Cooking Class

This past week I had the privilege, as we all did, of experiencing a cooking class through Florence Food Studio. I was really looking forward to this day because before I even arrived in Florence, I saw on multiple websites that the number one activity to do in Florence was a cooking class. It came at the perfect time too because I’m thinking that I’ll be able to remember the steps to making fresh pasta, so I can bring that back home with me. We made a delicious three-course meal and I devoured every spec on all of the plates in front of me.

We started with an eggplant parmesan appetizer that was sliced thinly and stacked three levels high. Typically, I am not a fan of eggplant, but since I was cooking in the country known to have the best food on the planet, I felt like being picky was just about the last thing I should do. We peeled the skin off of the eggplant, sliced it up, and placed it in the oven. Next, while we heated up the marinara, we cut the skin of the eggplant into long, thin lines. We then used our knives to scrape the water out of the eggplant skin in order to fry them and decorate the top of our appetizers. I really enjoyed working with a recipe that used literally every part of the vegetable. It was super unique and ended up tasting fantastic.

Next, we made our dessert: tiramisu. We each had to conquer the challenge of cracking an egg and placing the egg white into one bowl and the yolk into another. Georgio, our chef, told us that if the yolk fell in the white, we would have to start all over again. The pressure was on. We all made it through safely, added sugar to both bowls and whipped them up into a cream. We then took the cream and filled the bottom layer of a glass with it, dipped a broken biscotti into coffee and laid it on top of the cream, sprinkled chocolate flakes on top, and repeated those steps until there were three layers in the cup. It turned out excellent.

Finally, we made the ravioli. Earlier on in the class we had already sliced up peaches and mozzarella, added them to a ricotta base and let the filling sit. We also started by making the dough for our pasta by mixing two types of flour with an egg and letting it sit. Now, we rolled out our dough and put it through a pasta strainer five times. The result was a long, strong, and thin piece of dough that we laid out on our boards in order to fill with the pear, ricotta, and mozzarella mix. We placed a small spoonful of the filling in a line on our dough with a two-finger space in between each one, folded the dough over it, and pressed firmly around each ball of cheese. Next, we cut the ravioli into squares using a jagged roller cutting tool. This was a bit of an “Ah-ha!” moment for me because I had never known why the edges of ravioli were jagged and not just straight. Big day for me. I had such a great time with this class and felt like it was one of the perfect ways to end the semester. Really thankful for this experience.

Florence Food Studio

Reflection

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take a course that highlights the origins, differences, specifications, and differences of food. I’m convinced there is no better place to take this type of class than in Italy. One of the most significant takeaways of this class coupled with my experience of living in Florence is a deeper appreciation for food and for a meal as a whole. Within one of our first readings, I learned that due to the difference in atmospheric conditions between Japan and Italy (Japan being more humid), pizza makers in Japan cook with the risk of their dough actually exploding. Another reading discussed the specificity and timing involved in making pasta the proper way, including only adding salt to the water once it begins to boil. Little techniques and facts such as these have opened my eyes up to food being more than just something that pleases my taste buds, it is art. I remember our field trip to Bologna and learning about the six-month aging process of parmesan cheese. Meanwhile, when I cook for myself at home, I am incredibly impatient and want whatever I can make the fastest. This class has taught me to truly appreciate the time and effort that goes into a meal and furthermore, has allowed me to appreciate the times where I am lucky enough to go and eat at a restaurant and enjoy a full dining experience rather than toss a subpar meal in the microwave at home.

I truly felt like I learned a great deal from our trips to FICO Eataly in Bologna and Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. In different ways, they both allowed me to recognize the importance of where specific types of food come from and the process in which they are made. FICO displayed this on a much bigger scale through a more zoo-like environment while Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio felt really local and authentic. Being able to compare and contrast these two different environments led me to hold a greater appreciation for local venders. It has made me leave with the intention of visiting my local farmer’s market back home as often as I can because I now see the value in shopping for fresh and authentic goods.

