Cheese Field Trip

One class excursion I really enjoyed Agriturismo visit. We had the opportunity to travel to a beautiful lakeside cheese farm where we saw the animals behind the product and the proccesses involved with making cheese. We got to see the man make caciofiore di columella from sheep's milk. After heating the milk, enzymes were added to speed up the process of coagulation. The mixture sits until it forms a thicker texture and is then put through a strainer.

The leftover liquid is then used to make ricotta cheese, a personal favorite of mine. The liquid is heated again and put through the same exact process, but the second rundown forms the softer, more cheese tasting cheese. We tasted both immediately after they were finished, and the caciofiore tasted more like solidified milk to me than actual cheese.

After watching the demonstration, we got to tour the farm and see some of the animals kept for milking purposes. We then listened to a lecture about the wheat that they grow, and although it was not in season, we still got to try our hand at baking it. Wheat, yeast, flour, and a little salt are rolled into dough balls and shaped to the desired formation. Bake it for about forty minutes and you've got yourself some delicious bread.

The facilities at Agriturismo were beautiful and I loved being able to see the "behind the scenes" work involved with making the delicious cheese I've been enjoying here in Italy.

-Sarah

Cooking Classes with Chef Cristina

Federico and/or Sonia: Please note that my March 11, 2010 post is meant to be the "food and culture in Rome" entry. Thank you!

For the past few weeks, we have had the great pleasure of taking cooking classes with the head chef of Glass in Trastevere, Italy. Glass is a high-end restaurant cooking top Italian cuisine and Cristina Bowerman is the creative and very talented chef we had the gift of learning how to cook from. We were taught how to make risotto, pasta alla carbonara, mackerel sandwiches and veal, tiramisu, chocolate cream, and pizza.

Four times this semester, we went to Convoglia, a restaurant in Termini Station to have our classes. Cristina would present the ingredients of the recipe of the day on a table and go through the directions, letting us know how the texture and timing would work with each dish. Then we break into pairs, grab what we needed, and head to our cooking stations to start the day. Cristina would walk around and tell us if we needed to add something, or stir faster, or turn the heat up or down, etc.

Of all the dishes we made this semester, risotto was my favorite to taste but tiramisu was the one I think we did best on. The consistency was very good and I think we mixed the cream to the perfect thickness.

I appreciated that Cristina would actually taste our dishes, so we knew if they were really successful or not. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how to make some aspects of Italian cuisine that I will probably never have another chance to do. I've learned that making good food is an act of love and passion, because if you are not really concerned about what you are making, then it will never turn out right.

This is April and I working on our wonderful tiramisu!

I can't wait to go back to America and make a full course meal for my family- pasta for starters, veal and risotto as the second course, and chocolate cream for dessert, complete with lady fingers as dippers. Hope my mother thinks I am as good of a cook as she is!

-Sarah

Cilento

Last weekend, my study abroad group and I travelled to Cilento to learn more about the Mediterranean Diet and its benefits to one's health. I was looking forward to this trip for a while as I've grown to love a number of key ingredients to the diet since coming to Italy- some of those being olive oil, red wine, and vegetable types of antipasti.

To me, the most interesting part of the trip is when we went to the museum of the Mediterranean Diet, because this particular triangle seems to have the right balance of foods for someone trying to practice these habits:

It's tricky how they add the exercise in there. Of course that helps people to maintain healthy weight, but I have never seen it as a part of a health triangle before, so that was interesting. Also, I agree with how the red meat is at the top of the pyramid. Lean meats like chicken are the best sources of protein if you want to avoid too much fat. The most surprising part, to me, is that so much pasta can be consumed. It's obviously a lot of carbohydrates, but, I suppose, if you exercise enough, the carbs can't do too much damage.

The weekend was a great combination of delicious food (pasta alla melagizione, calamari, mozzarella di bufala, I could go on), beautiful weather, and fun times with my friends. It was great to have the opportunity to go to a region of Italy that is not touristy and to get a look at the "behind-the-scenes" methods of food growth when we visited the kiwi farm.

Cilento is a great place to go for some healthy food and relaxation.

-Sarah

Apertivo In My Tummy

What a beautiful idea, Italy. Apertivo. Buy a drink, get access to a buffet! My American ears perk up at that idea, so a few friends and I stopped by a little ristorante in Trastevere the other evening to try it out.

Not only was it a great deal financially, at only 8 Euro, but we got to try an array of different finger foods.



