Fatty Piggy a Milano!

So, perhaps you were wondering how my detour through Milan resulted – more specifically my calorie consumption.

I have one word for you…… DISASTER!!!

Italian food is glorious, delicious and fantastic.

On Monday night I was taken for a meal (Grazie, Roberto) that can only be described as sumptuous – or maybe gluttonous. Italians don’t generally go for dinner any earlier than 9pm so I was already on a losing streak. How to work off a 5 course meal at 12pm?? Okay, so there are probably plenty of ways, but I was on a business trip and my ‘exercise’ was safely tucked up in bed in Ireland.

The starter consisted of a Mediterranean buffet – all sorts of peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, cheeses, cured hams and seafood marinating in separate dishes of olive oil with garlic and various spices or balsamic vinegar. I gave up on counting Points after my second visit to the table.

For what I originally believed to be my main course, only to later discover was yet another ‘starter’, I had a dish called Papparadelle Porcini. It is fresh wide, flat strips of pasta served with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delectable!

When the waiter asked what I wanted for my ‘main course’ I, with much surprise, restated my desire for the Papparadelle Porcini. He clarified that this was not my main course but the pasta course. I declined his invitation to make a complete fatty piggy of myself and have a 12oz steak. Roberto did indulge in the steak, which looked absolutely mouth-watering.

During the evening we drank two bottles of a dark and fruity red wine. which served as an excellent accompaniment. We completed the meal with grappa (aids digestion – trust me!), as dessert, thank God, was declined by all. I can only refuse dessert if no one else is having one – otherwise I tend to join in.

The following days eating was no less calorific (a magnificent pizza and pasta combo washed down with a frothy cappuccino) and I barely managed to roll myself on to the airplane later that night.

I have gone back into ‘healthy eating’ mode today – have some compensating to do with my Points - but am looking forward to my next visit to Italy!

Oink oink
Kath