After my first trip to Italy back in 2000, I fell in love with the Italian lifestyle. Not only their passion for food and wines but also the warmth and generosity of the people. For the first time in my life I felt closer to my family’s Italian roots than ever before. 

For years I’ve tried to figure out what exactly it is to be Italian. What gives you away as being a foreigner? Through the years I’ve strived to try to dress like what I thought was the Italian look, and I seemed to be drawn to everything made in Italy. However, to be more in touch with my Italian heritage is a much deeper endeavor than material things. I can wear Italian shoes and yes I’ve always felt that the Italians size you up starting with your shoes and work their way up. Taking pride in your appearance is a big thing in Italy. I believe there is a saying in Italian referring to this ”La Bella Figura”. Now that doesn’t mean you have to dress fancy or wear expensive clothing either. You just have to wear it well and be yourself. After all these years of trying to fit in I find myself still searching for those missing ingredients.

Yesterday we were going to have our evening aperitivo. You know, a classic Aperol spritz, and some munchies. So we headed to the store and bought a package of potato chips. When we poured them out I noticed how different the color was. A more golden color than the usual American chip, less salt and a much different taste. Looking at the ingredients I noticed that they had used Sunflower oil in the production. I remembered that Debbie and I had just recently made a recipe for zucchini pasta from Stanley Tucci’s “Searching For Italy” that called for Sunflower oil because of its unique qualities. It really did make a difference in that recipe. Yes, this is all subjective, but the point I’m trying to make is that ingredients do make a difference. 

With all that said, I believe that an Italian Wannabee has to be aware of the many ingredients that makes up the Italian lifestyle. So we continue to set out to discover all the different ingredients in becoming an Italian Wannabee. I’m still trying to fit in after all these years, but I’m loving the journey.