Ciao and welcome to my blog for my Italian Cultural History: Food & Wine course while I'm abroad in Rome! My name is Alexandra Horton and I am originally from a small town in Illinois named Mokena. I'm currently a Senior at Loyola University Chicago spending a semester abroad at the John Felice Rome Center. I'm a Psychology major with a History minor and I'm incredibly excited to be studying abroad, especially in a city like Rome that has so many layers of history to it. I'm interested in anything to do with my major and minor, especially military and cultural history. I'm taking this class because I love food and wine, to me food is a universal language that brings people together and starts conversations. This love of food combined with my History minor and the fact that I almost went to culinary school made taking this class a no brainer. I've never visited Italy before so i'm excited to explore, learn, and experience the city, people, and culture. I have no allergies or food sensitivities and I'm ready to explore all the food this city and country (and the rest of Europe) have to offer.
Food in Italy has already been quite the experience. I came to Italy expecting the food to be fresh, filling, and delicious. I had heard stories from friends of the many courses just one meal can have in Italy. I've noticed that eating out in Italy is far different from eating out in the US, here it is much more leisurely because of cultural differences but also because the wait-staff are all salaried. To me, this creates an even better culinary experience where I can truly savor my meal instead of rushing through it. I've also noticed that food here is far fresher than what we tend to eat in the US. My family and I eat fresh as much as possible, we grow what we can and love going to the local farmers markets for what we can't. So coming to Italy has been a treat because I get the same sense of freshness here as I do at home!
One of my favorite parts of orientation week was wandering the city with a group of friends after a day at the Colosseum and Roman Forum, ending the day with the best meal of my life thus far. We knew the place (La Villeta dal 1940) because of a suggestion made by a previous JFRC student, but when we got there we were told they were closed until later that evening. So in true Italian fashion, we went next door and had aperitivo! I got a Cosmo which was less sweet than the Cosmos I've had in the US, something I personally enjoyed. The buffet that came along with our drinks was delicious and full of fresh vegetables, enough food to satisfy but not enough to fill me up.
Food in Italy has already been quite the experience. I came to Italy expecting the food to be fresh, filling, and delicious. I had heard stories from friends of the many courses just one meal can have in Italy. I've noticed that eating out in Italy is far different from eating out in the US, here it is much more leisurely because of cultural differences but also because the wait-staff are all salaried. To me, this creates an even better culinary experience where I can truly savor my meal instead of rushing through it. I've also noticed that food here is far fresher than what we tend to eat in the US. My family and I eat fresh as much as possible, we grow what we can and love going to the local farmers markets for what we can't. So coming to Italy has been a treat because I get the same sense of freshness here as I do at home!
One of my favorite parts of orientation week was wandering the city with a group of friends after a day at the Colosseum and Roman Forum, ending the day with the best meal of my life thus far. We knew the place (La Villeta dal 1940) because of a suggestion made by a previous JFRC student, but when we got there we were told they were closed until later that evening. So in true Italian fashion, we went next door and had aperitivo! I got a Cosmo which was less sweet than the Cosmos I've had in the US, something I personally enjoyed. The buffet that came along with our drinks was delicious and full of fresh vegetables, enough food to satisfy but not enough to fill me up.
Once we got to the restaurant we ordered a litre of their house white and red for the table to share, I'm normally a white wine drinker but this red wine was some of the best I have ever had. We also ordered some starters including suppli, a plate of fresh cheeses and meats and some house made porketta.
For our main meal, we ordered a large bowl of both carbonara and amatriciana, both were delicious and it was great to be able to try two truly 'Roman' dishes.
Just when I thought I couldn't possibly eat anymore, we had dessert. I got a panna cotta with a strawberry drizzle on top, it was thicker and creamier than any panna cotta I've ever had and the creaminess of the panna cotta played well off the freshness of the fruit.
I personally ended my meal with an espresso, while others ended with limoncello. It is fascinating to me how concerned with digestion the Italians are, you have to end your meal with some sort of after dinner drink to help your body digest properly. I don't know why they are as concerned with digestion as they are, but that is something I hope to learn (in class or by talking to locals) this semester.
Ciao for now!
Veni. Vidi. Mangia.
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