This will be the last post of my blog. I must say that I miss Italy so much. I loved everything about the trip. It is such a beautiful country, with so much history and culture. I enjoyed so much watching and learning a different lifestyle, the food especially. I prefer the way that I ate in Italy so much more than how I do at home. I loved being away from fast food, frozen food, and preservatives. I dont think I will ever go to a Mcdonald's or Burger King again. From now on I am going to try to eat much healthier foods that havent been sitting on a shelf for the past 6 months. I loved how everything in Italy was so fresh. The fresh fruits, bread, and cheeses were staples in my diet. I can also say that I have found a new love for pasta. There is so much that you can do with it besides serving it with traditional red sauce. This is going to be a savior for me since I will be living in my first apartment next semester.
If I could bring back any foods to the U.S. with me I would have definately brought back kebabs. Even though they are not really itialian they are still so good. However I have the feeling that if I ate Kebabs all the time I would probobly get sick of them. I feel like kebabs for us would be like Taco Bell for Italians. They dont have it back home so the first couple months or so they would love it and then they would get sick of it. Gelato would be another thing I would bring back. I loved Gelato so much more than the ice cream we have at home. I guess Ben and Jerries Cherry Garcia can give it a run for its money, however with nutella flavored gelato its a close competition.
I found myself eating much healthier over in italy and eating smaller portions that still gave me the strenght and energy that I needed for hte day. I think that is the most valuable thing that I have taken back to the states. Its important to eat right and before I went on this trip my diet was pretty poor. I tried alot of new things while I was in italy and realized that I can eat really healthy with the foods that we have at home too. From now on I am going to try to eat much better than I did before.
I cant express enough how much I enjoyed my trip to italy. I wish I was back there right now. I definately plan on visiting Verona again. It became like a second home to me. Now if you will excuse me, Im hungry, I need to go get some Burger King. Haha Just kidding.
Friday 27 June 2008
Sunday 6/22/08
Today my friends and I decided to spend the last day in Italy at Lake Garda. It was perfect weather outside and the water was so nice. For lunch I made myself a ham sandwich with some fresh mozzarella cheese. It was so good. When we got back from the lake we all got together at Amanda’s house with a lot of people from the trip and all cooked up our leftovers. We had some really good pizza, pasta, rice, and salad. I must say that the pizza that Megan made was awesome. I wish I could cook like that. My cooking skills have definitely improved since we have been here but I don’t think I am ready to cook a pizza yet.
Saturday 6/21/08
When I woke up this morning it finally hit me that I would be going home soon. I don’t want to leave Italy I love it here. I think I could live here for a long time to come. I didn’t really like sitting inside I wanted to go out and enjoy the town while I still could. So for lunch I made myself another bologna sandwich using up the last of the meat and cheese. Later on my friends and I went to happy hour we got some drinks. I had an aperol spritz. The bartender gave us some toasted bread with tomatoe sauce and cheese and some chips. It held us over until it was time for dinner.
Around dinnertime, Nate, Gina, Mike, Amanda and I cooked dinner. We had some cheese risotto that Amanda brough over. Some pasta with red sauce and some Pork chops that Mike cooked again. It was a very good but somewhat sad meal. We all realized that we were all leaving soon. I don’t think any of us wanted to leave. After dinner we decided to go out to a bar and enjoy the night.
Around dinnertime, Nate, Gina, Mike, Amanda and I cooked dinner. We had some cheese risotto that Amanda brough over. Some pasta with red sauce and some Pork chops that Mike cooked again. It was a very good but somewhat sad meal. We all realized that we were all leaving soon. I don’t think any of us wanted to leave. After dinner we decided to go out to a bar and enjoy the night.
Thursday 6/19/08
Today was another trip. This time to some towns along Lake Garda. Again I packed a lunch. Bologna and cheese again and a little treat, a Nutella Sandwich. Of coarse I was hungry again later on so I decided to try some ketchup flavored potato chips. I have never seen these before. They were pretty good. It just tasted like French fries with ketchup. I liked them but don’t know if I would ever get them again. After that I tried some of Gina and Erin’s snowballs. These were so good. They are a big ball of dough that’s are covered with chocolate and stuffed with some kind of cream. I was in heaven because Erin didn’t want to finish hers and gave the rest to me. They were so good. These are another thing that I need to bring back to the states.
When we got back we went right to cooking dinner. Amanda decided to eat dinner with Mike and I tonight which was nice. We cooked up some ham tortellini again with pesto sauce, and some regular pasta with a type of meat sauce from Pam.
For desert we had a slice of an ice cream roll that mike purchased at Pam. Vanilla and Chocolate, cant go wrong with that. I think that this was the first actually Ice cream that I have had this trip instead of Gelato. I like the ice cream but Gelato is by far way better. I am definitely going to miss Gelato when I am home.
When we got back we went right to cooking dinner. Amanda decided to eat dinner with Mike and I tonight which was nice. We cooked up some ham tortellini again with pesto sauce, and some regular pasta with a type of meat sauce from Pam.
For desert we had a slice of an ice cream roll that mike purchased at Pam. Vanilla and Chocolate, cant go wrong with that. I think that this was the first actually Ice cream that I have had this trip instead of Gelato. I like the ice cream but Gelato is by far way better. I am definitely going to miss Gelato when I am home.
Wednesday 6/18/08
Today I was really rushed for lunch because of one of my photo assignments. I made a quick bologna and cheese sandwich for while I was out photographing. I also picked up some cherries from one of the vendors in Piazza Erbe. Those were the best cherries I have had on the trip. They were just right. Nice and dark on the inside.
