The Final Supper- Blog #20

I can't believe that the semester is almost over. It seems like I just arrived yesterday and now it's almost time to go back home. Our final dinner was a sad reminder of how soon that semester is about to end. However, it was a wonderful celebration of the semester and the wonderful experience I have had this semester.

We went to a restaurant called Trattoria Da Cesare al Casaletto. I had never heard of it before but I am so glad I got the opportunity to go. It took us awhile to get there, the regional train and the tram are my saviors, but it was incredibly worth it. The restaurant was fairly small which created a cozy environment. Everyone at the restaurant besides us was Italian, which to me is always a sign of good food to come! I thought our professor was exaggerating when she told us to come hungry....but I don't think I've ever been so full in my entire life. I think I waddled out of the restaurant.

We had multiple courses and within each course, we had multiple dishes, I don't think I've ever seen so much food in my life. For antipasti we had two types of meatballs, one beef and one eggplant, I really loved the eggplant one because it was a little unusual but it was incredibly flavorful. The eggplant paired well with the tomato sauce the layered on top of it. We also had fried gnocchi with cacio e pepe sauce, I had never have had fried gnocchi before and now I'm on a mission to find some more. The cacio e pepe sauce was also interesting with the gnocchi as I have never had that pasta and sauce pairing. I think they worked really well together, the spice of the sauce was calmed by the basic flavor of gnocchi.

For our primi we had two dishes, a fish broth and broccoli soup and gnocchi all'amatriciana. Both are classic Roman dishes. I had never had the fish and broccoli soup before but it was absolutely delicious. The fish flavor was nice and delicate and the broccoli added a nice texture. The gnocchi all'amatriciana was interesting as well, normally amatriciana is served with bucatini so it was odd to have it with gnocchi.

The secondi round was incredibly interesting. I love ox tail, I usually have it in osso bucco, so when I heard that one of our secondi dishes was ox tail I was pretty excited!. Coda alla vaccinara is a delicious dish with ox tail, carrots, celery, tomatoes and garlic. It reminded me of the stew my mom makes back home, it made me a little homesick for all the delicious fall and winter foods my mom makes. We also had tripa alla romana. When it comes to food I'm a big fan of trying things and then finding out what they are. When I tried blood sausage for the first time my mom made me try it and then told me what it was. I'm glad she told me after because otherwise I wouldn't have tried it and I would have missed out on what is now one of my favorite Irish foods. Tripe follows along the same lines. Now I'm about to talk about what tripe is, so anyone who hasn't tried it STOP READING and go try it!

Tried it?

Good, you just at the stomach of a cow (well it could have been any ruminant animal but it was most likely a cow). I love tripe, I find it incredibly delicious (as long as I don't think about it too much) and this tripe was stewed in tomatoes, garlic and vegetables and all sorts of yummy ingredients that made it incredibly flavourful.

I have a serious sweet tooth so our dolce tasting plate was absolutely perfect! We had a tiramisu, creme caramel, mousse di cioccolato, two tarts-one was cherry and the other was apricot and we had a peanut brittle as well. All of the desserts were so wonderful. One of my favorite things about Italian desserts is that they have the perfect amount of sweetness, no dessert thatI have had here has been too sweet!

This dinner combined much of what we have talked about in class and a lot of what I have learned merely from eating out during my time here. Although Italians don't eat as much every day as we did during our dinner, we covered all of the courses of a big, tradiitonal Italaian meal. Starting with antipasti and moving through the primi, secondi, dolce, and after dinner drink (in our case an amaro, though it could have been an espresso or some other liqour). We also were able to try many specialties of Rome. Regionality is something we have talked about in class extensivley and something that can be seen in everyday life here in Italy. Each region has dishes they are known for and that are more commonly found on menus.Our final dinner was the perfect ending, to the perfect semester. Thank you professor Simari for what has been one of the most amazing classes I have ever taken. 

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

Slow Food in a Fast World- Blog #19

I found it interesting how the reading portrayed the Slow Food movement versus how the movie portrayed it. The movie was much more positive in its portrayal of the Slow Food movement than the reading was.

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The reading focused more on gastronomy and how it is a more modern concept. This is because for gastronomy to develop the population needed to have enough money that they could spend freely on luxury food and enough time in the day to devote to simply enjoying food as an experience. The reading also talks about how slow food is important to gastronomy, slow food is rooted in food that is grown and prepared in classical or traditional ways. The slow food movement wants to 'save the world from the excesses of modernity' and bring people back to their roots. The French Terroir Strategy was incredibly interesting to read about, I love how it is based on the idea that regional specialties are just that, special. They can not and should not be replicated anywhere else because the quality will be diminished since the ingredients will be of a lesser quality or the producer won't have knowledge of how to properly produce the product. The author discusses how the Slow Food movement can be quite artificial however, he gives the example of how Petrini basically fabricated stores and ways of production that aren't necessarily authentic or traditional, He almost forces producers and farmers into ways of production that might not be true to their origins. The author seems to have a cynical view of the Slow Food movement because of this fact, He also seems cynical towards it because the Slow Food movent doesn't seem to have a plan on how to handle world hunger. The author also states that 'Slow Food's elite is reserved for those who have already reaped the benefits of Culinary Modernism.' However, this is clearly contradicted in the movie.