As this class and semester come to a close, I can only help to revisit the very beginning. My experience with this class began by writing a blog about my favorite Italian restaurant back home. Throughout the course of this semester, we have discussed and broken down the word “authentic” and how exactly something can maintain authenticity. This is something that I have spent a ton of time thinking about while eating around Florence and I still don’t think I’ve found the answer to it. This course has allowed me to be excited to revisit Adagio’s Ristorante, the restaurant I wrote about back home, and experience it with an entirely new perspective. It will be interesting to see if I still think it is as authentic as I always have.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentic

“Italian Food in Israel: Representing an Imagined Mediterranean” by Nir Avieli

Before reading Nir Avieli’s article “Italian Food in Israel: Representing an Imagined Mediterranean,” I had no idea just how prevalent Italian cuisine is in Israel. With, “118 Italian restaurants and 50 pizza parlors” Tel Aviv has adopted Italian food into their culture (240). Interestingly enough, Avieli explains how Italian culinary patterns in Israel mimic those of America-Italian practice. Italian food actually originally arrived in Israel from the United States due to the fact that many American practices become popular around the world as they “denote modernity, sophistication, and luxury” (245). I think Avieli does a great job of highlighting one of the many reasons why pizza has become so popular in Israel and throughout the world. It’s such an easy food in the sense that anyone can customize it to their liking. I think it would also be safe to say it is one of the most likeable foods and no matter how sophisticated or unsophisticated you are, there’s a pretty good chance you like pizza.

Another aspect of the article that I found extremely interesting was simply learning about the food culture in Israel. Personally, I love Mediterranean food and growing up in Los Angeles I’ve luckily been exposed to a lot of it. However, I never really knew much about the food culture from its origins. Avieli writes about the daily food cycle in Israel: “Lunch, which is the main meal in Israel, is meat-based, while breakfast and dinner (considered the minor meals) are dairy-based or vegetarian” (248). I think it’s really unique that lunch is considered the main meal in Israeli culture especially since I think in the cases of both the United States and Italy that dinner is considered so. Personally, breakfast is and always has been the most important meal for me to eat. I cannot start my day until I eat a full breakfast and unfortunately this is probably the most overlooked meal in Italy.

I also found it really eye-opening that in Israel it is common for everyone to eat meals that are vegetarian on a regular basis. In the United States I feel like there is a big divide in cuisine for people who are vegetarian and who are not, which differs greatly from a culture that includes this lifestyle in their daily routine. I really like how eating a vegetarian meal is part of Israeli lifestyle whether or not one considers themselves vegetarian. Avieli does a great job of teaching about Italian food culture in Israel while still introducing knowledge to the reader about Israeli’s distinctive cuisine.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g293984-c26-Tel_Aviv_Tel_Aviv_District.html

Eat, Pray, Love.

When choosing a book to read and write about for this project, I was very reluctant to select Elizabeth Gilbert’s, Eat, Pray, Love. Mainly because I knew it primarily appeals to a female audience and even more specifically, to those a bit older than myself. However, I am very satisfied that I took a leap of faith, went outside of my comfort zone, and followed Liz on her personal journey. After all, that’s what this entire semester is about: doing things you would not normally do.

Heartbroken from a divorce that unfortunately needed to happen, Liz sets off on a journey across the world to find hope, love, and herself. Her first destination, and the one that I will be highlighting, is Rome. What better place in the world to go to experience the most satisfying cuisine? Although there are many aspects of Rome that leave Liz absolutely speechless, she still finds herself feeling lonely and depressed. She sets out to find pleasure which she defines as, “To eat beautiful food and to speak as much beautiful Italian as possible.” Although it may seem obvious, I think Liz encompasses everything about Italian food in one word. “Beautiful.” From its taste to its aesthetic, everything about a typical Italian meal is simply beautiful. I had not discovered this truth until I ate my first meal upon arriving in Florence. Even though there are some delicious Italian restaurants in my hometown, the beauty of an authentic Italian meal is paired with actually being in Italy in my opinion.

