One of my favorite ways to cool off in the summer heat of Italy is to take a

break for a scoop or two of its famous gelato. The secret of Italian gelato is to

keep it simple, fresh ingredients, and it's made daily. Friends from Italy

join us in the hour ahead to help us know how to make every calorie worth it.

You can do research on gelato three times a day. It's healthy. There's the

delicious reason. A good Italian market has so many different kinds of

pasta for sale. Each pasta's shake goes with a different kind of

condiment or dressing or bras. Fred Popkin explains why it's sacrilege to use

the wrong kind of sauce. On the special pastas you find in each region of Italy

and Jeff Biggers recommends what to explore on Italy's other big island,

Sardinia. We're really kind of at the beginning of a real revival of

cultural tourism on the island. You're invited. It's travel with Rick Steves.

Why does the gelato they sell in Italy's version of an ice cream parlor taste so

much better than what you usually find in your local supermarket? We'll find out

in just a bit. And author Jeff Biggers recommends the island of Sardinia. It's

where artsy seaside towns, rustic hidden beaches, and hillside farms days

bring you an entirely different side of Italy in a culture that dates back to

the Bronze Age. That's all in the hour ahead. Let's start today's travel with

Rick Steves with Fred Plotkin. The Italian government awarded Fred a

Cavalieri title for promoting Italian culture around the world.

Recently, Fred and I updated his book Italy for the gourmet traveler into a

guide we're calling Italy for food lovers. Fred joins us from his home in

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