For dinner Mike and I cooked a meal. I cooked some ham tortellini that I got from Pam. I added a pesto and tomato sauce mix to the top. Mike cooked some pork chops. We didn’t have any spices except salt and pepper for the meat. However it was good though. It made me realize how much salt and pepper can do for taste while cooking. The pork chops were very tasty. We also had the traditional bread, olive oil, and cheese.
Later on that night I had a Tiger energy drink. I found it in Pam next to the Redbull’s. It just seemed like a knockoff version that was much cheaper. After trying it though It was really good. This was one of the first soda’s I had on the trip though. I kind of felt “dirty” after having it like I did after eating Mcdonald’s in Rome. I guess I just don’t miss American food and our fast and unhealthy way of eating very much.
For dinner Mike and I cooked a meal. I cooked some ham tortellini that I got from Pam. I added a pesto and tomato sauce mix to the top. Mike cooked some pork chops. We didn’t have any spices except salt and pepper for the meat. However it was good though. It made me realize how much salt and pepper can do for taste while cooking. The pork chops were very tasty. We also had the traditional bread, olive oil, and cheese.
Later on that night I had a Tiger energy drink. I found it in Pam next to the Redbull’s. It just seemed like a knockoff version that was much cheaper. After trying it though It was really good. This was one of the first soda’s I had on the trip though. I kind of felt “dirty” after having it like I did after eating Mcdonald’s in Rome. I guess I just don’t miss American food and our fast and unhealthy way of eating very much.
Thursday 26 June 2008
Monday 6/16/08 and Tuesday 6/17/08
Tuesday 6/17/08
Today we started off the day by getting on a bus and heading to a cheese factory. This was one of the coolest experiences of the trip. We got to see how a couple different cheeses and meats were made. The best part was that we got to try them. First we had fresh Salami. It was so good and tender. I don’t know if tender is the best word to describe it however that’s the only one I can think off. The Salami was awesome with a piece of bread. I wish that I could of eaten some more of it, it was just that good. Next we tried three different cheeses. One of the cheese’s was aged in red whine. It was good however it had a very strong taste. Gina who was sitting next to me didn’t like it so I got to eat all of hers. I thought that the taste was a little much too by itself but with a piece of bread it was perfect. We also had a few glasses of wine that complimented the cheeses perfectly. Then we had fresh ricotta cheese right before we left. I have never eaten ricotta cheese by itself before. It was very good. The cheese doesn’t have a strong flavor too it, it is very mild. The texture of the cheese is different but nice, and it too tastes awesome on some bread.
After our cheese tasting we thanked the owner and got back on the bus. I was still hungry so I pulled out one of the sandwiches I made for the trip. It was a bologna and cheese sandwich. Neither the bologna nor cheese was up to par with what I had just eaten. I must say that the sandwich was a rather disappointment.
The next destination of our bus was Padua. While we were here Gina and I got hungry again so we decided to venture to find something to eat. We came across this little fast food place. It was a cone, kind of like an ice cream cone except made out of pizza dough. They had many fillings for the cones. In mine I got Procutto Crudo, Tomato Sauce, and Mozzarella cheese. It was so tasty. It tasted just like a pizza that you could walk with and eat. By the time I got to the bottom of the cone there was only mozzarella cheese left. It tasted like I was eating a mozzarella stick mmmhhmm. I am going to bring these back to the U.S. and make my own fast food place. I will be rich.
Again for dinner tonight I decided to be lame and heat up some leftovers from the day before. This time with the pasta I finished up the mozzarella sauce that tasted like Spaghetti O’s. I didn’t really care for it that much however I didn’t want to waste the food, or take the time to cook something new. For dessert, I guess you could call it dessert, I tried two the craziest beers I have EVER had in my life. While in Padua Mike found a specialty beer store and bought two different types of beer. The first one that we tried tasted like a loaf of bread it had so much of a strong wheat taste to it. I enjoyed it a lot and would definitely buy it again. However it was the second beer that really knocked my socks off. This was a smoked beer, the owner of the shop explained to Mike. We weren’t really sure what to expect. When we opened the bottle we were hit with the strong smell of a backyard BBQ. It was crazy, we spent about 5 minutes just smelling the beer and wonder how such a strong smell could come from it, before we even poured ourselves a glass. The beer tasted like smoked ham. That was the best way that we could describe it. I know it sounds kind of gross however I enjoyed it. It was weird to drink something and taste smoked wood. I felt like I was going to smell like fire afterwards. We were both amazed at the taste and by the end of the bottle we both were disappointed that Mike had only brought back one.
Monday 6/16/08
Today for lunch I heated up some pasta leftover from yesterday. I still haven’t found the best way to heat up pasta without a microwave. The two options I have found is too run the pasta under extremely hot water or two heat it up in a pot with some vegetable oil. I chose to heat it up in the pan. I added a little pesto sauce in the pot. The pesto sauce was really good. It was a “Mediterranean” flavored pesto. It was somewhat spicy and I believe it may have had a little eggplant in it judging by the small picture on the oustide of the container. However I’m not too sure.
Tonight’s dinner was delicious. Gina, Nate, Megan and Erin came over to Mike and I’s apartment to eat. We had fresh mushroom and cheese, and spinach and cheese tortellini’s. They were so good. We also had regular pasta with a mozzarella pasta sauce. The sauce was really sweet though and kind of tasted like Spaghetti O’s. Mike also decided to cook some Steak with the meal. Now steak is something I haven’t had since we have been here. That was a nice treat. I watched him cook the steak. He added lots of teriyaki sauce, with some salt and sugar and cooked it in a pan. It was delicious. There was also some salad and bread with olive oil for appetizers. For Desert we had a strawberry shortcake roll that I found at Pam. It was really good however it tasted just like the ones you could get back in the states. I was excited when there was still some left. That’s means that I have a little desert snack for later on.
