Eating Well on your VacationSOURCE: http://www.vacationrentalpeople.com/

There are many things people look for when choosing where to book their vacation home, action, adventure, relaxation, natural beauty, the sea or the mountains, somewhere quiet or remote, or busy and manic. Some of us, however, have more culinary-inclined tastes and are prone to looking out for a country’s or region’s food or beverage specialties. With that in mind, read on.

Where better to head to than Italy in

Europe, the land of wine and pasta, a country rich in history and tradition, and where each region has its own particular flavors, all wonderful and all aromatic, towns full of markets where you can purchase the local produce and cook up a storm in your vacation home.

Venice has long held a certain mystique and charm due to its canal water-based layout, but it also has a very special cuisine for vacationer. The most common dish is Polenta, initially considered peasant food but now incorporated into all sorts of wonderful dishes, and it’s a type of cornmeal boiled into porridge and then normally shaped into balls or patties and baked, fried or grilled, but you also have Risotto, Fettuccine, and

other fresh made pastas like Bigoli (like a thick spaghetti), Ravioli and Tortelli, as well as the famous Tiramisou desert, and seafood will usually dominate the menu.

The city itself is filled with a multitude of wonderful, romantic holiday places, and picturesque restaurants, from elegant Trattorias to down-to-earth Bacaros (like a Spanish Tapas Joint) but it is worth doing a bit of research since taking a random pick will not always leave you satisfied. Florence in Tuscany is another area with a proud culinary tradition.

Tuscan food is simple and

abundant with local produce (a Mediterranean hallmark), mellow cheeses and grilled meats like boar, deer, or rabbit, as well as white beans and thick and hearty soups, and of course, wine. Chianti may be the most famous but the two rival family wines of Antinori and Frescobaldi have been producing great wine for more than 8 Centuries, and the best thing about this city is that you can find plenty of Vinainos, small stands serving small glasses of wine, and wile away the afternoon hours.

Last but not least we go to

Umbria holiday places, where the cuisine is very rustic, often called cucina povera (peasant cooking), and relies heavily on seasonal ingredients growing in its rich soil, or swimming in the region’s lakes or roaming in the lush local forests, and the traditional dishes were, and retain, the very essence of simplicity. The region’s famous truffles play a part in many of the recipes, and the region is well known for its rustic soups full of seasonal vegetables, as well as its abundance of meat dishes, most notably the suckling pig.

All these areas are waiting to be explored and their cuisine devoured, the local produce is ripe and cheap, and the cooking is simple and therefore easy to learn. Hearty meals, home-cooked in your vacation home will never taste so good.