Honeymoon -- Day 4 -- Bologna (Morning/Afternoon)

On October 12, we slept in a little and then went downstairs to check out the breakfast spread. So far our experience with breakfast in Italy has been gloppy scrambled eggs, meats and cheeses that are just sitting out, and breakfast pastries. This spread was no different. Given the options, my breakfast of choice was a croissant with Nutella and a hard roll with some kind of spreadable cheese. Unlike in Venice, no one was there offering us espresso or cappuccino, so after breakfast we went off in search of caffeine.

We found Zanarini, whose storefront I had been ogling the day before as it's filled with displays of pastries and desserts. We went in and paid the cashier for our cappuccinos and then went to the counter to drink them. I'd read that this is what you should do in Italy, but neither the cashier nor the barista seemed to care whether we paid first.

As we stood at the counter sipping our perfectly frothy cappuccinos, I felt right at home with the Italians. I could definitely do this on a regular basis.

We walked over to Basilica di San Stefano for some more sightseeing. The basilica is really a bunch of churches all linked together, so there was a lot to see here. It's worth a walk through.

Jeff really wanted to see the Archaeological Museum, so we headed there next. The museum houses room after room of artifacts, replicas of busts, copies of sculptures, and more. I was most excited by the teeny tiny pieces on display in some of the artifacts rooms.

Next we did something more my speed: wandered into gourmet food shops, admiring the hanging meats and fresh pastas.

These miniature tortellini were just begging to be brought home and cooked (if only I'd had a kitchen to bring them to).

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to have lunch at Giampi e Ciccio again, we made sure to get there on the early side, just after noon. There was no one else in the restaurant (which left me really confused about when Italians eat lunch -- the same restaurant was packed when it closed at 2 the day before... it did start filling in a little later).

I ordered the house red, which came in a cute .25-liter pitcher, and started with some vegetable "cakes." These reminded me more of gratins. One was fennel (finocchi) and one was asparagus (asparagi). Both were cheesy, warm, flavorful, and filling.

Jeff got tagliatelle with meat sauce (when in Bologna...).

I ordered the cheese tortelloni with tomato-butter sauce.

The pastas were both very good, very homestyle. No frills, nothing excessive, just well-made basic food, typical of Bologna. Bolognese sauce and tortellini (or tortelloni) are some of the major foods Bologna is known for. And I definitely suggest trying both if you're ever there.

Next up: Day 4 -- Bologna (Afternoon/Evening)

Honeymoon -- Day 3 -- Bologna (Afternoon/Evening)

Our post-lunch wanderings brought us to Piazza Maggiore, a bustling square, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and beautiful buildings. While there we learned we could climb up to the terrace of the Basilica di San Petronio. We had to pay 3 euros each and basically sign our lives away before we were allowed to climb up, and as we started the ascent, we realized we were climbing construction scaffolding. It's amazing what we tourists will pay to do!

We did get some lovely views of Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain (Fontana di Nettuno), as well as two distant, leaning towers (Le Due Torri), to which we headed next. One of the towers (the Garisenda) was shortened in 1360 for safety reasons. The other (Asinelli) is open to the public, and for a few euros you can climb the 498 steps to the top.

I won't say we didn't wonder if this one should have been closed for safety reasons too, as we climbed the old stairs that are just attached to the walls, with no posts or beams supporting them underneath.

We stopped for breathtaking views of Bologna along the way (and to catch our breath, let's be honest here.)

And we eventually successfully made it to the top. I may be smiling in this picture, but I have to admit my calves were shaking!

From up here, there were even more expansive views and we enjoyed them while we rested and prepared ourselves for the trek back down.

That facade to the left is in front of Basilica di San Petronio, where we climbed to the terrace earlier.

The base of the tower

Tired out from all the sightseeing and stair climbing, we went back to the hotel to rest up for a little bit. I was really getting into the Italian life style of an afternoon nap.

Later we decided to try Ristorante da Nello for dinner. We arrived just in time to beat the line of people who would soon show up and managed to snag a small table by the entrance to the outside area -- even though we didn't have a reservation. This was great for people watching. (Speaking of, in the midst of our dinner, we heard a bunch of cheering and commotion, and when our waiter saw our quizzical looks, he explained that J Lo was there. We didn't see her, but it was funny to think we were sitting in a restaurant in Bologna and J Lo was down the street.)

As with lunch, we had slow and not super attentive but still friendly service. Jeff ordered the house white, and I had the house red. The house wines are typically good and cheap, and I definitely recommend getting them anywhere in Italy (advice we were given several times before our trip).