Today we started off the day by getting on a bus and heading to a cheese factory. This was one of the coolest experiences of the trip. We got to see how a couple different cheeses and meats were made. The best part was that we got to try them. First we had fresh Salami. It was so good and tender. I don’t know if tender is the best word to describe it however that’s the only one I can think off. The Salami was awesome with a piece of bread. I wish that I could of eaten some more of it, it was just that good. Next we tried three different cheeses. One of the cheese’s was aged in red whine. It was good however it had a very strong taste. Gina who was sitting next to me didn’t like it so I got to eat all of hers. I thought that the taste was a little much too by itself but with a piece of bread it was perfect. We also had a few glasses of wine that complimented the cheeses perfectly. Then we had fresh ricotta cheese right before we left. I have never eaten ricotta cheese by itself before. It was very good. The cheese doesn’t have a strong flavor too it, it is very mild. The texture of the cheese is different but nice, and it too tastes awesome on some bread.
After our cheese tasting we thanked the owner and got back on the bus. I was still hungry so I pulled out one of the sandwiches I made for the trip. It was a bologna and cheese sandwich. Neither the bologna nor cheese was up to par with what I had just eaten. I must say that the sandwich was a rather disappointment.
The next destination of our bus was Padua. While we were here Gina and I got hungry again so we decided to venture to find something to eat. We came across this little fast food place. It was a cone, kind of like an ice cream cone except made out of pizza dough. They had many fillings for the cones. In mine I got Procutto Crudo, Tomato Sauce, and Mozzarella cheese. It was so tasty. It tasted just like a pizza that you could walk with and eat. By the time I got to the bottom of the cone there was only mozzarella cheese left. It tasted like I was eating a mozzarella stick mmmhhmm. I am going to bring these back to the U.S. and make my own fast food place. I will be rich.
Again for dinner tonight I decided to be lame and heat up some leftovers from the day before. This time with the pasta I finished up the mozzarella sauce that tasted like Spaghetti O’s. I didn’t really care for it that much however I didn’t want to waste the food, or take the time to cook something new. For dessert, I guess you could call it dessert, I tried two the craziest beers I have EVER had in my life. While in Padua Mike found a specialty beer store and bought two different types of beer. The first one that we tried tasted like a loaf of bread it had so much of a strong wheat taste to it. I enjoyed it a lot and would definitely buy it again. However it was the second beer that really knocked my socks off. This was a smoked beer, the owner of the shop explained to Mike. We weren’t really sure what to expect. When we opened the bottle we were hit with the strong smell of a backyard BBQ. It was crazy, we spent about 5 minutes just smelling the beer and wonder how such a strong smell could come from it, before we even poured ourselves a glass. The beer tasted like smoked ham. That was the best way that we could describe it. I know it sounds kind of gross however I enjoyed it. It was weird to drink something and taste smoked wood. I felt like I was going to smell like fire afterwards. We were both amazed at the taste and by the end of the bottle we both were disappointed that Mike had only brought back one.
Monday 6/16/08
Today for lunch I heated up some pasta leftover from yesterday. I still haven’t found the best way to heat up pasta without a microwave. The two options I have found is too run the pasta under extremely hot water or two heat it up in a pot with some vegetable oil. I chose to heat it up in the pan. I added a little pesto sauce in the pot. The pesto sauce was really good. It was a “Mediterranean” flavored pesto. It was somewhat spicy and I believe it may have had a little eggplant in it judging by the small picture on the oustide of the container. However I’m not too sure.
Tonight’s dinner was delicious. Gina, Nate, Megan and Erin came over to Mike and I’s apartment to eat. We had fresh mushroom and cheese, and spinach and cheese tortellini’s. They were so good. We also had regular pasta with a mozzarella pasta sauce. The sauce was really sweet though and kind of tasted like Spaghetti O’s. Mike also decided to cook some Steak with the meal. Now steak is something I haven’t had since we have been here. That was a nice treat. I watched him cook the steak. He added lots of teriyaki sauce, with some salt and sugar and cooked it in a pan. It was delicious. There was also some salad and bread with olive oil for appetizers. For Desert we had a strawberry shortcake roll that I found at Pam. It was really good however it tasted just like the ones you could get back in the states. I was excited when there was still some left. That’s means that I have a little desert snack for later on.
Saturday 6/14/08 Last day of Rome
Today was our last day in Rome. We went inside the Colliseum and the Roman Forums and then headed off to the grocery store before getting on our train back to Verona. For lunch / the train ride I got a spicy salami and cheeese sandwhich and a folded over ham and cheese pizza. I fould a gatorade knock-off called energade to drink and I also got some cookies and Nutella. Nate got a bottle of lemoncello for us to split on the train. It was the first time I had ever tried it. It was rather strong however I liked it. I really like lemons so I really enjoyed the lemon flavor.
There was no dinner when we got back from Rome. Our train arrived in Verona at 12:30 in the morning. The buses had stopped running by the time we got back so we walked to our apartments. If i was hungry when I got back to my apartment my tiredness overpowered it. I was asleep within 10 minutes of getting back to my apartment.
There was no dinner when we got back from Rome. Our train arrived in Verona at 12:30 in the morning. The buses had stopped running by the time we got back so we walked to our apartments. If i was hungry when I got back to my apartment my tiredness overpowered it. I was asleep within 10 minutes of getting back to my apartment.
Friday 6/13/08 Rome
I had Mcdonald's today. I feel so ashamed however I had wanted to try it to see if there was a difference in the food. I thought that I noticed the food being better however it just could of been my mind imagining that so that at least there was an all right excuse as to why I had Mcdonalds in Italy
Thursday 6/12/08 Rome / My Birthday
In the morning we got up and had a complimentary hotel breakfast. I had a crossant, a kiwi, some fruit and coffee. I took a couple kiwi's with me because I knew that I would want them on the train ride later.
