Post for Sonia

I recently had a class on Italian Food Designs and was asked to create a blog post on what I think Italian Cuisine is and include a picture I have taken personally. I am going to do this in two parts. The first part is going to include a picture and description of my views on Italian cuisine before coming to study in Rome and one after spending 4 months here.


BEFORE







BEFORE.....Heavy Pasta!
My experiences with Italian cuisine prior to coming here heavily depended on my family traditions that had been adapted over the years over people living in the United States. My great Grandfather Giuseppe Torri came to the United States right around 1900, all 5'4 115 pounds of him (or so his immigration papers say). I never met him, but I did have a great relationship with his son, my grandfather- Thomas Rudolph Turey. American Italian cuisine is a lot different from the dishes and attitude I encountered here. I really expected several heavy pasta dishes served in a thick red sauce, much like the gnocchi I had in Florence. I should have known better than to order from a place with a "tourist menu." The minestrone soup is another dish that I have had at several places, including my favorite American-Italian restaurant - Olive Garden.


AFTER 4 MONTHS



After spending 4 months in Italy, learning about Italian cuisine and food culture, and after one moderately successful weekend in Cilento- I have surmised a much different view on Italian Cuisine and specifically the Mediterranean Diet. I know realize how important seafood is the many Italian diets as a fresh, healthy, and viable source of protein. It is often cooked in olive oil, another staple to the Italian diet. Fresh produce is also very important. I have participated in this, because I buy fresh fruit and vegetables at a small market store on the same street as my apartment. I now see fruit as a desert and a great snack.

Cinque Terre

I had heard nothing about Cinque Terre before coming to Italy. Everyone was talking about it in the first few weeks so I decided to do some research. When I found out that it is 5 small villages connected by hiking trails through cliffs along the Mediterranean coast, I knew I wanted to go. I am so happy that I was able to find out about this place.
We caught a train around 10AM Friday and got to the city of Riomaggiore, where we were staying. We had to hike up an impossible about of stone uneven stairs to get to where we were staying. It was just a warm up for the hiking to come. After we dropped our stuff off we wandered off to find a beach. We got to a rock beach and laid out for awhile. I finally got the nerve to get into the chilly water. Some other people had gone further down the beach to some large rocks and I swam over there. We found an awesome spot to jump off the rocks into the water, with some help from people from the UofArizona. I was scared at first and it took me some time to gain the courage to jump, but it was really fun when I finally did it. I scraped my legs up pretty badly while climbing up on the rocks, but the battle wounds were worth it. We then swam over to a cave and went all the way into the back and chilled on the rocks. It was such a cool experience. It started to get chilly and dark so we went back to our place and got ready for dinner. There were 20ish people in our place and only 1 bathroom- showering was an interesting experience.
We went to a place Rick Steves suggests in one of his books. I got some pesto pasta, which the region is known for. It was pretty good and I would like to try some seafood the next time I go up there. The pasta was different from anything else I've had. Some people got a seafood dish that I literally think was bad...nasty taste. We stopped at a little shop on the way home the second day that sold Facchiata Pizza that was amazing!
The next day we got up early and started our hike. The hike from Riomaggiore to the second town was short and an easy walk. We strolled down Via Amour <3, the next hike was a little longer and included a trek up 356 stairs- one for each day of the year. The last two hikes are the hardest were much more of what I was expecting. There were a lot of narrow passage ways and uphill climbs on loose rocks. I made it without too much trouble. The views of the ocean and cliffs were so beautiful. It was intense at some points, but I am so happy that I made it despite the major headache I ended up with.
We took an 8pm train back to Rome. It was Labor Day in Italy so the bus and trains were a little crazy late at night. People were pushing and literally smashing into the buses. At one point the bus took off with the doors open. We saw a lady talking to flowers who pulled a giunea pig out of her purse at one point, Rome attracts some weridos.
Over all it was an amazing weekend. I would love to go back someday :-)