One cultural difference in Italy is the food and when and what they eat.
I have several funny stories of us trying to find a “big breakfast” which does not exist except in hotels. The normal breakfast consisit of coffee and what I would call a dessert but others call a pastry.
Here in the US we eat scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes…nope, nope and again, nope. We did find a box of “Bisquik” at a movie rental store at the check out lane-it was like a shelf for dumb tourists who can’t handle real Italian life…after 3 weeks of pastries we reached for the bisquik and ran!!! Hoping none of my neighbors saw me!
I have said on occasion that if the Italians ate some protein at breakfast they wouldn’t have to eat such a huge lunch which means they wouldn’t have to sleep (or siesta) for 3 hrs and could get off work much earlier than 7-8pm and wouldn’t have to eat such a late dinner then have to talke a walk at 10pm…BUT WAIT….that’s why I go to Italy!!!….to experience the SLOWer environment and learn how other countries live…it is hard not to compare but then again I live in a obese, over worked, overly medicated, over stressed country so forget the protein at breakfast…they are obviously smarter than us-oh…and they are healthy and thin too!
The antipasta tray aboves includes meats and cheeses and olives, etc…just a sample of ONE course of food in Italy. You see the kid’s “personal” size pizza-which we took half of it home and had the next day for lunch!
The amount of food and amount of courses is also something you have to get used to…first of all, you must learn to pace yourself…relax, lean your back in the chair, breath..and no one will get mad if you don’t order 5 courses! We normally have the antipasta, seconda and coffee. I am learning the best places to eat in my area and which ones to “fast” for all day so I don’t have to miss a course!
Timing…it takes us several days to get on Italian eating schedule…we eat at 5pm here in the States…the good places do not OPEN till 7:30 or so but most don’t serve full dinner till 8 or 9pm. We have learned to look starved, wink, smile and order salad or pizza-which they will serve you happily early…or you can eat pizza or a panani at a local coffee bar (which seems to never close?) any time during the day.
I still haven’t mastered lunch…I am forever having the above mentioned because I can’t seem to stop “touristing” early enough for lunch before they close the restuarant for siesta…maybe next trip. It is sad and funny-all the people eating past 12:30 are poor tourists eating pizza and sandwiches in the piazza’s wondering what the heck they are going to do for the next 3 hrs while the shop owners sleep!
Eggs are sold in half dozen carton (Italians use them mostly for bakings)-so if you must have an egg grab them and scramble away…ps…the pancake mix is at Blockbuster in Lucca outside the walls-but tell anyone I told you….
Pizza…again for lunch….kids never seems to mind..these squares were found in San Gimignano.
I tried to snap this seconda course but she was eating faster than I could click…punded chicken topped with ham and cheese…
Yet another course…roasted veggies….
Wild boar (on the wooded cutting board) has become a favorite of ours now, the bruschetta this particular day at a local beekeeper’s place was amazing!
This looks like dessert to me…but we’ll eat it for breakfast if we HAVE tooooooo……
