Food for Thought

The food culture here is awesome. There is no other way to put it. Italians really don't eat breakfast like we do- they just have a cafe and cornetto (coffee and a pastry), usually at the local coffee bar. Oh, and don't order a cappuccino after like, 11 am here- they think it's weird. Lunchtime is amazing. Today I went to lunch at a real Italian home. BACKSTORY: When my mother was 20 she moved to Rome and worked for a period of time as an au pair for a Roman family with 5 children. She has kept in touch with the mother, Francesca, and now the children are all grown up with their own families. We met them a few years ago when we were here on vacation, and mom contacted one of the 'children' (now adults) and told her that I would be here. Sabina is lovely, she had me over to her house today for lunch, and it was amazing. I met her two older children, twins named Elena and Oliver(!). They are 19, and really great kids. Anyway, we had a pasta with meat sauce, which was amazing, then a salad (so simple, just mache with salt, oil and vinegar), and thinly sliced beef that she cooked in oil with some lemon, red wine and a tiny bit of flour. SO GOOD. Then ice cream and coffee. It's such a nice change from just grabbing a sandwich. America doesn't really have a defined lunch culture like that. Sabina told me that Italians like to have at least 2 meals a day like that, family all together eating. And the food is so simple. They eat a lot, but it's good food. Not covered in preservatives, just food. I love food, everyone knows that, so I think this is a good place for me! Miss everyone.