For lunch I had two nutella sandwhich's that I had packed in my backpack the morning we left Verona. They were good however the moisture in the nutella soaked into the bread or was lost or something. The sandwhich was rather dry so I had to go out and buy a water. Its weird over here they sell rather large bottles of water. They seem bigger than even the large bottles that we have at home. They appear to be like half a gallon. Im not sure if they really are however they appear that way.
That water lasted me all day on the train ride to Rome. I enjoyed my Kiwi which helded me over nice on the 4 hour ride. When we arrived in Rome it was around dinner time. Gina took me out for a dinner since it was by birthday. I got the best pasta alla carbonera that I have ever had. Its funny I have always like pasta carbonera however it wasn'y until today that I found out the it was an egg sauce or something like that on top of the pasta with the ham. I guess I should pay more attention to things. For destert we had some Tiramisu. I thought it was good, however Gina said that it wasn't really Tiramisu it was too much like a cake. I enjoyed it though.
I must say that spending my birthday in Rome was so awesome. I feel so lucky to have been able to be in such a cool place when I turned 20.
For lunch I had two nutella sandwhich's that I had packed in my backpack the morning we left Verona. They were good however the moisture in the nutella soaked into the bread or was lost or something. The sandwhich was rather dry so I had to go out and buy a water. Its weird over here they sell rather large bottles of water. They seem bigger than even the large bottles that we have at home. They appear to be like half a gallon. Im not sure if they really are however they appear that way.
That water lasted me all day on the train ride to Rome. I enjoyed my Kiwi which helded me over nice on the 4 hour ride. When we arrived in Rome it was around dinner time. Gina took me out for a dinner since it was by birthday. I got the best pasta alla carbonera that I have ever had. Its funny I have always like pasta carbonera however it wasn'y until today that I found out the it was an egg sauce or something like that on top of the pasta with the ham. I guess I should pay more attention to things. For destert we had some Tiramisu. I thought it was good, however Gina said that it wasn't really Tiramisu it was too much like a cake. I enjoyed it though.
I must say that spending my birthday in Rome was so awesome. I feel so lucky to have been able to be in such a cool place when I turned 20.
Wednesday 6/11/08 Florence
This morning everyone on the trip got up early to head on a bus to Florence. Before we left in the morning I made some bologne and cheese sandwhiches for lunch.
After arriving in Florence Nate, Mike and I wanted something quick to eat so that we would have plenty of time to explore the city. We found a small pizza place on the side of the road that was really cheap. I got a cheese pizza and a small beer. Mike and Nate both got chicken. The chicken looked good, however I was extremely happy with my pizza. It was just enough food. I think my stomach has started to shrink again because at home I definately would of still be hungry after the pizza.
After arriving in Florence Nate, Mike and I wanted something quick to eat so that we would have plenty of time to explore the city. We found a small pizza place on the side of the road that was really cheap. I got a cheese pizza and a small beer. Mike and Nate both got chicken. The chicken looked good, however I was extremely happy with my pizza. It was just enough food. I think my stomach has started to shrink again because at home I definately would of still be hungry after the pizza.
Tuesday 6/10/08
Today for lunch Gina and I heated up the leftovers from the cooking class in the oven. It tasted just as good as it did the day before. Its nice not to have microwaves here. If we did we would of definatetly of thrown the food in the microwave and it wouldnt of tasted half as good and would or probobly been soggy.
For dinner tonight, Gina, Nate, and I decided to use the rest of the reduction sauce yesterdays cooking class. I went out and bought some hamburger for the sauce. We had the some bread with olive oil, basil, parmesean cheese, and a little pepper to start and then had pasta with hamburger and the red wine and onion reduction sauce. It was awesome.
For dinner tonight, Gina, Nate, and I decided to use the rest of the reduction sauce yesterdays cooking class. I went out and bought some hamburger for the sauce. We had the some bread with olive oil, basil, parmesean cheese, and a little pepper to start and then had pasta with hamburger and the red wine and onion reduction sauce. It was awesome.
Monday 6/9/08
Today we had our second cooking class. I made sure to eat more this time before than I did last time. Its so fun to be preparing a lot of food and be hungry at he same time. Looking at food makes you so much hungrier. To hold me over I had a nutella sandwhich or two.
The first course of our class today was pollenta. This was the first thing that I have tried this trip that I really didnt like at all. The taste wasn't so bad however the texture was really strange. I didn't like the way it felt. The second course was a risotto. There was cheese and butter and vegetables in it. This I liked alot better than the first one. The main course of the night was pork. The pork was stuffed with a lemon and vegetables pork puree. On top of the pork we had the best reduction sauce I have ever had. This course was so good I got myself another helping. Dessert was a delicious lemon pie. While cleaning up, Gina and I managed to get a serving of each coarse except for the pollenta. I also got to take home the rest of the reduction sauce. I was really excited about this.
We decided to walk home from the cooking class. It wasn't a bad walk at all. On the way home we decided to get some gelato. I got Baccio and nutella. It was an awesome mix of chocolate and hazelnut.
The first course of our class today was pollenta. This was the first thing that I have tried this trip that I really didnt like at all. The taste wasn't so bad however the texture was really strange. I didn't like the way it felt. The second course was a risotto. There was cheese and butter and vegetables in it. This I liked alot better than the first one. The main course of the night was pork. The pork was stuffed with a lemon and vegetables pork puree. On top of the pork we had the best reduction sauce I have ever had. This course was so good I got myself another helping. Dessert was a delicious lemon pie. While cleaning up, Gina and I managed to get a serving of each coarse except for the pollenta. I also got to take home the rest of the reduction sauce. I was really excited about this.
