After living in Italy for a year, without having planned a “Rome trip,” so to speak, I’d found myself in a Rome half a dozen times. Because Rome is located centrally in Italy, it’s a major hub of both domestic and international transport, and with its outstanding history and incredible beauty, it was always too alluring to pass by. So I blinked and realized I’d been quite a few times and really came to look forward to visiting!

Most of the time I’ve stayed in Rome, I’ve been in an AirBnB in the Trastevere neighborhood. I love this area for its narrow, rambling streets, its great restaurants and shops, and walking distance to so many other Rome highlights (like the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain). When I think of my go-to spots in Rome, they begin in Trastevere but extend to a few other of the establishments I always want to revisit anytime I’m back in the Eternal City.

If you’re curious to learn more about my story, I talk about the untraditional path I’ve forged in these podcast interviews, including on NPR, Radio Cherry Bombe, The Best Thing Podcast, Destination Eat Drink, and many more!

My path is nonlinear but defined by pursuing my curiosities and exploring the world, and I’m so grateful to all of these podcasts for having me on to share conversation about the things — big and small — that drive us forward in this life!

Growing up in the Midwest, I thought cheese was orange.

When I moved to New York City, I had access to cheese shops like Murray’s Cheese in the West Village and I understood that cheese could be a variety of hues, from the stark white of a goat’s milk cheese, to the yellowed cow’s milk of a French Comté, to the burnt orange of a British Red Leicester. Regardless of its appearance, though, I understood that cheese was a food to be bought, not to be made.

BEST TO READ LIKE A NOVEL: “Cheese, Wine, and Bread” by Katie Quinn

At age 27, Quinn was in a skiing accident that left her with a brain injury; regaining her balance required months of physical therapy. After her recovery, she found herself obsessed with, of all the unlikely things, fermentation, in the form of cheese, wine, and bread. In this book, we follow along on her journey as she meanders through England, Italy, and France, discovering the secrets of these three timeless foods. The book leads with captivating stories and overflows with culinary revelations, memorable characters, and simple, tasty recipes.

WHEN I SAW the title of Katie Quinn’s book “Cheese, Wine, and Bread,” I presumed the cheese part would play out in France. That country’s wheels are always held up as the ne plus ultra. But Ms. Quinn chose Britain to begin her exploration of fermentation’s role in making food delicious.

I still remember the first time I tried Nutella. I was studying abroad in Switzerland, and the hit of sweet chocolate-hazelnut was a revelation. I couldn’t believe that the spread hadn’t yet made its way to America. Fast-forward (more years than I care to count) to today, and Nutella has become widely available Stateside, prompting the migration of other regional dessert-y spreads — like the Belgian speculoos, which is made from shortbread cookies — to American grocery-store shelves and kitchen tables. In that time, I moved to Italy, where I discovered another (better) nut-based delicacy that I foresee filling pantry shelves far and wide: pistachio cream.

Maybe wine isn’t entirely what I thought it was, was the phrase that circled my mind like water rushing to the drain; it was my main takeaway from watching a two-hour YouTube video called ‘Regenerative Landscapes Seminar…’

In this powerful conversation, Katie shares the “best thing” to happen to her that would never appear on a resume, bio or come up in conversation.

Who says big city means hustle and bustle? The ability to enjoy nature and be outside in London is one of its major selling points as a place to live or visit.

In today’s episode, we talk about how to create your own opportunity or a side hustle, what it’s like being an influencer, how to work abroad, how to deal with imposter syndrome and more.

Kent is a county just an hour’s train ride out of Central London, but transports you, as though via the Hogwarts Express, to another dimension entirely. Along Kent’s significant coastline is Botany Bay…

I sat down with Asma at a cozy table in her restaurant to hear more about her women-run staff, why her Second Daughters charity is so important to her, and more…

The future of the cookbook seems to be a hot topic of the moment (in the social and professional circles I move in, anyway).

Learn the insights I picked up about Yorkshire pudding by watching the video, and can get all of Edd's many excellent tips for a visit to Leeds.

Whether you count yourself as a “museum person” or not, I’d bet that you aspire to visit more museums. Three of my favorite museums in London allow you to experience culture without draining the bank.

We've partnered with VisitBritain to bring you delicious ideas on what to do, see—and of course, eat—in Cornwall, and beyond!

4-6 years ago I kept a blog called “Foggy Air.” I named it Foggy Air as a hat-tip to Fresh Air, the NPR show hosted by Terry Gross, and also because I started it in my mid-twenties.

I recently stumbled upon an old Google Doc that included some of my reflections after living in Paris for 3 months attending Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.

We've partnered with VisitBritain to bring you delicious ideas on what to do, see—and of course, eat—in Edinburgh, and beyond!

But in the nearly two years I’ve lived here, I have totally fallen in love with London's incredible diversity of people, places, flavors, and activities…