You think you know good pizza...

But until you have tasted it in Napoli (Naples), you haven't discovered what a true pizza is about. It is believed that pizza was invented in Napoli and after I had my first taste, I was definitely a believer! We ate at Sorbillio, which is near the Napoli Underground tour, you can find their website at http://www.sorbillio.it/.

We ordered two pizzas and each were fantastic. Pictured above is the traditional Margareta pizza. What makes Italian pizza stand out from it's American counter part is the tomato sauce. The sauce is the star of the pizza and does not become upstaged by the cheese. The crust is thin and cooked in a brick oven fire until perfectly crispy on the outside, while still providing a chewy inside. Small dollops of mozzarella highlight the tomato sauce and provide the perfect creamy texture to balance this slice.

I ordered a pizza dia vilo, which was topped with parma (ham), salam(Salami) and pepperonchini. The sauce was slightly spicy and the entire pizza was topped with red pepper flakes that complimented the spicy bite to the Italian meats.

If I were eating pizza at home, I would be on the search for Ranch dressing, garlic butter or a side of tomato sauce to compliment my slice. I realized in Italy that this pizza requires no condiments to enhance it's flavor, it is perfect on its own.

Classic Italian while Cruising the Italian Coast

After spending the day exploring Sicily, we dined in the ships speciality restaurant, Camaletto. The meal began with an antipasta platter, which was filled with Italian meats like salami and proscutto, olives, fresh mozzarella and marinated artichokes and onions.


The minestrone soup was made with a broth that packed more flavor than any I have tasted before. The broth tasted of tomatoes and beef, with fresh parsley and shredded parmesan cheese.


I couldn't decide on just one entree, so I asked for a sampler of each that had caught my eye. Lasagna with layers of beef, tomatoes and topped off with a layer of white sauce that made each bite creamy and rich. Spaghetti and meat sauce was exactly as you would expect it to be, perfectly cooked al dente with just the right balance of sauce. Finally, the penne vodka was a rich mix of cream and tomato sauce.


Each dish was more delicious than the last and I made sure to savor each and every bite.


Nothing beat the view during this meal, we sailed along the coast of Italy at sunset. As we ate through our courses, we watched as a boat docked along side us to allow the Italian pilot to board our ship. The pilot is required to help our Captain as we navigated the narrow waters around the coast.


In between our entree and dessert course, they brought a plate of cotton candy. While it was not a traditional treat, it was a fun to enjoy the childish treat before our dessert.


Trio of tiramisu completed the meal. The creamy dessert was flavored with cocoa, vanilla bean and coffee. The perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Greek Feast

The Greek are lucky to live on land that is bountiful with olive trees and grape vines. As I wandered around the island of Argostoli, I noticed grape vines dangling in on front porches and imagined what it would be like to pick a bundle off as you walked our your front door.





Argostoli has a quaint harbor that is surrounded by shops and cafes. Many boats dock on the harbor, while the yachts stay further out in the bay and tender their passengers in. We spent the morning at a cafe along the harbor, watching boats arrive and depart, hoping to spot a celebrity that are rumored to stop into this secret port. Tom Hanks stops by each summer and pays a visit to his favorite cafe and I can certainly see why he does.





I choose to enjoy an omeletta me feta on this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find that my favorite salty cheese is also wonderful in eggs. The omelet is not cooked in a think layer and folded over like we are used to, instead it is a thin and crispy layer of eggs with chunks of feta peppered throughout the egg mixture. The cucumber was a surprising compliment to the dish and provide a light and refreshing flavor against the salty egg and cheese.


The island of Corfu is covered in olive trees. Many families make their own olive oil from the trees in their backyard and sell bottles of the homemade oil to tourists on the street. I picked up a large bottle of the homemade olive oil for 5 euros and was happy when it arrived home without soaking all my clothes.

There are very few foods I do not like, unfortunately, olives are one of them. I made myself a promise that I would be open to trying anything and that I would give olives a chance once we arrived in Greece. The photos speak for themselves on what I thought of the olives that I tried.









It goes without saying that I won't be eating any more olives.

I wanted to make sure I tried a true Greek salad and I learned that Americans are doing it all wrong. Greek salad isn't about the dressing, it is about the fresh vegetables and crumbly feta. Large chunked red onion, fresh tomato and cucumbers fill the bowl and are then topped off with a slice of feta. A splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil are the only dressing you need.


The tzatziki dip is to die for. Chunks of cucumber are mixed into Greek yogurt and olive oil, while seasonings of garlic and dill finish off the flavor. The olive was removed soon after this photo was taken.


Once back on the ship, the Chef prepared select Greek dishes, my favorite was a phyolo wrapped appetizer. A rustic tzatziki sauce accompanied two phylo wrapped treats. Spinach and mushroom and sun dried tomato and feta filled the flaky pastry.



