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.