15 Sure Signs An Italian Lives In Your Home

I have been a proud Italian American for my whole life...defending polenta and bagna cauda in my Atlanta elementary school and making pizzelle and torchetti every Christmas instead of gingerbread. But in the last few years, through working with Italy, receiving my dual citizenship, and being engaged to a Sicilian, I have become much more present-day Italian. Recently I took notice to a few aspects of our home and realized that our decor and way of living that slightly varies from that of the American norm. Here's what I found. An Italian might be living in your home if...

1. Twenty out of 24 bottles in your wine fridge are Italian, and they're good/hard to find Italian. (Allegrini La Grola, Fontanafredda No Name, Nino Negri 5 Stelle Sfursat, Cesare Bosan Amarone, Tramin Lagrein, Fontanafredda Già)

2. Both the man and woman have the same amount of shoes...it might even be that the man has more.

3. Even though the house is kept at 75 Fahrenheit, there are still two comforters on the bed.

4. A good deal of your bath products are Italian, due to the fact that you forgot to pack them on your latest trip (see above nail polish remover...thank you Fiumicino farmacia!)

 5. Your coffee maker is a bit...smaller...than those in American households (and in my case, your Italian fiance does not know how to make drip coffee - it is a confusing concept to him).

6. 75% of your hot tea collection is Chamomile. Did you know it cures all? Even una colpa di vento (which exists only if you are Italian).

7. Carb staples in the house? Pasta, polenta, and risotto. The only rice that is actually used is risotto - any other kind expired years ago but is kept in the back because you never throw anything away.

8. Important dinner tools include a ricer (also used for gnocchi), pasta maker, and ravioli cutter.

9. Washcloths...what are those? Decorative towels that you only use to dry your hands, of course! (Definitely not for washing in the shower).

10. Even if it is freezing out, the window is open. We need to air out the apartment, after all.

11. You apartment decorations are ceramics from your respective region (Caltagirone from Catania in our household).

  

12. Your cookbook collection includes IlCucchiaio d'Argento..and a libro del pane.

13. Your cereal collection remains unopened until you have guests, but Belvita has a nice dent in it.

14. Your wine openers are gifted from friends or people you've met.

15. Padre Pio and St. Francis are staples on the night tables and bedroom walls.

 Anyone out there also experienced these cultural bridges, let's call them?