As mentioned above, the movie has a much more positive view of the slow food movement. It comes at the subject from a much more humanistic point of view than the reading. It does so by telling the stories of multiple groups or individuals around the world who are doing something that is recognized by the Slow Food movement, at the end of the movie we see all of these individuals or groups receiving awards from the Slow Food movement. The movie was interesting as it bounced all around the world, giving viewers a chance to see the Slow Food movement in a very cross-cultural way. The movie focused on how bringing back or going back to traditional practices has helped encourage biodiversity (with the example of the Sanmarzano tomato in Italy) and given a boost to local economies (with the example of how Vanilla has given the people in a region of Mexico a reason to stay in their hometown and in the Mixteca region to resume farming amaranth.)

The reading and the movie both talk about the importance of biodiversity. The movie especially talks about this in Australia when we are taken to the Botanical Ark which protects species from around the world. Biodiversity is something that I  am very interested in. We live in a world where corporations have patents on seeds and where those seeds have taken over, leaving the world with less and less biodiversity of incredibly important plants. The Irish famine was in part caused by a lack of biodiversity in potatoes, it should be a warning of what the consequences of a lack of biodiversity can be.

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In Italy, I have been able to enjoy such a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Since Italy has areas with incredible growing potential and a fairly temperate climate for most of the year, Italian farmers are able to produce an incredible variety of vegetation. Not only that but the Italians have a clear focus on making sure what is on your table is as local as possible and as fresh as possible. I love knowing that the food I am eating is both fresh and close to home. Even in Mensa we always have many choices in vegetables and fruit every day. We usually have 3-4 different vegetables waiting for us and there are always baskets of fresh, whole fruit at the start of the line (including oranges from our own courtyard)!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

I Want A Pizza Named After Me- Blog #18

I firmly believe pizza should be its own food group. So living in a country where you can find pizza anywhere you go had lead to a food fulfilled life and many Eat. Pray. Love. moments. You know that scene, the one where she has eaten so much pizza she needs to buy new jeans so she and her friend go out shopping and the hilarity of trying to button the jeans ensues. 

The pizza that caused this scene? Pizza Margherita in Napoli.

Pizza Margherita has to be one of the better-known types of pizza and the supposed history of its name is quite the story. According to the reading, Queen Margherita and King Umberto I were visiting Naples and the Queen was bored with the French cuisine being served to them and desired something local. A local pizza maker was called to prepare a variety of pizzas for the Queen, one of which consisted of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This was the Queen's favorite and thus the pizza maker changed the name of the pizza from pizza alla mozzarella to pizza Margherita. Although, as the author points out, there are many flaws and issues with this story it's a celebrated story to this day!

One of my favorite things about Italy is that they will put ANYTHING on pizza, and I do mean anything. From sweet Nutella pizza to savory artichoke and tomato; from normal Margherita to the wild french fry and hot dog....every taste can be satisfied. I also love the difference between street pizza, which tends to be almost focaccia-like, compared to the pizza you get when you order in a sit-down restaurant, which is our typical circular thin crust. My favorite pizza I've had here was a little unusual by our standards. It was the focaccia-like street pizza that was topped with a tomato sauce, artichokes, green olives, and sausage and....it had no cheese (cue the gasps). It was simple, fresh, and delicious. Pizza is practically a religion here, so it's no wonder there's such a diverse sample to pick and choose from; everyone can have what they want...and if you're lucky, someone might just name a pizza after you.

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

An American in Rome- Blog #17

Post WWII Italy saw many changes. There was huge economic and industrial growth, especially in the north, which caused a large number of southerners to move to the north. This no doubt had an impact on the food culture in more ways than one. Emigrants from the south had two choices once they moved to the north, as mentioned in the reading, they could forget their food traditions and fully immerse themselves in the culture of the north or they could bring their food traditions with them and share them with those in the north eventually. There was also a modernization of society in general; cars, trains, tv and radio all saw further advancements that made it easier to get around and helped introduce the 'consumer culture.' Companies were able to combine advertisement with the television to spread the image of their products into homes across the country.

In the post-WWII era, Americans became heroes, the people to emulate. Americans had freed Italians from the Nazis and Fascists and then their aid had helped rebuild Italy. Many Italians, especially the younger generation wanted to become American, and if they couldn't do that they wanted to bring America to Italy. American culture became a fascination for many, from the celebrities to cinema and music to what they ate. In them move An American in Rome, this is clearly seen in the character of Nando Moriconi. Although the movie is a comedic satire of the way some Italians acted, it gets at the truth. I love how the reading points out that although there was a lot Italians wanted to emulate about American culture, it was hard to argue that food was better in the US than in Italy.

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Regional differences in food can still be seen, each area has specialties that they are known for. Recently my parents came to visit me and we took a driving trip through Tuscany. We stopped at so many adorable towns and had some amazing food! There were lots of porchetta sandwiches.

I'm officially one of those people who takes pictures of their food and the gorgeous sites in the distance, but I just couldn't help myself. This is quite literally a roll and some sliced up porchetta. 

Then while we were in Sienna I had an amazing dish! It was called up Ravioli dello chef, it had arugula, walnuts, and cream in the filling and was covered in a parsley, arugula, and cream sauce.