Greek did not disappoint in flavor, culture, wine and its people. I hope to find myself back there one day soon.

Expanding my horizons and my waistline

I was recently lucky enough to take a trip of a lifetime with my family to the Mediterranean. We spent 13 days in Italy, Croatia, Greece and Spain. I was looking forward to the time with my family, the food, wine and practicing my photography. My next few posts will highlight some of my favorite meals on land and on the cruise ship. My time in each stop was definitely too short, I will be heading back as soon as I can to spend more time in this magnificent part of the world.

Quickfire: Party Appetizer Ideas - Hummus Toppers

And I am back!



I love a great party, but sometimes the stress of thinking of what quick, easily transportable and inexpensive dish I can bring ruins the fun. Here is a quick thought, next time you need a dish, grab your favorite hummus, throw it in your cutest dish and top it off with something special. I always have hummus on hand, it is a great snack that doesn't leave me feeling guilty, so why not jazz it up for a party?


Here are a few ideas:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus topped off with Feta

Garlic Hummus topped off with Goat Cheese

Buffalo Hummus topped off with Blue Cheese

Mediterranean Hummus topped off with chopped banana peppers

Spicy Hummus topped off with diced jalapenos

Regular Hummus topped with diced cucumbers



Try it out for your next party!

Pumpkin Carving Party Appetizers

When it comes time for Halloween, everyone wants to act like a kid, eating candy, dressing up in ridiculous costumes and of course, carving pumpkins. This year I hosted the 2nd annual Pumpkin Carving Party, everyone is required to bring their own pumpkin and design idea. Contestants eat while they carve and at the end of the night the winner is chosen by a blind ballot.
The centerpiece for the appetizer table was an assortment of gourds and pumpkins that had been carved to be candle holders. It was a cheap and festive way to dress up the table.

Spooky Sausage Dip

This sausage dip recipe has an odd source, but it has turned out to be the biggest crowd pleaser in my recipe box. I was given the idea from a bartender at our local bar when I needed a last minute recipe for a party and it has been a hit ever since.

1 package Jimmie Dean Sausage Hot

2 bars of cream cheese

1 can Rotel (your choice Hot or Regular)

2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapenos

1. Brown the sausage

2. Drain the fat from the pan

3. Add the cream cheese, Rotel and jalapenos until creamy

4. Best served in a crock pot or hot off the stove

Bone Breadsticks with Bloody Marinara Sauce

1tube Pillsbury Garlic Bread Sticks

1 Jar Marinara Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic Salt

1. Flatten the garlic bread out on a baking sheet

2. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt

3. Cut into square pieces and then cut slits 3/4s of the way into the piece

4. Bake according to instructions

5. Serve warm with marinara sauce

Mummie Weiners

Before I even had a chance to take a photo of these, they were all gone!

2 packages of mini beef franks

2 rolls Pillsbury pizza dough

1. Roll the pizza dough out flat on a baking sheet

2. Cut the pizza dough into thin strips with a pizza cutter

3. Wrap the strips around the beef frank beginning at the bottom and overlapping as you move up, leaving the top uncovered

4. Bake until golden and puffy

5. Serve with ketchup dipping sauce

Deviled Egg Eye Balls

1 dozen hard boiled eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons mustard

Black Olives sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Green and Red Food Coloring

1. Gently squeeze hard boiled eggs in their shells so they are cracked

2. Soak the eggs in water and red food coloring over night

3. Peal shell off under running water

4. Slice egg in half and remove yolks

5. Mix yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and green food coloring together

6. Spoon yolks back into egg halves and place sliced olive on top

Winter Survival

As the air starts to get a little bit cooler in Charlotte, I happily pulled out my favorite winter gadget this morning to start my day, introducing the Mr. Coffee CocoMotion. I requested the CocoMotion for Christmas in 2004 and it has been a hot chocolaty heaven ever since.

It is the simple things that make me so happy and this little guy, couldn't be any simpler. Plug the machine in, fill it up with your choice of water or milk and use the helpful lines on the sides to measure out 1-4 servings. Toss in your favorite drink mix and then press the on button and then sit back and wait just a few minutes for your drink to be perfectly prepared. The CocoMotion whips and froths your beverage to the perfect temperature, not so hot that you burn your tongue, but just warm enough to take the chill off in the morning. Since I try to stay in bed to the very last second possible, I barely have time in the morning to put make up on, so I love that I can have a hot drink on my way to work, with no extra out of bed time.

You can mix any of your favorite powdered hot chocolates or get fancy with chocolate syrups and don't even get me started on the potential the CocoMotion has outside of the world of hot chocolate. I have seen the CocoMotion go anywhere between $15-$25, Wal-Mart typically sells them for about $20 and sometimes you can find them at Big Lots or other discount stores.

Fall is here folks, enjoy some hot chocolate!