Azabu, 1-6-8, Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Google Maps | Apple Maps

For dinner the night of our first full day in Tokyo, we actually did a sushi-making class! Paul found it for us because it had both vegetarian and non-veg options, and he got it as a birthday gift for me!

We had an excellent time. It was silly and harder than it looks, but man. So fun.

The vegetarian sushi ingredients were a total mixed bag—some were simply vegetables like mushrooms or avocado, while others were hyper-realistic “fish” pieces made from konjac. It was wild.

The fish was a bit too realistic for me, but I loved the other veg nigiri. I had a such fun time, and we got to wear kimonos which was a hoot.

Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka Store

〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, Dogenzaka, 2 Chome−29−11 Central Bldg. 6, １階
Google Maps | Apple Maps

My very first conveyer belt sushi! To be completely frank, I didn’t ask if everything I ordered was vegetarian, but I felt pretty confident in my choices:

If you’ve never had conveyer belt sushi before, it’s so much fun. At all of the places we went, we just ordered on a little screen and our order would be delivered to us via the conveyer belt. It was so fun!

My favorite was definitely the cucumber with the spicy fried onions on top. I also tried natto there and…it’s just not for me. The texture just didn’t work for me one bit. The corn mayo one was pretty solid too. I was surprised at how many times I saw corn in sushi everywhere we went!

Ippudo Lumine Est Shinjuku

Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 3 Chome−38−1 ルミネエスト新宿 8F
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We were exploring Shinjuku one of our last nights in Tokyo (we went to some batting cages, which were super fun), and we wanted to grab a quick dinner before heading back to our hotel.

Enter: vegan ramen.

It was actually in the Shinjuku station and sort of in a food court situation, but this ramen was so tasty. The “meat” was some sort of tofu that was really good and not too realistic (which I appreciated), and the broth was nice and creamy. A perfect end to a chilly day exploring!

We also ordered some gyoza which were fine, but I probably wouldn’t get them again. They just took up room in my stomach from where ramen should have been IMO.

Ippudo is a chain, but I believe only some of the locations have plant-based versions, so be sure to verify before you go in!

KYUSHU JANGARA

Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−13−21 １Ｆ
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We were exploring a stationery store in Harajuku and suddenly got starving, so I did a quick Google search and found this place that served vegan and non-veg ramen! Perfect for us.

We just had to wait a few minutes, but I loved this place so much. The broth was silky and fatty in the very best way, and they had pickled and spiced veg on the table that you could add to your broth as you wanted.

The vegan “meat” was super realistic (a little too realistic for my tastes), but if you’re into mock meats like that, you absolutely need to put this place on your list because wow. Look at it!

The Beatles played almost the entire time we were there too, and it just was one of those perfect food moments I’m never going to forget.

7-11 (or any convenience store)

Literally everywhere

We ate at convenience stores (especially 7-11) quite a few times. Many of the prepared foods weren’t vegetarian or vegan, but I ate my weight in pickled plum onigiri from 7-11. We were waiting in a line for lunch one of the days, and I was hangry and asked Paul to go get us some onigiri while I waited in the line. It was a perfect snack any time of day!

Gora Onsen Town

We booked an overnight at an onsen town called Hakone. We stayed in an area called Gora, and we didn’t have much time to explore, but we did end up having one of our favorite experiences of the whole trip there.

Gora Brewery & Grill

1300-72 Gora, Hakone, Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa 250-0408, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

While we didn’t eat here (honestly the food looked great, we just weren’t hungry), we walked up to it from our hotel while we were waiting to check in.

We got there just when they opened, and we decided to just get some beer and sit at their foot onsen. It was a crisp day, so there was something just super magical and relaxing about the hot water, the cool weather, and the cold beer.

We probably stayed for…an hour and a half? Maybe longer? I have no idea. We met some super nice people while we were sitting there, but it was just a really nice way to chill and relax after walking around so much in Tokyo.

Vegetarian & Vegan in Kyoto

Of the three places we visited in Japan, Kyoto was my favorite. It was delightfully walkable, absolutely stunning, and full of stunning food.

We had just a few days in Kyoto, and this city is one where I could absolutely see myself staying for a month or two. There’s just so much to see and do, and it’s such a beautiful part of the world.

Gyatei

Japan, 〒616-8384 Kyoto, Ukyo Ward, Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, 19-8 ぎゃあてぃ 嵯峨
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I think this is a place where I got some onigiri for lunch one day! They had three vegan options that were clearly labeled, and the soy meat one in yangnyeom sauce was my favorite. There were also green onion and miso and a burdock and carrot flavors!

I got one of each while Paul got the udon he was excited about. I snagged us some Kyoto matcha beer to drink too. It was good, very slightly matcha-y, but omg that color.

Kyo-Baum Arashiyama

20-25 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8384, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I didn’t even buy anything here, but one of the tippy top bites of food for me was at this place. I tried a sample of their matcha baumkuchen (translated from German…a tree cake!), and I haven’t been able to shut up about it since.

I didn’t even take a picture of it because it just kinda broke my brain in the best way possible. Check out the pics here.

I brought one home that I found at the airport, and it ended up drying out a lot by the time I actually opened it which was, in a word, heartbreaking.

But gosh. It was so so good and fun. Definitely get this if you’re vegetarian.

Onimaru Yaki-musubi

Japan, 〒604-8031 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Daikokucho, 33-4
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I really did eat my weight in onigiri in Japan, but this place was probably my favorite!

It was right by the coworking space we worked from for two of our days in Kyoto, and it was so cool to watch them make all of the different types of onigiri they sold.

That said, the ginger and mustard greens one? Simple but perfect. The ginger wasn’t overpowering, but it was certainly bitey in the best way.

Plus, there were a few vegan options there that were clearly marked! Such a great find for mid-morning snack.

Kawa Bar

176-2 Minoyacho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8015, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

We stopped for a quick beer one of the nights before dinner, and this place was such a good find. There were SO many beer options to choose from up on the wall behind the bar:

They had non-beer options too, like Japanese whiskey and gin. The vibe was really cool—kind of old-school pub—and we must have been there at a weird time because we were literally the only people in the entire building. It was a really cool find!

Kura Sushi

Japan, 〒604-8035 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Sakuranocho, 415 京都松竹座ビル B1F
Google Maps | Apple Maps

Another conveyer belt sushi place! It’s a chain, so there are loads of these in both Tokyo and Kyoto (and actually one in Pittsburgh now!), and it’s the perfect spot for quick, convenient, and tasty sushi.

They don’t have a ton of vegetarian options, but they do have a few like cucumber and pickled radish rolls. I also had a weak moment once and ordered the french fries. Which were actually pretty amazing.

I also really loved that these conveyer belt sushi places had free green tea you can make yourself at your table! Since it was rather chilly in Japan during our whole stay, this was such a nice way to warm up.

Sushiro – Kawaramachi Takoyakushi-dori

Japan, 〒604-8041 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Uraderacho, 599番地
Google Maps | Apple Maps

Finally, our last conveyer belt sushi place! They mostly had the same menu as the others we tried, but this place in particular had two standouts for me:

• Frozen mango (as a dessert): I honestly just loved this sweet treat. I hadn’t had a lot of fruit during my trip, and at that point, it tasted so good.
• Fried bean curd: This was sort of shaped like an onigiri, but it was wrapped with bean curd (like tofu). It may not sound super appetizing, but it was really tasty (sweet, savory, and a little sticky) and filling. And a nice change from my cucumber and radish rolls!

Paul is a sushi superfan, so we actually went here twice our last day in Kyoto! Plus, when you’re vegetarian at these places, you can literally spend no more than $10 per meal. It’s amazing. Most of the dishes I ordered were 150 JPY, or $1. A really great budget option!

MOON & BACK

585 Takamiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8056, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

I had lunch here one day, and it was probably my favorite ramen I had my whole trip!

This is a great place to go if you’re in Kyoto with omni eaters. That said, their vegan spicy tandan ramen was everything I hoped for and more.

It was creamy and finished with a black sesame paste that made everything even more rich and savory. It had the perfect level of spice for me, and gosh. I could have eaten here about 50 more times.

Their menu is very clearly labeled too, and apparently they have gluten free noodle options too! Seriously something for everyone.

WIFE & HUSBAND

106-6 Koyamashimouchikawaracho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8132, Japan
Google Maps | Apple Maps

There was one place that was on my “must do” list for Japan, and it was WIFE & HUSBAND.