It was super simple but it was like I was eating comfort food. It was a specialty at the restaurant which always draws my eyes if they call it their specialty you are pretty much guaranteed some delicious food! Tuscany was probably one of my favorite food places that I've been to overall, everywhere we went to the food was amazing and, being in wine country and all, the wine was exellent!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

I'm Glad I'm Not A Fascist Or A Futurist- Blog #16

Tactile Pajama Parties.

I feel like that should clue you into the insanity that is the Futurist movement. I don't think I'll every quite understand the Futurist movement, I don't think it's meant to be understood, it's just that wild. Futurism was a movement that had a focus on speed, violence (especially the glorification of war), and modernity. The 1800s were the perfect time for this kind of movement, there were all sorts of technological advances (the train, preservation, and steam power to name a few) that help modernize the world and made it more efficient and quicker to get around in the world.

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The Futurists had already made their way through almost every other art form with little to no success and so they took a last chance gamble with the culinary arts, and failed spectacularly yet again. The Futurists were simply too outrageous for the Italians. The whole idea of the futurist culinary experience was to be multi-sensory, eating with your hands, touching a pad that had various textures, having perfume sprayed at you, and the visual stimulation of their restaurant (Taverna del Santopalato) itself with its modern, metal look. The nail in the coffin however was when Marinetti, the leader of the movement abolished pasta because it was 'too weighty and bulky for the speed and dynamism of modern life.' If there is one thing you don't mess with in Italy, it would be pasta. The amount of pasta I have consumed here is bordering on gluttony. Pasta is so important to the Italians they've even made it fast food like! On a recent trip to Venice our first stop was lunch at Dal Moro's-Fresh Pasta To Go. We went to a shoebox of a restaurant that had no tables and was tucked into the maze that is Venice. You can see them making fresh pasta in the window, all shapes and sizes. You get to customize what shape of pasta you want, what sauce and any add ons! Its quick, fresh and they use natural ingredients.

I got the pesto with chicken sausage. I told them to give me whatever pasta shape they thought was best and they gave me rotini. It was absolutely delicious! 

Although Marinetti's reasoning behind abolishing pasta seems to fit within the Futurist mindset, the real reason he did it was to try and gain Mussolini's favor. Mussolini was a politician who liked to have every aspect of society under his control, and food was no different. To Mussolini food was yet another political tool that he could use to reach his goals. Mussolini wanted Italy to be self-sufficient and not rely on other countries for food imports, one of these imports was grain. Mussolini's "Battle for Grain" is probably one of his most well-known feats, the government pushed farmers to grow grain so that Italy wouldn't have to import it anymore and even drained swamps and destroyed vineyards to make more land to grow this grain on. They also promoted the eating and growing of rice as a substitute Marinetti abolishing pasta and promoting the eating of rice went right along with what Mussolini wanted, Marinetti did so with the false hope that Mussolini supporting the Futurist movement.

At the end of the day all I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to experience the culinary trials of the Fascist or the Futurists, imagine a world without pasta!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

A Unified Country and Cookbook -Blog #15

Italy is a fairly young country, it was only fully unified in 1870. The unification process is one with a long story, it is a story filled with violence and struggle. Italy was a deeply divided country, and many would argue that it is still heavily divided today. Italians were divided in many ways; economy, social structures, language, and food. However, there is a Risorgimento food hero, Pellegrino Artusi. 

Unification was a slow process

Artusi's life story honestly sounds like a movie. Originally from the Emilia-Romagna region, he and his family fled to Florence after being robbed and terrorized by brigands. Artusi eventually amassed a wealth that allowed him to live a comfortable life, one where he could turn his focus to food. Artusi wrote a cookbook (Science in the Kitchen) that included recipes from all over the country, helping bridge the divide. He asked his readers to send in their own recipes and with each edition of his cookbook, more and more recipes were added. Artusi also helped with the language barrier many Italians faced by defining Florentine words in a way that would be understandable to other Italians, something that as a non-native Florentine speaker he well understood. 

I mean, just look at that facial hair!

Although regional food difference may be a sign that Italy was never fully unified, I think these differences are also incredibly important. They add diversity and innovation to the culinary experience of Italy as a whole, just like the differences between food in the North-East and South add diversity in the US. I have loved exploring all the different food every region of Italy I've visited has to offer me. When I was in Venice I was able to get incredibly fresh and local seafood that I wouldn't have been able to get in Umbria and in Umbria, I was able to have incredibly fresh and local truffles that I wouldn't have been able to get in Venice. The differences between the regions are fascinating and tell stories about the area and the people who live there, every region has different 'classic' dishes that they are known for and I think thats amazing. 

You Say You Want A Revolution- Blog #14

We had chocolate in class. I say this and it may seem kinda silly to mention, 'So what?' Anyone who knows me knows what a sweet tooth I have, especially when it comes to chocolate. Now why did I mention that we had chocolate in class? Because it was the best chocolate I've had in my life. I'm talking fly to Italy just to get this chocolate, good. Our professor picked the chocolate up from a place called Confetteria Moriondo e Gariglio and let me tell you, this place has an amazing history.

Look at how cute it is!

 It was founded in 1850 in Turin but then moved to Rome after the unification of Italy. We got to try a chocolate (mine was a dark chocolate) and a fruit jelly (I had an apricot one) and both were amazing, the chocolate was just sweet enough and the fruit jelly, which was made using real fruit juice, by the way, didn't taste artificial in any way. Seriously, if you're ever in Rome you should check this place out, it is definitely worth your time. 

