In Italy they take their cuisine very, very seriously and as a traveler you get to enjoy the results.

They take great pride in Italy in their food, even if the governments are crumbling and the popes come and go,

they're the best in the world of that and they want to keep it that way.

Our favorite Italian food connoisseur, Fred Plotkin, is here to guide us through the

decadent dessert specialties of Italy.

Plus, a guide from Sicily warns us to never ever use a knife to cut up your pasta.

That is really a no-no, because if you use the knife, that means there was the intention to kill the

poor spaghetti it was not an accident and we find out how to find the

freshest ingredients in Paris at one of the city's many specialty food markets, but you got to know where

to shop and when.

Every single neighborhood has one or maybe several open-air markets that happen on different days of the week.

Have fun with your food in the hour ahead.

It's Travel with Rick Steves.

You'll find no shortage of good restaurants in Paris, but if you want to eat like a real Parisian,

you need to visit the city's many open-air food markets.

Packed with the freshest fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other delicacies. These markets are where Parisians have

been shopping and socializing for centuries. Coming up today on Travel with

Rick Steeves, we learn how you can find just the right ingredients in one of

Paris's traditional markets, just right for building the perfect picnic or to

whip up an authentic Paris-style meal of your own in your rented apartment.

But first, if you're the kind of person who thinks dessert is the main course,

Fred Plotkin's just the man you need to know.

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