I liked the couscous and the small rosemary foccacia breads best, although it also included some cucumber sandwiches and skewered prosciutto that was pretty hard to beat. We may have embarrassed ourselves, however, what with our third and fourth trips back to the buffet line. I'm not entirely sure if it is supposed to be filling, as in a light dinner, or a sort of elongated appetizer hour.

Either way, the Bellini we chose was a great accompanying beverage and I would love to do this more while the weather is nice and we can sit outside to watch the passersby.

-Sarah

Bon Appetit!

his past week, I spent my spring break in Madrid and Paris. I would have to say that I really enjoyed the deals that I found in both countries, pertaining to dining out.

In Spain particularly, I liked the concept of tapas. It was similar to apertivo in that many times a drink was included with the meal. The meal, however, is not quite that; instead, it is a combination of 2 or 3 smaller dishes so that you can try a variety of foods. My favorite was paella- a slow-cooked rice dish that can have a number of different ingredients involved. I chose seafood and chicken, which was a great decision on my part.



Then, in Paris, i found that as a poor student traveller, they had great "formulae", or 2 course meals with a dessert and drink for a set price. The best deal we could find was 8 euro, but it ranged to about 20 euro. I tried to choose things that I normally would not eat, so I tried mussels, duck leg, beef bourguignon, and millefeuille, among other things. Millefeuille reminded me of bruschetta because of the cooked tomato and parmesan cheese that went on top of a salad.

Both countries offered delicious foods at affordable prices, which made my trip that much easier for me. Next up- I need to try apertivo- the Italian take on things!

-Sarah Cason

An Authentic Italian Dinner

Last night, some girls on the program and I were invited to our friend Giacomo's house for dinner. He and his friends offered to cook us dinner in exchange for our teaching them some American drinking games. Good deal, no? I am never one to turn down free food as my money continues to be siphoned out of my account by Ryanair.

Anyway, the books cooked us pasta with panchetta sauce and bacon. So delicious. They also had a plate of mozzarella di bufala and some meat and bread. I took a piece of meat without thinking of it, rolled it up in some bread, and ate it. Turns out- it was the equina I was hoping to try! It tasted very sweet and a little peppery and I definitely want to try and cook something with it myself.





Although the dinner was delicious, the best part by far was sitting around the table getting to know our friends better. I think I learned more during that one meal than I have all semester so far! They told us that it is normal to cook dinner for someone after meeting them only once or twice. This is a tradition I would love to see picked up in the States.

What made even more of an impression on me is how important eating with one's friends is here in Italy. Sure, the delicious food and better wine make for a good reason to go out to dinner, but it is the conversation and laughs that are truly treasured here. More important than stuffing one's face is leaving the dinner table satisfied with the company you keep. I hope that I was as welcome an addition to their dinner as they made me feel, and that this treat continues on for the rest of the semester.

Til next time-
Sarah

Eating Like a Man in Germany

This past weekend, some girls on the trip and I went to Berlin for some history lessons and good brats and beer. After some great walking tours and museum visits, we sat down to some very delicious meals. The first dinner we had was in a very authentic and old-fashioned German restaurant, where the women dressed in plaid dresses and an English menu was non-existent. After pondering the selections and choosing the one that was the most foreign sounding, I ended up getting a pretty tame meal, in terms of exoticness.



Pork, creamed mushrooms, and mashed potatoes

Washed down with a frizzy lemonade drink, I was happy with my first German meal but wanted something that isn't so readily available in the states. We decided to go with a place that was recommended in our travel guide, and it definitely didn't disappoint. Not only was the food amazing, but it the presentation and atmosphere were also excellent. The restaurant was small and dimly light with small tables to create a feeling of intimacy. There were boar and moose heads on the wall and it had its on microbrewery. After some delicious potato schnitzel and brussel sprouts, we had dessert, which was pineapple ravioli with white chocolate inside and apple strudel.





All of this food, paired with the occasional currywurst or donor kebab from a street vendor made for a great trip, gastronomically speaking!

Danke,
Sarah

The Jewish Quarter

The other day after class had finished, two girls and I decided to explore the Jewish Ghetto of Rome. After pondering Octavius's Portico, the remains of the primary street that Jewish people inhabited before WWII and the children's school built in 1910, we decided to enjoy the delicacies they had to share.