It was amazing to learn about the European Food Revolution, and how it impacted Italy. Although France became the center of Nouvelle cuisine, the impact of the changes nouvelle cuisine brought could be felt in Italy. Whereas eating food out of season had been a popular trend, it now became popular to only eat fresh and as local as possible. There also started to be a distinction between sweet and savory, with sweets now being eaten at the end of the meal. One of the largest changes in my mind was the fact that spices became less important and prominent in cuisine and trade, though tea, chocolate, and coffee seemingly replaced them.

Hot chocolate is very different here in Italy than it is at home in the US. Here in Italy is much thicker and always made with milk, it's practically chocolate pudding. On a trip to Verona, my friends and I stopped in a small cafe for something warm to drink and for a light lunch. This cafe had a huge list of different flavors of hot chocolate that you could order, I decided to get the chocolate, hazelnut one and it tasted like Nutella pudding! I don't know how they get it so thick but I need to learn because I absolutely love hot chocolate here!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

Reflection of the Cured Meats Presentation- Blog #13

Cured meats are nothing new to me, in fact back at home my family has what we call 'cold night.' 'Cold night' consists of good, crusty bread, a bunch of cured meats, cheeses, and usually some sort of cold salad. This summer I had the chance to go to the Mother Earth News Fair (Mother Earth News is an awesome magazine and you should definately check it out, here's the link for the fair), which is all about independence and self-reliance know how and how to. One of the lectures/demonstrations I went to was by Meredith Leigh who has to be one of the most fascinating humans I've ever encountered in my life. 

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She is a writer (her book The Ethical Meat Handbook has a bunch of yummy recipes and lots of advice) a butcher, a farmer, and a cook....in other words she's pretty badass. Not only does she know how to raise the animals but she also knows how to properly butcher them and how to turn them into all sorts of 'small, delicious, morsels' as she calls them, and now she's sharing her knowledge. She gave a talk and demonstration on an 'Introduction to Charcuterie' she gave basic tips and tricks and some awesome recipes for various cured meats. Needless to say when the group said they were talking about cured meats I was a happy camper.

It was interesting to learn that salumi was an important part of the Italian diet, but only happened out of the needed to preserve meat for a longer period of time. I also didn't realize how regional cured meats were, though from all we've discussed this year it really shouldn't have been a surprise. It makes sense that cured meats in the south tend to be spicery because food in general is spicier in the south.  The group covered three different cured meats from three different regions; speck from the northeast, prosciutto from the central, and 'nduja from the south. Although I had heard of speck and prosciutto before, I had never hear of 'nduja. 'Nduja is a spicy cured meat made with leftover bits of pig. It is spiced with the calabrian chile pepper, which is known to be quite spicy. As someone who loves spicy food and pushing my 'spice limit' I'm excited to try this cured meat at some point in the future!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

Reflection on the Truffle Presentation- Blog #12

I love truffles.Now I know what you're thinking, who doesn't love chocolate?! Chocolate truffles used to be the only kind of truffle I appreciated, but my time in Italy has shown me the beauty of the other kind of truffles. 

The group that presented on truffles did such a wonderful job, I learned so much about them! Truffles are a fungus and come in all shapes and sizes and in a few different colors, though black and white are the most common. Truffles are incredibly expensive and hard to find (both in stores and while actually scavenging for them). To find them dogs (and sometimes pigs) are used because of their superior sense of smell. Although they are underground, usually found in the roots of oak and beech trees, these dogs and pigs are able to smell them and point their owners in the right direction. Although the truffles can be hard to find in stores, in Italy there are markets that make them easier to find. I found it fascinating that some vendors will try and join truffles together to make one large truffle because larger truffles have a better flavor profile. I also had no idea that truffles are best when eaten fresh, I didn't think it made a difference!

The group mentioned that Umbria is an area that is known for truffles, something that brought me back to our orientation trip to Umbria. The Umbria trip was where I discovered my love of the non-chocolate truffle. Since it was a regional specialty, I decided that I wanted to try it in as many ways as I could. Thankfully the Osteria my friends and I went to for dinner had a set 'truffle' menu that included an antipasti and a primi that had truffles in them. I had a bruschetta with a truffle tapenade and prosciutto. I loved how the saltiness of the prosciutto paired well with the earthiness of the truffle tapenade. 

 For my primi I was served a pasta tossed in garlic olive oil and truffle shavings. It was incredibly simple and basic, only three ingredients, but it was one of the most delicious meals that I have had here in Italy. 

It was great learning more about what has become a new food obsession and being able to reflect on one of my first food experiences in Italy!

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

An Extravagant Affair -Post #11

The Renaissance is a quintessential part of Italian history, it's impact can still be seen today. Although the Renaissance was important for art and culture in general, it also had an impact on food and the way food is eaten. Foods and dishes that still exist today started to develop in this era and Rome became the epicenter of Italian food according to Dickie. Dining in this era, for the elite at least, could be extremely extravagant. This can especially be seen in the banquet held for the wedding of Ercole d'Este.