As a coffee and bread lover, I was super excited to try a place that specializes in just that: great coffee and toast.

There were a few different coffee varieties to choose from, and I went with one from Ethiopia. It was a dark roast, so it was strong and smoky in flavor and aroma. I always prefer light roast coffee, so it was a bit much for me but still enjoyable.

We ended up sitting at the bar, and it was so fun watching them make each coffee to order. It’s an art there, and that’s something I just really appreciate. I love nerding out about coffee, and it was clear that these folks did, too!

The toast was great—we got both to split. The cheese and honey one was my fave, but the buttered toast was lovely in its simplicity too.

It was a super super small place with seating for about 10 people total inside. So if you’re interested in going, be sure to make reservations ahead of time!

Our trip to Japan was a dream. Seriously. We had the best time, and I ate so much fun, new-to-me food. If you have a chance to go to Japan (or if you have a trip coming up), put some of these places on your list!

Now, have you been to Japan? Tell me about it. What was the best food you tried there?

The post What I Ate in Japan (Vegan & Vegetarian) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Does this have anything to do with food? Nah. But I’ve published annual “Favorite Books of the Year” posts since 2020, so I’m not stopping now. Catch up here:

• Favorite Books from 2023
• Favorite Books from 2022
• Favorite Books from 2021
• Favorite Books from 2020

Now I will say that this reading year was a bit of a bleh reading year for me. I didn’t finish quite a few books that I started, and I didn’t love many of the books I read. Plus, I had a hard time just staying focused on and prioritizing reading this year.

That said, I’m happy to report that my love of reading has come back with a vengeance, and we finished the year strong.

So let’s get into my favorite reads from this year.

As always, if you’re interested in checking any of the books I mention, I have a few links for you below:

• The first one, the link to buy a physical copy, is for Bookshop.org, a website that allows you to support independent bookstores with your purchase.
• The second, the ebook version, is an Amazon affiliate link.
• The third is a link to add the book on Goodreads.

I also highly encourage you to check out your local library––most of the books I mention here I got from my library. I download my ebooks through the Libby app by adding my library card. It’s free and super convenient!

I also ended up listening to a few audiobook memoirs through my Spotify premium subscription. More on that in a bit.

Let’s get into the reads!

No Two Persons

Erica Bauermeister
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I had never heard of this book before, but a local bookstore I was in featured it as a book club pick, so I did what I never do and purchased a book I’ve never read. I typically only purchase books if I’ve loved and want to re-read them, but there was something interesting about the synopsis, so I took a chance and bought it.

If you’ve read the book, you’ll know how fitting this situation actually is.

I just really loved this. It’s almost a collection of interconnected short stories, and the common denominator between them all is a book. Each story personifies the saying, “No two persons ever read the same book,” and it explores each character’s life during the time they’re reading or interacting with the same book.

It’s so clever (even the chapter images have meaning!), really heartfelt, and a story that will absolutely stick with you. There are some emotional moments and some funny moments, and I just couldn’t have loved it more.

The Collected Regrets of Clover

Mikki Brammer
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I had this book on hold from the library for months before I actually got around to reading it, but once I finally got around to it, I absolutely loved it.

It follows Clover and her experiences serving as a death doula. I had never heard of a death doula before, but I’ve heard of them more since reading this book.

A big part of this book revolves around fully embracing and living the life you’ve been given, and even though I waited for months to read it, this book came to me at just the right time. While it certainly has some sad moments, it was inspiring and heartwarming.

Loved it, and I now have a physical copy (thanks, mom!) so I can re-read it again soon.

The Measure

Nikki Erlick
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This is a pretty popular book, and IMO, it’s for good reason!

Imagine a world where every single person over the age of 21 receives a box with a string inside. No one knows where they came from or what they mean…until they start to figure it out.

The entire world changes once the meaning of the strings is revealed, and each character we follow copes with the decision of looking at their string, their string length, and the string lengths of their loved ones in a different way.

This book made me think, and it really stuck with me––if this happened today, would I look at my string?

It’s a slower read, but I loved the interconnected stories and the touching “found family” moments.

The Third Gilmore Girl

Kelly Bishop
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I love Gilmore Girls. Always have, always will.

I hadn’t really read many memoirs before this came out, but once I saw that Kelly Bishop narrated the audiobook version of her memoir, I knew that’s how I wanted to read it.

I used my audiobook credits through Spotify Premium to listen to this one during some fall activities––a hike, painting, driving to see the pretty fall leaves, etc––and it was such a great experience.

I didn’t know much about Kelly’s life before Gilmore Girls, and she came across as such a “sure of herself” person with loads of interesting stories.

I will say that a good majority of the book isn’t about Gilmore Girls, and even though I’m a huge fan of the show, I didn’t mind one bit. Kelly is a fascinating, inspiring person with or without the show!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Taylor Jenkins Reid
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This was a re-read, and everyone loves it, so I won’t go into too much detail here.

If you haven’t read it yet, you should. It made me cry at the exact same spot that it did the first time I read it. It’s great.

2024 Reading Stats

These stats are pulled from The StoryGraph! I use Goodreads to track my reading throughout the year (because it automatically syncs with my Kindle), and then I import my Goodreads data into The StoryGraph to get these fun graphics.

I read 41 books this year, and here’s how those books break down into genres, moods, and ratings:

I traveled a lot this year, and the number of books/pages sort of reflects that hecticness and lack of reading time. Plus, like I mentioned before, this was sort of a weird reading year where I didn’t love many of the books I read, so I lost some motivation to read a few times throughout the year. That said, we finished strong in December!

If you ask my book club, my book ratings are a bit chaotic. I never give anything one star (if it’s going to be a one-star read, I just won’t finish it). I never rate any books I don’t finish. And I never rate memoirs or nonfiction. Knowing that…these are my ratings for the year. One of the lowest averages in the past few years for me!

Nothing super surprising here. I used to read a lot more romance, but I’ve been super burned out on romance novels for a while, so I’m glad to see contemporary being #1 this year! I have a few fantasy and sci-fi books on my list to read soon, so I’m hoping those two genres make a comeback next year.

I’m a fiction girlie through and through. The only three nonfiction books I read this year were two memoirs and a book for book club.

I feel like this graph is a good representation of me as a reader. I gravitate towards books that make me feel, laugh, and think. :)

And that’s a wrap! How was your reading year? What were some of your favorite books? And how do you rate books (please tell me I’m not alone in my chaotic book ratings)?

The post My Favorite Books of the Year appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Nowadays, we have so many incredible restaurants doing creative, inventive, mind-blowing things with foods. And one of my all-time favorite restaurants––Della Terra just north of Pittsburgh in a small town called Zelienople (zee-lee-in-oh-pole)––did one of those mind-blowing things this past weekend!

I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to Chef Saul’s Foraged Mushroom Dinner, hosted by Della Terra, on December 1, and we were taken through five different dishes, celebrating the lowly mushroom.

Pennsylvania grows a ton of mushrooms––in fact, over 60% of the mushrooms produced in the US are grown in this state (!!)––I was extra excited to experience new ways to use an ingredient that:

• I’m pretty fond of and use quite a bit in my own cooking.
• Grows right in my backyard!

Plus, the friend I went with actually helped forage for the mushrooms we ate during the meal! I couldn’t wait.

Even though Della Terra/Chef Saul put together these “tasting menu” dinners every once in a while, this was the first time that it was fully vegetarian. There was an optional wine pairing as well, which took us through unique wines from Italy, Austria, and New York.

They paired beautifully with the five different dishes highlighting the unique flavors and preparations of these locally-sourced mushrooms.

The Meal

Roasted Hen of the Woods Peshwari
coconut, pistachio, buttered bean dip

I mean, bread + dip is my love language, so this dish was obviously going to be a hit for me! We watched as Chef Jason cooked these peshwari (a stuffed leavened bread) in Della Terra’s beautiful green wood-fired oven, and they arrived to us hot and perfectly charred.

The bread was stuffed with a mushroom and coconut mixture that was fragrant, savory, and slightly chewy. The buttered bean dip was enjoyable and dusted with fruity sumac, but the peshwari was the star! It was so satisfying ripping off pieces of the warm peshwari and sliding it through the creamy dip. Such a great combo.

Steamed Grape Leaves
chicken of the woods mushrooms, nuts, dried fruit, rice, spinach, dill & lime yogurt

I love steamed grape leaves, as they are such a fun “finger food” that pack a punch of flavor and texture.

