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In the U.S., salad is nearly synonymous with lettuce.  It is a crucial ingredient and the first thing I add when making a salad. When I was abroad in Greece, I ordered a side-salad in a restaurant on one of my first days in Athens.  As the waitress brought out my food, I did a double-take after glancing at the salad.  To my surprise, there was no lettuce at all.  At first, I wondered if it was a specialty house salad but everywhere I visited in Greece served the same salad without lettuce.
  
During my experience, I learned that a typical Greek salad only consists of five main ingredients: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta cheese.  Then you add a little bit of seasoning (usually salt and pepper) and some olive oil and some lemon juice.  It can be served in a bowl or even on skewers.  

So the next time you have a Greek salad with lettuce, know you are having an Americanized Greek salad.   At that point, why bother calling it a Greek salad? 
 
 
Black Russian Bread

One of the major staples my diet are grains, namely bread products, so almost every meal I incorporate a small piece of sourdough as a natural habit. The tangy taste of sourdough is a complimentary taste any assortment of cheeses and jams, my favorites combinations of sourdough topped with Kofalotiri cheese or homemade raspberry jam. 


Russia is the 4th in the world’s leading wheat production, consuming a little over 35 metric tons of wheat per year and beating America by a little over 2 metric tons. Around 50% of Russia is covered in permafrost, so despite it’s desolate tundra, they manage to produce a lot of grain! Many Russian proverbs often describe the character of a person through their bread consumption. “Bread is the head of everything.” Hospitality klyeb-sol’  (Bread-salt) directly links to the symbolism behind bread. The idea of wasting bread is somewhat of an abomination.
 
 
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During my international adventures this summer, I made a stop in Switzerland. Not only is the country beautiful, but the food is phenomenal. Despite the language barrier I encountered( everything was in German), I managed to order a traditional Swiss dish! When you think of Switzerland you think of Swiss cheese right? Well this plate definitely fulfilled that requirement. The dish is called Rosti and it is fairly simple as far as ingredients are concerned.  In fact, it consists of only potatoes and cheese. The potatoes are grated and then fried to a beautiful golden brown and then melted Swiss cheese is added which is more than satisfying to those taste buds.

Originally this hearty plate was eaten for breakfast, however its mouthwatering taste has made it a national treat which can be eaten at all times of the day.  Maybe you want more than just cheese and potatoes? No worries, other foods can be added to Rosti, including bacon, onions, apples, and even eggs! Whatever you put in it, it will not dissapoint! So the next time your traveling around Europe, or out to eat and they serve Rosti, TRY IT! Your mouth and stomach will be happy you did!

 
 
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Solociccia. Quite possibly the best restaurant in the world. This is no exaggeration. In Italy, specifically Panzano, there is a butcher by the name of Dario Cecchini who owns and runs a restaurant called Solocicca. The restaurant is designed in a very original way - it's a house with several different tables in separate unique rooms...
 
 
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So here’s a morsel that will make your mouth water!

I had the spectacular chance to study abroad in Florence, Italy for six weeks and stumbled upon these brightly colored sweets. You’ve heard of gelato right? The creamy and cold, ice cream-like dessert that packs enough sugar to give an elephant a head rush? Well a few brilliant street vendors have put it in popsicle form! As with any gelato they were fantastic!


Now here’s something you might not know, Italians INSIST that gelato is NOT ice cream. If you ask for ice cream, the man or woman behind the brightly lit counter piled high with bright piles of crazy flavors, will tell you as much. They take pride in their gelato, and for good reason too!

Gelato is much smoother and slightly softer and less icy than American ice cream. Not to mention it also comes in a huge spectrum of flavors! From cookie flavor, to honeydew, to the best dark chocolate that I have ever encountered! I’ll take gelato over boring old ice cream any day, maybe an Italian gelato maker will adopt me…

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I died and went to sugar heaven! Gelato- Lemon flavored and definitely worth the 2 Euro!