Monday with Verdi

I did NOT want to go to class this morning. Well, that's not true. I'm always excited for my Food & Culture class. What I was not excited for was the 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM straight. I think Rome left me more exhausted than I thought.

I did, however, have another pretty strong motivation to get out of bed, in the form of OVERNITE OATS!

Soak one part oats in one part liquid of choice (water, milk, or a little of both) overnight in the fridge.

Top as desired (in this case, strawberry yogurt & kiwi).

Mix & devour!

 Folgers Oats = the BEST part of waking up!

Our Food & Culture class was on race & ethnic stereotypes supported by different types of food. For example, fried chicken is often associated with African Americans, as are potatoes with the Irish.We also talked about how socioeconomic status affects food choices and health issues, and how food has been used throughout history as a marker of power. It's really fascinating; in times where food is scarce and famine is not, it is more en vogue to be heavier/overweight, because it shows that you are privileged to eat as much as you please. Nowadays, with food in more or less abundance, it is stylish to be thin because it shows self-control and reason. Variety is another big deal; in the Renaissance, the use of different spices showed high status because the spices had to be imported from the East. White truffles are currently a huge deal in China right now and convey major high status - they are called "white gold." For being something frequently given so little thought towards, food is certainly a potent symbol. I could talk about this all day long! But I'll give your ears a break and your eyes a feast:

 I have been looking for this sandwich place called Casa del Vino for a while, as my study abroad program recommended it as some of the best sandwiches in town. Now, in Italy, that's a pretty major statement  - and I decided I was the foodie to verify this outlandish claim. It's only a street over from my music class, and I wanted to get some lunch before my second class, so I made it my mission to scope this Casa out today. Clearly, I did. It's not obviously a sandwich shop, because they make it to order (always a good sign), and the menu only has about 5 choices (another good sign - trust me). I couldn't really read the menu (the handwriting, not the Italian), but I saw one that was something in aglio con pecorino fresco - in garlic with fresh pecorino - and, well, my choice was made.

Holy Panino, Batman - this was the BEST sandwich I think I've ever had. I'm really thinking hard back to all the sandwiches I've consumed over my 2 decades of living, and I'm struggling to find something that beats this out. The first word that I couldn't read was acciuga - anchovies!

It was SUPER salty but also a little sweet and very familiar-tasting, so anchovies was my guess. My culinary skills must be improving, because I was RIGHT! The salty fish + crunchy bread + fresh cheese + garlic and herbs was just wonderful. And gone in about 8 minutes.

I was a bit disappointed in myself, though - when I went to order the sandwich, because I couldn't read that first word I had communication issues with the cute little old lady behind the counter who didn't speak English (yet another good sign about this store!). Normally I would have gotten really excited that I could practice, but I could not for the life of me remember how to say 'last' (ultimo, if you're wondering) and another woman in the shop helped me out. Actually, she could read the acciuga, which is how I figured out how to spell it and look it up, so it was a good thing...but I still felt like the stupid American student. Blah.

I was, however, redeemed during my music class. We visited the Teatro della Pergola, one of many theatres here in Firenze built in 1652. The librarian was our tour guide, but didn't speak English well enough to give the tour so she talked and then our teacher translated. After listening to her for a little while, I started to understand her well, and by the end got almost every word and at least the gist of what she said before the translation. I was SO excited. I still need to work on my speaking, but it's quite heartening to know that my comprehension is getting better!

The teatro was really cool, for many reasons - this being a BIG one:

You think I'm crazy, right? She's flipping out over a stupid old stool. But that is NOT just any [very] old stool. Oh no. That is the stool upon which, during the premiere of his opera MacBeth, sat...

VERDI!

As in, Aida Verdi. I actually stepped on the exact ground that Giuseppe Verdi stepped on.

Whoa.

This was pretty cool too:

This was a device used to raise the stage to create a large ballroom used for masquerades. The women's dresses were so large (all that crinolin!), they needed more room to dance and socialize and whatnot. It is not used anymore - the 1966 Arno flood took a major toll on the theatre and they had to install iron support beams (you can see it in that picture - that orange arch to the right).

Stimlating conversation, amazing sandwiches, and getting one degree closer to some of the greatest composers of all time - Monday is starting to look up!

I made a semi-impulse purchase at the grocery store and got some polenta, because I'm dying to try new things and new recipes.

I ended up added a tad too much water and it was more like cornmeal soup, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

I cooked it with an egg and then salt, garlic, parsley, and tomatoes and put it over some arugula. It was screaming for cheese, but I used all mine up before leaving for Rome. To be improved upon. I'm welcome to suggestions!

I'm trying something a little crazy for b-fast tomorrow morning - get ready!

~Namaste~

The Blog Problem

Blog - a simple means of expressing ideas, thoughts, interests, passions, pictures, and anything else one's heart desires to post in a public sphere to generate discussion and thoughts of others. A rough definition, but it's subjective. So what's all the fuss about?