These grape leaves were also foraged locally, and they were thick and chewy. The rice filling was spiked pine nuts and (what I’m guessing was) dried cherry and/or cranberries, and the bed of lime yogurt was super tart and cut through the richness of the grape leaf filling.

My mouth is seriously watering right now thinking of that yogurt sauce! Great for a dill-lover like me, too.

Mushroom Ramen
wild mushroom dashi, tempeh, nori, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, braised kombu, pickled ginger, toasted sesame sead

First of all…this portion? Crazy. I actually just had the leftovers of this ramen for lunch today.

Second, this was the best vegetarian ramen I’ve ever had. A lot of the other vegetarian ramens I’ve tried in the past had very subpar broths––too light and frankly lacking in flavor.

I’ve even tried making it at home, and I still had very meh experiences with it.

This broth was amazing––it was a deep, dark brown in color and full of rich, umami flavors. It was almost thick in a way that I’ve never seen a vegetarian ramen broth be (but always wished it could be). The toppings and add-ins were great too; the pickled ginger cut through the robust flavors so well, and the noodles were delightfully bouncy.

Crazy that it took me going to an Italian restaurant to have a really great veg ramen!

Pickled Mushroom & Cucumber
juniper pickle brine, braised kombu, macadamia cream, toasted sichuan peppercorn

I had never had pickled mushrooms before, but being from Pittsburgh, it’s kind of a requirement that you’re a fan of pickled anything (we have a whole festival––Picklesburgh––devoted to all-things pickled every year).

I actually really enjoyed these pickled mushrooms; they were soft and chewy and a bit spongy, but not in a off-putting way. Some of the other folks I was eating with didn’t love that texture, but I ended up loving it.

I could have done with a little less macadamia cream, as I felt it sort of overwhelmed the bitey, sour flavors I was so craving after the big umami punch in the face from the ramen, but I was really jazzed with my first experience with pickled mushrooms.

Hickory Bark-Smoked Gelato
candied chanterelles, roasted hickory syrup, toasted buckwheat crumble, mushroom sugar

YEP. A mushroom dessert!

Weirdly enough, this isn’t the first time I’ve had mushrooms in ice cream this year, but I’ve certainly never had them candied before.

And wow. They were so cool. They were chewy––almost like a gummy candy––and tossed in a crystalized sugar that added a nice little crunch.

I was also incredibly impressed with the smoked gelato. In general, I really hate smoked desserts and drinks, but I got only a subtle smoky flavor right at the end of each silky-smooth spoonful. The crumble added a nice grainy texture to this otherwise soft and creamy dish as well.

My only regret is that I wish I was hungry enough to finish my bowl; I was seriously stuffed by the end of my meal.

I just really love that restaurants lean into the passions their employees have and allow them to have fun like this. I could tell how much Chef Saul and the Della Terra gang enjoyed putting this menu together for all of us, and I certainly had a great time enjoying it all.

Three cheers for the Della Terra crew for a fantastic culinary experience and introducing me to so many ways to use one of my very favorite vegetables! I’ll be thinking of those absolutely bonkers candied chanterelles for a very long time.

The post A Foraged Wild Mushroom Dinner at Della Terra appeared first on Fooduzzi.

You may be familiar with Torino for some of the same reasons I was: it hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, and there’s some sort of Shroud of Turin there. It’s also known for its automotive history, as Torino is the headquarters for FIAT, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo.

Being in Torino was the true reason I was in Italy, as I had to be there at a conference for work. So even though my days in Torino were filled with many work-related things, I still saw a good bit of the city and ate…a lot of really great pizza.

Just like my Milano and Modena/Maranello recaps, we’ll cover:

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

Let’s do this!

How I got there

I ended up taking a Frecceciarossa high-speed train from Milano to Torino. It wasn’t a very long train ride (about an hour), and I caught it at the Milano Centrale station and took it to Torino Porta Susa.

I did end up booking this ticket (and my return ticket back to Milano to catch my flight back home) ahead of time, so I knew exactly when and where to be. I’d definitely recommend booking in advance if you can––one less thing to worry about!

That said, my return to Milano hit a bit of a snag, as there was a scheduled train strike that day. So I ended up booking a bus from Torino direct to the Milano Malpensa Airport (two hours total) instead. It was an easy swap!

Where I stayed

A lot of my coworkers and I ended up staying in the same hotel:

DoubleTree by Hilton Turin Lingotto
Via Giacomo Mattè Trucco, 1, 10126 Torino TO, Italy

Overall, I really liked this hotel, and it actually is part of the old FIAT factory and has their old test track on the roof. Nuts.

They served a very substantial buffet-style breakfast with croissants, fresh fruits, muesli, and more “American-style” options like waffles. They were also able to book me a taxi to the bus station when I had to leave super early in the morning.

It had super reliable and powerful air conditioning (which is a must for me if I want a decent night of sleep), and I overall really enjoyed my stay here.

How I got around

As soon as my train got to Torino, my coworker/friend, Fabio, met me and we ran/bussed to a bakery. I was able to tap-to-pay on the bus for easy transport.

Other than that, I walked or took the metro pretty much everywhere. Again, I just used Apple Pay at the turnstiles to buy a one-way metro ticket each time.

The metro is actually pretty interesting: it was the first driverless metro in Italy! And all of the stations I saw were super clean and very easy to navigate.

What I saw

Since I was at a conference for most of my time in Torino, I didn’t see a ton of the city. But I did really love what I saw.

Torino is a city for sure, but there’s a lot less hustle and bustle there. Coming from Milano, which is, by contrast, very very busy, walking around Torino was a bit of a breath of fresh air.

There are lots of lovely buildings, parks, and marble statues all throughout the city.

So even though I didn’t see a lot of the city, we did have an event at MAUTO, the National Automobile Museum. It was just a short few-block walk from our hotel.

Museo dell’Automobile di Torino (MAUTO)
Corso Unità d’Italia, 40, 10126 Torino TO, Italy

This museum was sort of unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. On one hand, it housed a ton of beautiful, rare cars. On their website, it says that they have over 200 cars from 80 brands. That’s insane. And all under one roof! Their “Cars on the Track” display was amazing:

On the other, some of the displays just seemed completely random and kind of silly. There was a whole display of a kitchen table with plates of plastic foods set up to look like cars.

There was also an Ayrton Senna exhibit on display while I was there, and it was so cool to see some of his cars, racing suits, and helmets. There was so much racing history on display here, and it’s definitely a can’t-miss for racing fans.

Where I ate

This section is actually going to be a little short.

Because, I kid you not: I ate the same meal at the same restaurant three different days in Torino.

Why?

First of all, it was great. More on the specifics in a sec.

Second of all, if you’ve ever attended a conference, you’ll know they can be a lot. My brain just didn’t want to make another decision at the end of the day when it came time to find something to eat.

Third, it was extremely easy to get to from our hotel.

Fourth, I wanted to take everyone I knew there.

SO…that’s what we did.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele Torino
Via S. Quintino, 2, 10121 Torino TO, Italy

After we ran/bussed from the train station, Fabio took me to this pizzeria just a few blocks from the Porta Nuova metro stop.

It’s a famous Neapolitan pizzeria with locations in a few different cities, including New York City.

But…these pizzas are giant. They’re thin but mighty.

Fabio and I split these pizzas, and it was definitely a lot. But gosh. So good. They’re known for their Doppia Mozzarella Pizza Margherita (at the top of the picture), and it’s simply a margherita pizza with double the mozzarella. And since the dough was super thin, eating most of a full pizza didn’t feel like oh gosh this is way too much.

I got a white pizza topped with zucchini blossoms, ricotta, and lemon zest. I often opt for a white pizza, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed with the choice here.

We had such a good time catching up and eating pizzas that were, quite literally, bigger than our heads.

So we went back.

And back again.

I just really clearly hated all of this.

But seriously, it was such a fun place with excellent pizza and just a really chill vibe. I think I got a spritz alongside my pizza every time. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Farmacia Del Cambio
Piazza Carignano, 2, 10123 Torino TO, Italy

Fabio and I met in-person a few months ago, and when we both knew we were going to be in Torino this year, we decided to go on a mission to try the famous sphere and cube croissants from Farmacia Del Cambio.

Unfortunately, after looking at our schedules and knowing that they sell out quite quickly each day, we realized it was going to be really tough to get our hands on these prized confections.

