I adore Italy and visit often. Five times to Rome, three times to Florence, twice to Venice, plus a couple of other places - Trieste, Capri, Pompeii, etc. But before I get too much further, I have to admit journalist bias because my father's family is Italian. My aunt and uncle and cousins live in Rome, and the rest of the clan is spread around the country. Now, because this blog is my own personal fiefdom, I am going to delve into reliving some food memories from my last trip to the Old Country, in the hopes that it will help me survive this cold DC winter.
To mainstream America, Italian food has usually meant two things - pizza (which most of the country can't even get right), and spaghetti (see previous comment). But that mindset is slowly changing. Thanks to Giada and Mario, those boundaries have been broadened. The beauty of Italian cuisine has even made it into popular books and movies - John Grisham's
Playing for Pizza sent this reader into foodgasms with his descriptions of meals in northern Italy. The same for
Eat, Pray, Love (seriously, Elizabeth Gilbert should have just stayed in Italy). But I digress, so let's cut the crap and talk food.
Italians do food right. True, the French are heralded for their cuisine and gastronomie, but I absolutely adore what the Italians can create from simple, fresh ingredients. The cured meats (prosciutto, salami, mortadella, sopresetta); the cheeses (mozzerella, parmegiano-reggiano, asiago, pecorino); the bread, the marinated vegetables, the seafood, the pasta, the pizza! I adore it all, and that's just lightly scratching the service. The dishes that Italians create from veal would make any foodie swoon. So, over the course of this week I hope to share some of my favorite Italian meal memories with you.
What's coming up?
Part I of a Foodgasm: 'Gusto in Rome
Part II of a Foodgasm: Italian Pizza
Part III of a Foodgasm: Ad Hoc in Rome
Part IV of a Foodgasm: Bufalito and Seafood in Sorrento
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