when in rome

eat chocolate for breakfast.

no, really though.

i remember the first time i came to italy as a child of about seven years old because my father was working with a university colleague here. after a jet lagged sleep, we awoke at a family friend's house to a beautiful big breakfast put together by his lovely wife. as a kid who was never permitted sugary cereal or even sodas at that point, i was shocked by what i found there. sweets! sugary, chocolaty sweets, and nothing more! our breakfast consisted of cookies and pastries, espresso for the adults, and warm milk for the children. in short, it was heaven. and i was flabbergasted to be allowed to participate.

that morning i was introduced to the brilliance that is nutella, as well as my favorite italian supermarket indulgence, these little chocolate strachitella cookies, both of which, to this day, taste exactly like italy to me. so when in rome, eat chocolate for breakfast. you'll feel like a real italian, and because, plain and simple, it is oh so good.