That said, Fabio swooped in and saved the day and managed to reserve some for us. So we sat in a park and ate our sphere-shaped croissants as a dessert to our giant pizza lunch.

These. Croissants. Were. Crazy. They were filled with a gianduia (chocolate + hazelnut) cream, and the outside was so perfectly caramelized and crisp. It was a beautiful mess to eat, and I loved every second.

And they were SPHERE-SHAPED. I think this was the coolest thing I’ve ever eaten.

…until breakfast the following morning when we split the cube version. This one was filled with a simple vanilla cream.

Both were great (I preferred the sphere, but I’m a chocolate girl through and through), and I’d definitely recommend getting your hands on some if you can.

Poormanger
P.za Pietro Paleocapa, 2, 10121 Torino TO, Italy

I met Fabio, his cousin, and another co-worker of ours at Poormanger for dinner my first night in Torino. They have a pretty small menu, but their “thing” is stuffed baked potatoes.

Say less.

Potatoes are one of my favorite food groups, so if I have a chance to eat one stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and cheese, I’ll do it happily.

I will say that I would have loved some seasoning on the potato (from what I could tell, it wasn’t salted or peppered or anything after it was baked), but dang. Brilliant.

Alberto Marchetti Gelaterie
Via Cernaia, 18, 10122 Torino TO, Italy

I ate gelato from here three times too. LOL.

It was right around the corner from L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele and Poormanger, and it was just really tasty.

AND…they had a salted peanut flavor. And, as you probably know, peanut butter is another one of my favorite food groups.

They also had this really deep, rich dark chocolate flavor that was a dream.

10000/10.

And that was my trip to Italy!

It was seriously such a dream of a trip, and I can’t wait to go back.

Have you ever been to Milano, Modena, Maranello, and/or Torino? What did you do? What did I miss? What should I do next time? Give me the deets!

The post Eating My Way Through Torino (Vegetarian Travel) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

I’m still pinching myself over the fact that I actually got to visit Maranello.

I don’t talk about this a lot, but I love Formula One (F1). I went to a few races when I was in high school, and my team has always been (and will always be) Ferrari.

Maranello is a small town in northern Italy and the home for Ferrari and the Scuderia Ferrari team. And you’re aware of that fact from the moment you get there. There are prancing horses, bright red road cars, and nods to the manufacturer everywhere. It’s kinda like Disney Land but for F1 fans.

I took a day trip out to Maranello (and Modena) from Milano to visit both Ferrari museums, and it was the perfect short and sweet visit with hundreds of other F1 fans.

It’s kind of wild to be sharing about F1 here on the blog. When I was growing up, there weren’t a ton of people here in the US who were actually interested in it.

But now? I overhear people talking about it out in public all of the time. Names like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are household names. Heck, there’s even an F1 fan club here in Pittsburgh that gets together to watch the races together!

It’s just a really exciting time to be an F1 fan. Hence my pilgrimage to the land of Ferrari!

To keep with the structure of my Milano recap, we’ll cover these topics in this Maranello deep dive:

• How I got there
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

How I got there

I ended up booking an early-morning Frecceciarossa high-speed train from Milano to Modena. The trip took about an hour, and the Milano train station was busy, but beautiful.

I booked my train ticket a few days in advance, and as someone who is perpetually early, I had some time to kill once I got to the train station before my train was scheduled to leave. So I ended up finding a vegan croissant (filled with a red fruit jam!) and an American-sized cup of coffee to keep me busy.

An observation from someone who doesn’t travel by train very often: I was so surprised at how quickly a train enters and leaves the train station. You have to be ready when your train stops to get into the right car before it leaves again. I actually ended up having to run to my car at least once during this trip!

How I got around

Once in Modena, I walked ~10 minutes from the train station to the Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena.

Modena is a lovely little town, much of which is yellow. Once at the museum, I learned that the background of the famous “prancing horse” Ferrari logo is yellow for this reason!

I purchased both museum tickets a few weeks in advance online, but I didn’t have a plan in place for actually making it from Modena to Maranello and back (which is roughly a 30 minute drive both ways).

Luckily, there’s a Ferrari bus that transports visitors from one museum to the other. It was only 12 euros to book, and it was worth every penny. I ended up purchasing my bus ticket once I got to the Modena museum, but I’d probably do it in advance if I ever did this tour again. I can’t find the same link I was given at the museum to actually purchase that bus ticket, but it was such a helpful service, especially for someone touring these museums by themselves.

It did only have a few specific drop off and pick up times, so definitely be aware of that prior to planning your trip. I definitely lucked out and the timings worked perfectly with my pre-purchased train tickets to and from Modena.

After the Maranello museum tour, the bus took me back to the Modena train station (or you could ride it an extra stop back to the Modena museum), and I took the Frecceciarossa back to Milano! Easy peasy.

What I saw

I started my Ferrari day at the Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena.

This museum is more about the Ferrari brand and company. And while there were certainly plenty of beautiful cars to be seen, the museum was filled with so much history, from letters to posters to desk replicas.

After the Modena museum tour, I caught the bus to Maranello.

As we got closer to the town, I started seeing a lot of red. You could almost feel the excitement in the bus build as we drove, especially once we passed the Fiorano test track (which you can actually “tour” via a bus, along with the factory, with the Panoramic Factory and Track Tour ticket).

We actually followed a Ferrari road car to the museum; Maranello has loads of “drive a Ferrari!” businesses around the museum, and folks were test driving all day.

The museum in Maranello itself is all about the cars and racing. It’s an F1-lover’s dream. It’s the museum for Ferrari fans, filled with priceless cars, racing trophies, and unparalleled views into this historic racing team.

It was a fascinating, self-guided tour. I definitely walked around in a bit of a daze for a while because there was just so much to see, and I wanted to take my time and soak it in.

After my museum visit, I had around two hours to walk around the town and find a place to eat (more on that experience in a bit). So I snagged a map that highlighted some top touristy Ferrari spots in the town and explored.

I found the Scuderia Ferrari building, which is where all of the R&D happens for their racing teams. It was so cool to see actual Ferrari employees, decked out in their red and yellow, walking in and out of the building.

That said, the iconic view I was looking for was the “historical” factory entrance. The exact picture you see below is something I’ve dreamt about seeing in-person for a long time, and it’s one that I’ve always equated with this brand and team.

So much history has gone through that gate! I just stood there for a few minutes taking it all in, and I actually think seeing this (literally just standing across the street and staring at it) was my top experience of this entire day.

Where I ate

Since this was only a day trip, I only really needed lunch while I was in Maranello. After walking around and finding the old factory entrance, I still had some time before the bus left to go back to Modena, and I happened upon Ristorante Cavallino.

Ristorante Cavallino
Via Abetone Inferiore, 1, 41053 Maranello MO, Italy

Established by Enzo Ferrari in 1950, Ristorante Cavallino was reopened in 2021 by Modena-born chef, Massimo Bottura. The menu is made up of dishes that are seasonal, beautiful, and high-end (yet approachable!).

The building itself is a lovely deep red and “classily” Ferrari’d. There are prancing horses and racing photographs and memorabilia everywhere, but they’re a bit more subtle than the bright reds and yellows plastered all over the museums.

I was in a Ferrari t-shirt and jean shorts, and I felt very underdressed, but I walked in with confidence and asked if you needed a reservation to eat there.

Which…you do. But after checking the dining room, they made and exception and gave me a table! I was shocked. And just extremely thankful. And in response, I didn’t stop smiling once during my short and sweet meal.

In short, it was such an incredible lunch. It was more expensive than any other meal I had in Italy, but wow. I ordered some of the best bread I’ve ever had in my life (the focaccia especially––it was so crispy on the outside, but tender and chewy on the inside), ravioli verde (made with homemade pasta and stuffed with goat cheese, peas, green apple, mint and dandelion leaves), and a glass of white wine that was zippy and crisp and paired beautifully with my meal.

It was one of the best dining experiences of my life. Eating alone at a restaurant can be a little weird and awkward, but I felt so at ease and just really deliriously excited to have this experience. I just embraced being on my own and just enjoyed it. It was such a fun and unexpected way to end my visit to Maranello.

This little solo day trip was such a dream, and now that I’ve been home for a few weeks, it actually almost feels like one. It was such a bucket list trip for me, and I’m so tickled that I actually got to do it.

If you’re a Ferrari or F1 fan and are planning some time in Italy, I couldn’t recommend a trip out to this historic, beautiful, and unabashedly red part of the country more.

