I’m Italian, and I think a lot about the exported version of our culture—especially in America. There’s this “ideal” Italian image: fatty, greasy food, big personalities, stereotypes based on performances. And then there’s the reality. The actual rituals. Like lunch.

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In Italy, lunch is sacred. It’s not about looking at each other across the table while eating. It’s about pausing. Taking a break. Being in community. There’s a rhythm to it, a pace. Food becomes the way we stop time. The way we breathe.

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When I came to the U.S., I saw how our food had been taken but not the values. The culture was exported, but not the ritual. I want to bring that ritual back. That’s why I propose lunch instead of dinner! Maybe even go out to lunch somewhere? It matters. It restores.