Liz also emphasizes the difference in culture between Italians and Americans. She states that Americans are all about hard work and do not know how to relax, while Italians know, “the beauty of doing nothing.” I loved reading this quote because it reinforced some of the feelings I’ve had here in Florence. Often times I feel like I need to always be doing something while I’m abroad. Whether it’s making sure I travel every weekend I can or spend every free second discovering something new about Florence, I always feel like I have to be doing something because my days in Europe are numbered. However, recognizing that it is just as important to embrace the Italian lifestyle while I’m here makes me appreciate those days where I don’t have to be on the move and can take time to myself to simply do nothing.

Eat, Pray, Love surprised me more than I thought it would. Mainly in the sense that I could relate to Liz, not necessarily through her life journey, but in her appreciation of Italy and its culture. I loved realizing how even though we come from two very different walks of life, Liz and I both have an outstanding appreciation for Italy. Reading this book made me just appreciate even more how lucky and thankful I am to be able to take a period of my life to immerse myself in everything Italy has to offer. It is not something I ever take for granted.

The John Travolta Pasta

This past week my two closest friends from home had their moms visit which means lots of exlporing, tons of laughs, and great food. I was lucky enough to venture to a couple restaurants I had not been to and if my friends’ moms were not in town, definitely would not have been able to go to! The most notable place we visited was a restaurant called Il Profeta, a Michelin star establishment. What drew us to this restaurant in particular out of all the other amazing ones Florence has to offer was the story behind their most famous dish, apparently known all throughout Florence and beyond: The John Travolta Pasta.

Years ago, actor John Travolta dined at Il Profeta and ordered one of their signature pasta dishes. Within a short amount of time, not only had he devoured the pasta, but he was literally licking the plate clean and the rest of the customers were taking photos of him. He told the owner that it was the best pasta he had ever had and that he must call it the John Travolta pasta. The following night, Travolta came back with a group of about 20 people and insisted on all of them ordering this pasta. Once again, he licked the plate clean.

The owner was telling us this story as we were eating the same dish, and although we restrained ourselves from licking the plate, we did make sure to get every last drop of sauce on small pieces of bread. We certainly understood why Travolta raved about this pasta, it was incredible, like nothing I had ever tasted. The pasta is a thick, soft, open-tube shape and the sauce is unbelievable. We joked with the waiter all night trying to pry out what the ingredients were to make it, but of course he didn’t budge.

We ordered a ton of different dishes and desserts, but nothing compared to the John Travolta pasta. One dish was actually not so good at all. We ordered a tagliatelle with limòn pasta and that is exactly what it said it was on the menu. They then served it with an entire prawn and raw shrimp on top, neither of which it mentioned on the menu. It was just too fishy for my taste buds, but others at our table didn’t mind it. I just made sure to wash away the taste with the Travolta pasta sauce. Overall Il Profeta was a great experience and I’ll be saving up just to get the John Travolta Pasta one more time before I leave.

http://www.ristoranteilprofeta.eu/en/home-2/

Mercato Centrale & Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio

Two of my favorite places to visit in Florence are Sant’Ambrogio market and Mercato Centrale. They’re both unique in their own respects, yet they complement the overall Florentine culture in unison. Sant’Ambrogio market has much more of a locals’ vibe than Mercato Centrale. Part of this has to do with its location being farther away from the Duomo and city center, but it also has to do with the crowd that frequents it. I always see local Italians shopping for their groceries, picking up fresh produce, and buying meats by the pound. Sant’Ambrogio also hosts a huge flee market on (if I’m correct) the last Sunday of every month. There are dozens of antique venders selling anything from old records to jewelry. I just so happen to stumble upon the market when it was in full force on a particular Sunday and had such a great time just walking around and observing the action. What I really like about Sant’Ambrogio is that it has a farmers’ market feel, which reminds me of a market I enjoy going to back home. I always enjoy purchasing foods from someone who’s set up their own stand at a market, not only because in many cases it is much fresher, but also because I prefer to support them and their small business rather than buying from a chain grocery store.

