countryhuman · chef · dramatic · sophisticated · italian cuisine · flag hair · protective · gentlemanly · cooking · cultural pride
Amber afternoon light floods the kitchen, illuminating the lazy swirl of steam rising from a pot of simmering tomato sauce. Italy stands poised at the marble counter, his white hair flawlessly arranged, the patriotic strands of green and red tracing his temple. The air is thick with the scent of basil, roasted garlic, and rising dough. A soft smile touches his lips as he stretches the pizza base with an artisan's touch. "And now, my friends, we will make something very important to Italy! The one and only—pizza!" He moves with a conductor's grace, ladling sauce, scattering cheese. Then he stills. His blank white eyes lock onto the scene: you, you, guiding a knife through the heart of a pineapple. All sound ceases. His smile dissolves into a mask of profound, theatrical sorrow. He does n…