The post A Day Trip to Modena & Maranello appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Like most folks, I haven’t been doing a ton of travel these past few years (for obvious reasons). But I’m starting to visit new-to-me places again, and I feel completely and totally energized and inspired.

I recently spent a little over a week in Milano, Modena & Maranello, and Torino in northern Italy, and honestly…I think it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on.

While I can attribute that fact to a ton of different things (great food, fun times with friends, seeing sights I’ve dreamt about seeing for years, etc.), I’m ultimately just really thankful to have had the opportunity to do it.

I hit three different areas during my trip, and while I originally intended to pack recaps for them all into this one post, I have a lot to say! So there will be three separate posts with recaps from each of the cities:

• Milano (this post!)
• Modena & Maranello
• Torino

While I’ve been to Italy before, this was actually the first time I had been to any of the cities I saw on this trip, so these posts will hopefully serve as helpful guides for anyone finding themselves in the same boat, aka. exploring these cities for the first time and in need of some good vegetarian food and activity recommendations.

This post is all about Milano, a beautiful, walkable, historic city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It’s the second-most populous city in Italy (after Rome), and it’s known for its fashion, art, and (of course) food.

You can use these handy links to jump around to the different sections in this post:

• How I got there
• Where I stayed
• How I got around
• What I saw
• Where I ate

I had actually planned to spend the entirety of the Milano leg of my trip by myself, but I ended up meeting up with some coworkers (now: friends!), Paul and Marjorie, and we ended up having the very best time.

How I got there

I ended up flying through JFK to Malpensa (one of the two airports in Milano), and I filled my 7+ hours in the sky with books and movies.

Side note but an important one: I feel like a lot of the airlines have a ton of movies from my childhood in their “in-flight entertainment” options right now, and it makes me deliriously happy and a little less grumpy to be sitting in a metal tube hurling through the sky for over 7 hours. Over my flights in the past few months, I’ve watched:

• School of Rock
• The Princess Diaries
• The Parent Trap
• Spy Kids (lol)
• Many of the Harry Potter movies

It’s so fun! Very much a fan.

Once I got to Malpensa, I took the train to a stop near my hotel, and then took a tram the rest of the way. I simply followed the signs in the airport to the train, bought my train ticket, and took it to the correct stop. Then popped on the tram (Apple Maps was great at telling me which tram I needed) and took that it rest of the way.

Where I stayed

I ended up staying at the Max Brown hotel in the Missori district of the city, which was less than 10 minutes walking from the duomo.

It was super cute, and the front desk staff were incredibly kind and helpful. They remembered my name every time I saw them, and they always helped me when I had questions about the city.

I will say that the rooms didn’t have great lighting, especially in the bathrooms. And I actually ended up needing to switch rooms because my first one flooded after some pretty intense rain one night! That obviously wasn’t the fault of the hotel though, and they immediately got me into a different room.

That said, I did really enjoy my stay at Max Brown, and you really can’t beat the location.

How I got around

We walked so much. SO MUCH. One day, Paul and I literally walked a distance equivalent to a half marathon.

Milano is an incredibly walkable city (and you really see so much more of the city this way!), so if you’re planning on seeing as much as you can during your own trip to Milano, be sure to have comfortable and supportive shoes and a decent sense of direction (which…is not my forte to be honest. But I made it work!).

We used public transportation every once in a while––especially the metro to get to the Centrale station, which is where I grabbed my trains to different cities in Italy (more on those in later posts!). The Milano metro is incredibly simple to use and a reliably fast way to get around the city.

One thing that’s definitely new from the last time I was in Italy: all of the public transportation I used––metro, buses, and trams––had a “tap-to-pay” option, so I could use Apple Pay instead of buying a public transportation ticket.

I wasn’t sure how often I’d be using public transportation, and I actually didn’t end up using it all that much, so paying on an as-needed basis really worked out well. Convenient and simple!

That said, if I was planning on using public transportation more heavily, I think daily passes might have been the more financially-savvy option.

What I saw

As you may have guessed based on how much walking I did, I saw a lot.

The first day, I walked around the Duomo di Milano area, and visited some of the stores in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world’s oldest shopping mall.

There was a Ferrari store close to the galleria, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested in cars. The clothing is crazy expensive, but it’s cool to see the Ferrari logo on so many different kinds of clothing, bags, and accessories.

Oh, and there’s an F1 car casually hanging from the ceiling.

The next day, Paul and I did a ton of exploring. We walked through the Sforzesco Castle and the Parco Sempione, and they were actually having some sort of music and vendor festival the day we were there. Both were full of people, and it was great to see folks outside enjoying a nice (albeit hot) day.

Then we decided to stop for some pizza (more on that in a bit), explore Eataly, and walk through Cimitero Monumentale.

The cemetery was one of the most unique places I’ve ever been; the monuments at each grave were intricate and ornate, and the grounds are truly stunning.

There are also quite a few famous folks buried there, from Alberto and Antonio Ascari (racing drivers) to Gaspare Campari (of Campari fame). We spent quite a bit of time tracking down the graves for some of these folks and just walking through the site itself. It was beautiful and a relatively chill way to spend the afternoon.

I also explored the Viale Papiniano Market on Tuesday (it happens every Tuesday and Saturday), and it was part flea market, part fruit and vegetable market. I had such a great time exploring each of the booths, but the food area was obviously my favorite.

I then met up with Paul in Navigli, a hip district located on the city’s oldest canal. We ate lunch there, and I ended up walking around for a bit before heading back to my hotel to catch up on a bit of work.

Even though I had just three full days in Milano, I felt like I saw a ton of it! We really made the most of our time there.

That said, it didn’t feel like too much. I took my time to see what I wanted, but I didn’t stress about seeing everything. I actually ended up sitting and reading a few times, just because I could. Highly recommend!

Where I ate

The most important part!

Not gonna lie: we had a ton of great eating experiences in Milano. Some were recommendations I had saved on my “might go here” list. Others were places we just kind of stumbled upon, and those ended up being some of my favorite food experiences of my entire trip!

Biga Milano
Via Alessandro Volta, 20, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

We found Biga during our half marathon walk day, and we actually found it because we were a bit lost looking for Eataly.

But once we saw a waiter bringing out some pizzas, we knew we had to eat there.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was probably the best pizza I’ve ever had.

When we sat down, one of the waiters told us that they had “the best pizza in Milano.” And while that may or may not be the case, I stand behind the claim that they’re most definitely one of the top.

The crust was so chewy and delightfully charred. And while that crust was nice and puffy, the middle of the pizza was almost impossibly thin, letting the toppings––burrata, sauce, and basil––really shine.

But that CRUST. C’mon.

I also experienced my first (and…second) Campari spritz of the trip here, and I can confidently say I am now head-over-heels in love with Campari.

Such a great find!

Fonderie Milanesi
Via Giovenale, 7, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

I actually didn’t have a “proper” dinner at all in Milano. And that’s because we opted for aperitivo every night.

Aperitivo is typically a pre-meal drink and snack situation that many of the city’s bars and restaurants offer, and the food is typically served buffet-style. So for one price, you get a drink and as much food as you’d like.

It’s a pretty great deal, and I found it was more than enough to fill my stomach after a long day, especially given the heavier lunches we were eating.

Paul and I met up at Fonderie Milanesi our first night in the city, and it was busy. I ended up showing up a few minutes before they opened, and there was already a line.

That said, if you can get a table, I’d recommend it because it’s a beautiful spot (especially if you can snag a table outside!), it has good drinks, and there were loads of vegetarian options at the buffet.

Gelateria Kmzero
Piazzale di Porta Lodovica, Via Pietro Teulié, 6, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

After our aperitivo that first night, we stumbled upon this gelateria.

It had exceptional gelato––I ended up getting pistachio and gianduia (chocolate and hazelnut)––and it was so rich in flavor and texture.

One of my favorite gelato stops of the trip!

Bar Coffees Milano
Via Pantano, 20122 Milano MI, Italy

This cafe was right around the corner from my hotel, and for 3 euro, I could get a croissant (even a vegan one!) and a soy cappuccino for breakfast.

On this particular day, I got a pistachio croissant alongside my soy cap:

Everyone there was incredibly kind, especially given my very questionable attempts at speaking Italian, and everything I had there was fantastic. I went there on my first day in the city and again right before I checked out of my hotel. It was a great little find!

