Anywhere But Here

Ever since college graduation, my best friend, Carrie, and I have played this game we call Anywhere but Here. The premise is simple and pretty self-explanatory: as we were (and are) working mind-numbing Jill Jobs, we would send emails back and forth with pictures of places we'd rather be and the glorious food we'll eat when we're there. For example:

"Anywhere but here, I am going here: http://www.southwestrooms.com/palm-springs-hotels/caliente-tropics-resort/caliente-tropics-resort-images/caliente-tropics-resort-lobby.jpg I think I'll have Lime-chili shrimp kabobs over brown rice." ~ Me.

“In the grand tradition of anywhere but here, I am going here and having a cup of rooibos tea, a lovely salad and reading my book in the rain” ~Also Me
















"I am going here and having a picnic with this and a glass of red wine while also reading my book (which is a book about the supreme court).” ~Carrie
















Carrie even bound a bunch of our Anywhere but Here recipes in this gorgeous cookbook for me this Christmas as a gift. Super cool.

Well, because of a lot of things, I am thinking about taking a culinary vacation next summer. If all goes well, my Real Life Anwhere but Here will be this, a culinary tour around Rome and Tuscany…. In a Ferrari. I mean, Italy, cooking, and cars, all in one trip?! What more can a girl ask for???

In honor of the grand tradition of vacations and Anywhere but Here, I’m posting the extraordinarily simple and ever delicious Insalata Caprese. Like most Italian cooking, the key is the ingredients: the fresher, the better.

Insalata Caprese

1 cup fresh whole-milk mozzarella, sliced thin
2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, to taste

Season tomatoes with salt and pepper, then layer tomatoes, cheese, and basil on a large plate. Drizzle with good olive oil. Serve with crusty Italian bread or by itself.

Enjoy!