What has two thumbs and loves being a tourist???

Last week a group of us headed out to Torino, which is about an hour’s train ride from Bra. We made the trek to see and amazing Henri Cartier-Bresson photo exhibit at the Palazzo Reale di Torino. But first, we stopped at Caffe Torino for bicerin, a local specialty drink of espresso, hot chocolate, and whole milk served layered deliciously!

We went M Bun for lunch, which is a great "slow fast food" burger joint that is really popular in the area.

We stopped next door at Grom for gelato and then did hours and hours of shopping.

Being my first time in the city and getting to do great things with great people, that day was so much fun and so distinctly memorable. Even though today was just as amazing it was so different than what I experienced today…

I dragged my ass out of bed after less than 3 hours sleep for an all-day adventure to see Trish off on her holiday and to tour the city with my two companions, Gai and Nicholas. Today’s trip was its own little gem starting out with snacks at a classic Italian gastronomia with a few involtini and stuffed zucchini in the park and a quick trip to an Indian fast food stand. 

Then we met up with our friend Ana, who is doing research on Peruvian immigrants and their native foods in their new city. Since she was really guiding us around, I decided to embrace my inner (and outer) tourist, but I had no idea what was I was in for.

As soon as we entered San Salvario, a heavily immigrant-populated neighborhood, I felt like I was back in California. There was an evident mix of people, shops and restaurants compared to the main parts of Torino where it is more stylistically Italian. It reminded me so much of the San Fernando Valley! Our first stop was S’il Voul Plait, a French specialty store that carried all things food from smelly cheeses to spices to canned lobster bisque soup. Then we landed in a Peruvian restaurant, El Puerto Peruano, where we ate tamales, papas huancaina, and lomo montado, which is lomo saltado but with a fried egg…yum! 

The truth is that it was so delicious, but not the best Peruvian food of my life, I’ve even had better food during my stay in Italy, but this was my favorite dining experiences (of MANY amazing ones) I’ve had thus far. There’s something about good food, great company, and a comfortable or familiar setting that gives one a warm and fuzzy feeling and that's what made this meal so special. El Puerto gave me such a sense of home right when I needed it, even if I didn’t know I did. From there we walked around San Salvario stopping in various international markets picking up random non-Braidese things like French peanut butter, Szechwan peppercorns, and American brown sugar. We also stopped at an AMAZING gelateria called Mara dei Boschi, which opened only 15 days ago, but makes the BEST gianduja (chocolate/hazelnut) gelato and an amazing chocolate sorbet (yes, sorbet not gelato). 

Our adventure ended with a walk across the city to the Po River and back through Valentino Park.

Today was significantly different than last week’s visit to the city. There is so much to see and do in Torino and I am nowhere near done touring the city, which is awesome for me because I get to keep going back…I get to keep being a tourist! There's something great about seeing a place through unfamiliar eyes. Things are new and exciting and I can't help but appreciate the opportunity to be there. I spent most of today freaking out (on the inside, of course) because I get to live in a beautiful country and see the sights, all brand new to me, which is a far cry from where I thought I would be not even a year ago.

The word "tourist" has gotten such a bad rap; nobody wants to look like a tourist (and it’s not because they don’t want to get mugged).  Maybe there is a difference between "traveling" and "touring" but I don’t want to lose the wonder of either. I can guarantee you’ll see me in the streets of Torino not once, not twice, but many more times staring in awe, taking pictures, and getting giddy over silly shit the Italians see everyday. Damn proud of it too!

ISP

Many of you know I love shepherd's pie and it's even my favorite thing to cook. And for the emotional sake of my Irish friend Jocelyn, I have no issue making it clear that I have never claimed to make an authentic rendition, rather a much bastardized and delicious one. So what does an American SP lover in Italy do? Make Italian shepherd's pie!!!

After three hours of cooking (and snacking), a great deal of cleaning afterward, and waiting patiently for lunch the next day, it is safe to say that Italian shepherd’s pie is officially deemed a success. Thanks to the random things in my fridge: spicy pork sausage, potatoes, Braidese cheese, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant from last week’s GAS box (the local equivalent of CSA), butter from the local market and homemade gravy, I made my best...yes I said BEST...shepherd’s pie yet! Maybe if you're lucky, I'll give you a taste of ISP...or give you the recipe.

An American in Italian China

I found my self in the city during the midday break with a few hours to kill. During this time almost all shops are closed and the streets are practically deserted. So what's an American girl to do? Eat!