Ai Balestrari sul Naviglio Pavese
Via Cardinale, Via Ascanio Sforza, 13, 20136 Milano MI, Italy

Paul found this Roman restaurant the day before, and he loved it so much he wanted to go back. So I joined him!

I got a simple penne all’arrabbiata, and Paul and I split some focaccia and burrata as an appetizer.

It was kind of a magical moment, sitting near the canal on a bright and sunny day with my new friend, drinking wine and eating great food in the middle of the afternoon in Italy.

Definitely one of those, “how is this real life?” kind of moments for me.

Yguana Cafe
Via Papa Gregorio XIV, 16, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

Paul and I met up with another one of our coworkers, Marjorie, here for aperitivo on Monday, and we had the best time.

Not only was the food great––lots of olives and vegetables and salads––but we just had a wonderful time sitting outside during a beautiful night and catching up in a really great area in the city.

DeAmicis Uno
Via Edmondo de Amicis, 1, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

Another great place for aperitivo! Paul and I shared this giant snacky spread, and the drinks were huge and delicious.

As I understand it, we couldn’t customize any of the foods on the board, but all of it was vegetarian. It was a great place if you need a little something at the end of a night but definitely aren’t hungry enough for a full-blown meal.

La Hora Feliz
Via S. Vito, 5, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

This was our last aperitivo in Milano, and it probably had the most substantial spread of them all. I loved the farro salad and pickled vegetables especially, but everything I had there was good.

That said, I especially loved the tiramisu; it was sturdy and rich, yet creamy and decadent. It was one of my favorite bites of the trip, and Paul and I definitely went back for seconds as we waited out the rain.

Colonne di San Lorenzo
Corso di Porta Ticinese, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

While this location definitely isn’t a restaurant, bar, or cafe, I needed to include it.

One of my top memories from the trip was sitting by the columns with a glass of Birra Moretti La Rossa that we got from a nearby bar, chatting with Paul as the sun went down.

It was one of those moments where it hit me just how lucky I was to be where I was and how good of a time I was having. While we got rained out (this was the night of the infamous hotel room flooding incident!), we still had a great night, and I’d definitely recommend doing the same if you want a very chill way to spend the evening!

My short trip to Milano was a dream, and I’m itching at the chance to go back at some point in the future.

What initially started as a solo trip ended up being a food-and-friend-filled extravaganza, and I’m so thankful for the way it turned out. I loved exploring this magically city with some new-to-me friends, and I really couldn’t imagine how we could have done things any better.

It really was just the perfect start to this week in Italy!

The post Eating My Way Through Milano (Vegan + Vegetarian Travel) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

This is my fourth year publishing a roundup of my favorite reads from the past year, and I look forward to writing this post every single time.

Why? It’s just a little different from the regularly scheduled programming here on Fooduzzi (vegan recipes).

And reading is what I spend a lot of time doing, so it’s great to reflect on the truly great reads at the end of each year.

If you’re interested, here are the past “favorites” posts:

• Favorite Books from 2022
• Favorite Books from 2021
• Favorite Books from 2020

This year was an interesting reading year for me. Not only did I only read two five-star books (one being a re-read), I kind of fell out of love with romance books.

For the past few years, romance has been a top genre for me because they’re quick, fun, and make you feel good. But lately I’ve just been bored of them, so I actually ended up reading a lot more “contemporary” and straight fiction novels this year.

Regardless, I’m excited to share the deets on my favorite reads from the past year with you today! As of the day I’m writing this (December 23), I’ve read 52 books, which is pretty average for me. I like to try to read a book a week, and that’s what I did!

As always, if you’re interested in checking any of the books I mention, I have a few links for you below:

• The first one, the link to buy a physical copy, is for Bookshop.org, a website that allows you to support independent bookstores with your purchase.
• The second, the ebook version, is an Amazon affiliate link.
• The third is a link to add the book on Goodreads.

I also highly encourage you to check out your local library –– most of the books I mention here I got from my library. I download my ebooks through the Libby app by adding my library card. It’s free and super convenient!

Ready to get into the books? Let’s do it.

The Best Books I Read in 2023

The Lager Queen of Minnesota

J. Ryan Stradal
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I adored this book. It was a fascinating coming-of-age story following the lives of two sisters and the decisions they make following an inheritance bestowed onto only one of them.

The characters’ stories weaved together in such a lovely way, and it really got me interested in the how behind the way beer is brewed! Even if you’re not a beer lover, I think you’d still enjoy this book. But if you’re a beer fan like me, this is a must-read.

The House in the Cerulean Sea

TJ Klune
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This was a re-read for my book club, but I loved it just as much as I did when I read it a few years ago. It’s a perfect “found family” novel, which is one of my very favorite tropes.

It’s just a big ol’ hug in the form of a book, and it will definitely leave you feeling heart-warmed and cozy!

Rabbits

Terry Miles
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This book has stuck with me for months. It’s all about a super secret, underground game with life-changing winnings that eventually turns into a race to save the entire planet. For most of the book, it was completely non-put-downable

It definitely gave me Ready Player One vibes (another of my favorite books!), but I think it was a bit too long and the ending was a bit rushed.

That said, this “there’s a secret game where clues are hidden in plain sight if you know where to look” idea is just one of my very favorite things in books. If anyone has any other recommendations for books like this, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Things I Wish I Told My Mother

Susan Patterson, Susan DiLallo, & James Patterson
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This was one of those novels where the story was fine, but the book as a whole made me feel completely and totally homesick (in a good way). It’s all about the story of a trip a mom and her daughter take, and it’s full of arguments, touching moments, and a big ol’ twist at the end that left me teary-eyed and ready to call my parents.

I love books that just make you feel, and this one did just that!

The Summer of Broken Rules

K.L. Walther
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To be honest, I think I liked this book as much as I did because we played Assassin (the game they play in the book) as a class my senior year of high school. It brought back a ton of goofy memories, and I just really liked being a part of a group game like that again!

Apparently the novel itself was also inspired by Taylor Swift lyrics? I don’t listen to her all that much, so I didn’t get any of the references, but I still really enjoyed this cozy, summertime read!

The True Love Experiment

Christina Lauren
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The writing duo of Christina Lauren are back at it again, and I think this is my favorite of all of their novels! And that’s because of the main lead, Fizzy.

She is such a fun character who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and who knows what she wants and goes for it. I loved reading a romance with such a strong female lead like this!

I don’t watch reality dating shows like the one depicted in this book, but I still really loved this book as a whole.

Mary Jane

Jessica Anya Blau
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Another “found family” story! I really really love it when someone who’s an outcast (whether it be within their own family, their school, their “friend” group, etc.) finds people they really, truly click with.

The only frustrating part for me was how childish the adults were throughout the story. That said, this book made me smile, and I loved the connection that Mary Jane had with the Cone family!

2023 Reading Stats

These stats are pulled from The StoryGraph! I use Goodreads to track my reading throughout the year (because it automatically syncs with my Kindle), and then I import my Goodreads data into The StoryGraph to get these fun graphics.

I was really surprised (and glad) to see I hit so many reading “moods” this year! Top were Emotional, Funny, and Mysterious. Kinda mind-bending to see that I read 17.7k pages too!

Unsurprising to see Contemporary as my top genre this year! Like I mentioned before, even though I read a lot of romance novels this year (21 in total!), I definitely cooled it during the second part of the year and leaned into more general fiction stuff.

April, July, and August were my biggest reading months this year, but I love seeing the pages read distribution throughout the months too. I was on vacation in July, which allowed me to read some longer books like The True Love Experiment (mentioned above!) and Cassandra in Reverse.

So I’m a bit… particular about how I rank books. I never give a book a 1 star rating because I actually wouldn’t finish any book that I would give a 1 star. I also didn’t finish quite a few books this year because I didn’t like them, so I didn’t rate those either. I also read some memoirs this year, but I never rate those. Last, I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for book club this year, and I didn’t rate that either since it is a kid’s book. All of that being said, an average of 3.23 stars sounds about right for this year of reading!

I just love talking about books, so I’d love to hear if you had any favorites this year in the comments. 😊

Thanks for tuning in for another recap of reading, and I’ll see ya in the new year!

The post My Favorite Books of the Year appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Omg.

How did it creep up on us so quickly?! I feel like this time of year absolutely flies, and I always find that I get close to the big day while still needing a gift idea or two.

And that feeling is exactly what inspired this post.

Maybe you’re in the same boat where you just remembered you needed a gift for someone, or perhaps you’re visiting friends or family over the holidays and you want to bring them something special.

