Food, My Favorite Pastime

This might be long or it might be short, it all depends on how hungry I get from writing it. Considering its night time here though, you might be in luck.

I wanted to start by saying, all the rumors are true. Italians eat better, cook better and simply have better food and ingredients. So after years and years of begging my mom to avoid putting tomato pieces in a sauce or noodle combo, everything has changed. I have found myself begging for more tomatoes to add to bruchetta! I snack on small pieces I cut up daily. Thanks to the wonderful market outside my front door I have an ample amount at my beck and call. Now some of you may have liked tomatoes before unlike me, but the tomatoes here taste COMPLETELY different. They don't taste like a red sauce or ketchup, they taste almost as sweet as strawberries and as juicy as a handful of grapes. These are the kind of vegetables that you only hear about and never experience, well guess what? I AM experiencing them and I love them!

So beyond tomatoes (sorry I wrote so much, I'm excited about my new appetite) I have found myself craving very unique things here that I never did at home. For instance, I have a new love of vegetables, I even go so far as to order sandwiches that have no meat and ONLY contain veggies. I recently went to our local sandwich shop and asked, "Vorrei e zuccini, eggplant, pomodro fresca, formaggio al panino" (or "I would like zucchini, eggplant, fresh tomato, cheese and grilled). It was amazing! They all individually taste so incredible, when they are together its simply a melody in my mouth ;).

The bread I think we all know about. Fluffy and thick and about a million different versions. but unlike our processed bread at home you must by it daily at the 'forno' or its hard by the morning. not that I even complain about fresh bread, who would? Another item that goes bad fast here, eggs! US eggs are farmed to have thicker shells to with stand time and smells, the eggs here are so fresh (and cheap, 6 for a euro) that you must cook them that day or hard boil them to last. If left in the fridge all the scents of your other food gets absorbed into the egg because the shell is so thin...facts for daysss people.

Cheese. I will try to keep this short, but its hard. I immediately think of my dad, obviously and his, like mine, incredible love of mozzarella. BUT has anyone tried mozzarella di bufala???? OMG it's almost like a whole new level of cheese. It deserves its our category its so incredible. Its milky, to the point that it you touch it by hand it literally melts on the plate and leaves a milk substance behind. It have such a severe flavor that they serve it as an appetizer here! All you need is a little olive oil and a fork, no salt, no nothing, it has a whole world of flavor behind its first bite. I will attach a photo when I can but it simply looks like a ball of mozzarella, but DO NOT let it fool you, its better! So while it does come from the milk of a buffalo (a little gross) you can easily look past it.

Pizza is also a whole other ball-game. It come by the slice here (taglio di pizza) but the slices are square and they come so big that they cut it in half and fold it like a sandwich and thats how you eat it, its fun! It comes flat, so flat sometimes I think I can see the paper beneath through it. It comes extra cheesy, no option there and with an assortment of meats to choose from. A thick ham, a crispy prosciutto (which has the most flavor I have ever experienced) or quattro formaggio (four cheese), rosaro (just red sauce), margarita, veggie...the list goes on and on!!! The pastas are the same! They come in every flavor, style and shape its unbelievable. So far my favorite is rigatoni al carbonara (thick tube noodles with a cheese sauce that has eggs, bacon and basil). I am telling you all right now, I wish with everything inside of me that I could send you all meals right now just so we could share in the join together.

So while I have mostly good to say, there are always bad things as well. The Diet Coke or Coke Light as they call it, is terrible. It tastes like an over sweetened soda that has a cola after taste, definitely not a recommendation! Did I mention yet that you have to pay for water? WATER! nothing is free here, thats the hardest part. Service isn't free, sitting isn't free and refills are absolutely not available. Wine is cheaper then water (ironically) not that I'm complaining, but yes I'm complaining a little bit.

I miss you all still, every moment. Comment or write me if you can so I don't feel like a loser writing this haha. Love you and thinking of you!