Lasagne by Flavio - Food Tuesday

There is nothing to do, an image like that triggers anyone's taste buds. Salivating yet ? You should.

My sister is an excellent cook, my brother in law is an outstanding cook, and their 2nd boy, Niccolo' now a teenager, is in chef school.

If you sit at their table for a meal, you are in for a treat. I was there last June, immediately before my trip back to the US.

Flavio had prepared his "lasagne alle polpettine" all done strictly from scratch and "buy hand'. He cooks with music, while singing, with anything from Paolo Conte to Guccini to anything he can dig out from his Cd collections. And he cooks, boy, does he cook, with love, fun and passion, they way it should be done.

Year after year, trip after trip, I have seen some constant differences between the relationship that Italians and Americans have with food. For a host of reasons that I cannot explain here , I strongly believe that Americans seem not to enjoy their food. The overwhelming amount of processed food and junk food that is everywhere, seems to confirm that. Most of the time is just a matter of feeding yourself until the next meal, then repeat.

Italians try to enjoy their food more, at times they do not succeed (work, little time) but as soon as it's possible, eating is an important social event, that must be tasted, savored, and, most importantly, shared with friends, family, and sometimes even with people we do not like much, as well. What better way to know each other, and try to solve differences over a plate of lasagna, and a glass of "red" ?

Italians love food, and this is a big topic to come back to another time.

Movie recommendation: "Mostly Martha" with Sergio Castellito. Watch it, then come back here and let me know.

Buon Appetito.