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Thursday, April 19, 2007
Breakfast in Rome
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today I begin an incredible journey through the cuisines of six countries-Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and England. I thought it would be fun to share my taste discoveries and observations along the way as a food lover and a dietitian. As the best selling book by friend Mireille Guilano proclaims, French Women Don’t Get Fat. Well, I am going to enjoy investigating that!
Today I woke up to breakfast in Rome at the lovely and historic Hotel Intercontinental De La Ville Roma. After traveling from Atlanta to Newark to Paris and eventually to Rome arriving yesterday afternoon (you gotta be flexible to use those Skymiles!) I was too exhausted to eat a big dinner last night;so woke up famished.
I decided to order room service to really splurge ( I didn’t want to get dressed and leave the room) and when it arrived on a table draped in fine linens and adorned with a yellow orchid I felt ready for a feast even though I only ordered coffee, croissants, grapefruit juice and a yogurt. The coffee was rich and strong and came with a large container of milk (not cream) so that I could create my own café con leche. The croissants ( I ate three!) were small and delicate flaky. I added some cherry preserves that tasted more of actually cherries than sugar. Another pleasant taste surprise. The grapefruit juice was pleasantly astringent, as if from a fresh squeezed white grapefruit. Too often in the U.S I am disappointed with grapefruit juice that is way too sweet. You can not blame the grapefruit people, they have been losing sales to sweeter drinks so they have changed their formulations. Actually, they have changed the fruit with more naturally sweeter pink and ruby red varieties being produced in favor the of the good old fashioned white grapefruit that makes you pucker your lips. I think the old fashioned kind is more refreshing and happily it is still in style in Rome.
Now on to the yogurt. It is much fun to try things that are different than the way we have them at home. First, it came in a little glass jar, not a plastic container. And the flavor was Peach Gensing! I took one spoonful of this creamy concoction and the next thing I knew the whole thing was gone.
One more cup of delicious coffee and staring at the orchid I thought what a perfect way to start the day. So it is on to the Spanish Steps to do a little stair climbing combined with sightseeing then a long walk to the Coliseum. Can’t wait for dinner tonight. Please tell me some of your observations about the first time you tasted something when you traveled to another country. Do you think U.S. foods are too sweet?
