Tips & Differences

I used to write tips about living in Italy. Now I'm going to write them about Australia. 

What's in Season: Apples

Buying: Look for firm apples without bruising or soft spots. Preference on which variety to choose depends on personal taste for sweet, tart, or mild and what will be done with the apples - eaten raw, made into apple sauce, or cooked with which tart apples are best for retaining their shape and texture.  


Storing: 

Apples should be stored in a plastic bag, or uncovered, in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place where they can retain their nutritional value for up to 3 months. Warm temperatures will make them lose their crispness. Like all refrigerated fruit, remove them from the refrigerator a couple hours before planning on eating them to restore their flavor. Bruised apples will release ethylene gas and cause other apples in the pack to exponentially ripen, so keep cut and bruised apples separate.  If freezing cut apples, toss with powdered vitamin  to reduce the browning and place on a baking sheet until hard, then store the frozen pieces in a tightly-sealed plastic bag. If not using the frozen apples within a few weeks, blanch them first.

Do not store apples with pears, onions, garlic or potatoes.

Medical: A medium apple is about 70 calories. It aids digestion and prevents fluid retention. High Vitamin C. Eating apple seeds is ok in small amounts, but in large amounts is dangerous as they contain a small amount of cyanide! The inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients in apples are good for decreasing asthma....where's my puffer?

Cooking: To prevent cut apples from browning when they are exposed to air, soak them in 2 tbsp lemon juice with 1/2 cup water. Browning just affects the appearance, not the taste. 

Apples pair excellently with sharp cheddar cheeses and peanut butter.

The best apples to cook with that hold their shape well include Cortland, Empire, Jonagold, Northern Spy, and Rome. McIntosh will become fragile. As they are an early variety, Paula Red and Jersey Red are best for eating fresh off the tree, uncooked.

Thoroughly wash apples before use. 

All About Apple Varieties
Braeburn – Originally from New Zealand, introduced in 1950′s. Spicy and tart with a juicy, crisp texture. Holds well in cooking as well as being a great eating apple.

Cortland – large sized apples with mostly red skin and red strips appearing on the lighter areas. They have a mild, tender flavor. Ideal for snacks, salads, and fruit platters because the flesh will remain white even after being cut. They are also good for baking with.

Empire – Native to New York, it is grown almost entirely on the East Coast.  It is a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Medium sized. Distinctive strips. They are great eaten raw, especially right from the orchard. They are good for baking and for making applesauce. The flavor is sweet and the creamy flesh is semi-firm.


Fuji – originally from Japan, it was introduced to the US in the 1980’s and it is now the fourth most widely grown in the US. Large sized. Sweet and crisp. Varies from golden to blushed pink. Holds its shape and texture well when cooked and also stores well.


Gala – originally from New Zealand, it was introduced to the US in 11965 but didn’t become popular until the 1980’s.  It is now the third most widely grown in the US. Golden with pinky stripes. It is aromatic and tart. It holds its shape when cooked and great in applesauce. As one of the first harvested apples, it doesn’t keep very well, so don’t buy after early spring.

Golden Delicious – Medium to large sized. Golden yellow in appearance with a elongated shape and a five point bump at its base. The sweet flesh is yellowish-white and crisp. It is good for both eating and cooking.


Honey Crisp – Native to the US. Red skin with a golden background. Crisp and sweet. Good for eating fresh but also holds well during cooking.

Ida Red – Native to the US. Good for eating fresh. Great for pies and their texture holds well in baked apple desserts. Sweet and tart flavor.


Jerseymac – a month-early variety of McIntosh. Medium to large size. Uniform shape. The skin is red with green slashes. Good for eating, but not great for baking.


Jonagold – native to New York. It is tangy. It is a bit soft to eat out of the hand, but it is creamy when cooked.


Macoun - from New York. Bright red with purple blush. Firm and juicy with a sweet white flesh. Great for eating fresh in salads or with cheese.


McIntosh – From North America. Medium to large sized. White flesh is sometimes lined with red veins. Skin is greenish with bright red blush.  Slightly tart flavor. They bruise easily as they are tender, but can be stored for 2-3 months in cold storage. They are good to eat or baked in pies and sauces.

