Blogging
From Abroad

Sitting at the end of the long rectangular dinner table, i rolled the jar of JIF peanut butter between my palms and waited to see their responses. The only two things I brought with me to represent my country, at least in a culinary sense, were smooth peanut butter and A1 steak sauce. For almost everyone, the former was something completely foreign, and suprisingly, they were a little confused by it. What would you eat this with? Why would you eat it? By the end of the taste test the general concensus on my beloved peanut butter or as they say in italian, burro di arachidi, was painfully clear: too sticky, too salty, too strong… disgusting.

In the end though, food is that one thing that brings us together, even if we don’t agree on it. And without a doubt, Italy, is the graceland for all things culinary.

In the memior, “Eat, Pray, Love”, Elizabeth Gilbert travels to Italy to do as she says, “rediscover pleasure”. And the vehicle for it all? Food.

Just like Gilbert, here in Italy, I too have stumbled upon an unexpected appreciation and passion for the subject. And through all of this, i have learned that its not just the taste that matters, but the ritual.

It sounds hokey, i know. In the beginning, it seems too simple, too cliche, too fleeting. You create, you consume, and then its over. And you get on with the rest of your day.

But if you allow yourself to slow it down a little, you can realize how enjoyable the mindless, necessary and inherantly normal act of cooking and eating can be. Those moments when you’re leaning over a plate of pasta fagoli at the dinner table or stirring a pot of sugo arrabbiata in the low lights of the kitchen… These moments, I’ve come to not only acknowledge, but savor.

Okay- perhaps its overly romanticized, all this, but so what? Food is king, here! And I, am its loyal servant.

Instead of bringing back replicas of Michaelangelo’s statue of David or a leaning tower of pisa wash-cloth, i will give my loved ones the highest quality of mementos: My recipes.

-from the arancini to the spaghetti alle cozze
-the ndjuya to the risotto alla salsiccia,
-the polenta to the parmigiana di melanzane,
-or the gnocchi to the scallopine

Like postcards, i have acquired these things, and will not only distribute them to my family and friends within the states, but take part in the process myself.

With all this eating, however, comes consequences..

Before I came here i was told i would most likely return with:

1) knockoff leather purses

2) useless souveneers and

3) tighter jeans.. MUCH tighter jeans (i’m talking about gaining weight here)

And, as hard as I’ve tried to eat in moderation, the concept just does’t exist here. I hate to generalize but it just is consistantly true, that within the home of an everyday italian, eating large portions is encouraged, if not pushed. Sittingly alongside an italian family at the dinner table, if you don’t finish your plate, let alone accept seconds (because there is no doubt you will be asked/told to have seconds) then you are in some way or another offending the host. Sure, there are tons of people out there who don’t shove a plate in your face or even get upset when you ‘throw in the towel’, but in general terms, everywhere you go, the greatest compliment you can give to a host is asking for more.

As you eat all of this wonderful food, naturally, you’ll have to loosen the belt a little. Don’t be alarmed. For some reason, within the borders of the stivallo, at least in my opinion, there is a general sentiment, a common belief, that once and a while you need to stuff yourself, treat yourself, and indulge in the goodwill and cooking of others. Here, at the end of the meal, if you are so full you can’t even stand up, you don’t lament the past hour of feasting and frantically begin counting carbs. Instead, there is a certain feeling of satisfaction, and confidence, gumption, and even allure of being full of good food. Plus, if you’re jeans don’t fit, just remember one thing: YOU’RE IN ITALY- what better place to go shopping?? at least now you have an excuse…

below are some of my favorites: