I imagine you are tired of me pining away for Italy. You probably don’t want to hear me go on and on about how fantastico our vacation was. No one cares that Bird and Deal are saving up their piggy bank pennies to help us buy a vacation house in Sorrento (tops on the family wish list). I realize it gets old.
But we dream on. And I wax on.
This summer’s vacation to Italy showed me what my family was made of. Every fiber that could have been unraveled or wound too tightly actually fell into place seamlessly. My sons made me extraordinarily proud. They were champs on the long flight and various forms of transportation we took ranging from a high speed to train to cable car to teeny tiny bus to hydrofoil. They snored soundly like mini Rip Van Winkles, regardless the bed they laid their weary heads in. But most of all, their insane appetites and culinary curiosity made me beam.
You see, in Italy, there’s no such thing as a kid’s menu. You know how I loathe such a thing. Parents perpetuate poor eating choices and habits and thereby are remiss in teaching children healthy and tasty lifestyle choices. Food is far more than sustenance. It is a culinary peek into other cultures and a means to appreciate myriad nuances of what makes people tick. Food is not a battle of wills or a bribery tactic. Food is love. Food is family. We’d be a more peaceful world if we broke bread together. Soapbox tucked away…for the moment.
Restaurants that shill crap on the kid’s menu just to make a buck off the adults who presumably add to the ticket by ordering an adult beverage are providing a disservice to our youth. Chicken nuggets, fries passed off for a vegetable, and fruit cocktail sound like prison fare to me. It’s certainly not what nourishes young minds, staves off obesity, and opens palates to a global appreciation of food and where it comes from. Mac Daddy and I rarely order off the kid’s menu. Market Restaurant in Raleigh happens to have a pretty good one, offering fresh food and real vegetables that never saw the inside of a can. Bird and Deal would rather taste “real” food, which is why eating in Italy was heavenly.
They inhaled fresh anchovies (that we can thankfully score at Bickett Market!) , homemade gnocchi with a simple tomato sauce, mortadella, fresh ricotta, squid, roasted chicken, and arugula (at almost every meal…not a ramekin of ranch dressing in sight). They opened their minds by way of their mouths. The philosophy of food in Italy, among many other things, are what attract me to the country. I felt so comfortable and welcome there. Food defines that culture, and every market, grocery store, restaurant, and gelato shop underscores the genuine appreciation for food. The Italians truly understand that food feeds more than your belly. Food feeds your soul. That’s why I crammed food stuffs into my suitcase instead of shoes and handbags. To know me is to realize just how astounding this is.
Meanwhile, Stateside, food feeds our need for convenience, ease, speed. Gone are the values that bind us together as family. Eating together at the table, napkins on laps, conversation flowing, televisions turned off (being on mute doesn’t count). Knowing, and seeing, where our food comes from isn’t even something people care about, or so it seems. Children are in a serious food crisis on our shores. And the plethora of kid’s menus out there adding fatty fuel to that fire.
When Bird and Deal daydream about Italy and longingly harken back to their favorite moments, it always involves food.
Like mother, like sons.
Buon appetito!
Gettin’ Dirty & Noisy: Kid’s Menu Isn’t Good for Kids – Eat Like the Italians! http://bit.ly/9Nv6Td
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Sounds lovely. I need to experiment more with food and with recipes. What are a few of your favorite cookbooks for ideas?
I’ve been meaning to tell you that we tried out The Market when my MIL was visiting. LOVE. Although intimidated at first by the seemingly grown-up setting, it was quickly made clear that even crazy preschoolers were welcome there. The chef greeted Linus and laughed about their having matching red Crocs. Our waiter was patient and playful with him EVERY time he came to our table. In addition, he noticed Linus sneaking the cucumbers out of everyone’s water and so brought Linus his very own bowl of cucumbers while we awaited our food. And all this perfection before we got the food (which was divine).
Thanks for the recommendation. We loved it.
-Abby
PS- I just whipped up some homemade gnocchi the other day with potatoes from the Farmers’ Market. It was so easy, I let Linus help.
Along with revamping school cafeterias, I vote to ban crappy kid’s menus in restaurants. http://bit.ly/azbYBk Whadya think @Jamie_Oliver?
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
“Food is far more than sustenance. It is a culinary peek into other cultures and a means to appreciate myriad nuances of what makes people tick. Food is not a battle of wills or a bribery tactic. Food is love. Food is family. We’d be a more peaceful world if we broke bread together. Soapbox tucked away…for the moment.”
I couldn’t agree with you more! My taste buds were formed when I was a young child traveling through Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Caribbean Islands, and the Middle East — and I thank my family for it. My experiences as a young world traveler molded my world view and fostered an appreciation and respect for cultures other than my own. Then, and now, when I travel I always return home with a plethora of cook books. Hence, my love of food and cooking! You’ve provided “teachable moments” for your children that will bring them great benefit!
I so agree with you! My only request is that restaurants offer more a la carte “side items” for kids who don’t want crappy kid menu stuff, but can’t possibly eat the mountain of food that usually makes up an adult entree. We all order off the adult menu, but the 8-year-old often winds up leaving half her meal behind because she just can’t fit all that food in her little stomach. We love restaurants that offer sides or half portions for just that reason.
The other thing I have finally learned with kid number 2 is that it’s perfectly fine for one of them to opt out of eating when we go out to a restaurant. As long as they’re sitting quietly reading or drawing, I’m cool with one or the other skipping the meal. They know better than I do whether they’re hungry or not.
While I *may* have just written about eating an overabundance of Happy Meals, we try to keep our menu a little on the exotic side. My son has tried Indian food, Mexican food (which he LOVES), Thai food, Chinese food. He’ll eat hummus. He loves Brie. But we do make mac and cheese a lot (because mom loves it too). It’s amazing though. To your point, when we go to the Mexican restaurant, I have to specify that I want beans with the quesadilla, not the french fries. And I’m glad to learn of another restaurant in town – and one that I haven’t tried!
@adventuroo best post of the week comes from @IinaP – http://bit.ly/azbYBk
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You’re so right! I think parents don’t give kids as much credit either- I mean, it took Noah like 20 times to finally like peas but guess what, he likes them now! I think we give up too quickly or assume they won’t like something.
N eats hummus, edamame, cauliflower, etc. We tell him how strong he’s getting from eating right and he loves showing off his muscles!
Anyway, I’ll have to try Market Raleigh… sounds incredible!