A year of Eating Italy

Ciao bello!

It has been a year.  12 months of living in Italy.  Of eating in Italy.
Here are 12 things I have learned about food here.

1.  Italian really do make the best pizza and pasta in the world.  They are food snobs and have a good reason to be.
2.  Americans always overcook their noodles.  Noodles should be slightly hard.
3.  There is no such thing as a 'Supreme' pizza.  You get one (max two) toppings, choose wisely.
4.  There is no such thing as Italian Dressing in Italy.  You can put oil and salt on your salad.
5.  Most Italians will have a cornetto (croissant)  and a cappuccino for breakfast and that is it.
6.  If you have a coffee with milk in it after 12pm you are not Italian.
7.  It is perfectly acceptable to be walking to the local Gelato place with your kids at 11pm.
8.  When you go to a house for dinner you need to bring a cake (acceptable for this cake to be bought in pre-packaged form at the grocery store especially around Christmas and Easter), gift, or bottle of wine for the host.
9.  If you are going out to a typical Italian dinner,  plan on spending lots of money and time eating your many courses.  The table is yours for the night, no waiter will hope you leave any time soon.
10.  If you show up at a restaurant before 7pm you are extremely early.  Most restaurants are not ready for people to start eating there until after 8 or 9pm. 
11.  Every region of Italy has their own way of making Pizza and Pasta dishes.  Depending on the region each main city claims to be the best.  Only way to find out?  Go to each region and try its specialty of course!
12.  When you buy groceries at the grocery store you don't fill your cart full.  You only get your daily grocery needs, because there is always tomorrow to go to the store again!  Oh and do not touch the vegetables with your hands when putting them in your cart.  That is what the gloves provided are for.  And don't forget to weigh your veggies, bag them properly, and put the appropriate sticker price on it so you can check out without having to re-stand in the check out line.

It has been a delightful delicious year for the Hollands.  Tummy's full and hearts learning.
Buon appetito!