Pasta, Pizza, Sandwiches, Pastries, Cereals, and Chips. All are foods that can be made gluten free, but will never taste the same again. I vividly remember the day I was diagnosed with Celiac disease at the young age of nine years old, wondering what my new way of living would entail. As I have spent over half of my life now living with the challenges of this diet, and finding the best alternatives to resume normality in my life, I will always go back to one meal.
     This meal, the meal I would choose every time if asked what I wanted my last meal to be, the pasta carbonara from a local restaurant in Hartland, Wisconsin, Zesti. This was my all time favorite meal throughout my childhood, and as this is my last meal anyways, I can assume that a little bit of gluten wouldn’t make a difference. Another aspect to note before diving into the components of this meal is the fact that I plan to live the rest of my days as a vegetarian. But, at this point in my life, taking my last bites, I would find myself making an exception for this dish and this dish only being it is not vegetarian.
     I can remember my perfect family of four, prior to it becoming all messy and blended, going to this restaurant for every special occasion and at any chance we could get. Both my sister and I would get this pasta dish without a doubt every single time. Within this dish are soft linguini noodles with a perfect creamy carbonara sauce, topped with bright green peas, and crispy bacon bits, all combined to taste like heaven. As my mouth waters simply thinking about it I would have to get their strawberry lemonade that tastes as refreshing as that first sip of water after a long hot run, combined with this meal to make the perfect pair.
     So, not only would I want my last meal on Earth to be enjoyable, but I would want it to be memorable in a way that I couldn’t have eaten it on any other day. As this dish follows none of my dietary requirements, this final meal wouldn’t be able to be eaten on any other day.