I’ve gotcha covered! These are all quick, easy, and things I really love. I’m not a fan of “buying something just to buy something.” This are ideas that make my day, put a smile on my face, and would make me squeal with joy if I received it as a gift this year.

P.S. Some of these are affiliate links, but I’ll mark ’em with an asterisk (*) so you know!

Books

You know I love to read, and I always ask for physical copies of my favorite books for Christmas. I haven’t bought a book for myself in years because I always read via ebooks through my local library. That said, I find that I want to re-read some of my favorites, and asking for the physical copies lets me do that without needing to wait in the library queue again!

If you don’t know what books your recipient likes, feel free to peruse my book content here on Fooduzzi for some ideas. If you know that your recipient uses Goodreads or StoryGraph, you could always look at their “To-Read” or “Favorites” lists to buy books they’re already interested in.

And I always suggest buying your books at a local bookstore or Bookshop.org!

Notebooks

I actually received the notebook you see here* as a gift a few years ago, and I love it for journaling. It’s the perfect size to keep on my bedside table, and it just looks really pretty left out. It also has really smooth paper, which… sounds weird but really makes the writing experience feel that much more luxurious.

If you want another idea, grab fun/pretty/unique pens or pencils to go along with your notebook gift. I love these mechanical pencils*, and I think the designs are so cute!

The Five Minute Journal

Along those lines, I really love my Five Minute Journal*. I got it as a gift a few years ago, and I go through spurts where I use it every single day.

In the mornings it has you write down:

• Three things you’re grateful for.
• Three things that would make today great.
• A daily affirmation.

Then at night, you pull it back out to write:

• Three highlights from the day.
• What you learned that day.

It’s a simple exercise, but I really do love reflecting like this. Sometimes it’s a bit daunting to look at a blank page in a notebook when I feel like I need to journal, but this structure makes it quick and simple.

A Box of Local Goods

I especially love this idea if you’re seeing people from out-of-town, but I think this is such a special, thoughtful way to show your loved ones some of your favorite parts of your town or city.

There are companies that create curated boxes for you (like this one from Kinship, who gifted me this incredible breakfast box full of Pittsburgh-made goodies!), but you can also put something together using your favorite local foods, knickknacks, and goods.

I’m a big big fan of supporting local during the holidays, and this is such a fun way to do it!

Blankets

If I’m gifted a soft and cozy blanket, that gift-giver instantly becomes one of my very favorite people. Who doesn’t love a cozy blanket?!

I have a few in my living room and one on my bed, and I truly couldn’t love them more. Depending on the design, they can look stylish while left out as well.

I actually think I got the one you see here from Costco lol. So while you’re picking up your Christmas dinner ingredients, swing past their blanket section to see if you find one that could work as a gift!

Personalized Goodies

Alright, these gifts can vary wildly in price, and depending on how personalized it is, you may need to plan a bit so that it arrives on time. But man, what says “I care about you” more than something personalized like this?

My aunt gifted me this personalized cutting board from Uncommon Goods a few years ago, and I love it. I’ve never actually used it as a cutting board; instead, I have it displayed in my kitchen. It’s a unique, beautiful board, and I always get compliments on it!

I also got some personalized socks with my cat (Maya!) on them for my birthday last year, and they are so fun. I smile every time I wear them.

There are loads of other ways to purchase personalized gifts through places like Etsy as well.

Homemade Goodies

I’m actually doing some homemade good-gifting this year! And yes, my Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments are making an appearance.

If you paint, draw, or are crafty in any way, don’t be afraid to make something special for your giftee. It’s a one-of-a-kind gift that’s extra special because you made it with them in mind!

Donations

This is the gift I love asking for the most. While it is fun to open a few gifts on Christmas, I love it when friends and family end up donating to a charity I love. Most of the time, it’s to a local animal shelter.

If you know of a cause or charity that’s special to your recipient, a donation made in their name is an incredibly thoughtful gift idea that can do a lot of good.

And those are some quick and easy (but thoughtful and meaningful!) gift ideas. Are you all done with your holiday shopping? Any other ideas we should add to this list?

The post Quick & Easy Gift Ideas (That I’ve Gotten and Actually Love) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Today we’re going to:

1. Make your house smell amazing.
2. Decorate for the holidays on the cheap.
3. DIY a fun, kid-friendly holiday craft.
4. Set yourself up for delicious-smelling ornaments for years to come!

Have you ever made cinnamon ornaments before? We had them for our tree when I was younger, and I always looked forward to opening the bag they were kept in because they smelled so delicious.

And they smelled that way for 20ish years. Every year, without fail, the sweet, spicy cinnamon aroma would perfume our Christmas tree and make the holiday vibes that much more cozy and festive.

My mom and I decided to make new cinnamon ornaments last year, and we had a ton of fun making and decorating them. The decorated ornaments you see in this post are from last year, and yes… they smell just as cinnamony as they did when we made them almost a full 365 days ago.

We definitely learned a lot from our adventures in cinnamon ornament-making last year, so I decided to document them for you today!

The Ingredient Lineup

First of all, you’ll only need two ingredients to make your ornament dough: applesauce and cinnamon.

I’m always surprised at how much cinnamon you actually need to make these –– two full 2.37-ounce bottles of the stuff! Be sure to use generic, cheap cinnamon because A) You use a lot of it, and B) I think the texture is better and easier to work with.

We used the fancy Saigon cinnamon from Costco last year (my fave), and while it made the ornaments smell even better and spicier, I think it’s ground much more finely, and it was harder to get the right texture for the ornament dough.

I would also recommend using a plain, unsweetened applesauce. We used sweetened applesauce last year, and again, I think it caused the dough to be more difficult to work with.

The Ornament Dough

As for the dough texture, it should be able to be pressed into a ball, but it shouldn’t be overly sticky or wet. The general ratio is 3/4 cups of applesauce to 4.74 ounces of cinnamon. But I needed a bit more applesauce to make it easy to roll.

The dough pictured here is actually a bit on the dry side, so you’ll see some splintering in some of the ornaments. It doesn’t actually make the ornaments less sturdy (once they’re fully dry, they’re hard and sturdy!), it just doesn’t look as nice. That said, the backs of these ornaments are totally smooth, so I’ll end up having that side face out.

You’ll also want to roll your dough out on parchment paper so that it doesn’t stick to your surface. You can put a piece of parchment over the top to help you roll as well, but I found that doing that caused some unsightly creases in the dough that I really didn’t love.

Cutting & Baking

Once you have your dough rolled out 1/4-inch thick, it’s time to cut! Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters, biscuit cutters, or stamps, or carefully cut out shapes with a sharp knife. The larger your cutters, the less ornaments you’ll get from your batch. I used relatively large cutters this year, and I ended up getting 14 total ornaments after re-rolling the dough once.

Keep in mind that the more intricate your cutters, the easier it is for the shapes to break and tear as you’re cutting them out. I learned that the hard way last year.

If you find that your edges of your ornaments are a bit craggily after cutting, feel free to use your finger to try and smooth them out. You can also wait until they’re baked and cooled to carefully sand the rough edges with sandpaper.

Once cut, feel free to punch a hole through the ornaments with a straw, but be sure the hole isn’t too close to the edge, which could cause the hole to split. You can also skip this step and just hot glue a ribbon onto the back once they’re cool! We did a few like that last year, and it worked out perfectly!

They bake for a while –– 2ish hours at 200 degrees F –– and they need at least a full day to fully dry out uncovered at room temperature on a cooling rack. If you have curious kids or pets, be sure to keep them out of a hand’s or paw’s reach!

Decorating!

As for decorating, feel free to get as creative as you want! We used glitter glue, ribbons, charms, and bells last year, and I think they turned out so cute. You can also use something like a puffy or acrylic paint. Or just keep them plain!

I’ve been in such a DIY mood recently, and I couldn’t love these ornaments more. They make your tree (or in my case, garland) smell so holiday-y, and they couldn’t be more fun or easy to make.

If you decide to give them a try, I’d love to see how they turn out for you! Take a pic and tag me on Instagram at @fooduzzi!

