If there is one thing that unites us all, it is food. And indeed, the "foodie" revolution has captured the imaginations of all kinds of young folk. Suddenly, it's cool to talk about and love food. It's cool to take pictures. It's cool to have food blogs. It's cool to exclaim, "I LOVE FOOD!"
But don't we all?
This is not so much a food blog as it is a blog for my life, and it will involve many other things than food. However, food is a central part of my life, as the culture I was raised with finds both the preparing and sharing of meals a basic way of life.
I dedicate this blog to the artichoke, or as my papa used to call them, "carciofi." The flower of the desert, a staple of Sicily, and my favorite vegetable. When they are placed on the dining room table in front of me, that thick scent steaming off the leaves, I imagine palm trees and dirt and the wild brush that grows all over my beloved Sicilia. My home that was never mine to begin with, and yet. It is my home.
My papa is the center of culture in my family. He taught us the basic parts of life: family, food, and to always be home for dinner. Always.
As is evident from early photographs, I was a gourmand. I still am; I feel that eating until "satisfied" just does not provide as much satisfaction as eating until full. Luckily, I am not as plump as I used to be, but that is partly thanks to genes, and now it is really because of the healthy lifestyle I have adopted.
So allow me to make it clear here and now, on my very first post: I am vegetarian. I am a health nut, completely. Every day and in every way, I try to balance the Italian lifestyle with my own beliefs. That is, to be a hedonist, and yet, completely healthy.
Now, back to the artichoke. They are beloved in my household. You peel after every leaf as the steam burns your hands, eating faster and faster until you come upon that coveted thing at the very center of it all: the heart. Il cuore.
Say it like this: Coo-or-ee dee car-chioff-ee. Run it all together. Cuoridicarciofi.
Va bene?
