Olive Oil

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Pizze Funghi

La Casara & Giovanni

Another Meal at Osteria Perbacco

A Failed Risotto Attempt

Florence Food

Just got back from an overnight in Firenze. It is no surprise that the food was great. Upon exiting The Uffizi on the first day, we were handed an advertisement for a restaurant just a few meters down the street. The ad stated that the waiters spoke English and there was no service charge. We did not have to think twice. I ordered a cheese calzone and a 1/4 litre of house wine (red, of course). Within minutes our food was on the table. I enjoyed my calzone immensely while everyone else complained that their food tasted like Chef Boyardee out of a can. I could not have been more satisfied with my calzone. The dough was soft and ricotta cheese was oozing out of every opening. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

On the second day in Florence, our lively tour guide, Marcello, recommended that we give Osteria Pepo (Figure 3) a chance for lunch as they only use local ingredients purchased from the nearby Mercato Centrale (Figures 1 & 2) to make their food. We took Marcello's advice since he is a local Florentine and surely knows the good restaurants in the area. I ate spaghetti with clams (Figure 4) and drank some Diet Coke. The plate was huge. I definitely got my monies worth. I just wish someone had told me that I had basil stuck in my teeth afterwards.

Just before boarding the train to go back to Verona, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat since the train ride was going to be nearly 3 hours long. The words "quick bite to eat" are synonymous with McDonald's. With that said, we found ourselves standing in line at McDonald's a few minutes later. For only 2,00, I got a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake (Figure 5). It was the perfect snack and I felt like I was at home in the States.

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Cooking with The Master, Part II

Tonight we had our last cooking class with Fulvio De Santa. It was a blast just as I had expected. This time we made trout with polenta (figure 5), pork (figure 4), risotto, and lemon pie for dessert (figure 3). We also made fried zuchinni flowers for a tasty snack.

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5 lbs. of Deliciousness

"Wow, that was a good kebab." I never thought I'd hear those words, but tonight I said them. Out of sheer boredom I decided to give the kebab another chance. I strolled to the closest kebab shop and ordered a wrapped kebab (padine) with everything on it. From chili sauce to yogurt sauce and lamb meat to mustard, the man threw everything on it. It must've weighed nearly 5 lbs. when he handed it to me. The kebab that comes in a wrap is much more pleasant to eat than the panini-style kebab. Not one piece of food fell from my kebab onto my plate. It was a very clean experience compared to my last kebab experience. I ate the entire kebab, even the bottom of the wrap that was soggy with chili and yogurt sauce, and I was still hungry for more. I washed it down with an ice cold can of Coca-Cola and I didn't even get heartburn. I will definitely be back to that kebab shop soon to buy me another 5 lbs. of deliciousness.

Another Cheap Meal

I made some "Tortelloni ai Carciofi" all by myself today. Once again, I surprised myself and it tasted great. It only took about 3-4 minutes to cook and I drenched it with Pomodoro sauce. I bought it at the market for only 1,78. More money saved!

A Cheap Meal

It is now two weeks into my vacation/study abroad trip and my wallet is starting to feel the strain of eating out all the time. I have decided to make a strong effort to cook for myself as much as I can. I do not consider myself a cook by any means. I know how to pour a bowl of cereal and toast a bagel -- that is about it. But when I saw how cheap the pasta is at the market I couldn't resist giving it a try. I bought a package of "Dallari Tagliatellina" for 1,30, a jar of Barilla Basilico tomato sauce for 1,48, a 5-pack of Mars bars for 2,45, and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coca-Cola for 0,99. That is enough ingredients for three meals and it cost 6,22 Euro altogether. That is a measly 2,07 per meal. Cheap! And the Mars bars weren't even necessary; it would have only been 1,25 per meal without them. The best part is that I surprised myself and was successful in cooking the spaghetti and it tasted delicious. I foresee myself eating a lot of spaghetti/Mars bar/Coke meals in the future.

Cooking with Fulvio, Part I

Tonight we had our first of two cooking sessions with the famous Italian cook, Fulvio De Santa. He has cooked for the royal family of England and for Papa Benedetto XVI, so the man clearly knows how to cook. He doesn't speak English well, but with the help of Rala he was able to share his skills and knowledge with us. He let the class participate greatly in the cooking process. This made me enjoy the food even more at the end knowing that I played an active role in making it. We made tasty treats like stuffed tomatoes and panna cotta with strawberry sauce. We even made our own spaghetti from scratch. It was an experience I will never forget.

Panino Giusto

Today I went to Lake Garda with Rala and some classmates. The cold weather prevented us from swimming in the lake, but it did not stop us from enjoying some fine paninis at Panino Giusto Restaurant and Cafe. I ate the "salame di Castell'Arquato stagionato sui colli piacentini." I do not know what that translates to, but it was basically a bunch of salty salami thrown between two rolls. Simple and delicious. For a beverage I drank a German beer called Warsteiner. When I asked why they didn't carry any Italian beers, the waitress gave me a funny look, pointed to the German emblem on her shirt, and in her best English said, "It is a German restaurant." I felt silly. Pictures to come.