A Food Obsession

A Food Obsession a place to share with those who follow me and my blog: http://afoodobsessionblog.wordpress.com/ on a

Happy international Mortadella Day!! I’ll have more to post later. Till then enjoy looking at this Panino. This mortadel...
10/24/2026

Happy international Mortadella Day!! I’ll have more to post later. Till then enjoy looking at this Panino. This mortadella is imported from Italy 🇮🇹 (Rovagnati ) with pistachios.

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES.....PIC #53FOOD/DISH :BRUSCHETTA DI MARE-STRACCIATELLA, GAMBERO ROSA DI...
10/24/2026

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES.....PIC #53

FOOD/DISH :BRUSCHETTA DI MARE-STRACCIATELLA, GAMBERO ROSA DI
SCIACCA, ZEST DI AGRUMI
BRUSCHETTA WITH STRACCIATELLA, RAW PINK SHRIMP FROM
SCIACCA, ZEST OF LOCAL LEMONS,ORANGES,MANDARINS

PLACE: ROCCA REGINA LOUNGE BAR
SCIACCA, AGRIGENTO, SICILY

Can we please discuss this TRAVEL FOOD I enjoyed in April in Sciacca, Sicily??? I could spend hours waxing over it. A locally baked bread, sliced and then grilled over fire (Bruschetta is grilled over fire, Crostini are toasted), Local EVOO, STRACCIATELLA, the creamy and mozzarella thread cheese that you find inside of Burrata. On top of that were the local GAMBERO ROSA, the Pink Shrimp from the local waters off of Sciacca, raw or crudo which is a very popular way to serve Shrimp in many parts of the Mediterranean. They are usually done this way when it's a locally caught shrimp. The freshness factor is key. Over the top was the zest that came from local citrus fruits...Sicilian Lemons, Ribera Oranges, and local Mandarins...all grown in and around Sciacca. So what made this one of THE BEST THINGS I'VE EVER EATEN? Start with location/location/location. This was at the outdoor Rocca Regina Lounge Bar right on the water in Sciacca. It takes its name from the Rocca Regina, a stand alone big rock in the sea right infront of the bar. To the right of this is the PORTO DI SCIACCA....where the fishermen and the local fleet come in with the treasures from the local waters. These shrimp are one of them. The more popular shrimp are the Red Shrimp of Mazara del Vallo, just to the west of Sciacca. they are bigger. I can't tell you how excited I was to enjoy this locally caught regional seafood. So, with all that LOCALITA' in the dish it was beyond my wildest expectations. Mind you, the actual lounge/bar is just an amazing place to enjoy local seafood bites and drinks. The open seating faces the Bay of Sciacca, the cliffs along the coast, the Marina, and the Rocca Regina. Truly just a memorable TRAVEL FOOD MOMENT, not only for the dramatic setting, but for the ridiculously fresh and local seafood and dishes. This place, imho, defines what TRAVEL FOOD is all about. I'm not going to get this at home. There's too much "localness" in the dish. Plus, I live at the Jersey Shore...we don't have fresh local shrimp I can access. Those sweet morsels melted in your mouth. Most likely only hours out of the sea. I hope this makes you even more interested in following me on my Travel Food Journey and take one yourself!!!

10/24/2026

FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA NIGHT....Tonight i let my dough rise over 24 hours, then pressed it into an olive oiled baking tray, thin. It became a MEATBALL PIZZA, using sliced Polpettine I made the other day...Passata...Sicilian EVOO, Grated Pecorino Romano Locatelli, Auricchio Provolone, Mozzarella, pinch of Sicilian Oregano, thin sliced garlic. Home Run!! Blasted the oven to 550 degrees F and it cooked 10 minutes, then rotated it, let it cook another 5. Everyone's oven has different maximum heats. Not sure if there's any left for tomorrow!!!

Friday night=PIZZA NIGHT. TONIGHT I’m making a Meatball, Garlic, Tomato 🍅,provolone, mozzarella,pecorino and Sicilian EV...
10/23/2026

Friday night=PIZZA NIGHT. TONIGHT I’m making a Meatball, Garlic, Tomato 🍅,provolone, mozzarella,pecorino and Sicilian EVOO thin crust pizza. Cranked the oven to 550 degrees F. A pinch of Sicilian oregano. And into the oven. Stay tuned.

Brunch date today with my wife. Enjoying Egg White, Spinach and Cheddar Omelette. And seasonal Pumpkin 🎃 Pancakes 🥞 with...
10/23/2026

Brunch date today with my wife. Enjoying Egg White, Spinach and Cheddar Omelette. And seasonal Pumpkin 🎃 Pancakes 🥞 with 🍁 syrup and bacon. 🥓. At the Starving Artist in local Ocean Grove here at the Jersey Shore.

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES....PIC # 52FOOD/DISH :GOLDEN BEET CARPACCIO, TOASTED HAZELNUTSPLACE ...
10/23/2026

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES....PIC # 52

FOOD/DISH :GOLDEN BEET CARPACCIO, TOASTED HAZELNUTS

PLACE : PICCOLO'S RISTORANTE, SANTA MONICA, CA.

Friday night, 9.25.26 Dinner at PICCOLO RISTORANTE in Santa Monica, California. These were the starters...Golden Beet Carpaccio, Grilled Endive, Goat Cheese, Cilantro pesto and Toasted Hazelnuts. Today is also NATIONAL NUT DAY...and i'm NUTS about Hazelnuts, esp toasted and crushed. This Italian inspired Southern California plate featured fresh thin sliced Golden beets topped with Grilled Endive..Crumbles of a local Goat Cheese, A Cilantro Pesto, and TOASTED HAZELNUTS. The textures and tastes were a party. and it made for a striking plate. Local ingredients always set the stage for a hit when eating TRAVEL FOOD.

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES.....PIC #51FOOD/DISH : GAMBAS A GUILHO PORTUGUE...
10/23/2026

TRAVEL FOOD WITH A FOOD OBSESSION PHOTO SERIES.....PIC #51

FOOD/DISH : GAMBAS A GUILHO
PORTUGUESE "FRIED" PRAWNS WITH GARLIC AND OIL

PLACE : DONA BARCA, PORTIMAO, ALGARVE, PORTUGAL

A dish like this is what I look for when traveling in coastal regions with access to local fresh Prawns and Shrimp. It was our second night in the Algarve region of Southern Portugal and we went to a very cool section of Portimao where there was a cluster of small seafood restaurants, all with fresh catches of the day. We picked this place when we were planning our trip and it lived up to our expectations for a family run Algarvian Seafood restaurant. Local Prawns are "fried", actually sauteed with Local Extra Virgin Olive oil, garlic, and Piri-Piri sauce, lemon on the side. This was our starter for the dinner. Local, fresh, hot and super well seasoned...just enough Piri-Piri that my wife didn't mind the head (she's very Chili pepper heat averse). If I could have planned what this dish looked like, this is what it would have been. Loving the head on...

So here's a gallery of some of my favorite NYC/NJ Metro area Tavern/Bar Pies. First is Vic's in Bradley Beach, NJ...nex...
10/22/2026

So here's a gallery of some of my favorite NYC/NJ Metro area Tavern/Bar Pies. First is Vic's in Bradley Beach, NJ...next is Lee's Tavern in Staten Island NYC, next is Pete and Elda's/Carmen's in Neptune City, NJ, and last is from the Star Tavern in Orange NJ.

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