We started with thinly sliced prosciutto and melon and a bowl of tortellini in brodo. I had heard that this was a Bolognese specialty and really wanted to try it. Little did I know it would be so good that Jeff and I would be fighting over the bowl. The broth was incredibly well flavored and the fresh pasta was unbeatable. I hope to re-create this dish at home one of these days.

Jeff got another Bolognese specialty: tagliatelle Bolognese. It was awesome. Again there was amazing fresh pasta, plus a super-flavorful sauce with tender meat.

I had strette alle melanzane (listed among the chef's selections of the day), a thin pasta with mouthwatering, silky eggplant chunks and a glimpse of tomato sauce. Topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano, it was just perfect.

By the second half of our meal, both our wine and water glasses had run dry, and our waiter took no notice. When he brought over dessert menus, we decided to pass, fearing how long it might take to get those desserts, and instead sought out what every tourist in Italy seeks out: gelato.

We came across Grom, a name I'd heard thrown around in conversations about the best gelato in Italy, so we went in to try it out. The gelateria is known for using seasonal, local ingredients.

Jeff got lemon sorbet, and I got the baci (chocolate and hazelnut). This was our first stop at a gelato shop during the trip, so besides gelatos we'd had incorporated in desserts at restaurants in Venice, we had nothing to compare these with. We just knew they were delicious. Mine was especially creamy and smooth, and I could really taste the hazelnuts in it. It was just the right thing to end our first night in Bologna with.

Next up: Day 4 -- Bologna (Morning/Afternoon)

Butterball Turkey Giveaway

I'm so excited that Butterball has again asked me to share my golden rules for Thanksgiving and offered me the opportunity to give away two $20 turkey gift checks this year. I know that these gift checks will make Thanksgiving easier for two of you, and I hope my Thanksgiving tips will be helpful to all of you.

To host a picture-perfect Thanksgiving:

First, do not take on more than you can handle. Many a dinner party has gone awry because the host or hostess tries to do too much. Think about what the most essential parts of Thanksgiving dinner are for you, and stick to those things. So for me that's turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and at least two desserts. And for me, that's a doable list to accomplish on Thanksgiving Day (and the day before). For anything beyond that list, I'm happy to ask for help. Someone else can bring a fruit salad, someone else can make soup or stuffing, someone else can contribute additional veggie dishes, and someone else can bake extra desserts.

Along those same lines, think about things guests can do to help or ways to keep them occupied, because chances are you'll still be cooking or putting the finishing touches on dishes when they arrive. Having wine and cheese and crackers or some light appetizers set out (or asking a guest who's notoriously early to bring those things) is a great idea. A football and some games out in the yard are good for enticing children to head outside and out from under foot.

To avoid day-of panic, if you have a frozen turkey, remember to thaw it (which can take days). And remember to get it in the oven early so you will have your oven available for other dishes later on.

Lastly, remember what the holiday is all about... giving thanks, spending time with family, enjoying a nice meal. Don't let stress get in the way of the important stuff.

Ok, so back to those turkey gift checks. I have two to give away and they are worth $20 each, good toward the purchase of a Butterball product and other grocery items to complete your holiday meal.

To enter to win a gift check, please leave a comment on this post letting me know one of your golden rules for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on November 5, 2012, to leave a comment. I'll notify the winners shortly after (please make sure I have some way to contact you or I will need to choose another winner).

Butterball also supplied me with a $20 turkey gift check and a $10 iTunes gift card to try out the Butterball Cookbook Plus App.

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Congratulations to Amanda and Christine! (I chose winners using Random Integer Generator. One of my initial winners did not respond within a week, so I had to choose a new winner.)

Honeymoon -- Day 3 -- Bologna (Morning/Afternoon)

On the morning of October 11 after a quick breakfast at the hotel, we lugged our suitcases to the Rialto vaporetto stop and took the water bus to Piazzale Roma, where we picked up our rental car (a little Ford Fiesta). We drove to Bologna using the iGo Primo app for Italy on Jeff's phone. (This came in very handy during the trip and enabled us to skip the extra cost of renting or buying a GPS. It would have been $200 to rent one or $100 to buy one, and the app was only $24.99. The maps download ahead of time, so you don't even need wi-fi to use them. But a car charger for your phone is a must.)

We arrived at Hotel Touring a little before check-in. The Hotel is family-owned and run and everyone was so friendly. Parking was supposed to be 23 euros a day in the garage, but they told us if we found a street spot, we could get a permit for 9 euros a day. A quick drive around the block, and we had a spot.

While our room was being readied, they made us some cappuccinos to take up to the roof terrace.

The terrace was lovely and we were able to look out on Bologna as we caffeinated.

