When you travel to far-flung places, do you go out of your way to try local specialties? Do you ever buy local cookbooks or get recipes from the restaurants you eat at so you can create those dishes at home?

I always keep a food journal when I travel and keep notes on how varios dishes are prepared in their native country. I find that many American interpretations of dishes invariably alter the dish, usually by adding more fat or sugar. I'll be traveling to Rome again next week and am looking forward to expanding my Roman food journal.

When we find a food we like while traveling, I try to find a recipe for it when we return home.
So far, our favorites are Jerked chicken from Jamaica and Souvlaki from Greece. We also like Borscht from Russia. I try recipes I find on the internet or in cookbooks until I find one that recreates the taste we remember.