Slow Succession - One Italian Woman's Breakfasting

Our countrymen could learn much from cultures far away. Such as how to eat. By this I mean what is eaten and how it is eaten.

My husband snarfs. He dishes his food up at the table as though he is the only one present. Then he eats quickly as though in a race, head down start to finish. Inadequate chewing then gulping. He says he thinks it's because when he was a kid - an only child - he had to hurry to get his share and then get out of there before the parents began to rag on him. Trouble is, he can't stop eating that way now.

Oh, he tries now and then. It's painful to watch. He sets down his fork, tries to chew more, to recognize flavors, enjoy the food. It's like observing a dog who's been told to sit and stay when he knows there's a chunk of sausage waiting to be devoured. Poor man nearly trembles. I give him kudos for trying, though. I have high hopes that he'll figure it out one day. In the meantime it's very hard for me to eat the way I prefer - slowly and mindfully - while he's noisily slurping, shoveling, and stuffing his cheeks in his race to the finish line.

An Italian blogger describes her breakfast manner in the following. It resonates with me.

I am not a breakfast person: when I get up, the first thing I crave is something hot and liquid, which translates into a cup of black tea, followed by another cup of black tea, followed, an hour or so later, by a cup of coffee made using my stovetop coffee maker. It is not until mid-morning that I turn my attention to something solid and that something has been, for more years than I can remember, una mela (an apple).

Una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno (an apple a day keeps the doctor away), you may remind me. The reason for my breakfast choice, however, is really my lifelong love for apples. It is certainly a great bonus that apples are good for my health. What has changed in the years is my favorite kind: that spot has been occupied for some time by the Mutsu apple. This time of the year it is not available in the stores, so I am currently breakfasting mostly with a Pinova apple and sometimes with a Golden Delicious. Just yesterday, I purchased some Ambrosia apples but have not yet tasted one.

So, here is the recipe for my apple-based breakfast. Take an organic apple of your liking and wash it carefully. Bite into it and savor the juicy morsel in your mouth. Chew slowly and concentrate on the texture and flavor. Repeat until you are left with just the core. Place it in your compost bin. Wait a few minutes, enjoying the apple's aftertaste, then cut yourself a small piece of excellent quality extra dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content) and break it into 2-3 morsels. Eat them in slow succession, savoring each one by letting it melt slowly in your mouth. Feel good.

 Above excerpt taken from the blog Briciole


Imagine if everyone could eat just one meal a day with such ease, patience, attention, and enjoyment.

The world would surely become a kinder place.