Tiramisu may be an Italian dessert, but don’t think this is what they eat every time after dinner. In fact, in my time over in Italy I never had any tiramisu or ice-cream/gelato as a dessert. Instead we were given… drum roll please… apples! As we all sat around the table, the apples were passed out and with a sharp knife we peeled the skin off the apples and then ate the apple as we cut it into slices.
I did not carry on the tradition when I returned to the States, until a few years ago when my husband and I started trying to eat healthier. I guess it just happened accidentally when we decided to have some fruit after dinner. And then I realized why the Italians eat fruit after a big meal. It tastes good, tastes sweet, and doesn’t lay heavy. Bingo – I think we have a winner!
il Pranzo
Dinner is Lunch and Lunch is Dinner?
Italians typically eat their main meal at what we consider lunchtime (between noon and 2:00). They call it “il pranzo”. The women work all morning preparing the big meal. They usually have two courses, the first being pasta or rice, and the second a kind of meat or fish. An example of a typical Italian pasta dish would be my eggplant and zucchini pasta recipe. It incorporates fresh vegetables from the garden along with the long pasta, preferably linguine or fettuccine. Let me tell you they don’t skimp on their courses. You get a very full plate each time. It took me a few days until I got used to the quantities served, and I’ll never forget the smile on their faces when I asked for seconds the first time. I remember them talking about it to each other in Italian too! The picture to the right are of my cousins at lunchtime (1:30).
For their last meal of the day, they have a lighter meal – like what we would consider lunch. It might even be just a large salad. They do not eat their last meal early in the evening like we do, but rather later between 8PM and 10PM.
I don’t recommend switching your lunches with your dinners, however I have to say incorporating some fresh fruit as desert is something worth trying if you don’t already. Take a lesson from the Italians in Italy, you just might be amazed at how much you enjoy it.
Liz
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