Compared to modern banquets an extraordinary amount of food was served, this almost gluttony like serving simply isn't seen today. In addition, banquets today normally don't have eight courses with as many dishes in each course that were served at this wedding banquet. In modern times banquets are generally buffet style with all the courses and dishes lined up together or one dish for each course is served for each course. Finally, this banquet was extremely lavish not only in what is served and the amount served but certainly in the expense of the banquet. Modern banquets can be expensive but nowhere near the cost that this banquet must have reached. I would consider this banquet to be cosmopolitan, there are so many dishes served and seasoned and prepared in such a variety of ways that one gets a wide range of flavors and cooking traditions. Although I love protein in my diet, this feast takes it to the extreme, every course has multiple dishes with some animal or seafood in it. Although my math could be way off, I tried to estimate how many animals would be required for each dish, I estimate that about 21 animals and sea creatures would have been killed for each guest (and this was only for the first four courses out of eight!). The extravagance of this banquet doesn't quite fit my tastes, but Trimalchio probably would have felt a bit more comfortable. Trimalchio would have loved the extravagant nature of all the dishes with their use of exotic spices and by the variety of entertainment provided. However, he might have been put off by some of the dishes served, especially the seafood as seafood was something they didn't really consume during his time. He also may have been confused by everyone sitting at one table instead of people sitting at various levels based on social standing as they would have been arranged at his feast.

Though he is full of contradictions, Platina the Papal librarian, scholar, and writer, gives us a look into food and health in his book Respectable Pleasure and Good Health.  Though his book doesn't contain any recipes from the Renaissance it does give us a look into how Italians thought food related to health during this time. It came as no surprise to me that there was a return to Galenic theory and the need to balance the humors. Although some of Galen's theories about how to balance 'humors' and the 'humors' overall are slightly ridiculous I completely agree that food can impact one's metabolism and health. When I eat healthier, I feel healthier, when I eat too much dairy I can get congested and have more mucus in my body. Food and health have a direct relationship, though different than what Galen thought.

I found Grieco's description of the social value placed on foods during the Renaissance completely fascinating and a trend that continues even today. In the Renaissance, they had something called 'The Great Chain of Being where food was ranked according to nobility. The higher up the more noble the food, these foods were generally reserved for the upper class.Though we don't have an actual list like those in the Renaissance, there are still social connotations assigned to various foods today. For example, caviar isn't something people who are poor or with low social standing eat. This trend can sometimes be observed in restaurants today. Generally speaking, if the restaurant's prices are lower the quality and type of ingredients used are what many would consider 'lower-class.' Now this doesn't mean that the food will be of lower quality, I've been to many small restaurants here in Italy with amazing food and low prices and simple/basic ingredients. Sometimes extravagence isn't the answer with food.

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

Cheese Me Up -Post #10

My love for cheese knows no bounds, it sounds dramatic but it's true. I love how many varieties, flavors, and textures there are in the cheese world; there is a cheese for every person's preferences. A major concern in the ancient world was finding ways to preserve or extend the life of various ingredients. With wheat, it was turning it into bread, with grapes turning them into wine, and with milk, it was turning it into cheese. Although the process of cheese making began in the Middle East, the process slowly made its way to other regions around the world. Firebaugh mentions how amazing it is to remember that all cheeses begin with one simple ingredient, milk. Cheese can be made from any sort of milk, typically milk from an animal but plant milks such as soy can also be used and are becoming more popular with the rise of alternative diets. It's interesting how different types of animals produce milk with unique flavor profiles and miles with different fat and protein contents so that the cheeses they produce can be incredibly diverse in flavor and texture. It's also interesting to note how animals diets can greatly impact the flavor profile of the cheese produced with it, with free-grazing animals' milk (and thus cheese) having much more variety in flavor than their grain-fed counterparts. I also didn't realize how intensive and diverse the cheese making process can be. Slight changes in the cheese making process completely changes the type of cheese you get. Back at home in the US my family has something we call 'cold night' where we eat various breads and crackers, cured meats, and lots of cheeses, in Italy cheese can be served in the same way as a primi.

Something surprising that people may not realize is that although Italians put cheese on their pasta, they put significantly less on than we do in the US and the cheese is often put on in the kitchen rather than at the table. Often there is no cheese provided at the table and if you ask for it you may get a shocked look and a harsh 'no' especially if your dish contains fish or is spicy as they don't want the cheese to disrupt these flavors. 

 I'll take cheese any way I can get it, whether as a primi, on top of pasta or stuffed into a tomato; cheese always has a place on my table. 

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

Italians Stole the Tomato -Post #9

Tomatoes aren't native to Italy, I'll give you a minute to process. I know, I hear you saying 'But tomatoes are classic in Italian food, red pasta sauce is like...their thing!' But it's undeniably true, tomatoes aren't native to Italy, they came from the 'New World' in the 16th century and even then it took some time for them to be accepted into the Italian diet. Something considered a quintessential part of the Italian diet and 'Italianess' in general, is not actually Italian. I'm sorry I had to break the news to you, but someone had to. Tomatoes aren't the only thing the Italians have absorbed into their diet from abroad, though. 

Maize and the potato also made their way to Europe from the 'New World' and slowly but surely found a place in European diets, especially the diets of peasants. Both maize and the potato were considered lower class. This time period was plagued with famines and malnutrition in general, especially because diets became dependent on one ingredient. Maize and the potato both became popular eventually out of hunger but also because they were easy to grow and gave a high yield. Because of the rise of maize and the potato Italy gained two more 'classics,' polenta made from ground cornmeal and gnocchi made from potatoes (though gnocchi can be made from flour as well).