Well, there is first the issue of how much info is too much. I mean, the internet is world wide, and it is important to be aware that anyone and everyone can see it, and will react and use the information you provide in an infinite variety of different ways. And then there is the concerns of the writer: will I write well enough to keep people interested? does anyone really care about what I have to say? It's a constant challenge to say something a little wittier, a bit more eloquent, or to take a better, more aesthetically pleasing picture. This however I the very thing I love about the blog. It is such a great outlet for me to challenge myself and better my writing, and at the same time, I get to talk about my real passions (FOOD!). Don't get me wrong, I actually semi-enjoyed writing a paper on the mystery of the structure of Milton's Lycidas, and my music history listenening assignments were always interesting to write up. But here, I can write about my thoughts, my interests, in an accepting public forum. It's so liberating to me, to just write. It's true, I get judged by my readers like my teachers judge my papers, but on the blog, there is no grade to be concerned about. It's more a free judgment, maybe?

Writing is, for me, the best means of expressing life experiences. And what I love about food blogs - and food in general - is that because of its status as a necessity for, um, human life, it is taken for granted. It has to make multiple everyday appearances in our life, and thus is often not given a second thought to. But it carries so much symbolic value, and is such an insightful vessel of self-expression. You are what you eat. And I'm showing who I am on this blog with just that - what I eat. And now, I am off my soapbox for the day.

Speaking of eats...

(My camera, like me, is NOT a morning person - had a liiiiiittle trouble focusing this AM)

Breakfast! Oats + peach yogurt and a pear. The yogurt here is super thin, and the oats not only add that yummy grainy flavor but also thicken up the yogurt. If you haven't tried raw oats and yogurt, put it on your list - mm mm mmmm!

Food & Culture was awesome, as usual. That class is just too cool. I have been craving a class like this, that finally pinpoints my exact interest combining women's studies + language + food. I always leave happy. AND my teacher brought me this to borrow:

We read a couple chapters out of it for homework. Carole Counihan is pretty freakin cool. If you have any interest in anthropology + food, definitely seek it out. Her studies are fascinating.

Also had my music class. I made a brilliant new discovery today - there is a minimarket on my way to that class, and so today instead of going to the school cafeteria, I stopped in and got my big water and banana for 80 eurocents. Woohoo for money-saving discoveries!

After class I was starving. But my camera was dying and so I had to go on Mission: AA Batteries before I found a sandwich. I was successful, but they were hella expensive, which does not make me happy - my camera eats batteries like I eat Italian bread. There probably is a better place to find them. I will seek it out. I just went to a music store, but maybe a Tabacchi (convenience store)? Study abroad = LOTS of trial-and-error.

Found a decent enough looking sandwich at a bar on the way back to my apartment. I'm not gonna lie; the main reason I chose this one is because the guy behind the counter is cuuuuuute. Sue me.

Vegetarian on schiacciata, which is a kind of bread (only called schiacciata in Firenze) a bit like focaccia. Salty, olive oil baked in the top, crispy but fluffy...mmm. I like. A little on the greasy side, but it was much more preferable to my arm, which was my next nearest option. It's not easy to find a bad sandwich in Italy; sometimes they are nothing special, but very rarely can they be classified as bad. Man, I love Italian bread. (P.S. those black spots are the result of me not paying attention to the pan...still tasted good.)

Most of my day was spent in a bit of a daze - didn't get much sleep last night and had a bit of a tummy ache from the night before. I lay down for a little, but mostly just dozed.

We wanted to go to a sushi place for dinner, but they were all either closed (Monday is NOT the night to go out to dinner) or too expensive, so we decided to go for aperitivo at the place across the street. All I really wanted was some Prosecco and bread anyway, so that worked for me! Aperitivo is an Italian pre-dinner tradition; you go to a bar or cafe and you play a flat rate for a drink and then there is a buffet - size and types of food vary from basic finger foods like bruschetta to full-on pasta dishes - that is unlimited. It's great for students as a cheap dinner out with a drink included. The place across the street from our apartment has a huge buffet with lots of options, so we just walked on over.

Mmmm, Prosecco. Might as well live it up while I can, no?!

I like aperitivo because I, as you know, will try anything, especially if it's bite-size. This style of eating fills me up from tasting many different bites, and it's very satisfying because of the flavor variety. It would be very easy to overeat, but it's more fun if you just take a little of this and a bite of that. I did have several pieces of bread, though - I was craving it tonight for some reason. Italy is a really good place to have that particular craving. They also had crab legs and shrimp, which were de-LISH. Seafood + bread = happy me.

I should start thinking about bed soon - 8 AM Italian kind of kills nightlife for me. Good thing it holds little appeal to me, I guess. I am going to sip my chamomile tea and hit they sack. Happy Monday/Lunedi!

~Namaste~