Milton – From the US. Medium sized. Yellow/green with red blush. Firm and Tart. Good for cooking apple sauce and baking pies.

Mutsu – also called Crispin. From Japan. Large and green, it looks almost like a Golden Delicious. Sweet and sharp. Good for eating fresh, holds its shape well for cooking, especially baked apples.


Paula Red – From the US. Bright red. Early season variety. Small to medium sized. Mild taste. Good for eating fresh. Flesh becomes soft when cooked so it’s better for applesauce.

Pink Lady – A trademark name, the variety is actually Cripps Pink. One of the first apples marketed as its brand name rather then variety. From Australia. As the name suggests, the skin is delicate pink. Sweet, honeyed and tart. Best for eating fresh.


Red Delicious – Used to make up almost half of the American apple harvest, but now is only a little more than a quarter. Medium to large sized. Bright red, sometimes with stripes, and have distinctive bottom bumps. Crisp and sweet. Best eaten raw straight from your hand, and is not recommended for cooking.

Fruit Tips.

Fruits are generally harvested and sold under-ripe so that the firmness protects from damages. Even at a farm, the farmer knows that you probably won't be eating all the fruit right away and don't want you to have mush the next day.

Plant-ripening fruits, like citrus fruits, most berries, grapes, cherries, melons, pineapple, and plums don't develop more flavor after being harvested. Apricots, avocados, bananas, kiwis, mangoes, pears, peaches, nectarines, persimmons, and tomatoes ripen and soften and have their flavors peak after a couple of days. Apples will soften and sweeten also, but most people prefer them crisp.

The ripening enzyme in fruit is a gas called ethylene, so trapping the gas will expedite the ripening process. Place fruits in a brown paper bag. Adding an already ripe piece of fruit will double the amount of ethylene.

Many fruits found in the supermarket are picked under-ripe, stored in a distribution center and sprayed with ethylene gas when the supermarket demands them to be ripe and ready.

To get fruits with the best flavor and quality, figure out what's in season. Otherwise, the produce is being shipped hundreds and thousands of miles away - great for the environment - or even if it's locally grown, if it's out of season it's grown in a greenhouse emitting lots of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to keep the ideal temperatures - also great for the environment.

The best way to store fruit, like raspberries for example, is to take them out of the basket and lay them in a single layer on a flat plate lined with paper towel to absorb moisture. This way the fruit is not piled on top of each other, causing dents and trapping moisture - both which encourage spoiling.

Refrigerate fruit only after they have ripened. The cold will slow the loss of moisture, but if refrigerated too soon, the cold will cause the fruit to become mealy.

For refrigerated fruit, take them out a couple hours before using them to rejuvenate the flavor that was suspended in the cold.

Always keep tomatoes at room temperature. Wrap cut tomatoes in plastic wrap.

To blanch or not to blanch before freezing? Blanch if you are not going to use the fruit within a few weeks. The blanching stops the ripening enzymes that create off-flavors and consume the fruit's nutrients. If you use the fruit within a few weeks, wash and cut and rob with powdered vitamin C which will diminish browning. Put them on a baking sheet, stick in the freezer and when they are hard and frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag or container.

Fruits that brown when exposed to air include apples, bananas, peaches, and pears.

What's in Season: Peaches & Nectarines

Peaches. There is nothing that tastes like summer than biting into a recently picked, perfectly ripe peach that when you bite into it, juice just oozes down your chin and drips down your arm. Pure pleasure.

I am allergic to peaches - they are related to the almond family - so I generally stay away from them. Plus I always thought they weren't that great, a little tasteless and not sweet enough. I thought that I was less allergic when they were a bit hard and under-ripe. However, my interest peaked as everyone at the farmers market started asking about the arrival of the peaches and how they were their favorite part of summer. So when they finally came in season, I couldn't resist to biting into one. Minus the incredibly itchy fuzz which makes me maniacally scratch, they definitely are delicious when juicy and ripe with the juice running down your chin and all over your arms as you try to wipe it off.