We sat down and enjoyed a delicious meal of fried zucchini blossoms and artichokes for antipasti. We were especially glad that the restaurant offered a brochure explaining how to make the artichokes ourselves. Considering that they need to be floating in oil in order to be fully and correctly cooked, it appears as though we may need to purchase them when our cravings arrive rather than make them ourselves. Our apartments didn't provide us with the cookware necessary, and our wallets don't provide us with money for the large amount of oil.

After polishing off the antipasti, we each ordered falafel, which had a delicious sesame sauce and cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce to go with the balls of chickpeas. They were the spiciest thing I have had since coming to Italy and I loved the excitement in my mouth.

To finish, we each had a piece of challah bread, which seemed burnt on the top but was perfectly baked. There were walnuts, dates, raisins, and cherry treats inside and it reminded me of a kind of coffee cake my mom orders for Christmas morning. The shop selling the bread had a GamberoRosso seal on the door so we knew it would be good, and the shop definitely delivered.

The Jewish Ghetto was a great learning experience and I am definitely going back soon to load up on more of their authentic meals.

-Sarah

Castello Delle Regine

This past Friday, my group and I, along with our teacher/sommelier, visited the vineyards and winery of Castello Della Regine about an hour and a half outside of Rome. Spanning 400 hectares, we were privy to olive tree groves, farms with cattle and, of course, grapevines. Considering that we visited on the only snowy day that Rome will see in 2010, most of the lesson was kept inside.


Built on sandy clay, the grapes are best made into well-aged red wines

We were shown the room of large steel vats in which the wine is fermented. Violent bubbling creates heat inside the vat, which releases H20 and converts the sugars from the grape pulp to alcohols. The temperature must be highly regulated, because if it is not warm enough, the yeast will not ferment, but if kept too high, the flavor of the wine can suffer.



After surveying the vats, we were brought to the aging room, which was filled with wooden barrels filled with maturing wine. The wood helps the wine to extract tannins from its walls, thus enhancing the flavor. The wines can age from four months to a year, and the smaller the barrel, the higher the complexity of the aroma and taste of the wine. Because of this increase in the general quality, wines stabilized and aged in smaller wooden barrels are generally more expensive.



Excitingly, my group then began the tasting session. However, the staff of Castello Delle Regine created a little game to make the tasting even more interesting. Supplying us with 5 bottles of different grapes and stages of aging, we were given the opportunity to blend our favorite flavors to make the ultimate full-bodied wine. It was a great lesson in perfecting the harmony of the wine, in that sometimes the more bitter or sweet wine would mix in with another vine that one would never expect. Our final product was delicious and something I would buy if it were on the market!


Staff member pushing the cork into our bottle!

All in all, the excursion was extremely informative and gave me a better look at the process of wine-making. I would definitely love to visit other vineyards around Italy to see how different regions differ in the creation of their signature wine. Hopefully, the more wine I try the closer I am to becoming a sommelier!

Ciao,
Sarah

Czech out Prague Cuisine

From Thursday night to Sunday night, I went to Prague with some friends to see the sights and tour a city that I am not familiar with. The Prague Castle and cathedral were breathtaking, the Lennon wall was a beautiful homage to one of my heroes, the Dancing House made me laugh out loud, and the night life was unreal.

One of my goals in every city I visit is to try the dish that they are most reknowned for. My friends and I went out to dinner at Kozicka, a goat-themed native restaurant. We each ordered a dish between the four of us, and we shared potato pancakes, goulash, dumplings, chicken and mushroom spatzle, and spinach and mushroom spatzle. Topped off with hot wine, the meal was absolutely delicious.


My next trips are to Venice and Berlin with a weekend in Rome in between. I can't wait to try some more foreign dishes. Apertivo and brats- here I come!

Food and Culture

I arrived in Rome 2 weeks ago for a semester-long stay. Ahead of me are classes involving Italian language, history, food and culture, media, and cooking. I am excited to get more in depth academically while I am here and maybe I will someday get mistaken for a native Roman.

This past weekend was fun as I spent it all in the neighborhood. I visited a fresh market and saw horse meat and sting rays! Maybe I will be brave enough to try something completely new...but with my cooking skills, I will likely get salmonella or some kind of hoof and mouth disease.

On Sunday, we went to the AS Roma soccer game. The fans spent more time heckling the Siena fans than they did watching the game, but I spent more time watching the Italians than I did the game, too. I wish I was as passionate about a sports team as these guys are, but I don't think there are enough expletives in the English language to compare with the insults they were throwing out.

On to another week in Rome and then to Prague for the weekend. Have a good one!