We decided to walk home from the cooking class. It wasn't a bad walk at all. On the way home we decided to get some gelato. I got Baccio and nutella. It was an awesome mix of chocolate and hazelnut.
Saturday 6/7/08 Bolzano
This morning Nate and I got up around 7am and took a train to Bolzano. It was the most beautfil train ride I have taken yet. Bolzano is a city located an hour and a half north by train from Verona. It is in the southern part of the beggining of the alps. If I ever figure out how to post pictures on this blog I will have to come back and post a picture of Bolzano because it is such a beautiful place. For lunch today I packed myself some ham and cheese sandwhiches. I ate these while nate got two awesome looking pieces of pizza.
I was still a little hungry even after eating my sandwhiches until I saw Otzi. Otzi is the oldest preserved human being on earth. His body was found frozen in the alps. He lived in about 3000 BC. You can imagine what a person would look like after being frozen for 50 centuries After seeing the body in frozen in a room I was no longer hungry. What we really crazy about the exhibit was that his last meal was preserved in his stomach. I cant remember now what the last thing he ate was. Probobly nothing as good as what I had at the cooking class the other night though.
On the way back from the train station Nate and I got Kebabs. We tried a new place this time. What was unique about this place was that it was the first kebab that we had gotten in a wrap. The wrap made it much easier to eat. What an ingenious idea.
I was still a little hungry even after eating my sandwhiches until I saw Otzi. Otzi is the oldest preserved human being on earth. His body was found frozen in the alps. He lived in about 3000 BC. You can imagine what a person would look like after being frozen for 50 centuries After seeing the body in frozen in a room I was no longer hungry. What we really crazy about the exhibit was that his last meal was preserved in his stomach. I cant remember now what the last thing he ate was. Probobly nothing as good as what I had at the cooking class the other night though.
On the way back from the train station Nate and I got Kebabs. We tried a new place this time. What was unique about this place was that it was the first kebab that we had gotten in a wrap. The wrap made it much easier to eat. What an ingenious idea.
Friday 6/6/08
Today for lunch I had an awesome pizza and calzone from a small pizza place. Megan, Erin and I all split the the salami pizza and ham calzone. They were delicious, especially the calzone. It had ham, mozerella, and riccotta cheese in it. To drink I had a small glass of birra moretti. It is a pretty good tasting italian beer. The meal overall was very cheep, around 20 euros or so for the three of us, and was also so tasty.
Dinner consisted of Megan, Erin, Gina, Nate, Mike, and I cooking at our apartment. We cooked up a massive amount of pasta and some gnocci's. To go on top of the food we had a pesto sauce that Megan made, and a red sauce. For a little apetizer we had some bread balsamic vineager.
Dinner consisted of Megan, Erin, Gina, Nate, Mike, and I cooking at our apartment. We cooked up a massive amount of pasta and some gnocci's. To go on top of the food we had a pesto sauce that Megan made, and a red sauce. For a little apetizer we had some bread balsamic vineager.
Wednesday 6/4/08
The only bad thing about yesterdays cooking class is that I ate so much that I must of expanded my stomach again. Since we have arrived in Italy I eat a lot less. Which was a good thing, considering that I usually eat way to much at home. Today it seemed like I couldn't fill myself up at all and I didnt want to eat the ridicoulus amount that I did the day before.
For lunch I had a fried egg with some swiss cheese, salt and pepper before I headed off to foods class. Today was the first day that our teacher was gone. A handful of students were in charge of the class today. The topic of the day was Salami and Cheese. For our field study I headed off to a new grocery store that I had never been to. I needed some food for the next couple days anyways so why not kill two birds with one stone. I head right for the deli to check out the meats and cheeses. There were more types of cheeses than I could of imagined with greatly varying prices. In the salami category there wasn't as much. I noticed a type of meat that looked like a combination of salami and bologne. It was the color of bologne except for large white pieces of meat in it like the ones in salami. I decided to try a package of it however I went over to Pam, the grocery store by my house to buy it (the food is much cheaper there). While I was over there I decided to get some swiss cheese too and some bread for lunch for the next couple days. I also picked up some nutella. I know that we have this in the states however it is just to good to go without. For anyone that hasn't tried it before it is a chocolate spread with hazelnut in it. This will be my desert for the next couple days, if it lasts that long.
For dinner tonight I was feeling lazy again. Yesterdays chef let me take home some of the minced vetetables that were on top on the pasta so I used them with some salt and pepper and some olive oil and made a make shit toping for some pasta. It tasted alright. I must say that I am getting better at cooking/experimenting with foods while I am over here.
Desert was a large spoonful of nutella and a krappfen. Krappfen I believe is the italian word for donut. There is this donut shop across the river from my apartment that is open only late at night. The baker cooks all the donuts for the next day at night. He has a little window that he sells fresh donuts through. I got a large chocolate filled donut. It was awesome.
For lunch I had a fried egg with some swiss cheese, salt and pepper before I headed off to foods class. Today was the first day that our teacher was gone. A handful of students were in charge of the class today. The topic of the day was Salami and Cheese. For our field study I headed off to a new grocery store that I had never been to. I needed some food for the next couple days anyways so why not kill two birds with one stone. I head right for the deli to check out the meats and cheeses. There were more types of cheeses than I could of imagined with greatly varying prices. In the salami category there wasn't as much. I noticed a type of meat that looked like a combination of salami and bologne. It was the color of bologne except for large white pieces of meat in it like the ones in salami. I decided to try a package of it however I went over to Pam, the grocery store by my house to buy it (the food is much cheaper there). While I was over there I decided to get some swiss cheese too and some bread for lunch for the next couple days. I also picked up some nutella. I know that we have this in the states however it is just to good to go without. For anyone that hasn't tried it before it is a chocolate spread with hazelnut in it. This will be my desert for the next couple days, if it lasts that long.
