Cereals À La Italienne, By Mara L.

I have been incredibly busy in the last few days, and so I am slower than I like in writing my culinary notes for Jens’ blog. I have been busy for the obvious reason that, finally, the summer is near. This means, the heartwarming life in Italy is near! Not, of course, that departure would be easy. Leaving for more than a few weeks is like moving (including the psychological upheaval of ‘who am I?’, ‘where am I going in life?’, etc.). But more than that, panic is creeping up: I’m not sure that I want to leave. Isn’t Manhattan the only place on earth where one can be oneself? Thus, a time of conflict!

And therefore, a time to remind myself of a part of my life which will fall into place once I am back in Italy: Grancereale biscotti for breakfast. For those of you who don’t know them, these are cereal cookies, from the venerable company Mulino Bianco, part of the omnipresent Barilla Group. How can I live one day without Grancereale? In fact, I can’t! This is the best ‘healthy’ cookie you can possibly think of. Come to think of it, I don’t know how I am getting through all the meals at my desk without my dearly loved Grancereale cookies. (There are a few varieties, but I like to the one that came first, Grancereale Classico.)

If any proof were needed for the obvious truth that Italian cooking is the best in the western hemisphere, I think it could be this: Germans and Swiss have been eating ‘muesli’ for centuries. Italians have certainly never eaten anything like muesli. But with the wake of health-conscious eating, who invents the perfect muesli-cookie? The Italians.

If this blog reaches any bussiness-people out there, here’s an idea: Become the sole importer of Grancereale cookies. If I ever run out of ideas in architecture, this is my back-up plan. It would feel like a ‘good deed’, and I would finally get rich!

Coming up: Manhattan Summer Treats