Things come to a head on our way to Babbi (pronounced “Bob-bee”). I mean an argument. A spat. Babbi is a chocolate manufacturer in Cesena. Their products are all over Italy. Wherever you find chocolate, you’ll find Babbi (which could be a Babbi slogan or tagline. “Ovunque trovi cioccolato, troverai Babbi”). We’re on our way…More
Tag Archives: food
Adventures in Offal
When I got up this morning, I asked Tizi, “Is there such a thing as a tripe hangover?” She said she didn’t think so. We went out to dinner with our friends Mirko and Anna from the bookstore last night, to a new place in Rimini called Trattoria San Giovanni (old in Rimini, new to…More
What to See in Rome
Of course you know what to see: the Sistine Chapel, the Colisseum, Piazza Navona. The question is how to organize your steps and stops to see as much as possible. Here are a few half-day walking/Metro itineraries. We were just there. We saw a lot. We ate successfully. Where you are, that’s your point of…More
Delicious Bologna
We plan a trip into Bologna to coincide with returning a rental car and picking up another rental car at the airport. It’s a swap. It’s a pain. But you can only rent a car so long, for reasons I won’t go into. After traffic and car complications, we got into the old city around…More
About the Fat: Reflections on Lent, Food, and Italian Traditions
These are full body yawns. I’m sitting in Serravalle’s church of Sant’Andrea with Tizi and her friend Alba. We’re here tonight for the Ash Wednesday service. As soon as we sit down, the yawning starts. Every muscle in my body participates, tensing, contracting. I lean back in the pew so the yawn can travel down…More
Ciao Many Times
This ad pops up on my cell phone–for a moisturizer called Bava di Lumaca Miracolosa. Miraculous snail drool. Really? I have a hard time picturing a fashionable Italian lady striding up to the cosmetic counter and stocking up on drool. But who knows? Maybe drool is a thing over here. Your skin looks divine. Thanks!…More
Rimini Eats
Your better judgment can be over-rated. Last night I thought: There’s going to be traffic. I thought: We’ve had no sleep. And of course: We’re likely to over-eat. I didn’t think that. I knew that. But we went anyway. To Rimini, in search of food. Tizi said we can go to Biberius, what used to…More
Take Two
I’m blessed with the ability to eat bad food. I would never have said it to her face (because I was a good boy and because, in truth, I did not know) my mother was not a great cook. I remember salmon patties for dinner, and still to this day, when I think of them,…More
Oven-Roasted Fennel
There are four steps in this recipe: DIY breadcrumb mix, slice and season fennel bulb, roast, and eat. I can’t say enough about homemade breadcrumbs, though there is partial fraud in this statement. I buy plain breadcrumbs and then season them myself (1 – 1.5 cups) with parsley (a handful), garlic (1-2 cloves), and olive…More
The Honey Room–from American English, Italian Chocolate
“I’m taking a yogurt break,” I tell my daughter. She’s come downstairs dressed for a friend’s wedding. Six months pregnant, she’s becoming abundant. Her husband is at his parents’ house a few miles away. When they fly into town, out of old habit, they still go to their rooms. The yellow dress she’s wearing is…More