Food as Pleasure in France and Italy Vocabulary and Expressions soften up myth-busting pastoral croissant People in

Food as Pleasure in France and Italy
   " Food in France is still primarily about pleasure," says Mark Singer, technical director of cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. "Cooking and eating are both pastime and pleasure. " The French might start their day with bread, butter, jam, and perhaps something hot to drink — " There’s no way that it would expand to eggs and bacon," says Singer —but it’s a time of the day when the whole family can be united. Singer, who was born in Philadelphia, has lived in France for more than 40 years. "Things have changed dramatically in the past 20 years when it comes to food in the country," he says. "What was a big affair with eating has slowly softened up. There are still events in the year, like birthdays and New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve that still stay really anchored into traditional food and cooking. But it’s not every day. "
   " Some of the ideas of French food life may be a performance," says Berg, a professor at a university in Paris. " I led a course this summer on myth-making and myth-busting and the performance of Frenchness. The students want to believe that France is this pastoral nation where people are spending five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food. The reality is most croissants are factory made, and most people are buying convenience food, except for the very elite. But part of our identity relies on believing that mythology. "
   How a country savors a food is also telling. In Italy, as in France, takeout is still relatively rare. "Eating fast is not at all part of our culture," says Marco Bolasco, editorial director of Slow Food and an Italian food expert. " Our meals are relaxed, even during lunch break. Food in Italy is love, then nutrition, then history, then pleasure," he says. "An Italian child’s first experience with food is not buns or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream" , notes Bolasco.