Conversations and all things Italian revisited

Yesterday I had a conversation with someone and mentioned that since last year when I started this blog, I have been cooking more and more Italian food. I also made the comment that “When I cook something like Chinese stir-fry for dinner, I feel like I am betraying my heritage!”. The other person said “well they certainly don’t make Chinese food all that often in Italy.”.

In making my menu for the next week, I included chicken parmisiagna, lasagna, homemade pizza and something with eggplant because I could not resist the eggplant at the grocery store. It was like I was drawn to it! I was drawn to almost every Italian food-artichokes, sausage, pepperoni, tomato sauce, tomatoes, mortadella, etc. I broke my budget. I even bought another Italian cookbook and I don’t really need it. Maybe it will become a giveaway for a lucky reader?

The other topic that came up in that conversation was that I must go to Italy and not wait for retirement to go. I would love to go with my sister. It would be an emotional time when we visit the village of Campolieto, where our grandparents were born. Here is the picture of the town. I know I shared it before but it’s so pretty.

I love the romance of the countryside and the red tile rooftops. Look at this view?

This is a favorite of my dad when he went to Italy in 1998:

I wish I could have gone there with him but he is gone now and that chance has passed. Like I said, I would love to go with my sister or brothers as well as with Phil. I know I would just love it in Italy and feel like I went “home”.