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 Although reluctant to include them in their diets at first, potatoes, maize, and especially tomatoes became an important part of the Italian diet, some even becoming classics!

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

A Barbarian Diet for Me -Post #8

"You are what you eat," it's a common saying that's used when we are children to make us eat healthier. In a broader sense though what we eat does tell us who we are, or at least it tells about our culture. When the Roman Empire fell and the "barbarians" gained more power, eating habits changed in some ways and yet also retained a 'roman-ness' in others. Instead of the Mediterranean triad of grains, grapes, and olives, there was somewhat of a switch to meat, milk, and butter. However, as we talked about in class, you can't have church without grain, grapes, and olives so the Mediterranean triad didn't fall out of favor completely. Now I love Mediterranean food, but I'm Irish and Polish so I'm definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl, so the barbarian diet doesn't sound too bad to me. Something that fascinated me about the reading was how important the 'barbarian' ways of foraging and hunting became popular as these were things the Romans once abhorred. Although there were some changes in diet in what exactly they ate, these changes added more diversity and thus more stability and nutrition to the peasant's diet. Not only was the food more nutritious but with a wider variety to pick from and with more ingredients to use the food probably started to be a little better (in a very, very small, baby step kind of way).

Montanari states that 'production and consumption of food were closely linked' in the middle ages and I find this particularly interesting especially considering the recent return to this way of life. In recent times there has been a push for eating as 'local' as you can, especially from your own garden. Self-sufficiency is slowly on the rise again, people are looking for a more artisanal product. I see this a lot in the US but even more so in Italy I see people eating fresh, local products and these products also featured in restaurants you go to. Using what you have fresh and available to us is a common theme that rings true even today in Italy. In Umbria, they are known for mushrooms and truffles. You know what was all over menus there? Truffle and mushrooms. 

Mushroom and Truffle bruschetta

Mushroom and Truffle pasta.

In Cinque Terre they are known for pesto and lemons, and you know what you find a lot of all over Cinque Terre? Pesto in all kinds of dishes and lemon everything (from candy to soap to some amazing limoncello).

Pizza we got from a small local place. He called it 'tricolor pizza' and it had fresh, local pesto on it.

Eating local tends to mean everything is fresh and delicious and if it's a local specialty, you know they're doing it right!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia. 

Lessons Well Learned - Post #7

It is fascinating to me how little is known about native Italian grapes, how so many remain unidentified, especially when you consider the fact that wine is a pretty big deal here in Italy. D'Agata speaks to the classification of grapes in his reading, classifications that I didn't even knew existed! Who knew that not only a grapes native, international or traditional, but that within those classifications are further sub-classifications. To many people, including myself, wine was just wine made from grapes and that's all I cared to know. But as D'Agata mentions, native grapes are much more than grapes, they represent culture. Recently I went to Cinque Terre and stayed in Riomaggiore. There I was able to have a wonderful wine tasting of four of their local wines. I was excited to have the wine tasting, as I was with a friend not in this class and was excited to teach her everything I had learned about proper wine tasting in class. We stoped at a small local place called Bar e Vini a Piè de Mà. It was right by the water which only added to the wonderful experience. 

At one point my friend asked me "How are you smelling green apple? I just don't understand, did they put green apple in it?" It was a boost to be able to tell her that we had learned that certain chemical molecules in the wine create smells we can recognize, like green apple or peach! That's why when you smell a wine you can smell various fruits, flowers and so on, its not that there's green apple in the wine but there are chemical compounds in the wine that produce a green apple smell. 

In all we tried four wines. The first was Costa De Sera from Cinque Terre in general, the second was La Polenza from Corniglia, the third was Tobiolo from Manarola and the fourth was La Torre (Albana di Campiglia) from Riomaggiore. 

With the wine we were given some of their fresh focaccia (a local classic in Cinque Terre) and some local olives (already pitted for us!). We also ordered a plate of mixed cured meats and a plate of cheese, pears and honey. Now I'm a huge fan of local honey, I think it tastes better and its better for your immune system, but this local honey was way better than the honey I get by me. It tasted like a flower field, now I know that sounds like an odd statement or even that it wouldn't exactly be a pleasant taste but I can get over how amazing this honey was. It tasted like that had just scraped it off some honey combs (in fact we had little chunks of comb in the honey so it's entirely possible they really had just gotten it) and you could tell it was local because it tasted like the local flora smelled.

One of my favorite things about wine tastings is that you get enough of the wine to enjoy it but not so much that you end up tipsy. At JFRC from the moment we get here we are told to be cautious about where and how much we drink. However I'm glad that I don't have to be concerned anymore with methanol being in my wine. The methanol crisis boggles my mind. How people could, in full knowledge of what they were doing, intentionally poison other human beings is beyond my understanding. However, in the 1980s that's what happened, methanol was intentionally added to some batches of wine just to increase the alcohol content. This caused a few deaths and blindness in the areas impacted and as Parasecoli mentioned, scared the wine market for years to come. It's something, because of all the rules and regulations, that is less of a concern today than in the past. Thankfully I can enjoy my wine while here in Italy and anywhere else I dare to go!

Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.

