Have you ever had trouble finding good, authentic Mexican food? I received a tip about a place in Phoenix, Arizona where the chef was nominated for the 2010 James Beard award for best chef in the southwest, quite an honor for a tiny restaurant in a strip mall on 16th in Phoenix. Turns out, her food is spectacular and worthy of the nomination, and possibly the award.

Upon my return to Florida, I sought to recreate one of her dishes at a fast food outlet named after a Mexican phone company. Watch the video to see how well I did. Thanks to Doc Terry Simpson for playing the Mexican on the Arizona segment. Seems there weren't many real Mexicans around anymore.

Over the past 40 years, fast food “restaurants” have sprung up all over Italy. While this makes it easy for the tourist to understand the menu, it deprives one of the opportunity to taste local fresh food, even if it is local fast food.

The Italians typically have very little for breakfast. In Venice, the typical fare is a brioche (apricot jelly filled croissant) followed by a shot of espresso. As lunch is generally eaten at 12:30 or 1:00, a small sandwich is eaten in between breakfast and lunch, to help tide them over. These sandwiches are known as “tramezzini”.

The true origin of the word “tramezzino” is difficult to trace. Some simply say it means “in between”. Others say that it was a word created by the facist regime to replace the foreign word “sandwich”, popular at the time. But the dictionary defines “tramezzo” as a wall or partition; therefore, “tramezzino” would be a small partition, connecting breakfast and lunch.

Whatever the origin, when you don't have time (or money) to sit and enjoy a full Venetian meal, stop in a cafe or bar and have a tramezzino. They are made on a special type of bread called pan carré. It looks like standard American white bread without the crusts, and is filled with fresh ingredients, typically mayonnaise-based such as tuna and olives, egg and tuna, ham and mozzarella, ham and artichokes, shrimp and asparagus, or mozzarella and tomatoes. While the tramezzino exists in many parts of Italy, both the bread and the fillings vary substantially from what you see in Venice.

In 2010, these sandwiches were EU1.50 if you stand up, and between EU2.00 and EU2.50 if you sit down. They are a great deal, and go down well with a spritz or a glass or Prosecco.

So when you are in a rush, eat like the Venetians. Your tummy will thank you.

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Cipriani's Venice – the name brings to mind the famous Harry's Bar started by Giuseppe Cipriani, and the Cipriani restaurants in Venice, New York, and London.

Behind these great restaurants is a great chef – Renato Piccolotto. Born in the province of Treviso, Italy, Renato got his start at 17 working for Guiseppe Cipriani in Asolo. He joined the kitchen at the Cipriani Venice in 1970. His 40 years of experience at Cipriani, including 20 years of spectacular dishes as executive chef makes him one of the top chefs worldwide.

In February 2010 Chef Piccolotto kindly came into Venice so that my friend Donna Jackson and I could interview him. He shared some great advice with us – advice intended for those who would like to become true top chefs. Don't miss this video! - Barry

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Have you ever gone out for seafood and been disappointed in the lack of freshness? Taste the difference as we find a way to get the freshest fish, straight from the water to our plate.

I prefer to eat seafood at Dalla Marisa in Venice, along Rio Cannaregio. But in this episode, I catch my own. Join me in search of the rare Filetto Fish. This headless, scaleless delicacy can be eaten straight out of the water (after you remove the hook). Grab your fishing tackle and watch the video above.