Dear reader, Hello again. Have you had cicoria yet? No? Well, I do recommend that you get on that if you want to be ready for the most romantic time of year in a very romantic city: Valentine’s Day in Rome! Sure, you might not equate dark leafy greens with the celebration of love, but… I do. Because in case it hadn’t been clear, I love cicoria. In case you subscribe to more traditional forms and expressions of love and romance, maybe you’ll identify a little more readily with my next suggestion for spending la festa di San Valentino in Rome: un cappuccino e un cornetto al bar (a cappuccino with a croissant) Okay, I know: maybe you’re thinking that that’s not special at all. Maybe a cappuccino and a croissant aren’t all that special to you. Well, when you’re in Rome, you really should live like the Romans. And I get that this breakfast ritual is not unique to Rome; in fact, it’s not even unique to Italy, as the word “croissant” and its pronunciation probably give away. And yet, in my experience, a cappuccino and a croissant is amongst the most popular bar breakfasts, one that, as a vegan, I can never take for granted. … until now. Plant-based milks weren’t common in cafés in Italy when I first visited in 2006. That year, I backpacked across Europe with a cousin and a friend, and when we went to Paris, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat or survive (survive!) without having a croissant or a crêpe if everything else had cheese or butter or foie gras in it. So, I just had the croissants and crêpes; I have no regrets. In 2008, I returned to Europe with a group of young Canadians of Laziale origin,
Dear reader, Hello again. Have you had cicoria yet? No? Well, I do recommend that you get on that if you want to be ready for the most romantic time of year in a very romantic city: Valentine’s Day in Rome! Sure, you might not equate dark leafy greens with the celebration of love, but…
