Marco Polo Returns

The Kid Squid is back from Venice, where he had a tempo meraviglioso strolling along the canals, exposing himself to art, and soaking up all the delights that La Serenissima has to offer.

Chief among these, of course, was gluten.

It was with a look of some guilt and disquiet that he addressed my usual question to a returning traveller, 'What was the best thing you ate?' At first he skirted the issue with the excuse that it was difficult to choose just one dish - or even one particular meal - since they were all so perfectly prepared, delicious, and memorable, etc. etc. Ever persistent, I finally winkled the truth out of him - he did nothing for a week but gorge himself on tortellini, lasagne, pizza, sweet breakfast pastries and his new favorite food of all time, gnocchi (the potato ones that look like little kidneys, rather than the Roman ones made with semolina - not that that it makes a difference, since both varieties are loaded with gluten).

Apologizing for his disloyalty and allowing that I would have an emotionally difficult time in Venice these days, he added that he did notice a few allowances were made for gluten guerillas vacationing in the centro storico. The Squid even took a picture to prove that a) he was not insensitive to my plight and b) he was thinking of me while he was away.

Isn't that sweet?

I think later this week I'll make him gnocchi for dinner.