| Food is everything in Italy, it's what brings the family | | | | nothing of sitting down to a meal of in excess of 10 |
| together to sit a round a table after a long day | | | | courses eaten over 3 hours, the bigger the family |
| working or at the beach. Meal times are where | | | | gathering the more courses there will be as everyone |
| extended families will sit for hours discussing life, family | | | | usually brings something with them to add to the table. |
| matters, Italian politics (always popular) and the world | | | | This will always be good traditional home-made Italian |
| as a whole. | | | | food. Granted the courses are generally rather small |
| Whenever I go to Italy I love sitting down with my | | | | and are usually served on large platters in the centre |
| immediate family to eat, the whole process is different | | | | of the table for everyone to dig into. If you've never |
| to what we do at home in England. There may still be | | | | experienced this before the trick is not too get too |
| five of us sat around a table but it's not the same. | | | | over confident on the fist few courses as there will |
| Meal times are a relaxed affair in Italy, you don't feel | | | | always be another course further down the line that |
| the urge to eat your meal down as quickly as possible | | | | you'll regret not having space for. |
| so you can rush off to do something else. The food is | | | | The courses usually consist of cheese and salami, |
| brought to the table at a more leisurely pace, eaten | | | | pickles, vegetables, one or two fish dishes, a couple of |
| slower and after the meal we all hang around and talk. | | | | meat courses, cheese again and dessert. All of these |
| Similarly in an restaurant in Italy it's not uncommon to | | | | are washed down with lots of wine or beer over the |
| see people sat at there table for hours after they've | | | | course of an afternoon or evening. |
| finished eating and holding court with the family or as | | | | There is always something going on at an Italian dinner |
| most restaurants in Italy will have a television on it's not | | | | table and I've never known a quiet Italian dinner table. |
| un common to see finished diners still sat their table | | | | The females of the family are usually rushing back and |
| watching and discussing the latest Italian quiz show. | | | | to from the kitchen with more trays of food, the older |
| When we have a big family gathering we start the | | | | men are sat at the head of the table discussing the old |
| preparation hours in advance of the first guest arriving | | | | days, the younger generation, competing to be heard |
| and when the first person does arrive they're usually | | | | sit around the centre of the table discussing the state |
| armed with more food that needs preparing. It's not | | | | of the world and the children do what children do. |
| until everyone arrives that the event gets underway, | | | | As the meal reaches it's finale a few people may |
| it's an un-written rule that until all the guests have | | | | saunter off to relax but generally everyone stays |
| arrived and all food prepared that anyone can get in | | | | around the table with conversations going on for hours |
| the mood to enjoy themselves. This is of course | | | | or maybe a game or two of scopa, a traditional Italian |
| except for the children who run around getting under | | | | card game. |
| everyone's feet and pinching salami and cheese from | | | | At the end of the meal you are generally exhausted |
| the table when the adults aren't looking. | | | | and unable to eat a single thing, but at night you'll sleep |
| When you finally sit down for the meal it's usually a | | | | well and be as relaxed as you've ever been before. |
| very long, relaxed and drawn out process. Italians think | | | | |