For dinner tonight I was feeling lazy again. Yesterdays chef let me take home some of the minced vetetables that were on top on the pasta so I used them with some salt and pepper and some olive oil and made a make shit toping for some pasta. It tasted alright. I must say that I am getting better at cooking/experimenting with foods while I am over here.
Desert was a large spoonful of nutella and a krappfen. Krappfen I believe is the italian word for donut. There is this donut shop across the river from my apartment that is open only late at night. The baker cooks all the donuts for the next day at night. He has a little window that he sells fresh donuts through. I got a large chocolate filled donut. It was awesome.
Wednesday 25 June 2008
Tuesday 6/3/08 Cooking Class #1
For lunch today all I had was some peaches. I wanted to save my apetit because later on was to be our first authentic Italian cooking class. I should of eaten more before I wen to the class because little did I know that it would take 3 hours to cook all the food. However at the end it was worth it. It was probobly one of the better meals I have ever had, and it was even better because we were the ones that prepared it. The first coarse of the meal was a stuffed tomato. It was filled with alot of different vegetables, I cant even remember them all. I know it had egg plant in it at least. The tomato was also served with fresh pesto, which was awesome. Im not too much of a fan of tomato's however I did enjoy the combination of the tomato and the pesto together. The second coarse was pasta. Let me tell you this was the best pasta I have EVER had. We made the pasta ourselves. It was the freshest pasta I have ever had. On top of it, there was a combination of turkey, rabbit, and chicken meat that was cooked in a white wine sauce with minced carrots and onions. This was by far my favorite coarse of the night. I had two helpings of the pasta, I couldn't resist. The next coarse was veal. This was delicious too. The meat was covered with a mushroom sauce. Normally I wouldnt eat mushrooms or mushroom sauces however I really enjoyed the veal. I had a second helping of this too. I picked around most of the mushrooms but the sauce didn't bother me. Lastly, for desert, we had a vanilla pannicotta. I cant even describe how good this was. On top of the desert was a strawberry sauce, with fresh berries. At the end of the night, when we were washing dishes I poured the left over strawberry sauce into a cup and had myself a nice drink. By this time I was so full that I felt like I was going to explode. I was very content though, it was some of the best food I have ever eaten in my life.
Monday 6/2/08
Today was a holiday in Verona which ment that the school that we normally have classes at was closed. It was nice not to have classes today. I got to have another day of relaxation in the morning and then got to go out and explore and take some photographs in the afternoon. For lunch today I ate some of hte leftover pasta from Mike and I's dinner last night. Got to love leftovers they are quick and easy to prepare. Except it is a little harder in Italy because most places dont have microwaves. However this hasnt really bothered me yet. I really enjoy being away from microwaves and lots of fast food, tv, and internet. I find myself eating so much healthier over here and spending alot more time outside walking around.
For dinner tonight I really had no plans, and wasn't in the mood to cook. Luckily Megan and Erin invited me over to there apartment for a delicious meal. They made pasta and pizza. The pizza had fresh mozerella and basil on it and I think it had some rosemary too. It was so good. Someone also brought over a bottle of white. I cant remember the name of it. I have never been to much of a wine fan, however I enjoyed having a glass or two.
For dinner tonight I really had no plans, and wasn't in the mood to cook. Luckily Megan and Erin invited me over to there apartment for a delicious meal. They made pasta and pizza. The pizza had fresh mozerella and basil on it and I think it had some rosemary too. It was so good. Someone also brought over a bottle of white. I cant remember the name of it. I have never been to much of a wine fan, however I enjoyed having a glass or two.
Saturday 5/31/08 and Sunday 6/1/08
Saturday 5/31/08
Today my friends and I decided to go to Bologna. We got up really early in the morning, around 6. I needed a cup of coffee to get myself going. I decided to be lame and use the instant coffee that we have in our apartment instead of making my own cup. It was good though, I added a little cocoa powder to the instant coffee and it was delicious. It was just what I needed to get me going. While we were in Bologna, I ate an early lunch that I had packed from home. The day before I had made some salami and swiss cheese sandwiches. They were good however they didn’t hold my appetite so a little while later Gina and I split a large bag of fresh cherries. They were so good. Cherries are one of my favorite fruits and these tasted so much better than the ones I get at Shaw’s back home. After that we decided that we wanted something to drink so we found a nice outside restuarante and order an aperol spritz. It was the most expansive drink I have gotten since I have been here. It was 8 euros however what we didn’t know is that included with the drink was a decent amount of food. They brought out for us some grilled ham and cheese sandwhiches cut up into little pieces, some peanuts, some olives, and some kind of mix of chips and pretzels. The food was really good, except for the olives, I tried them however I’m not too much of a fan of just eating an olive.
Dinner was nothing special. I was pretty full on the train ride home so when I got back to Verona I cooked up a little pasta with some ricotta cheese pasta sauce. The ricotta cheese sauce is delicious. By far it is the best sauce that I have bought at Pam.
Sunday 6/1/08
Sunday was a day for relaxing. My legs were exhausted from walking around Bologna the day before. I really had no energy to do any cooking. Lunch consisted of some salami and cheese in a sandwich. For dinner I got a Kebab. You cant go wrong with one of those. They are delicious, filling and inexpensive.
