Oggi è una buona giornata. Today is a good day because I finally slept past 7 am! I have been here for over a week now, and I can’t tell whether it’s the jet lag or my pure excitement to be in Rome that’s been vetoing my slumber. But who needs sleep when you’ve got prosciutto? Not to mention the pasta… and the pizza… and the bread… and the cheese…. A self-proclaimed food fanatic, I am in tastebud heaven and have to keep quelling my desire to eat everything in sight.
My first trip to the grocery store was a tricky one. I walked through the door of Punto, a supermercato right down the street, with the knowledge that I wanted to buy “the basics.” When I began to look around, however, I lost all concept of what “the basics” were. I was overwhelmed by fresh produce, bread, cheeses and wine, and I wanted to buy everything. I left the store with bread (only 1€ for a fresh half-loaf), cheese (the type of which I could not determine), smoked salmon (only 3€?!), and tomatoes (successfully weighed on the scale myself!). I went home and made the most decadent toast per pranzo, only to realize that I’d purchased nothing per la cena. So, back to the supermercato I went!
I am happy to report that I have since bettered my grocery shopping abilities. Just yesterday I braved the deli counter and asked for olives in Italian, meaning I pointed to the olives and said, “piccolo,” meaning “small.” Alas, it got the job done and made the man behind the counter laugh. Hopefully next time I’ll use a full sentence!
I have yet to visit a market, but even the food from grocery stores here is incredibly fresh. I’ve altered the classic American saying to better fit my new Italian lifestyle: “A tomato a day keeps the doctor away!” I hope it is true, for I’ve been making bruschetta for breakfast and lunch almost every day. I truly cannot get enough of it. My favorite meals, though, result when my friends and I cook together. We contribute all our various purchases and skills, chopping vegetables while singing and snacking on formaggio. This morning, we made French Toast, which is pictured below. Topped with fresh lamponi, mirtilli, ribes, and a side of Nutella, we left our apartment feeling molto felice!
Sabine