Matteo, the owner of my favorite panino shop in all of Firenze, knows that whenever I set foot into his shop, he’s about to make me one of either two sandwiches. The first is called the “Pisano”- the slight fattiness of his wild boar salami is cut with a sharp pecorino cheese from Pienza and finished perfectly with a thin spread of blueberry jam. The second, “Gli Altri #1,” is made of brie that has been toasted to the point where it is just about to melt, drizzled honey, and a fresh salad of arugula. These paninos are quintessential Italian food- fresh and of high quality; purposeful, balanced, simple (note the minimal number of ingredients) yet flavorful.
What really ties the sandwich together, however, is the bread, known as schiacciata.
A Tuscan riff on focaccia, schiacciata is a popular flatbread in Florence with a crunchy golden exterior that gives way to a pillowy, yet porous interior. Its texture comes from the way it is made- generously doused with extra virgin olive oil, pressed by hand, sprinkled with just enough salt to taste, allowed time to rest before finally getting sent off to the oven. Schiacciata is delicious. Schiacciata paninos are worth trading first borns for.
Growing up, I had been immersed in an environment (I love you, but I’m calling you out Los Angeles!) that was saturated with words like “kale”, “quinoa”, and “yoga”. I unfortunately let it influence me to the point where I decided that I would eat “low-carb”- and went so far as to make a ludicrous commitment to eating “carb-free” for a short and unsustainable amount of time. But I do remember that I made those choices under the façade of misguided “healthy decisions.” I am certainly not writing off being “low-carb” or “carb free.” It works for other people. But in my case, what should have been lowering my intake of certain carbohydrates became cutting off all carbohydrates- eating pasta, sandwiches, pancakes and other related goods became somewhat of an illicit activity because those were items that I associated with being “unhealthy.”
I knew that Italy was a land that celebrated pasta, but couldn’t really comprehend exactly how the words “low carb” could strike terror in the hearts of the nonnas until I arrived. At first, I didn’t understand how everyone around me could afford to eat pasta and bread every day. But I quickly learned that the carbs consumed here aren’t of the nutrition-less, highly processed, and preservative laden variety. Instead, carbohydrates are consumed because they are made fresh daily, contain wholesome ingredients, and are eaten as part of a balanced diet. The Italian view on carbohydrate intake has luckily made huge changes on what I define to be “healthy.”
Basically, bread is my new boyfriend. In fact, it is one of the most important relationships I’ve ever been in so I work hard to make sure what we have stays healthy. I take care of myself: I go on runs, try to get a decent amount of sleep, hydrate properly. I get my schoolwork done in advance so I can fully enjoy time with my Italian BF. Admittedly, I think all the time “Ohmygod, I could eat like 2…okay, fine, 8 more of those sandwiches” and its true- I could. But, that’s when the relationship get’s unhealthy. You don’t want to be that girl that spends all her time with her boyfriend, ya know?
I have even found that I have started, albeit melodramatically, telling myself I’m worth it– which is borderline not okay that it took a sandwich for me to realize, but I’m putting it in writing for everyone else to consider the following:
Everybody. Deserves. To. Be. Loved. The. Way. Schiacciata. Loves. Me.
Look, all I’m saying is that it is hard to have RBF when you are eating a schiacciata sandwich. And of course, this isn’t a one-boyfriend-fits-all story. While the situation that needed fixin’ in my case was my perceptions on carbohydrates, maybe yours is about the way you exercise, other certain diets or even study habits.
The love letter to schiacciata I’ve written here is just encouragement for you all to figure out what makes you feel good about yourself and to challenge your conceptions on what you believe to be “healthy.”
Buona fortuna!