So Many Wines, So Little Time- Post #6

Unlike many of my fellow students, I can legally drink back home in the states, so the excitement over  being able to drink in this country is considerably less so for me. However, this has not diminished my excitement over the wine. Italy is as rich in history and culture as it is in wine varieties. For someone like me who prefers a good glass of wine over pretty much any other form of alcohol, Italy is a dream come true. Trust me when I say that I have had some of the best glasses of wine I've ever had while I've been in Italy. I've had quality wine in the US, but nothing has compared to what I've had here, the wine is just better here no questions asked.

A glass of wine I had during the Mass of the Holy Spirit dinner. 

Not only are there a wide variety of whites and reds, but they differ from region to region and even within regions. It wasn't surprised to find out that Italians drink more wine than anywhere else in the world. Although I know wine has changed considerably since ancient times it fascinating to think about how important wine has been for centuries in Italy and how important it is for both cooking and drinking today. It was also very interesting to read that although Italy makes some of the most regional, hard to find wines in the world, it also is one of the largest producers of bulk wine.
On our trip to Umbria we were lucky enough to visit a farm that had also had a small vineyard. The whole farm was picturesque and scenic but the vineyard was simply breathtaking, it was what I had been imagining in my head.

We were given the opportunity to taste the grapes straight off the vine, they were simply delicious. They were so fresh and not overly sweet, while still being full of flavor.

We were then given the opportunity to make wine the old fashioned way, by stomping on grapes!

At first, I didn't like the feeling. Trust me when I say it's a unique experience that can not be described, it's just one of those things you have to experience. 

Once I had gotten used to the feeling I really enjoyed myself! Although I know this isn't how they make wine anymore it was still an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. 

Since there were so many of use the grapes were getting mashed up pretty quickly and the owners kept adding more grapes for us to mush. 

After I had gotten out of the tub and washed my feet off I got to sample the grape juice (Juice they already had made, not any we had mushed up I swear). It was so fresh and better than any grape juice I have ever had (sadly it was just grape juice, not wine yet). This beautiful vineyard provided us with a small insight into the history of wine making in Italy and I am forever grateful for that, even if it was a slightly touristy experience. 

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia

A Bread By Any Other Name -Post #5

Bread is something I simply couldn't live my life without. There are so many types with an incredible variety of flavors and textures, bread comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, it is one of the few food people of every class and nearly every country enjoy. It is truly a food of the people. I found both our discussion in class and the reading's discussion on how bread, though for everyone, was divided by class interesting. It is fascinating that white breads were for the upper class where whole wheat breads were for the poor, especially considering that this has seemingly flipped on its head. In modern times whole wheat/grain breads have become highly desired and tend to be more expensive than their white bread counterparts. I wonder when and why this trend flipped on its head? Was it the wish for a healthier option or was it a wish for a return to a more artisanal product? Whatever the case, I'm glad it has flipped because I personally enjoy whole grain/wheat breads much more than the  processed white breads found in the US, not only are they healthier but I think the flavor tends to be better. I haven't eaten as much whole grain/wheat bread here in Italy as I usually do at home, in fact, I don't think I've had any. I've had excellent crusty bread when I've been out to eat, but it has always been a white bread.
Then there is the bread at mensa. For those of you who are non-JFRC readers, mensa is where we can eat lunch and dinner. Now I'm not one to complain  about the food at mensa, for cafeteria food it has been beyond excellent. There are tons of fresh, delicious options including pizzas, pastas and a seemingly endless stream of freshly cooked vegetables. However, the bread can leave something to be desired. It isn't horrible, especially when it's a fresher batch. But in all honesty it's a bread bubble, it's got a bread crust but is mostly air.

It does the job of getting that last bit of delicious pasta sauce and it's really good as a late night snack with some Nutella on it, but compared to the bread I've had out it falls a little short. (Seriously though mensa has been pretty great and the people that work there are so kind and have been super helpful in regards to helping me learn Italian!)
Bread in Italy is used in far less traditional ways here in Italy. Sure it can be used for paninis,

A caprese panino.

 to get that pasta bowl clean, to hold whatever delicious ingredients are in the bruschetta you are enjoying

A delicious bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, a bread filled with vegetables and cheese and mixed aperitivi.

but it can also be used in Panzanella salad or put in soups to make them thicker and more filling or even as a desert.

Ciabatta with Nutella

 Bread is not merely a carrier here, its an ingredient and an essential part of te Italian diet. In ancient times grain, which was often made into some kind of bread, was part of the Mediterranean triad. Bread has been important to Italians since ancient times and for a long time to come.