Mercato Centrale is a bit different. The two-story building it exists in allows one to wander inside for hours and still maybe not be able to see it all. Although it is a market in its name, it is certainly a different type. People are not typically there to load up on groceries, but rather purchase specific items that you cannot get at a store. Furthermore, there are tons of different places to eat in Mercato Centrale and surprisingly many of them are pretty affordable, at least on the bottom level. There’s a particular stand where I love getting pasta from and they cook it up for you in a matter of minutes. You can pick the type of pasta you want was well as the sauce and it only costs 5 euro for a full plate. However, I would say Mercato Centrale is more of a tourist destination as it is in more of a main location in the city and is surrounded by street vendors selling leather goods and Florence knick-knacks. I do thoroughly enjoy going to Mercato Centrale simply because there is not a similar spot like it in my hometown. Both of these markets really add to the Florentine experience and are a must-visit on your own or with guests.

Il Mercato più antico di Firenze

https://www.mercatocentrale.com/florence/?cn-reloaded=1

I Fratellini & Pino’s

My two favorite panino spots that I have frequented since arriving in Florence are both excellent establishments and different in their own unique ways. I Fratellini was the first panino spot I ate at and finding a better sandwich since then has not been an easy task. Although they are a hole-in-the-wall eatery, it is hard to miss their spot as there is usually a line around the block. They tend to keep their sandwiches simple, unlike the U.S. where most places pack on as many ingredients as they can fit. The two men behind the counter who run the shop are incredibly friendly and laid back. They always have smiles on their faces and never pressure you to immediately pay once you get your food. A sandwich and large glass of the house red wine comes out to 7 euro and the sandwich alone is only 4.50. They display a long menu of about 30 different sandwiches, but you can also feel free to make your own. They also have an amazing parsley sauce that I’m convinced tastes fantastic on anything you put it on. Depending on the time of day it is also easy to grab a quick bite without any line, which can be a huge plus. If you’re looking for an authentic sandwich that won’t break your budget, I Fratellini is always the way to go.

The other spot I love going to is Pino’s. Unfortunately for me it is not as close to my apartment and Fratellini I pass on my walk to CET. Regardless, any time I am over by Pino’s and hungry I simply have to drop in. Pino himself makes all the sandwiches and is a wonderful man. His shop is much bigger than Fratellini as customers can walk inside, order, and sit down to eat. The menu is not as extensive as Fratellini, which can be nice at times not having so many choices to choose from. The paninos also contain more ingredients than a typical Fratellini sandwich and therefore, in some cases, more flavor. For example, the Brasco sandwich contains turkey, brie, arugula, roasted peppers, tomato, pesto sauce, and spicy sauce. It is a delicious sandwich that typically fills me up much more than a bite from Fratellini. Meats and cheese line the wall and shelves at Pino’s as well as many other dishes you would commonly find at a deli. Both of these shops serve absolutely delicious meals and it’s really hard for me to recommend one over the other. Thankfully since Florence is so walkable and everything is relatively close together it wouldn’t be difficult to visit both!

Da Gherardo

One of my first nights upon arriving in Florence, I was introduced to the epitome of authentic Italian cuisine at Da Gherardo. Two of my friends from home who had been studying here a few weeks prior to my arrival had been raving about this place, so we all decided to go together. Everything I had imagined about dining in Italy came to life at this restaurant. I had constantly been told from people that had visited Florence before that you could wander into any old hole-in-the-wall place and it would probably be amazing. Da Gherardo is literally a tiny spot inside a wall, so much so that you could walk right by it and not even notice it for what it is. It lived up to every dining expectation I had coming into my abroad experience.

