The colder it gets outside, the hungrier I get. Pasta and bread are the top of my Things-I-Want-to-Eat list. My theory is that it has to do with some sort of primal urge to hibernate, but I don’t have any scientific data on that.

Last Thursday my dad took me and some friends out to Buca de Beppo for my birthday. We ordered Chicken Saltimbocca which the menu described as “Juicy sautéed chicken breasts, layered with fresh sage and prosciutto, and topped with artichoke hearts, capers and out delicate lemon-butter sauce,” and a Penne Arrabbiata: “Hearty pasta featuring spicy Italian fennel sausage in a fiery tomato sauce, garnished with Romano cheese.”

(The photo of the Chicken didn’t turn out and the photo of the Penne isn’t the best. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the bottles of wine we happened to be enjoying at the time.) I actually preferred the chicken; the penne was too spicy for me.

Then on Saturday I ate brunch with my mom at Pizza Luce. I ordered Pesto Eggs Benedict which is pretty much what you think it is: Poached eggs on top of two English muffins topped with a rich, creamy pesto sauce. Instead of Canadian bacon, the restaurant uses sausage but I order it without the meat. It comes with hash browns.

I’m not a huge fan of Eggs Benedict but this is one of my favorite things to order at Luce. For a pizza place, they have a surprisingly good brunch menu. (Sorry about the shot. I forgot to take a photo until I was almost done eating.)

On Saturday night, my neighbors invited me over for dinner last Sunday. Shawn made Pasta Carbonara with Chicken and incredibly delicious garlic bread. He used penne instead of fettucine which was sort of fun. I can’t be the only one craving carbs: Everyone practically inhaled the bread the moment it hit the table.

(This shot took on a weird orange haze. Not sure why.)

And last, but certainly not least, my sister made me (out-of-focus) Pasta with Artichoke Pesto on Sunday night.

I realize, after writing this,  two other themes emerge: 1.) People feed me a lot and 2.) I'm pretty lousy at taking photos of food.

So, how about you? Do you get especially hungry before winter? What do you crave?