Today my friends and I decided to go to Bologna. We got up really early in the morning, around 6. I needed a cup of coffee to get myself going. I decided to be lame and use the instant coffee that we have in our apartment instead of making my own cup. It was good though, I added a little cocoa powder to the instant coffee and it was delicious. It was just what I needed to get me going. While we were in Bologna, I ate an early lunch that I had packed from home. The day before I had made some salami and swiss cheese sandwiches. They were good however they didn’t hold my appetite so a little while later Gina and I split a large bag of fresh cherries. They were so good. Cherries are one of my favorite fruits and these tasted so much better than the ones I get at Shaw’s back home. After that we decided that we wanted something to drink so we found a nice outside restuarante and order an aperol spritz. It was the most expansive drink I have gotten since I have been here. It was 8 euros however what we didn’t know is that included with the drink was a decent amount of food. They brought out for us some grilled ham and cheese sandwhiches cut up into little pieces, some peanuts, some olives, and some kind of mix of chips and pretzels. The food was really good, except for the olives, I tried them however I’m not too much of a fan of just eating an olive.
Dinner was nothing special. I was pretty full on the train ride home so when I got back to Verona I cooked up a little pasta with some ricotta cheese pasta sauce. The ricotta cheese sauce is delicious. By far it is the best sauce that I have bought at Pam.
Sunday 6/1/08
Sunday was a day for relaxing. My legs were exhausted from walking around Bologna the day before. I really had no energy to do any cooking. Lunch consisted of some salami and cheese in a sandwich. For dinner I got a Kebab. You cant go wrong with one of those. They are delicious, filling and inexpensive.
Friday 5/30/08
After class today I was so hungry that I decided to go out and get some food, instead of cooking for myself. Just across the street from the school, near the Roman Ruins that are in the center of one of the pedestrian streets, I found and awesome pizza place called "Pizza Pizza". It was a littel expensive, about 3 Euros for a slice of pizza, however it was worth it. I got a slice of pizza with Prosicutto Crudo on it. It was delicious. Over here in italy it is a little different how they do pizza. Usually the pizza is cut into squares instead of triangles I have noticed. I also don't think we have Proscuitto Crudo back home, however Im not too sure. I will have to check when I get back, I think this is my favorite type of ham that I have tried yet.
Dinner tonight was nothing special. Mike and I cooked up some pasta with gnocci's in it. We had some bread and ricotta cheese pasta sauce to go with it. What was interesting about our dinner is that we tried a drink that we had had at a bar the other night. Its called a "Diesel" and it is about 2/3 beer mixed with out 1/3 of coke cola. It doesn't sound like they would taste well together however it was really good. We will definately be having them again.
Dinner tonight was nothing special. Mike and I cooked up some pasta with gnocci's in it. We had some bread and ricotta cheese pasta sauce to go with it. What was interesting about our dinner is that we tried a drink that we had had at a bar the other night. Its called a "Diesel" and it is about 2/3 beer mixed with out 1/3 of coke cola. It doesn't sound like they would taste well together however it was really good. We will definately be having them again.
Sunday 8 June 2008
Wednesday 5/28/08 and Thursday 5/29/08
Wednesday 5/28/08
Again I ate no breakfast today. I don’t think I actually have eaten breakfast since I got here. That’s alright though I would rather sleep in the morning and wait until lunch to eat. I was planning on eating lunch however I worked on my photography assignment that was due later on that day instead. I had a nectarine and some soda to hold me over. For dinner we got some pizza from a local shop.
Thursday 5/29/08
I don’t think I even have to say that I didn’t eat breakfast today. From now on that will just be implied.
Lunchtime falls right in the middle of my food culture class and so my friend Erin had the great idea of going out to a Kebab place for the last half of our class, since some people had not tried one yet. I though that this was a great idea and so did my stomach. Our class went to a Kebab place located up by the Arena. It was just like the Kebab I ate the other day except it had a spicier chili sauce on it, and had French fries in it instead of just baked potatoes. I must say I like this Kebab place better than the one I went to before and it is closer to my apartment.
Again for dinner, we decided to cook for ourselves. Megan, Gina and Erin did and excelleant job of cooking a delicious dinner. It consisted of chicken cooked in a lemon, garlic and herbs sauce, that was then put on top of some pasta. There was salad to go along with it, and bread with olive oil. Two Italian students, that we had met the night before, joined us for dinner, they brought over and beer that I really enjoyed. It was by far my favorite beer of the trip. I can quite remember the name of it, it was something like “paulachner” or something like that. It was a German Beer. For dessert I had a little teramassue.
Again I ate no breakfast today. I don’t think I actually have eaten breakfast since I got here. That’s alright though I would rather sleep in the morning and wait until lunch to eat. I was planning on eating lunch however I worked on my photography assignment that was due later on that day instead. I had a nectarine and some soda to hold me over. For dinner we got some pizza from a local shop.
Thursday 5/29/08
I don’t think I even have to say that I didn’t eat breakfast today. From now on that will just be implied.
Lunchtime falls right in the middle of my food culture class and so my friend Erin had the great idea of going out to a Kebab place for the last half of our class, since some people had not tried one yet. I though that this was a great idea and so did my stomach. Our class went to a Kebab place located up by the Arena. It was just like the Kebab I ate the other day except it had a spicier chili sauce on it, and had French fries in it instead of just baked potatoes. I must say I like this Kebab place better than the one I went to before and it is closer to my apartment.
Again for dinner, we decided to cook for ourselves. Megan, Gina and Erin did and excelleant job of cooking a delicious dinner. It consisted of chicken cooked in a lemon, garlic and herbs sauce, that was then put on top of some pasta. There was salad to go along with it, and bread with olive oil. Two Italian students, that we had met the night before, joined us for dinner, they brought over and beer that I really enjoyed. It was by far my favorite beer of the trip. I can quite remember the name of it, it was something like “paulachner” or something like that. It was a German Beer. For dessert I had a little teramassue.