That tower to the right is Torre Asinelli, and we hiked up the stairs to the top of it later that day!

When we finished our drinks, we took the teeny tiny elevator back down to the lobby and got our room key. The hotel staff brought our suitcases up for us (I doubt they would fit in the elevator!).

The room key has to be put in a slot in the wall in order for the electricity to work. This ended up being the case at the rest of the hotels we stayed at too, and I thought it was a great way to save on power. There's no way you could accidentally leave your lights on when you left your room... unless of course you locked yourself out.

Our room was small but had a really nice balcony with a little table and chairs on it.

After we settled into our room, we went to check out the city. We both agreed that Bologna blew Venice away. It was much more "me." It didn't feel as touristy even though there are some great sights to visit there. And since Bologna is in the Emilia-Romagna region, it is in the area known for having the best food in Italy. Some even call it the gastronomic capital of Italy.

It should be no surprise that the first thing on my mind was lunch. A friend of a friend had recommended Giampi e Ciccio for traditional Bolognese food. So we mapped it out and headed over. Just as we arrived and started looking at the menu outside the restaurant, the owner closed the door and said "finito." I was so bummed. We had missed the lunch window. Unfortunately, I had left my other recommendations in the room, so I wasn't sure where to head next. We just started wandering back toward Piazza Maggiore (the main square), thinking we might find something over in that direction.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the sign for A.F. Tamburini. I remembered the name from my list of restaurant recommendations, but I had no idea where it was and was so shocked we just randomly ran into it. Luckily, they were still serving lunch.

We grabbed seats outside. The outdoor tables are barrels and the seats bar stools.

We decided to share some meats and cheeses and what we thought would be a salad with artichokes from the specials board but was actually more meat (should have spent more time learning Italian!). I saw some women nearby drinking rose and it inspired me to order a glass as well. The restaurant bills itself as a wine bar and features more than 200 wines. I simply told the waiter I wanted a sparkling rose and he selected one for me. I have no idea which one it was, but I know it hit the spot that afternoon.

Our lunch came with a basket of bread. I couldn't figure out what was in it, but I found the texture to be sort of scone-like and sort of biscuit-like.

The tagliere alla Parmigiana con culatello boasted an assortment of culatello, coppa di Parma, pancetta di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, and sottoli (the veggies pictured below).

Our other dish was carne salada e carciofi and was a very rare, salted sliced beef with artichokes in oil. I loved those artichokes. And we both loved sampling the various meats.

Throughout lunch, the service was very slow and our waiter seemed completely unconcerned with us... not in a rude way but just in a nonchalant way. We weren't bothered at all though because we were on vacation time and happy to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

There's a shop attached to the restaurant where people can buy meats and cheeses, oils and vinegars, and various prepared foods, so we wandered in there after lunch and ogled all the things we wished we could take home but knew we couldn't. (Someone has got to do something so it can be okay to bring cured meats back to the US. The prosciutto hanging in all the shop windows is just so tempting.)

We left the shop empty-handed and continued our wandering.

Next up: Day 3 -- Bologna (Afternoon/Evening)

Happy Halloween!

I hope you have a fun-filled Halloween! When it comes to trick-or-treat, I'll always go with treat. If you're looking for a sweet treat to make, try these pumpkin swirl brownies from My Baking Addiction. I made them the other night, and they are so decadent and fudgy and packed with pumpkin flavor. Oh, and they're really easy too.

Simply mix up the pumpkin filling and then the brownie batter.

Spread three-fourths of the brownie batter in an 8-inch square pan lined with foil and sprayed with baking spray (I made a foil sling for mine to facilitate lifting the brownies out of the pan later).

Dollop the pumpkin filling over the brownie batter.

Spoon the remaining brownie batter on top.

Use a butter knife to swirl the two components together. Make sure to swirl in different directions.

Then bake. (I set the timer for 28 minutes, which ended up being just right. The recipe calls for 30 to 35 minutes.) Transfer the brownies to a rack to cool. (I left them in the pan for about 10 minutes and then lifted them out using the foil sling and let them cool completely.)

Spread ganache (heavy cream plus chocolate chips) over the baked brownies once they are cool. Cut them with a sharp knife, and wipe the knife off between cuts (if you don't want smeared ganache everywhere).

Dig in!

I followed this recipe exactly, except that I used King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, and I simply threw 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger and nutmeg into the pumpkin filling instead of making homemade pumpkin pie spice (mostly because I didn't have any allspice or cloves). The brownies were nicely spiced.

If you're looking for other fun Halloween-themed treats to make, be sure to check out my Halloween board on Pinterest.

Happy Halloween!