Food - Yum!

Several of you have asked about what we eat and our favorite foods here in Italy.

What do we eat for breakfast? Most Italians have a cornetto and caffe. This is a croissant or some type of sweet roll and some coffee. Kids have succo (juice). Sometimes that is what we have especially when we are traveling, but usually we have cereal or toast. We have found Rice Krispies, Multi-grain Cheerios, Corn Flakes, and everyone's favorite: Miel Pops. (Honey Pops) We also often have fruit or yogurt sometimes. Paul has had cappuccino and loves it. Elizabeth and Grace prefer hot cocoa.

Lunch is a large meal for most Italians. Many businesses close about noon and reopen at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Traditionally, Italians have a large (pranzo) at this time. Some of the schools even let out for a few hours at lunch and resume classes in the afternoon, going sometimes until 5 or later. We often have sandwiches at home. Peanut butter and jelly is still a favorite, but we haven't been able to find peanut butter for a few weeks now. Our next visitors are bringing us some! Sometimes sandwiches are prosciutto (ham) and cheese, or just bread with cheese. If we are out and about we get either sandwiches or pizza by the slice. These sandwiches are usually like focaccia bread with something inside. They are usually heated for you when you order them.

Pizza is sold by the slice and has all sorts of toppings. Cheese, sausage and cheese, prosciutto and cheese, pepperoni (red and yellow sliced peppers), and mushrooms with a white sauce instead of tomato sauce are just a few of our favorites. Some of the more unusual toppings include potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, shrimp and lettuce with ranch-like dressing, and anchovies. Grace's favorite is Margarita - just tomato sauce and cheese. I like to try them all. I haven't found a pizza I don't like. And I have learned that I really like anchovies!

Dinner is traditionally a smaller meal for Italians. They also tend to eat much later that we do in the US. In the US, restaurants are busiest at about 6pm. Here, they are busiest (with Italians) at about 9pm. Restaurants have antipasti (appetizers), primi (first courses - mainly pastas), and secondi (second courses - mainly meat/chicken/fish). A large traditional meal would consist of all of these followed by salad and then dessert. We usually only order two - an antipasto and primo, or a primo and secondo.

At home we eat a lot of pasta. Boy, can I make a lot of different sauces! We tend to eat very little meat and opt for fresh vegetables in the sauces instead. The (farmer's) market in the piazza has lots of fresh vegetables that are not very expensive, wheras meat, etc. is pretty expensive here. I have also been making risotto which is rice. I found a delicious risotto recipe that has prociutto and peas in it. Fantastic! I have also made calzones a few times. Spinach and fresh mozzarella, or prosciutto and cheese are two of our favorites.

For dessert we love gelato! We try not to go to our favorite gelato place too often though! They have all sorts of great flavors. Grace's favorite is strawberry and banana. I think my favorites are chocolate, peanut butter, caffe, and all the fruit flavors. Again, I am trying them all and I have yet to find one that I don't like! Other desserts we like are tiramisu and cannoli.

Hungry now?
-Terri