Nadia slices a huge zucchini the size of my arm while Milo measures flour and activates the yeast to bake two fresh loaves of sourdough bread.

Amy and I have been invited to lunch with Nadia and Milo for the sake of filming an impromptu organic cooking show. In all honesty, we invited ourselves into their kitchen to save the video portion of my project with literally only days to spare but, in true Italian style, our invasion was welcomed with open arms and a feast to feed a small army.

Their kitchen is cozy and inviting. The couple is very environmentally conscious – they even unplugged their refrigerator 3 years ago. Stripped of facades, relying on essentials and truly valuing the simple, pure things in life I began to think about society’s reliance on convenience. Easy, familiar and instant gratification, (think sliced wonder-bread) take precedence in a fast-paced mile-a-minute lifestyle. Convenience tends to be a motivating factor when making decisions; where to eat, what things to do, which relationships to maintain.

Sitting in the kitchen watching Nadia and Milo interact with one another shatter any negative stereotype I had heard about the “machismo” embedded in Italian culture. The two cook together in seemingly perfect unison – Nadia makes Zucchini Ducale while Milo kneads sourdough. After lunch was prepped, Nadia starts to make delicious elderberry tarts (with the jam they had made together last weekend). Milo gently reminds her not to cook the zucchini with the tarts because they will end up tasting like onions.

After a fabulous lunch and great conversation, Milo gets up immediately and clears the table. Most men in America don’t even do dishes.

There is nothing one-sided about their interactions. Milo, a physics teacher, answers all our questions about sustainability and green-living while Nadia translates his answers and helps him dig into his English vocabulary for words we understand.

That afternoon we  talk and learn more intimately about old traditions and cultural values — lessons I hope to carry with me back home.