I've been stuffing my face with prosciutto and cheese sandwiches and pasta type dishes so I ventured for something new...Italian Chinese food. Yes, Chinese food in Italia. Keep in mind I don't speak a comprehensive amount of Italian, just basic survival phrases. So imagine this if you can: a Middle Eastern American gal in the heart of Italy, phrase book in hand, trying desperately to communicate with the Chinese waitress fluent in Italian (so Italian she doesn't know what dim sum is).  A strange sight to be seen, I tell you.

The dumplings arrived first and the flavor was so powerful it screamed Umami in my mouth. Then came the fried rice made with Italian prosciutto, an interesting combination. The third dish was shrimp in "salsa picante" which was not picante if I must say. It needed some srirracha to meet my standards! The fourth plate was a sauté of mushrooms and bamboo. I doubt fresh bamboo is indigenous to the area, but the sauce was so tasty and the mushrooms meaty that it was enjoyable nonetheless. My final order was gnocchi with shrimp. I had no idea what to expect on this one and I have to say I was not happy with the results. The gnocchi was made out rice which makes sense I guess, it is Asian. It tasted fine but I couldn't get past the mouth feel and after taste...not something I would order again. Ever. Too bad for me because all I had to do was make a quick stop at the gelateria to wipe the taste off my palate!

With all that said, the day I ordered Chinese food in Italy is not one I will forget anytime soon.

Goli Dreams of Graduation

Today is my college graduation…if I were attending it. So many people have told me to get over it because I’m pursuing a master, because I finished months ago, because I’m on the other side of the world (in Italy!)…blah blah blah. But the truth of the matter is that I am a big bubble of emotions. I have spent six long years working on my undergrad; at times so lost I did not know if I would ever find my way. Once it found me, culinary school was such a blessing (an expensive blessing) because it fed my passion (literally), gave me a purpose, and exposed me to so many experiences I would never have imagined before.

It’s also where I met some of the most wonderful and supportive people who have stood by me through thick and thin. Today is a day we dreamt about for a long time. It was one of the first of many things we bonded over…oh, to get the heck out and have a degree! There were some really long and hard days and, of course, there were days that were just too easy. College is one thing, but writing endless recipe cards, sitting through Wilcox’s lectures, busting ass in the kitchen at odd hours of the morning and night, and working jobs in other industries we hate are some of the few things that only we understand. It was also the breeding ground of the one and only Tripod, giving me the two best friends and gal could ask for. We’ve all been through some tough shit in the last few years, and the fact is that we could have made it through culinary school without each other’s support, it just would have SUCKED.

And the instructors leave quite the impression as well. They pick apart your technique, flavor, presentation, work ethic and can make you wonder if you’re in the right place (sometimes even more when they know you don’t want to be a chef, just like them). And you pray that they don’t notice your neckerchief is missing and you’ve left your earrings on…again. Maybe it’s because the school is much smaller than a public university or maybe it’s because they spend so much freakin’ time with you that they know your name AND your dog’s name (and about your insane devotion to him) and your taste for “adult beverages” after a particularly crappy day at school. But the truth is that they really do care. I will never forget what some of these men and women have taught me, not only about the industry but about life as well.

I can easily say I’m a bit homesick today. The reality is that I miss my AI family dearly. I missed them when school was over in March and I’m missing them on graduation day. I’m so honored to say I’ve worked with them and so proud of what we’ve accomplished. And yes, I’m very lucky to be here in Italy pursuing even more of my culinary dreams but as I rode the bus to school, sat in lecture, tasted wines in class and took a private tour of an amazing cheese shop (yes, CHEESE SHOP!!!!), I couldn’t help but think of them all day. And I most certainly will think of them as I hit the streets of Bra tonight for Aperitivo in Console.

No matter what anyone says, regardless of the fact that I’m living the dream, I wish I could be there…in So Cal…with you.

First class, Product ID, August 2009

Finals Week, Winter 2010

  

Garde Manger Final, Fall 2010

Minh's graduation, Summer 2011
Tripod for life!

Senior Practicum, Winter 2012

A la Carte, Dinner Service, Winter 2012

Thanks Grandma

Today is day 6 of my Italian adventure. After a day of running around like a crazy person, I stopped for a bite to eat at Bar "La Crota." I still don't speak the language but I know my food vocabulary (of course!) so I ordered pasta fromaggio (cheese pasta) con bistecca pollo e potata (chicken steak with potatoes), thinking it would all end up in one dish. As it turns out, I got two. Silly American. 

I have to say that it was nothing spectacular with the exception of them damn potatoes that reminded me of my grandmother's fried potatoes. It literally gave me a visceral reaction, one which I did not expect. I'm 6000 miles away from any friends or family, sitting on the cobble stone streets of Italy, but a half plate of fried potatoes took me right to her, right to the kitchen of the house on Etiwanda Street. It took me a moment to realize again that I'm in a foreign country with no comfort of the people and things I love, which gave me such a greater appreciation of my memories and what it took for me to get here.

