As I haven't really written about food yet (at least not in its own right), I haven't included a HUGE part of my experience here. Today, I went to Eataly*, and was finally inspired to get a move on about it. I'm planning this as a five part entry, with an entry a day over the next week, but it may quickly fragment into 10 or more as picking and choosing my favorite foods and places to eat is a nearly impossible task and a work in progress.
I can't remember if I mentioned it somewhere at the beginning of the semester, but I am one of the pickiest eaters ever and in the worst way: I tend to say I don't like things before I've even tried them. At home, if someone said we were getting Italian food I would say great and then order fettucine alfredo no matter what else was on the menu. I like fettucine alfredo, but I've never really tried anything else (plus Italians don't really consider that Italian food. I know, I've asked). That principle pretty much goes for all types of food for me. I've loosened up a little since I left home for college, but not by much. This semester I was determined to try everything and not get stuck in the rut of ordering the same dish over and over again. This task was made easy as all of my friends here love trying to prove they ordered the best dish and therefore insist everyone try a bite.
To hopefully avoid some unnecessary entries and comments later, here is part one, where I will elucidate some quintessential Roman/Italian foods that make me smile.Carciofi (artichoke) - I have always liked artichokes. Here, I love them. If something on the menu has carciofi in it, I automatically like it.
Blood Oranges - I've mentioned these before. So good. I'm not even sure they should be called oranges. Lately I've taken to juicing them at lunch. Yum.
Tartufo (truffle) - I had never (probably) tried truffle before I got here. Fortunately my friends forced it upon me and now I like it in just about anything: on pizza, in pasta, on bruschetta, you name it.
Olio (olive oil) - I didn't use the olive oil provided at every meal for the first month here. What a mistake! That is a month of good olive oil I will never get back. I use it in excess now. Just ask my little sister, she was appalled. (And I was appalled that she got to go to an olive oil factory and didn't enjoy it!)
Formaggio - Cheese! Add it to any dish or eat it raw. I'm definitely a hard cheese kind of girl when we're just buying it for snacks, but its impossible not to eat all kinds of cheese here. It just is.
Vino - ... Nope not gonna be able to summarize this one. It will need its own entry.
Pizza - Roman pizza is this super thin crust with just a little extra crunch around the edges. I love it. (Though maybe that's because LA doesn't really have a signature style pie). Plus you eat the entire pie by yourself every time and no one gives you a second look.
Pasta - Not to go into it extensively, but its just an art form here. Plus I don't think I'll ever be able to eat pasta that is anything but al dente ever again.
Ciao,
J
*Eataly is a chain restaurant/supermarket (kindof like the lovechild of Whole Foods and Panera) that features typical Italian cuisine and products. There's one in NYC, but not in LA yet.
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