So here it is folks I am FINALLY back from a vacation and am getting back into the swing of things here in the land of zombies, street fighters, blue bombers and alien-annihilating soldiers in frigid climates.

Where the heck was I? I was in Italy, soaking in the sunshine, the culture, the Bellinis, and the authentic recipes which all consist of several main ingredients: lemon, olive oil, pasta, cheese and meat. I think the national motto regarding food is “Don’t mess with the simple stuff, it’s worked for centuries.” And while that may be true for a few weeks, there comes a point when you’re just longing for sushi.

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I went from Venice (Venizia) to Florence (Firenze) to Rome (Roma) over 3 months and wow, did I take a lot of photos – over 2000! Here are just a few (10!) for posterity:

Venice

Pisa

Rome

So I can’t exactly hand you a piece of pizza or a renaissance painting by Da Vinci to experience in person (although if you’re in the Sacramento, CA area between now and August, you can see the DaVinci Experience straight from Florence!). But I can tell you to try this at home. Unless you are on a diet, and then, I’m sorry. This recipe comes straight from Stephan and Barbara’s farmhouse in the small town of Creti.

Gnocci in Gorgonzola Cream

1 lb. baking potatoes
Olive Oil to coat potatoes, then 1 tsp olive oil for poaching
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup, then 2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb gorgonzola cheese (YUM)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper, then bake until tender (about 1 or 2 hours).Let them cool and peel the skin away. Put the potatoes in a bowl and mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. On a plastic sheet or wooden board, make a mound with the flour and delve a pit in the center. Crack the egg into the hole in the flour, then use a fork to gently whisk the flour bit by bit into the egg until the egg and flour form a paste. Next, add this paste into the bowl with the potatoes and use your hands to form a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a few more sprinkles of flour. Roll this dough out into mini logs about 1 inch in diameter, then cut the log into 1 inch pieces. Roll a fork across each piece to make tine prints.

3. In a saucepan, combine 1 tsp of olive oil, milk, water, and of course, salt and pepper. Bring it just to a boil. Add the gnocchi and poach for 5 minutes. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and drain.

4. In another saucepan, bring the cream to s simmer over medium heat. Use a whisk and keep it moving, milk and cream are easy to burn! Whisk in the gorgonzola and add salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss the gnocchi with the cream sauce and delve into heaven.