random thoughts – Day 1,423 – (Thursday) – artichoke slivers

A year ago, I was counting the days to a March trip to Rome. There were musings about what to pack, which resulted in several purchase. Jeans. Footwear. Rain coat. Rain hat. Small umbrella. It’s always fun to figure out which me I want to be on vacation. Casual? Sporty? Dressy? Practical? Escaped lumberjack clad in flannel? Completely coordinated in head-to-toe black? There are always so many options.

Nearly a year later, I barely recall what I packed and of that, what I wore. But I remember some of the things I ate. Today, the memory of a dish I had in a restaurant in Tivoli near Villa Adriana parked itself in my brain. It was the one day of that week that I didn’t have pizza. Even though pizza was noted on the sign outside Villa Esedra Ristorante, wood fired pizza was only available on the dinner menu, still a few hours off.

Pasta with toasted artichoke slices.

In lieu of pizza, the dish I ordered was big tube pasta with thinly sliced, crisply toasted artichoke. And it was delicious. I have been thinking about those crispy artichoke slices ever since. How are they sliced? How are they toasted? How were they seasoned? 

This weekend will likely involve research on artichokes and menus of local Italian restaurants in search of a similar dish. Or, I could probably book a flight to Rome. 

It’s making me sad that there is no travel on my calendar yet. Nothing to look forward to. No spreadsheets with wardrobe items cross referenced for compatibility with other items. Nothing to dream about. 

It’s time to get busy and start planning. And interrogate my Italian friends about pasta with toasted artichoke.