Boom! What you do to me!

 Real food, Part II

Yes, I am still waxing poetic about the food here.  

I heard there is a show...is it Netflix?...that deals with the horrors of processed foods and animal products.

I am not a vegetarian, although I think I would be if I weren't married.  That being said, the only meat I ingest is poultry.  And an occasional can of tuna.  I gave up pork after stopping at a farm when my daughter was little.  She wanted to see the pigs.  They totally broke my heart and I didn't touch pork again.

I gave up beef after reading about arthritis and what foods can cause problems.  

The thing is, even Italians didn't eat A LOT of meat many years ago.  I read a book that was loaned to me about the history of this area.  In it I learned that even when most people were agrarian, they usually only ate "meat" maybe twice a year, Christmas and Easter.  And when that was done, they stretched it out in every way imaginable, right down to boiling bones for broth.  They also shared what they had with friends and neighbors. 

Anyway, in sharp contrast to the aisles and aisles of "snack foods" I was accustomed to before (here I use the term "food" lightly) there is one small section in our local supermarket dedicated to "snacks."  That's because, once again, they are natural, rather than loaded with artificial colors, flavors, what have you.  

There are taco chips.  Just taco chips, plain taco chips.  NO honey mustard, or sour cream and chive, or hot pepper....the list goes on.  Same for potato chips, which, by the way, also have less salt than their US counterparts.

And then, much to my delighted surprise, just when I was having cravings for what we called "cheese doodles" (which I now understand come in super hot, extra crunchy and who knows what else?) these appeared on the shelf!   Yes!  An Italian cheese doodle!  Baked in the oven!  REAL cheese.  No artificial anything.  No preservatives. No bright orange powder slopping up your hands or clothes.  Also, no gigantic, supersize bags.  Less is more.  They are a bit larger than their overseas cousins with no tiny bits flopping about, just easy to eat (and digest) real food.  

Beyond these "snack foods" the Italians themselves have tarallini.  They are, of course, all natural and oven baked.  They come plain, or with garlic and onion, or rosemary.  They are a bit more filling, shaped like giant Cheerios.....something more appropriate for cooler weather, which I hope is just around the corner.  

In the meantime, cornetti formaggi!! Yay!

Hot diggity., dog diggity

 Have I ever waxed poetic about the food here?  If not, I am about to.

There have been some surprises.....such as the Italian love of potatoes.  They love French Fries and there is even pizza with fries on it, or one that I myself like, which has bits of soft baked potato on it, mozzarella and sausage.  Croquettes, mashed, side dishes....lots of potatoes.  Who knew?

That being said, the most amazing thing for an American to discover is pure, fresh, unadulterated FOOD.

There are laws here, laws against harmful additives and preservatives.  Even familiar (global ) brands like Heinz and Hellmann's have to adhere to the requirements here or their products will not be sold.  So, mayonnaise has three ingredients.  Foods are emblazoned with the words "Senza olio di palma"..."No palm oil." 

When we first arrived, I spent far too much time reading the labels on food products because I was in awe of the fact that there were no additives, no long strings of equally long indecipherable and unpronounceable words in the list of ingredients.  Just.....food.  Even snacks, like potato chips and taco chips and the Italian version of a cheese doodle.  Nothing weird and no artificial "cheese product" either.  And no orange powder getting all over the place!

The vegetables are, for the most part, local.  Never before have I so consistently had lettuces with white stalks.  I used to search and search in the US, and often settle for one that was the "least brown."  

The other big surprise was the popularity of hot dogs, which are often called "wurstul" here. They are a whole different animal here, so to speak. Not only are they a bit larger than their American counterparts, but they have no nitrites or preservatives, and "chicken" dogs are easy to find.  I remember searching for them in the US, often to no avail.  As with potato, you will see "wurstul" on pizza. 

But the difference doesn't stop there.  The buns are not the same either.  Meaning they are not squishy soft styrofoam, but they are actually bread.  They have substance and flavor.  Also, no artificial ingredients.  They are not split, either, so you better have a good, sharp knife to cut them with.

And while I cannot find any sauerkraut, I have not problem substituting grilled onions.  They agree with my stomach better, anyway.  The cheddar here isn't very "cheddar-y" so I use provolone instead.

And, while French's brand sells yellow mustard here, I have found that regular Italian mustard has much more flavor.  The local deli here has Dijon "hot" mustard that has become my personal favorite.

Between the quality of the bun and the size of the dog and everything else, after one I am stuffed.    

It seems Italians don't really do pasta salads, which I found surprising.  REAL Italian pasta (elbows, which are ridged, fusilli and orrecchietti) make excellent, and also filling, salads.  Unfortunately, the good Italian brands are not sold in the US. I found that Trader Joe's had some decent pasta, but even that doesn't compare to the real deal here. 

We are in yet another "heat wave," hopefully the last of this summer, so chicken dogs, turkey burgers and pasta salads are often on the menu.  Along with a quick focaccia pizza or an easy penne alla vodka, minus the vodka. 

Hopefully September will be beautiful as usual.  In the meantime, Buon Ferragosto!