Italian Food Culture: Part 1

From the organizers:

Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines in the world. Whether staples of American culture like spaghetti and meatballs, authentically Roman cacio e pepe, humble sweets like tiramisu and biscotti, or show-stopping dishes in modern day Michelin-starred restaurants, it’s comforting, familiar food built from simple flavors––and beloved in all settings, in every corner of the globe.

But to only understand “Italian food” as a single cuisine would be to sell short the 20 very distinctive and individual regions of the peninsula––a country that spans a dramatic range of microclimates, that has endured millennia of invasions, conquests, and international colonizations, and that has been cooking and creating food since, well, thousands of years before the nation of Italy was even born. Some preparations were born into cucina povera; others intended for emperors. From dishes like the extravagant egg-based tajarin and shaved truffles of the north, to the burnt-flour grano arso pastas down in Puglia and the Middle Eastern-inflected iterations found in Sicily––and likewise in indigenous creations like prosciutto and aceto balsamico, cheeses and olive oils, wines and liqueurs, and closely held techniques––every plate and ingredient tells a story. Each complete with quirky characters and rich with lore.

In this four-part class series, we’ll investigate what makes each region unique and special. We’ll get to know the origins of those most important dishes, and the Italian people, culture, and history through the food with which we’re already so familiar (as well as some you’ll want to get to know more). Plus, in each meeting, we’ll taste regional Italian vino, and you’ll leave with recipes to recreate dishes we discuss. Whether you’re a full-blown Italophile, or you’re just stoked that pasta season is upon us, I hope you’ll come join this fun look at a very special culture.