Posted by socrates on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

Today we all took a cooking class in the hills of Cefalu’. Nino and company showed us a true Italian feast as we spent hours preparing and eating multiple dishes. The amount of care put into each dish made it truly seem like an art form. No shortcuts were taken as we individually crafted each arancini ball by hand, packing meat and cheese inside of a risotto layering. The arancini were only the start of this food marathon, as our hosts followed up the “antipasto” with a “primo” dish of pasta with lentils as well as a “secondo” of sausage on a skewer. Finally, we had cannoli filled crepes for dessert. This cooking and eating process is just one example of the major cultural difference between Italy and the United States when it comes to food.

https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/c93784anxfs6cb39yzdat30sz52ktsrs

Food for the Italians is not only a source of energy or nutrients, it is a source of joy that brings communities together. There is an increased importance placed not only on the act of preparing the food, but the activity of eating. In the US we are content to pick up mcnuggets from McDonald’s or microwave some Kraft mac n’ cheese for lunch. In Italy it seems that everyone spends hours gathering with friends and family for lunch or an afternoon meal. It is a social activity and I have often seen groups at dinner for hours at a time even after completing their meal. It also seemed to be more of a social activity in preparing the food. Many people were contributing at each step of preparing this meal. I enjoy how food as an activity takes such a prominent role in peoples’ lives and their everyday interactions.

https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/al6w8oa3dz3sde501w6x18lw9koifrec