Tuesday 5/27/08 Venice
Today our whole group got up early in the morning to take a train to Venice. There was no breakfast for me today only sleep on the train. When we arrived in the beautiful city of Venice we were starving, however we had a tour of the city and waited until that was done to eat. We were all so hungry that we decided that something quick would be the best bet. So we got sandwhichs from one of the many shops in the tiny alleyways of the city. My sandwhich had some swiss cheese, and a type of meat that I don’t think I have ever eaten before. It was kind of like a pastrami except it was sliced thinner. It was held together by some sandwhich bread that had some tomatoes baked into it. It was delicious.
Lunch was good however with all the walking we were doing in Venice the energy didn’t last long. Soon we were hungry again, and craving some Gelato. Just like restaurantes there is a thousand Gelato places in Venice. We found the closest one and got our Ice Cream. I chose Bacio and some flavor that I can remember that name of. Both have a hazelnut flavor to them and together they were better than any ice cream I have eaten back home.
When the trip was coming to an end, my friends and I, decded to try some beers that we had never seen before. We had a beer called “Stuck”, one called “Forst”, and a classic Heiniken. Dinner was to wait until we got back to Verona.
We had spend so much money in Venice, that by the time we got back, all we wanted was something inexpensive to eat. We stopped at Pam, the local supermarket, and picked up some pasta, sauce and hamburger. Again dinner consisted of pasta and tomatoes sauce, however to change it up this time we added some onions, garlic, tomatoes, and hamburger to the tomatoes sauce. There was also some bread to go along with the meal. To drink I tried a beer called “Barley Gold” so far it has been my favorite tasting beer that I have had while over here.
Lunch was good however with all the walking we were doing in Venice the energy didn’t last long. Soon we were hungry again, and craving some Gelato. Just like restaurantes there is a thousand Gelato places in Venice. We found the closest one and got our Ice Cream. I chose Bacio and some flavor that I can remember that name of. Both have a hazelnut flavor to them and together they were better than any ice cream I have eaten back home.
When the trip was coming to an end, my friends and I, decded to try some beers that we had never seen before. We had a beer called “Stuck”, one called “Forst”, and a classic Heiniken. Dinner was to wait until we got back to Verona.
We had spend so much money in Venice, that by the time we got back, all we wanted was something inexpensive to eat. We stopped at Pam, the local supermarket, and picked up some pasta, sauce and hamburger. Again dinner consisted of pasta and tomatoes sauce, however to change it up this time we added some onions, garlic, tomatoes, and hamburger to the tomatoes sauce. There was also some bread to go along with the meal. To drink I tried a beer called “Barley Gold” so far it has been my favorite tasting beer that I have had while over here.
Monday 5/26/08
The First Post:
I am starting this blog a couple days into my trip to Italy. This blog will attempt to document the food that I eat and see during my stay.
After class I was really hungry. I figured that since it was around siesta time that a lot of places to eat would be closed. So my roommate and I went and got Kebobs. There are a thousand places in the city of Verona where you can get Kebabs and they are kind of like the Italians version of fast food so they are always open. The place my roommate and I went to was over the river and about 3 bridges down from San Fermo. Im not too sure of the name of the Place, It just says “Doner Kebab” on the outside. There Kebabs there are really good, however I must admit that I haven’t tried a Kebab anywhere else yet so I don’t really have anything to compare it too.
The best thing about Kebabs is the fact that they are fast. It takes about 3 minutes or so to make a Kebab. First the Lamb meat is shaven off of the leg and then it is heated up. After that it is put in a bun and some potatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, sprouts, hot sauce, yogurt sauce, ketchup, and mayonase is added. To top it all off I got a Becks beer to wash it down with.
For dinner my friends and I all decided to save some money and cook together. Naturally we ate one of the cheapest things you can buy here in italy; Pasta. Tomatoes sauce was our choice to accompany the pasta, however to give the sauce a little more flavor we added some fresh tomatoes, garlic and some spices. We had bread, parmesian cheese, and some salad, which we made our own salad dressing for from balsamic vinager and olive oil, to go along with the pasta. It was a very tasty and filling meal.
I am starting this blog a couple days into my trip to Italy. This blog will attempt to document the food that I eat and see during my stay.
After class I was really hungry. I figured that since it was around siesta time that a lot of places to eat would be closed. So my roommate and I went and got Kebobs. There are a thousand places in the city of Verona where you can get Kebabs and they are kind of like the Italians version of fast food so they are always open. The place my roommate and I went to was over the river and about 3 bridges down from San Fermo. Im not too sure of the name of the Place, It just says “Doner Kebab” on the outside. There Kebabs there are really good, however I must admit that I haven’t tried a Kebab anywhere else yet so I don’t really have anything to compare it too.
The best thing about Kebabs is the fact that they are fast. It takes about 3 minutes or so to make a Kebab. First the Lamb meat is shaven off of the leg and then it is heated up. After that it is put in a bun and some potatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, sprouts, hot sauce, yogurt sauce, ketchup, and mayonase is added. To top it all off I got a Becks beer to wash it down with.
For dinner my friends and I all decided to save some money and cook together. Naturally we ate one of the cheapest things you can buy here in italy; Pasta. Tomatoes sauce was our choice to accompany the pasta, however to give the sauce a little more flavor we added some fresh tomatoes, garlic and some spices. We had bread, parmesian cheese, and some salad, which we made our own salad dressing for from balsamic vinager and olive oil, to go along with the pasta. It was a very tasty and filling meal.
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