Foodie in Firenze

There's no doubt about my love of food and also my desire to try new things.  Luckily I'm in Italy, a country that has taken its food very seriously for centuries and continues to keep those traditions alive today.  Nearly everyday I eat one, two, maybe ten foods that I've never had before.  Sometimes its something as simple as a perfectly ripe persimmon.  Other times it may be wild boar stew, cervo (venison) ragu, a local bread, or baba'.  Baba' is a typical dessert from Naples.  It consists of a spongy lightbulb-shaped cake, soaked in warm rum and served piping hot.  The flavors and textures were amazing as each bite presented new flavors of spicy rum, vanilla and apricot.  I slowly savored every mouthful while Tuscan friend commented on how I embraced each bite as if it was a completely brand new experience for me.  I recently enjoyed a 5 day festa (holiday) and had the chance to go to Firenze (Florence) with a dear friend visiting from the States.  She mirrored my approach to being in Italy; and that is to eat as often as you can and to eat whatever may be put in front of you.  These pictures show some of the edible highlights we enjoyed.  Hope they inspire you to try new things, food or otherwise, and chew slowly.  Savor life, don't devour it.....