To get straight to the point: I WILL change my eating habits! I have to, and I would have had to even if I hadn't moved to Italy. But moving there is the incentive to actually do it, not only reflect on it. And now that I stated it in written (and publicly), it MUST happen.
So let's start with the beginning:
The breakfast (a.k.a. colazione)
Now: on weekdays, none. On weekends, rich omelets, fried eggs with bacon and lots of cheese, a cremwurst, and generally salty things swimming in fat (YUM!) And lots, lots of coffee every day.
Then: on weekdays, biscotti con latte (biscuits with milk). Or, biscotti con cappuccino. Or, brioche con latte. Or, brioche con cappuccino. And maybe an espresso on the run (yes, that kind of Italian espresso that you swallow in exactly 20 seconds - conversation included). On weekends, well... hm.... the same.
The lunch (a.k.a. pranzo)
Now: on weekdays, it varies between: nothing, fast food, restaurant food (the greasy kind), cabbage salad (when I feel guilty or when I'm broke), a sandwich, and then fast food again. On weekends, it varies between various pork based dishes swimming in fat, and various chicken, fish or beef dishes... swimming in fat.
Then: I SWEAR I will have lunch every single day. They say it's the only way to get it through the day without starving (and then having a huge dinner) at 10:00 p.m. So yes I will make lunch my main meal, and God knows I will have things to choose from.
The Aperitivo
Now: inexistant (actually I do have the feeling that the only place in the world where it does exist is Milan, and I don't live there yet, so...)
Then: will be used as a cheap and consistent alternative to having a real dinner out. So what's the aperitivo all about? Well, simple: almost all bars and all kind of places in Milan and around have a "happy hour" after 7 p.m. when you pay the price of a single drink (often a cocktail) and you have an open buffet included in that price. The menu varies from place to place but there's often a nice selection of things that we would here generally call "starters" (hence the name of aperitivo). They can easily fill you and cost like 5 times less than a real "dinner".
*caution: not to be combined with real dinner on the same day
The Dinner (a.k.a. cena)
Now: inexistant, or... pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta (I am not obsessed with pasta, it's just the easiest thing to cook). With sauce and meat and of course... swimming in grease. Or... why not, some french fries at midnight?
Then: any kind of Italian (or Romanian) dishes but respecting the rule of "do not combine carbohydrates with meat". So yes, no more pasta with meat for me... (uffff!!!!)
And lots of fruity snacks in between (yeah, right.)
What I will miss:
- ciorbă!!! this is a traditional Romanian kind of sour soup that becomes sour due to the addition of "borş". Which is an ingredient that is traditionally liquid, BUT can also be found in a dusty formula, so I will make a big stock of it from home, and bring it to Italy. I could never ever live without my ciorbă!
- sarmale!!! this is another traditional dish which consists of sour cabbage leaves stuffed with pork meat. Ok, the meat will not be a problem, but where the hell can I find sour cabbage in Italy? Do they have such a thing? They do have pickles but they are pickled in vinegar, and sour cabbage is obtained in a totally different way. Panic!!!
I heard there are Romanian food stores in Italy and I will hopefully find some in Milan (including the borş and sour cabbage), because, honestly, the idea of giving up the above mentioned dishes actually freaks me out.
And yes, expect me to write a lot more about food in this journey, because I will.
Did I mention I will also try to lose weight?
Love,
La Reina Rana
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