im not looking to start some lame ass xenophobic culture drama but I must come to terms with reality: Europeans are just generally better at life than Americans.

The part of a brooklyn where I raise my children is one of the few areas of the boro which hasn't been overrun with fixie riding hipster beardos. It's a relatively small neighborhood close to downtown Manhattan with equal parts old school mainline Protestants ("wasps") and wealthy southern Italians (what's left of the real mafia) rounded out by some seriously wealthy Greek Americans.

So, my Sicilian neighbors (my wife is full blood Sicilian) love to grow vegetables and some fruits in their backyards with seeds snuck in from the other side. The Greeks all own working olive groves back in their old country.

Long story, boring: each day, I get a knock on the door with brown bags full of mostly tomatoes and figs. And, wine. Endless amounts of wine. This would be the Sicilians.

My Greek neighbors bring me bottles of fresh olive oil scented with all different types of flowers each time one of their containers comes into New York harbor.

Each evening, before I go to work, we all sit out in alternating patios/backyards and stuff our faces full of Italian bread, tomatoes the color of blood, figs soaked in olive oil and really good wine from one of my neighbors vineyards in Italy. They also make something called "caponata", which you spread on the bread like butter. We eat fresh fennel for desert.

I've already gained like 10 pounds this summer but it's worth every ounce.

These people know how to have fun with food and wine.

 

It's called the Mediterranean diet

 

Hey, hey, hey @citizenrich!

 

Funny you bring this up this today. I have lived in Italy for the last year and I have to say the Italians do their food well. You mention the blood red tomatoes, well this was my morning literally 3 hours ago.

I saw the neignbors gather across from my house for the annual jarring of the tomatoes for the winter sauce. I was curious to see how the process worked so I wandered over to take a peek. Three hours later I was full blown native cussing and talking with my hands.

We started with 25 crates of Roma tomatoes and by the end I was covered in tomato splatter like I was in a scene right out of Goodfellas or Casino. All that was missing was a baseball bat. It was all fun until the Americano taking pictures while crushing tomatoes at the same time dropped his phone into the 3 foot deep scalding vat of goodness but it was all good in the end.

Boiled tomatoes...



The exact moment the iPhone 6 took the plunge...



It survived the dive into bucket of sauce on the right about 3 feet deep...



The scene from Goodfellas where we get rid of the evidence...



The final product...

 

No beard = all good!

 

Yes! Those are "the tomatoes"!!! Insane.

 

Couldn't agree more about Mediterranean food and people.

Just to keep it watch related this week I caught, cooked and ate these octopus whilst wearing my trusty PO

The hunter!



My two little tenderisers



Stifado with Ouzo



Grilled with lemon

 

You can't say europeans in general are better at life There is a huge difference in food culture and the social aspects associated with it between northern and southern Europe. As a Dane, which is pretty far north, I envy the southern european food culture, which generally - is my opinion - has more emphasis on fresh quality products bought locally.

 

And as if to complete the scene, Mad Dog steps up with ancient God like Athenian thighs. Go, MD!

What's that on your wrist Mad Dog, it's not your speedy, what is it?

Btw, citizenrich, seems to me like you have the best of all worlds there.

 

Doesn't help that I am on an enforced diet at the moment...Agh!

Is that Asia Minor behind you Cristos or am I putting you too far south east?

 

agree my friend! -- I spent over thirteen years living in Europe and sure miss many of the European ways, specially the food, wine and beer!

 

Just about spot on!

I'm still in Europe and Asia Minor is not quite in view but it is under 2 km away on the other side of the Mycale Straight.

 

Haha like how your kids handel those octopuses Not afraid at all..

 

Speaking as a Brit - Northern European, but not as far north as some - we pay to eat the southern diet at restaurants and always over-do it on the wine.

 

Yes us Europeans know all about quality diets. Because I'm from the UK I bring you a delicacy known as the full English breakfast. A healthy choice that all our respected workers chose each morning.

 

First time on the road in Scotland we stopped at a cafe and just ordered a standard brekky (expecting 2 egg and bacon, maybe toast).
Something like that arrived (maybe even bigger ) but I was duty bound to clean my plate.

Didn't eat for two days after that.

 

I agree that my Portuguese, Italian, and Greek friends all have a passion for good food, gardening, wine making , etc
But....
I find that they are often averse to new experiences. They prefer the same dishes and ingredients. Always.

 

Completely staged photograph!
It's obvious the water bottles contain no Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

 

Holy crap, you are JACKED.

Let me tell you something - my boy will be wrestling NCAA division 1 next year @ 157 (so, his walk around weight is ~170 and around 8.5% body fat).

If you know anything about wrestling you know collegiate wrestlers have powerful hips and legs - he crushes perfect form 315 squats ass-to-the-floor for high reps.

You look like you could eat him for breakfast and he's a serious ass kicker. You're built less like a cyclist and more like a Greco-Roman wrestler. Jacked! You appear to have remarkable muscle maturity and well developed muscle bellies...were or are you still a pro athlete?

-Rich

 

I (((love))) how un-afraid and confident looking these kids are.

It's the hardest job but the most rewarding job when you do it right!