Monday, August 16, 2010

Mangia bene





You can't get a bad meal in Italy (that has been my experience); every city and town has its specialties. I have vivid memories traveling with G. down the Amalfi coast and tasting seafood freshly caught mere hours before. We ate gelato every day, infused with delightful flavors like cantaloupe and rose. In Bologna, a waiter brought a tiny cruet the size of a perfume bottle, which held precious balsamic vinegar so potent one drop would suffice. The marbled Parma ham, paper thin and delicate in flavor has ruined me for other meat. I remember the fried zucchini blossoms, the creamy risotto, the fish stews, the braciole, and all the incredible pasta dishes.

In Eat, Pray, Love, the new movie based on the bestselling book by Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia Roberts travels to Rome and Naples to gorge on the world's finest food. What does she order? Pasta with tomato sauce, and Pizza Margherita (fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese).

Luckily, the plain and simple food of Italy is equally beautiful and delicious.

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