We know it's comforting, but really, we benchmark our lives with food; it's why we remember the excitement of the first time we tried sushi, the nourishment of chicken soup when we're sick, and all of those childhood memories in grandma's best dish. There are so many things I love about food but this is what I love the most; its abilitly to transport us through space and time and make us feel good to our core.

To see more photos of my time in Bra, Italy, check out the "Just Photos!" tab.

It's like Harry Potter...

This jetlag is killing me softly. I fell asleep at 6pm (at no accord of my own. It just happened, ok?) and the biggest torrential downpour I have ever seen (or heard) woke me up at 1am. So here I am, sitting in the dark, writing away.

I'm getting my master in Food Culture and Communications and many have asked exactly what it is I will be studying. I finally have my complete curriculum, so here it is:


Social History of Italian Food since 1861
Theory and Interviewing Techniques
The Sociology of Tourism and Gastronomy
Gender in Traditional Small-Scale and Alternative Agriculture
Ethnoecology
Urban Food Systems
Food Design and Place: the Restaurant and the Supermarket
Food, Consumer Culture, and Gender in Postwar Italy
Food and Landscape in Italian Cinema
Food in the City: the Bronx
History of Specialty Products
Culture, Place, and Heritage
The Space of Food in the Indian Diaspora
Semiotics of Gastronomy
Media Studies
Food and Media
Professional Food Writing
Food Documentary
Editing Techniques
Cinema and Gastronomy
Travel and Food Photography
Techniques of Food Photography
Enogastronomical Communication
Food in Popular Culture
Ethics and Aesthetics of Food
Medieval Food History
Social History of Food: Networking, Hierarchies and Identities
Theory and Methods in the Anthropology of Food
Consumption, Food and Culture
Food, Environment & Sustainability
Food Economy
Sustainable and Organic Agriculture
Ethnobiology and Human Ecology
Food Justice
Food Law
Elements of Food Technology
Wine Technology
Molecular Basis of Taste
Wine Sensory Analysis
Food Sensory Analysis
Food Sciences and Public Nutrition
Sense of Smell
Cheese Tasting
Chocolate Tasting
Cured Meat Tasting
Olive Oil Tasting
Beer Tasting
Wine Tasting

Seminars:
Seminars on honey
History of SF
Slow Food International
Education/Event
The Philosophy of Slow Food
Introduction to the Study Trips in Italy
Sustainable Gastronomy

These topics are covered within 10 months and I finish the program with an internship. Wish me luck!!

Oh, have I mentioned the campus is in the agency of the Castle Pollenzo??? I'm going to school in a castle. It's like Harry Potter, but en Italiano!

(Click to Enlarge Photos)

Cheese and Other Distractions

I came to Italia with an idea in mind, with some concept of how to spend my last 9 days as a free person before I enslave myself to my education again. I wanted to eat amazing food, find an apartment, launch my blog, and get some sightseeing done. Let's just say that things aren't going as planned. Between the geographical limitations, moderate physical injury (I threw out my back badly, but I'm hanging in there), and numerous technological hurdles things are....well, different. Oh, and I still need a place to live. I have 4 more days left. Let's hope my body kicks back in and allows me to enjoy what's left of my freedom.

On the plus side of things, I have fallen in love with the European breakfast all over again. Years ago, I visited Germany and learned that their breakfast is comprised of fresh baked breads, homemade preserves and jams with coffee and/or tea. It's been a memory that stayed with me since and I have unsuccessfully tried to duplicate it with La Brea Bakery bread, Bonne Mamane marmalade and other miserable substitutes....what a joke!

It turns out that the Italians enjoy a similarly wonderful fare in the morning. Since I arrived, I have enjoyed fresh breads, homemade jams, sliced meats, and local cheeses every morning. It's what I've been looking forward to at four in the afternoon. I've even become a lover of blue cheese! Yes.....I said blue cheese!!!!

By Italian law, Gorgonzola is covered by a Protected Geographical Status which means it can only be produced in Piedmont and Lombardy. Well, I'm staying in La Morra which is in the Piedmont region and the cheese is fabulous. Every morning the hotel's housekeeper, Sara, arranges a spread in the dining area and I have to say, I just can't get enough.

Once I fill my plate (and you know I do), I sit outside at my reserved table on the patio at stare at this view:

And that delicious Gorgonzola I'm obsessed over??? It's so creamy that I slab on a thick layer onto a piece of bread and top it with several slices of prosciutto and relish in it's tasty wonder. Now that is the breakfast of champions.

To see more photos of my Italian breakfast love affair and other photos of my travels, check out the "Just Photos!" tab toward the top of the page.