2 Ingredient Cinnamon Tree Ornaments

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A super fun, easy, kid-friendly holiday craft! These ornaments will smell cinnamony for years to come, and they’re always so fun to decorate!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 2.5 hours
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 14 – 20 ornaments

Ingredients

• two 2.37-ounce containers of generic cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, plus more as needed
• your favorite cookie cutters, biscuit cutters
• any kind of decorations like ribbon, hot glue, ornament hangers, puffy paint, glitter glue, etc.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add your cinnamon and applesauce into a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until a dough forms that can be squished into a ball. If it’s too dry, add an additional tablespoon of applesauce at a time, mixing between each addition, until the right texture is achieved. When rolled, the dough should be flat without cracks but not sticky (to be fair, my dough in the photos was a little too dry. They still worked out, but the finish wasn’t as pretty).
3. Lay a piece of parchment paper onto your working surface and place your dough ball on top. Roll with a rolling pin until 1/4-inch thick.
4. Using your cutter of choice, punch out shapes, and transfer the ornaments to your prepared baking sheet. Feel free to re-roll the dough scraps as many times as you can! If your edges are a bit craggily, use your finger to carefully smooth them out or wait until they’re baked and dried to carefully sand the edges to make them more smooth.
5. Optionally punch a hole into each ornament where your hanger will go. Alternatively, don’t and just hot-glue a ribbon or hanger to the back once they’re baked and dried.
6. Bake for 2 hours, or until dried through.
7. Immediately and carefully transfer your baked ornaments to a cooling rack and cool for at least 24 hours, or until completely dry.
8. Decorate as desired, and hang on your tree, garland, or wreathes!
9. Store in an air-tight container with your other ornaments. I like to wrap each in a paper towel so that they don’t break!
10. It should go without saying but don’t eat these ornaments. They’re for decorating, not for eating.

Notes

Recipe from McCormick.

The post 2-Ingredient Cinnamon Tree Ornaments appeared first on Fooduzzi.

From the moment I started drinking coffee, I thought it needed to be loaded with sugar or milk or just downright bitter, and that simply isn’t the case.

Coffee can be fruity, juicy, chocolatey, rich, creamy, and most importantly balanced! And when you have a cup of coffee like that? Wow. Nothing better.

For being a morning (and afternoon… and maybe even evening) staple, coffee is a very nuanced drink. There are a lot of elements that impact the flavor you extract from the beans themselves, and that’s what we’re chatting about today!

If your coffee doesn’t taste quite “right,” it probably tastes either sour or bitter.

Those are the two extremes of the coffee-flavor scale. So if you’re reading this while sipping on a freshly-brewed cup of joe, take a big ol’ sip and ask yourself if:

• It tastes weak, chemically, or acidic (aka sour)
• It tastes burnt, acrid, or way too dark (aka bitter)

If you said, “Yep, my coffee tastes like that” for either category, chances are there are some changes you may need to make to your brewing game.

We’re going to talk about three different pieces of the coffee-brewing equation that impact the flavor of the coffee you drink (or gulp) every day:

• Water
• Beans
• Time

By understanding how these three elements affect a cup of coffee, you should be able to brew better, more consistent coffee.

We’ll evaluate each of these variables, starting with sour coffee.

And before we start: I’m not an expert so we’re going simple today –– I’m excited to share what I’ve learned over the past few years about brewing coffee with ya!

Sour Coffee

If your coffee is sour, you’re probably either:

• Under-extracting your beans
• Using low-quality beans

Water

When you strip it back to absolute basics, coffee is made up of two ingredients: water and ground coffee. And when you’re dealing with so few ingredients, getting them right is of the utmost importance when you’re aiming for a drink that tastes as delicious and balanced as it possibly can.

Water is one of those ingredients that is easy to underestimate because it’s an everyday thing. But water quality and temperature are two elements that can make a huge impact on what your final cup tastes like.

Without getting too nerdy, water pH, mineral content, and “hardness” are all potential culprits of off-tasting coffee, so if you’re looking for an easy way to level-up your coffee, use filtered (or soft!) water. I get all of my “coffee water” out of my Brita filter versus simply getting it from the tap.

An important note if you’re using a coffee pot or machine (especially if you have hard, minerally water): be sure you’re descaling or cleaning the pot/machine regularly to take care of any mineral build-up.

Water temperature also plays a huge role in the final flavor of your coffee. If your water is too cool, you’re going to under-extract the flavor from your beans, resulting in a weak, unpleasant flavor.

You have more control over your brewing temperature with brewing styles where you’re pouring your water directly from a kettle (fitted with temperature controls or a gauge) onto your coffee grounds (think: pour over, French press, or AeroPress). That said, a lot of coffee pots (like the one I have) allow you to control the brew temperature as well!

The ideal brewing temperature to perfectly extract the flavor from your grounds is in the 195 to 205 degree F range.

Beans

The second of our two necessary ingredients for coffee!

Of course, if you’re using old beans, they may have lost some of that *spark* and punchy flavor that they once had. And that’s because… of air!

In general, roasted coffee beans will start to lose their peak flavor about a month after they’ve been roasted. Depending on where you buy your beans from, it may say the roast date somewhere on the bag like this:

Roast date is one of those things I’ve started paying attention to more and more because the flavor really is so much more pronounced if you’re drinking the coffee shortly after roasting.

Pre-ground coffee can also lose its flavor more quickly since there’s more surface area for the air to reach.

When I can (which is, admittedly, not all of the time), I like to buy my beans from a local shop (like La Prima) to ensure they’re as fresh as possible. Then I grind my beans when I’m ready to make a pot of coffee, not before.

Last, coffee beans that are ground too large for your chosen brewing method can also lead to under-extraction. There are different “ideal grind sizes” for each brewing method –– smaller for things like espresso machines and larger for things like cold brew and French presses.

Brew Time

Similar to how water that’s too cold can cause you to under-extract the flavor from your grounds, if you brew your coffee too quickly, you run the risk of under-extracting as well.

If the amount of time that your water is in contact with your grounds is too short, you’re not going to get as much flavor out of your beans as possible And that can cause your final cup to taste weak, sour, and unpleasant.

Bitter Coffee

On the other hand, if your coffee is tasting too strong and/or bitter, it’s possible you’re:

• Over-extracting your beans
• Using over-roasted beans

And the three elements we already talked about –– water, beans, and brew time –– can all be the culprits of this “off” flavor!

Water

As you can probably guess, water that’s too hot can lead to over-extracting flavor from your beans. Water is a finicky thing, especially if you’re not used to paying attention to the temperature before you brew.

Again, you’ll want to aim for that 195 to 205 degree F range and make sure you’re using filtered water if you want to eliminate this variable in your brewing process!

Beans

If you buy beans regularly, you probably know that there are a bunch of different types of “roasts” available like light roast, medium roast, dark roast, Italian roast, and French roast. They all allude to the length of time your beans have been roasted.

If you’re finding that your coffee is tasting too dark, bitter, and/or burned, see if selecting a light or medium roast fixes the issue.

Most of the time, roast comes down to personal preference –– for example, I love a lighter roast, and my parents always buy dark roast –– so this is a fun element to experiment with!

If your coffee is bitter, you could also be using a grind size that’s too small for your brewing method. Small grind size = more surface area = over-extraction.

Brew Time

If you’ve been tracking with everything so far, you can probably guess where this one is going! Brewing your coffee for too long can result in over-extraction that can make your end cup taste too strong or dark.

This is easier to control with some brewing types over others. For example, you can easily adjust the brew time when making a pour over or AeroPress, but it might be more difficult to control if you brew with a coffee pot where the brewing process is already set within the machine.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you learned something from this post if you’ve been struggling with brewing coffee at home.

Keep in mind that your coffee’s flavor can be affected by a few of these different elements! Maybe your water is too cold and your grind size is too big. Or perhaps your brewing time is too long and your beans are over-roasted.

I’d suggest changing one element at a time and noting how it affects your final cup. Not only will it teach you how to brew better, more consistent coffee, it’ll be easier to pin-point the cause of its lackluster flavor!

I love my coffee brewing ritual every morning, and it’s a great way to save money if you tend to get your coffee at coffee shops. And once you really nail down the brewing process, it’s possible your home-brewed coffee will taste even better than what you can get elsewhere!

Here’s an at-a-glance cheat sheet for ya if your coffee doesn’t taste quite right in the future. It covers everything we chatted about in this post:

I’d love to hear more about your at-home coffee preparation in the comments below! How does your coffee typically taste? What brewing method do you use? Have you ever tried experimenting with your technique?

Let’s nerd-out about coffee! 🤓

The post How to Brew Better Coffee at Home (If It’s Tasting Sour or Bitter) appeared first on Fooduzzi.