Italian Bliss

This time last month I found myself trekking through the cliff side towns of Italy’s Cinque Terre region. Surrounded by lemon trees, spectacular views of the Mediterranean and pizza like none other I’d tasted before, I found myself experiencing bliss on a new level.

My sightseeing was most definitely supplemented by lots of eating. . . or realistically my sightseeing was planed around my eating . I indulged in all the Italian cuisine had to offer:  Cappuccino, gelato, pizza, prosciutto, Aperol spritz, carbonara, etc. I even learned to love anchovies! It’s amazing how delicious they can taste fresh dressed with a little lemon juice and olive oil instead of having to choke them down after they’ve been sitting in a jar of salt and oil. While I fully enjoyed these decadent bites, it was the simple meal of a roasted veggie sandwich that stands out in my memory.

One of the days I felt a bit under the weather. I allowed myself to sleep in that morning in hopes of rejuvenating my body. Unfortunately, I slept through breakfast and found myself in the awkward in between period of breakfast and lunch. I was too late to even order a cappuccino (because everyone knows that it’s taboo to drink cappuccino after 11:00am). With the combination of me feeling puny and me being the type of person who needs to eat breakfast, I was starting to go into panic mode. Finally, I stumbled upon a café that I assumed was open because there were two old local Italian men sipping on espresso and exchanging banter with one another. I sat myself down, opened the menu, pointed to a picture of this delicious looking sandwich (at that point those salty jarred anchovies would’ve looked delicious to me) and partook in this wonderfully simple roasted veggie sandwich. Each bite was more and more heavenly. This is why I love Italian cuisine. They have created some of the most classic and delicious dishes out of such simple ingredients. Caprese salad, melon and prosciutto, spaghetti and meatballs- all are delicious and yet simple.

My return to the States was a rough adjustment after such paradise. I found myself needing that morning cappuccino, and needing that afternoon gelato break. So, in an attempt to bring some Italy to my life back in the states I proceeded to replicate the roasted veggie sandwich from that day. A simple meal to satisfy a simple need.