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26. October 2014, number 19

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08 03 exotic and unique 8 Exotic Foods You Should Eat While You’re On Vacation

05 Italian Bella Pizza Italian Bella Pizza is a unique, family owned and operated Italian restaurant.

07 NY’s 2014 Best photos New York is…ever changing, full of surprises, and more delicious than ever.

08 Select a Good Wine An elegant and well-designed glass can make the experience of wine much more pleasant.

8 Exotic Foods You Should Eat While You’re On Vacation If you’re squeamish about the idea of trying new foods, consider this: Not only do new tastes stimulate your palate, they can create new connections in your brain.

Sampling exotic foods may actually improve your mind. It will most definitely broaden your culinary horizons and expand the way you think about food, and maybe even give you some ideas for making dinner at home. If you shy away from trying anything you worry you might not like, you eliminate the chance that you’ll discover something new that you absolutely love.

Should you avoid any exotic foods? Yes. Anything endangered is not worth the threat to the species and the environment. For example, shark fin soup is considered by many to be a delicacy - but between 73 and 100 million sharks are destroyed each year just for their fins.

And more than a third of shark species are endangered.

The United Nations is currently working to ban shark finning around the world.

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But don’t worry, there are still plenty of unusual dishes you can sample without worrying about sustainability issues. Prepare for experimentation by sampling new flavors at home before you travel. Pick up a new ingredient (a new spice, herb or grain) at your grocery store, or a new kind of fruit or veggie at your farmers’ market.

Between 73 and 100 million sharks are destroyed each year just for shark fin soup.

Do a little research about how to prepare these new items, and then cook and sample them to see what you think. Visit a new restaurant - perhaps one that serves an ethnic cuisine you’ve never tried before. And when it’s time to travel, keep an open mind and enjoy. Here are a few ideas, listed in no particular order, for what (and where) to try.

Southeast Asian Fresh Fruit

Truffles in France or Italy

Southeast Asia is a treasure trove of native exotic fruits, and sampling them while you’re there -- when they’ve been plucked fresh from a tree or bush, and not canned and flown thousands of miles -- will impart the most delicious taste experience.

Truffles are a prized gourmet ingredient. These fruiting bodies of fungi reside underground at the base of trees, and they emit an odor that attracts animals, which is why pigs and dogs are best at finding these hidden treasures.

Fresh Oysters at the Waterside Eating an oyster at a restaurant is nice (if it’s a good oyster, that is), but the flavor is explosive when it comes straight from the salty water and you eat it moments after it’s been plucked and shucked, while you can actually smell the salty breeze blowing off the water.

Exquisite Parisian Restaurants No matter what your personal preferences dictate, there’s no arguing that French cuisine is incredibly influential -- and that when it comes to super-fine dining, it’s tough to rival the very best restaurants in Paris.

Fugu in Japan Fugu is what the Japanese call some species of blowfish, also known as puffer fish. Its worldwide status as a delicacy derives mainly from the fact that eating it is risky. If prepared incorrectly, fugu can be lethal because parts of it contain tetrodotoxin, a poison that causes severe paralysis and respiratory distress, and can kill victims within hours.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cultivation of the cacao tree first took place in Mexico, and it’s there that the tradition of roasting and grinding cacao and turning it into a drink began. In fact, the drink is centuries old.

Eco-friendly Caviar Caviar is one of the first things that comes to mind when people ponder “exotic” foods. But Russian sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, the source of the world’s most revered caviar, has been overfished and the sea has been polluted.

Maine Lobster Fast food restaurants serve lobster rolls these days, so is lobster really an exotic food anymore? Well, yes, if you taste it fresh off the boat in Maine. That’s an entirely different taste experience -- the flavor is at once briny and sweet, with a rich, buttery texture.

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BELLA PIZZA

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Italian Bella Pizza is a unique, family owned and operated Italian restaurant. For over 17 years, the Lentinis have been using authentic Sicilian family recipes, the homemade pizza dough, sauces, meatballs and garlic knots are made just the same as the Lentini family did in Palermo.

Italian Bella Pizza is located just off of interstate 81 in Troutville (exit 150A) and is very convenient for travelers passing through. They have become a local favorite for great Italian food and are known for their Italian Buffet, homemade lasagna, pizza, philly cheese steaks and unique Italian dinners. And of course, you can’t dismiss the great deserts!

The warm, friendly service is impeccable. The Lentinis always greet you with a welcoming smile and have created a relaxing and fun atmosphere. You are sure to enjoy your dining experience at Italian Bella Pizza.

Take a look at Bella Pizza’s menu and specials, come in or call us with your takeout order and see what authentic Italian food is all about.

Authentic Italian Pizza, Dinners & Subs

At Bella Pizza, we pride ourselves in serving authentic, homemade Italian dishes that are sure to tempt your taste buds!

We use the freshest ingredients and make our sauces, doughs and meatballs from scratch using our family’s Sicilian recipes. We make our dishes just the same as we did at home in Palermo. We enjoy being able to share our authentic Italian entrées, pizza and subs with our customers. View our menu, place an order, and find out why we have become known as the best Italian restaurant in the area.

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New York’s 2014 Best photos

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SELEct a good wine it has never been easier

There is no right or wrong way to choose wine, as it’s dependent on personal style.

To quash a classic misconception, it’s fine to drink red wine with fish. Fish is a delicate flavour, though, so you’ll need something soft like a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Anything stronger and the fish will make the wine taste metallic.

Drinking red cold is also acceptable and some varieties are lovely chilled. Putting Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône in the fridge for half an hour before opening makes a refreshing change. Think about the kind of food you are serving. If it’s spicy, choose something soft and fruity like Chilean or Australian reds. Lamb is perfect with Rioja, but for chicken try a lighter style like a New Zealand Pinot Noir. For steak, choose a wine from Chile, Australia or California.

There is no right or wrong way to choose wine, as it’s dependent on personal style.

Unfortunately there’s no real guideline for picking vintage wines (the year the grapes were harvested in), as there are too many variables. A spring frost, a summer drought, flooding or outbreak of diseased vines can affect the taste, so it’s best to look up individual vintages online or get some expert advice, as these wines tend to be pretty pricey.

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