Is there a difference between eating because you have to and eating because you love food? I think there is, and that summer highlights this difference in a way no other season does.
Of course, we all need filling, nutritious meals if we are to function — at least 1,600 calories a day. But when eating becomes an experience to savor, to remember, and to share, then chewing and swallowing becomes a joy.
When I first moved to Italy, I was surprised by how much people talk about food. Italians don’t just eat. They love food. And they are very proud of their cuisine. It’s quite normal to hear a group of friends debating the cooking times of a recipe, or to arrive early to someone’s house to help in the kitchen, chatting while sampling appetizers as the main meal is being cooked.
Meals are are culture. They are lessons. Italian children learn basic cooking by observing, listening, and sometimes helping their moms.
Food is part of every plan, whether that is a day at the beach, a weekend trip, or a visit to a friend’s house. The questions, “What should we bring? What are they making?”, always come up.
It was summer when I arrived in Italy. I felt like I was being hugged by a mother. Within weeks, friends of friends (and even their families) knew not only my name, but also what food I liked, what I cooked, and what I absolutely couldn’t resist.
Here are some of the tastes that make me long for next summer:
Watermelon cocktail
Perfect for an aperitivo or BBQ. This never fails to win over friends, and is ideal in hot weather.
Cut a watermelon in half, scoop out the fruit, and mix it with strawberries, peaches, kiwi, grapes, sugar syrup, and vodka. Let it rest in the fridge for at least three hours (overnight is even better). Serve chilled in cups or directly from the watermelon shell.
Summer salad
Great when the last thing you want is to cook.Slice ripe tomatoes, add cubes of Greek cheese, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and chill briefly. Fresh, quick, and satisfying.
Back in Colombia, food often felt like an obligation. I ate so I’d have the energy to study, but eating a meal never felt fulfilling. I was constantly in need of snacks between meals — chocolate, chips, anything quick. Cooking itself felt more burdensome than comforting. But in Italy, it’s different; here food means fried seafood with lemon, a community table where someone will serve me something that is both delicious and lovingly prepared when I am feeling too blase to cook for myself. And that has taught me to see food differently. I no longer eat to get by; I eat because food delights my senses. To eat because you love is different. Eating out of love is the life I want.
