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Mattie Bamman

Mattie John Bamman is a culinary-travel author and freelance writer focused on Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, South Africa, and Cascadia. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he has coauthored 10 books on culinary travel and is a strong proponent of the local poetry scene. Catch up with him on his wine blog or his website.

10 Ways to Beat Jet Lag in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is one of the busiest airports in Europe, and I’ve often found myself fighting a case of jet lag when arriving in Amsterdam at the beginning my European travels. From experience, here is a list of tips for beating jet lag in Amsterdam that take into consideration the city’s unique style, sights, …

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Ciceri e Tria Recipe: Eating Southern Italian with the Ravenous Traveler

  Italy’s Puglia region has been blowing up for years among food lovers and those appreciative of the Mediterranean diet. Everyone from top chefs to leading culinary writers have been traveling to Puglia, and you too can meet local chefs and learn the secrets of the Mediterranean diet by visiting this beautiful region of Italy. …

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Santorini Roasted Lamb Recipe: Eating Greek with the Ravenous Traveler

  As if Greek food alone weren’t enough of a reason to visit Greece, 2013 is the Year of Gastronomy on the island of Santorini, where the Selene Restaurant  offers cooking classes to ravenous travelers. With the recent economic and political turmoil driving down prices and keeping less-adventurous travelers away, this is the perfect year …

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The Ravenous Traveler: A Fresher than Fresh Restaurant Recommendation in Amsterdam

Before visiting The Netherlands, I wasn’t sure what type of food the Dutch eat. I had a vague idea or two, but both ideas were pickled. Could one subsist on pickled foods alone? I truly hoped not. For a fine-dining meal with some of the freshest ingredients available in all of Europe, check out Restaurant …

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Paella Recipe: Eating Spanish with The Ravenous Traveler

Getting to know a foreign country through its traditional flavors is a whole-body experience. In Spain, the scent of sofrito—a mix of garlic, onion, peppers, and tomatoes sautéed in olive oil—can open the mind to Spanish culture just as quickly as a visit to Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Throw in a carefully made seafood stock, …

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Goulash Soup Recipe: Eating Hungarian with The Ravenous Traveler

Hungarian cuisine merges flavorful spices, such as paprika, with hearty stews and meat dishes, and a trip to Hungary wouldn’t be complete without sampling one of the country’s national dishes, Goulash Soup. Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of controversy surrounds goulash, and the definition of goulash changes depending on which Eastern European country you’re in. To …

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The Ravenous Traveler’s Wine Tasting Guide to Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

  Like all great wine regions, the wine region surrounding the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy, has its own story. Piedmont is famous for its Barbaresco and Barolo wines, and they are considered by many to be the absolute elite of the elite Italian wines. As a result, the wine region can …

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Easter Dinner in Southern Italy

This Easter, Doctor Silvestro Silvestori has invited us to join him and his family in Lecce, Puglia for Easter Dinner. The owner of  The Awaiting Table cooking school, Silvestro teaches hungry travelers all about the traditional cuisine of the Salento peninsula in the Puglia region, aka the heel of the Italian boot. I came across The …

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