Eating Italian
Posted by Christina | | Posted On Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 3:37 PM
As a budding foodie, or perhaps just passionate wife in the kitchen, the cuisine of our destinations is one of the most interesting and exciting experiences of our adventures. I will admit, even for the biggest Italian food lover, eating the same style of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner can get very old. Though certainly no expert on Italian food, here are some of the main observations and influences I will take away from our experience eating Italian:
1. Salt: I can’t tell if it’s because no one can taste anything from all the ciggy’s they consume or if it’s just a holdover tradition from pre-refrigeration days, but Italian food is loaded with salt. As someone who has a fairly light hand when it comes to salting food, my taste buds were in absolute shock my first few meals. I’m still adjusting, but downing some serious water to avoid the inevitable swelling that comes with salty food and hot weather.
2. Ham: Italians dig pig. Every menu is loaded with items that include some form of prosciutto, parma, salami, sausage or one of its 20 cousins. Having attempted cooking with prosciutto several times in the States only to feel like I was eating a salt lick, I gave it one last shot in Italy and found it far more appealing, if not rather appetizing. Beef is used sparingly and chicken is practically non-existant. If you don’t like ham or seafood (see below), expect to go veg for your visit.
3. Seafood: Italians are fairly adventurous when it comes to seafood. Menus are filled with all kinds of weird and tasty sea creatures. We’ve tasted the local shrimp, crawfish, salmon, mussels, clams, squid and sea bass. Being somewhat of a seafood snob coming from one of the greatest places for fresh fruits of the sea, we haven’t found every seafood experience to be as great as back home or on other travels, but still amazingly fresh and quite delicious.
4. Beverages: Only four kinds of beverages exist in Italy – water, wine, beer and cappuccino. While sodas and juices are occasionally available, they are horribly expensive and don’t taste nearly as good as their American counterparts. Milk can be found if you manage to filter it out of your cappuccino or occasionally as a room temperature offering that the FDA would never approve of.
5. Bread: Served at every meal, it’s more for tradition than taste. As noted above, no milk means no butter, and apparently that olive oil and balsamic dipping oil thing is an American invention because we haven’t seen it even once. With all the pasta and wine served at every meal, it’s just one more carb you can do without.
6. Courses: Antipasti. Primo piatti. Secondi. Contorni. Dolci. Don’t know Italian? These are all words naming the courses of food during a typical meal. Matt and I attempted a multi-course Italian meal once. Let’s just say I looked pregnant for several hours after I ate. The meat, starch and veggies on one plate is an American thing. If you want the same in Italy, it will take at least three courses to get through. Good luck.
7. Favorite eats:
• Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre in Vernazza for the amazing lasagna Bolognese and eggplant parmigiana. Not to mention the hilarious Sicilian brothers who run the joint.
• Osteria Quatro Pass in Varenna for awesome fresh fish, amazing whitefish ravioli in sour cream sauce, and cute rustic charm. If I owned a restaurant, it would look exactly like this.
• Nilus Bar in Varenna for delicious crepes and a fantastic view of Lake Como with no cover charge.
• Ristorante Pizzeria Sacro e Profano in Rome for an amazingly fresh take on pizza, great service and fantastic ambiance.
• Gilda Vic Pasticceria in Venice for the most delicious variety of pastries.
• Gelateria Caffe Pasticceria Giolitti in Rome for the tastiest, creamiest gelato.
1. Salt: I can’t tell if it’s because no one can taste anything from all the ciggy’s they consume or if it’s just a holdover tradition from pre-refrigeration days, but Italian food is loaded with salt. As someone who has a fairly light hand when it comes to salting food, my taste buds were in absolute shock my first few meals. I’m still adjusting, but downing some serious water to avoid the inevitable swelling that comes with salty food and hot weather.
2. Ham: Italians dig pig. Every menu is loaded with items that include some form of prosciutto, parma, salami, sausage or one of its 20 cousins. Having attempted cooking with prosciutto several times in the States only to feel like I was eating a salt lick, I gave it one last shot in Italy and found it far more appealing, if not rather appetizing. Beef is used sparingly and chicken is practically non-existant. If you don’t like ham or seafood (see below), expect to go veg for your visit.
3. Seafood: Italians are fairly adventurous when it comes to seafood. Menus are filled with all kinds of weird and tasty sea creatures. We’ve tasted the local shrimp, crawfish, salmon, mussels, clams, squid and sea bass. Being somewhat of a seafood snob coming from one of the greatest places for fresh fruits of the sea, we haven’t found every seafood experience to be as great as back home or on other travels, but still amazingly fresh and quite delicious.
4. Beverages: Only four kinds of beverages exist in Italy – water, wine, beer and cappuccino. While sodas and juices are occasionally available, they are horribly expensive and don’t taste nearly as good as their American counterparts. Milk can be found if you manage to filter it out of your cappuccino or occasionally as a room temperature offering that the FDA would never approve of.
5. Bread: Served at every meal, it’s more for tradition than taste. As noted above, no milk means no butter, and apparently that olive oil and balsamic dipping oil thing is an American invention because we haven’t seen it even once. With all the pasta and wine served at every meal, it’s just one more carb you can do without.
6. Courses: Antipasti. Primo piatti. Secondi. Contorni. Dolci. Don’t know Italian? These are all words naming the courses of food during a typical meal. Matt and I attempted a multi-course Italian meal once. Let’s just say I looked pregnant for several hours after I ate. The meat, starch and veggies on one plate is an American thing. If you want the same in Italy, it will take at least three courses to get through. Good luck.
7. Favorite eats:
• Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre in Vernazza for the amazing lasagna Bolognese and eggplant parmigiana. Not to mention the hilarious Sicilian brothers who run the joint.
• Osteria Quatro Pass in Varenna for awesome fresh fish, amazing whitefish ravioli in sour cream sauce, and cute rustic charm. If I owned a restaurant, it would look exactly like this.
• Nilus Bar in Varenna for delicious crepes and a fantastic view of Lake Como with no cover charge.
• Ristorante Pizzeria Sacro e Profano in Rome for an amazingly fresh take on pizza, great service and fantastic ambiance.
• Gilda Vic Pasticceria in Venice for the most delicious variety of pastries.
• Gelateria Caffe Pasticceria Giolitti in Rome for the tastiest, creamiest gelato.
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