Italia: Grande Cibo!

When Damian and I went to France we learned that mealtime is very key in European Culture. Cibo (Food) is taken very seriously and time around the table is important . . . and lengthy! Italy is no different. Luckily, Sem is a fabulous cook!

Sem's college friends Michele (Michael), Stefania (Stephanie) and Maya came from Tempio Pausina (Time for a little Pause) to visit. Sem made some divine spaghetti.

Another night we got started on dinner a little late. Luca (age 4 1/2) had already eaten, so he colored instead. The drawing closest to Luca is of my parents. The person with BIG eyes, nose, mouth hands and feet is my dad, whose larger-than-life personality has made quite an impression on Luca.

This drawing is of Luca with his Daddy and Briana (and her curly hair).

Just in case you were wondering, I went to the hairdresser and had my orange streaks fixed. No more stripes for me. Luca taught me many Italian words, while I read, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR to him.

One Night we went out to eat at "La Pulce Rossa" (The Red Flea). It was a very fancy restraunt with a very disgusting name.

This is what we ordered:

Dad: Seafood (crab, octopus, squid & white fish) Pizza

Mom: Salmon with Creme Pizza (you can see the Creme drizzled on top!)

Me: Pasta with Scallops and Botargo (This is poor man's caviar, the eggs of tuna or swordfish)

Sem: Zuchinni, Gorgonzolla and Anchovie Pizza

Briana: Arugula, Prosciotto & Parmesan Pizza

Luca: What else? Cheese Pizza

Sometimes I am so dumb and get the worst things. First of all, I think they forgot the scallops, at least, I couldn't find them!! The fish egg taste was horrible on my pasta. I hated it. So when Luca had a chocolate Gelato, I ordered one for me. I had been such a good girl and I'd eaten all my horrible dinner! That was my first experience with gelato and I've made sure to eat one (or 3 scoops) a day since then. What a heavenly, rich Ice Cream!

One night, Sem barbequed on the roof. I LOVED the turkey sausage, and couldn't tell that the horse meat I ate wasn't beef. Tasted just like steak, YUMMY! Neigh!

This is a typical breakfast for children . . . decaf tea, yogurt (slightly flavored) and biscotti to dip in the yogurt. Only they spell it yougurt. Weirdos.

These were taken the night before Briana's wedding. We decorated the Cantina, with Luca and his little friend, Evalina's help. Then, Paolo, Sem's college friend prepared the worm cheese. I tried to get some good photos of the little maggots crawling/jumping in the cheese with no luck. Just trust me on this one. It was real and it was real nasty.

After decorating, Briana, Jade (her HS friend) and myself ran to get some veggies for a vegitarian dish Briana served at the wedding reception. Check out this cute Italian Lady in line before us. She was about 4'10"!!

There are regular grocery stores in Italy, but many people shop, with fierce loyalty, at the "Mom and Pop" neighborhood markets. According to a book I read, "French Women Never Get Fat" this is how Europeans stay so thin. They trot down to the market a block or two away every day for fruit/veggies, then bread at the bakery, meat at the butcher, tons of cigararettes at the tobacco/magazine shop and trot home. Everyday, fresh ingredients (Nacho Libre would be so proud).

Another way they stay thin is that they have a ginormous amount of steps in their homes. Briana's home is 5 stories. She has a workshop with storage space in her "Cantina." Then, the 1st floor is her Bed and Breakfast, with 3 bedrooms. The next floor is her bathroom with her bedroom and Luca's bedroom. The 4th floor is the living, kitchen and dining room and the 5th is her garden terrace. This is where they barbeque, hang laundry, grow flowers/herbs and sun.

I have been eating like a pig, but then, it takes 11 steps to get from the street to my bedroom. Then, another 20 steps to get from my bedroom to the bathroom. If I want to come off the street to the kitchen on the 4th floor, I have to walk 48 steps. To go all the way to the terrace and check my laundry, from the street, is 63 steps. I may have a chunky belly after this trip, but my buns of steel will offset it nicely.

Even though Sem is a great cook, we have eaten out a lot. Once at the reception, three times in restraunts, three more times at little fast food/sandwich shops and three times at a pizzarea one block from Briana's house. You can get amazing pizzas for 5 Euro each (about $8. I have found that I love eggplant and zuchinni pizza, but my favorite is artichoke and anchovie. Yes, I love those salty little fish. I can't stop my new obsession, until I get back home. I doubt I can find anchovy pizza in my little town. I will look, though!

I also want to point out that my spell check feature doesn't work in Italy. So bear with my butchering of all languages. Also, we are beginning our trip home tonight, so the next few posts will be pre-published! Arrevaderchi (spelling?)