200 College Students Walk Into A Church- Post #4

Trimalchio's Feast is everything one imagines an ancient feast to be; it is beyond lavish, with exotic and expensive foods, plenty of pampering, and just a touch of drama. However the feast is much more than just the food, it's an experience. As mentioned the guests a pampered, Petronius' saying that they were attended to by slaves who 'removed our hangnails.' I've never been to a dinner party where we were served food and also received manicures, although I think it's a trend that should start again. In Fellini's adaptation of Trimalchio's Feast one gets a similar sense of the lavish experience. You didn't go to the feast just to eat, you went to talk and connect and revel in the splendor your rich host could provide. The relationship between Trimalchio and his guests is very interesting, in the reading and in Fellini's adaptation one gets the sense that Trimalchio is doing all of this to show off just how much money he has and not because he genuinely enjoys his guest's company. In modern times our dinner parties tend to be smaller and more intimate compared to Trimalchio's feast which seems to be for a much larger crowd of people. Although much of the food served at Trimalchio's feast sounds interesting, like all the sausages and fruits served, I don't know if I could stomach eating dormice (which yes is actually mouse). Though lavish and exciting to think about, Trimalchio's feast wasn't a reality for many ancient Romans, especially for the poor. The poor ate a very basic diet consisting mostly of grain (mostly wheat which they turned into flat cakes or gruel), grapes (which they turned into wine, though not the delicious wine we drink now a days, their wine had all honey and spices in it....it sounds fairly grotesque when you're given the full list of what they put in their wine) and olives (which they turned into, drum roll please, olive oil). These three make up what is called the Mediterranean triad, which as mentioned made up the base of many Italian's diets.

Although fascinating, ancient Roman foods leave something to be desired. They ate simply because that's what they could afford or what was available to them, as modernity spread through Italy cooking became more complex and more interesting. My experience with modern Italian food thus far has never left me wanting more. This is especially true with my recent experience at Osteria dell'Anima. JFRC officially wrapped up orientation this week with our Mass of the Holy Spirit, a tradition of Jesuit institutions where we ask God for wisdom and guidance for the coming semester. We went to one of the most beautiful churches (Basilica of Sant'Ignazio) I've ever seen in my life. 

After mass we headed to Osteria dell'Anima and my life will never be the same, it sounds dramatic but if you had eaten what I ate, you would understand. Friends, professors, deans and our student life assistants all raved about the food so much, that I came in with extremely high expectations, and I was not disappointed. The antipasti was incredibly simple, but one of the most delicious things I've had in my life. It was half of a tomato filled with the lightest (both in flavor and texture) goat cheese I've ever tasted, all resting on a pesto sauce with a drizzle of balsamic (for anyone who would like to know for future ordering pleasure, it was called Pomodoro in camicia con caprino in salsa di pesto). 

Though the antipasti was delicious, the primi is really what stole the show. Fiocchetti di formaggio e pera su crema di carote, those are some magical words. It was a dish that had small, stuffed pasta pouches that had cheese and pear in them, this created a flavor that was salty on the front and then slightly sweet at the end. The pear and cheese worked well, balancing each other out and the carrot sauce was absolutely divine, it also had a nice balance of savory and sweet to it. It was rich, buttery, and a nice contrast to the freshness of the pear.

It was a dining experience I will never forget and a restaurant I plan to return to during my time here in Roma. Modern food in Roma is delicious and fresh, a reflection of the ancient mindset of 'use what you have available.' Thankfully many more ingredients, as well as cooking styles, are available to Italians nowadays and it has allowed them to create some amazing dishes.

Ciao for now!

Veni.Vidi. Mangia.

Pasta, Pasta, and Pasta. Oh my! - Post #3

Ciao! This weekend the JFRC contingency went on our orientation trip to Umbria. It was absolutely gorgeous there and I fell in love with the town of Spoleto, it was also a weekend of amazing food experiences! I found it amusing that the weekend before the pasta practicum in class, we got to make 'pasta' and see how to make various kinds of cuts. Our first stop during the Umbria trip was to a beautiful farm in the countryside. We got to make 'pasta' without the egg (they didn't want to waste over 200 eggs on fake dough), they gave us each a little bag of flour and a cup of water and set us to work. I've made fresh pasta before, but it had been awhile! It was fun to relearn the technique and watch other try and figure out how to keep the water in the wells they had made. It was also interesting to think that this was the first time most people had made homemade pasta, whereas in Italy making pasta from scratch or getting fresh pasta at a market or store is just a regular occurrence. 

We also were able to see how to make various cuts of pasta and how to make ravioli and tortellini. It was amazing to watch how by simply folding the rolled dough the right way and changing the way you cut the dough just slightly could produce completely different shapes of pasta. First the dough was rolled incredibly thin and then folded into layers.

Then the sheet of dough was cut various ways, creating different shapes and sizes of pasta.

With what was left of the dough, we were then shown how ravioli and tortellini are made.

Although it looks simple enough, the technique is quite difficult to master and if the dough isn't right you have a hard time getting the dough to stick together so that the filling won't come out during the cooking process. The woman who demonstrated the pasta making was lightning fast at making perfect tortellini, but when our tour guide tried to make them he found it quite difficult.

It was interesting in the readings from last week and also seeing pasta making in person. Because of the readings, I was better able to understand not only the process of making pasta but also the different types of pasta she was making and what categories they fell into. Although I knew there were many types of pasta, I didn't realize that pasta usually falls into four basic categories (Gnocchi, Lasagne, Tortellini, and Tagliatelle). Nor did I realize that pasta's origin is very much so up in the air, I had always assumed that pasta came from Italy, plain and simple. Who knew that pasta potentially had Arabic roots? In addition, the Corbier reading provided an interesting insight into the way ancient Romans ate that was I found reflected my experience on the farm. Corbier talked about how people ate what they produced and at the farm, we had dishes that included olive oil and legumes, both of which they had produced. Italians both ancient and modern use what is available and local to them, creating dishes that are delicious and also practical. 

Ciao for now!

Veni. Vidi. Mangia.