I made bruschetta today; toasted bread topped with a mix of chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and a little extra virgin olive oil. These were the freshest tomatoes I've ever had. I make this same thing all the time back home and it has NEVER tasted like this. The tomatoes were so sweet; Vic even asked if I put sugar in it.
It’s the same with the all the produce we've have while we've been here. The red and yellow peppers we bought last week were phenomenal and didn't cost an arm and a leg. We bought a bag of baby greens for salad a few days ago for €2. It had a mix of all sorts of things in it, like the pricey stuff you buy at Fresh Market or Whole Foods. The mix comprised of several different varieties, all about 6 or 8 leaves still connected by the little roots, fresh, young and tender. The cantaloupe, peaches, plums, and figs have been extra sweet, very juicy. Even the figs were very reasonably priced at €3,50 to €5,00 per kilo.
I knew food tasted great in Italy, but most of the time I just thought it was because I’m in a fun and exciting country that is passionate about their food. And who knows better how to make good Italian food than Italians themselves? Let’s face it, who doesn't like Italian food? Yes, this is true, but now that we are buying and cooking our own food I really realize it is the quality of the ingredients. Loving to cook (and eat) I always knew quality mattered. You hear the chefs on the cooking shows say it all the time. However, if you never really tasted what a fully ripe fruit tastes like how do you know what you’re missing?
I don’t mean to sound like “Oh, Italy is so much better” but in this case it seems it is. They eat by the seasons – when things are actually ripe. If I can find a way to do this when I get home…now that will be wonderful.
I don’t mean to sound like “Oh, Italy is so much better” but in this case it seems it is. They eat by the seasons – when things are actually ripe. If I can find a way to do this when I get home…now that will be wonderful.