The restaurant is very small and can only fit about 20 customers at a time. They hand roll their pizza dough almost in front of you and serve a variety of fresh, delicious, and authentic Italian pizzas. They have house red wine that goes great with whatever you desire to order, and they bring out small appetizers at the start of your meal. The environment is very laid back, the employees have no uniforms and there are only 1-2 waiters tending to the entire restaurant. Like many restaurants in Florence, there is no rush to pay, you can eat and relax, really soaking in the uniqueness of the restaurant. The room is filled with the sound of soothing Italian music that truly enhances the dining experience. I would recommend Da Gherardo to anyone looking for a great meal off the beaten path. It is located on the side of the Arno opposite of the Duomo and because of this it feels much less touristy and more of a locals’ spot. Eating here on one of my first nights really set the tone for my semester here and immediately made me appreciate how amazing Florence is.


https://www.yelp.com/biz/da-gherardo-firenze

Song Ji – Asian Fusion

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In order to experience an immigrant cuisine within Florence, I ventured to an Asian fusion restaurant not far from my apartment called Song Ji. I went with two of my roommates, and together we were all excited to take a break from a typical Italian dinner and experience some different food in Florence. Song Ji maintains the typical standards of an Asian fusion restaurant with traditional wall patterns and designs throughout the room, making it look authentic and representative of Asian culture. We sat down, reviewed the menu, and shortly a waiter came over to take our order. The waiter took our order on an iPhone, which we were all slightly suspicious about only because we had never seen this method before. We ordered traditional Asian dishes including chicken fried rice, miso soup, and chicken, mushrooms and broccoli. Although the restaurant was by no means busy and they did not seem to be understaffed, it took over an hour for us to get our food. Our waiter never came to check on us and took over 30 minutes just to bring us water. We had originally thought they forgot to place our order, but then realized there was a group in a private room that seemed to be spending a lot of money on food and because of this, almost every waiter in the restaurant was tending to them. We saw many other customers looking over with the same frustration. Our food was finally delivered, and we began to eat. At this point, we were so hungry that almost anything would have tasted good. However, I’d say the meal overall was pretty mediocre. I’m not the best chef, but I don’t think chicken fried rice is all that hard to make and it was certainly not a dish I would wait as long as I did for again. Personally, I’m someone who loves Asian cuisine, so I was pretty bummed with the overall experience of Song Ji. Hopefully through reading some other blogs containing positive experiences, I can find a few good foreign food spots, but personally I would not recommend Song Ji to anyone and will definitely not be going back.

https://www.thefork.it/ristorante/song-ji/372147?cc=17173-7c9&gclid=Cj0KCQiA14TjBRD_ARIsAOCmO9aIYscPgpRyi7up1mo4IACaMn2BOyOWI42GsWsOga1JImoY3f7PDlcaAnHlEALw_wcB

Adagio Ristorante

Prior to my departure to Florence, I visited one of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Woodland Hills, California. Adagio’s Ristorante is a local Italian spot owned and operated by Italian immigrants. All the waiters and bartenders speak Italian and create an environment that feels very authentic rather than Americanized. Even the way that they greet their guests by saying “Ciao.” They serve delicious appetizers as soon as you sit down at the table including bread with melted cheese and mushroom sauce and rice potato balls with marinara. They also make an incredible tableside ceasar salad fresh and from scratch that serves as a perfect appetizer. The restaurant itself is relatively small and feels like a private spot rather than one with people flooding in and out. Adagio’s menu contains classic Italian dishes including a variety of pastas and many choices of chicken and fish entrees. The waiters speaking with thick Italian accents are not the only aspect that adds to the authenticity of Adagio’s. One aspect I had not even necessarily recognized until I’d eaten a few meals in Florence was that they are constantly serving small plates of food and that there are multiple courses. This is one thing that I had always liked about Adagio’s, but did not realize that this was an Italian custom and not specific to Adagio’s. The white tablecloths throughout the restaurant give the environment a very classy and timeless look.

            Adagio’s is a very special place to me not just because they make excellent food, but because I associate the environment with family. It has always been the restaurant that my family congregates at for special occasions. In the most recent case, it was the celebration of me heading off to Florence and my younger sister heading off to college. Family is a very important part of Italian culture and this fact is always emphasized when I eat at Adagio’s. It seems to have the same significance with many of its customers as I always see multiple groups of families dine together while I am there. I hope to experience this same type of environment throughout my time in Florence as it will only emphasize the authenticity of Italian dining while still reminding me of home.