Buying: Peaches are either clingstone or free-stone. Clingstone are ones where the flesh is pretty securely attached to the flesh and are usually sent to the canning industry whereas free-stone peaches have pits that hang about the flesh pretty freely. There are a lot of different varieties of peaches and nectarines but realistically, they can be interchangeable. Pay attention to the smell of the fruit as well as the background color. Red, although appealing, doesn't not equate with ripeness or maturity, but with with variety of the fruit.  You can tell the type of peach by looking at the ribbed shoulder on the top of the peach - the little strip will be yellow-orange for a yellow fleshed peach and a lighter yellow for a white flesh skin. Look for pieces of fruit that have an orange or golden, not green, hue to their background. Like tomatoes, always trust your nose and smell your fruit - should be peachy keen!

Storing: If you want to keep peaches for longer, keep them in the refrigerator after they have begun to ripen (do not put under-ripe fruit in the fridge as it will dry out the flesh and turn mealy). If you're looking to eat them sooner, leave them out at room temperature. If you want to eat it even sooner, place it in a brown paper bag with a banana (or any fruit that exudes ethylene) and it will expedite the ripening process. They are very fragile and delicate, any damage or bruising will cause them to start decomposing which is why farmers markets may have boxes of "canning" peaches and nectarines. The juices will cause the other fruits to start to rot prematurely as well so they are separated. These are often ready to eat, fallen, bruised, split-pit, even ugly fruits that are perfect for canning, obviously, or making jams, pies, and tarts. Peaches and nectarines, like tomatoes, are climacteric, which means they will continue to ripen after they are picked. So, if you buy a peach or nectarine from the farmers market that is pretty hard, it is because the farmer knows that you might not eat it right away, so leave it on the counter and it will be excellent to eat in a couple days. I'm not quite sure what to answer when people ask me if the fruit will ripen and become softer....what do you think? It will stay hard or just get harder? Of course it will ripen. However, if you go pick your own peaches and nectarines, follow your nose to find the fruit picked off the tree that is just bursting with liquid sugary syrup that will drip down your arm as you take that first bite......

Split Pits

"she obviously has a lot of respect for you. none of our friends know what a split pit is, let alone be able to talk about it for hours."

What's the difference between a peach and a nectarine? Not too much. 
Fact: peaches and nectarines are so closely related that sometimes a peach seed will germinate a nectarine tree and a nectarine seed with grow a peach tree! There is just one differentiating gene. Because peaches have hair on their surface - which causes all sorts of uncomfortable itching for me - they are considered to be "pubescent" whereas nectarines have no fuzz, just a smooth surface. Although preferred by some, nectarines are firmer than peaches so they don't have that melt-in-your-mouth effect and therefore don't really fall apart messily all over your hand, half in your mouth like a ripe peach often does.

Medical: Lots of Vitamin A & C and potassium. They are virtually fat-free (less than 1 gram), very low in calories (about 40) and the skin is a good source of fiber!

I AM ITCHINIGLY INCREDIBLY ALLERGIC TO PEACH FUZZ! 

....hours of itching at work....

Cooking: When cooking peaches, peel the skin as they will easily peel away throughout the cooking process, however, nectarines do not need to be peeled. To easily peel a peach, put an X with a sharp knife at the bottom of the peach and pop in boiling water to blanch for a couple seconds and then quickly put into a bowl of ice water. The ice water will stop the peach from continuing to cook and the skin will easily peel away. If the fruit is incredibly ripe, blanching is probably not necessary.

If you are using cut fruit, sprinkle some sugar over it to stop it from browning as the exposure to air will cause enzymatic browning.

Recipes:

Peach Bellini
The Bellini is a popular drink in Italy made famous from Harry's Bar in Venice, owned by Giuseppi Cipriani. I always wanted to meet a Giuseppi while I was living in Italy. Anyways, a Bellini is a long drink cocktail served without ice. It is two parts (100mL) prosecco, one part (50mL) white peach puree. The peach puree can be made by blanching a peach to remove the skins, then blending it with a dash of prosecco (a lot of recipes will call for water and lemon juice, but why not prosecco?!). The puree is then added to the glass and topped off with prosecco. A virgin version can be made also by using club soda instead (with the water and lemon juice in the blender).


Tomato Peach and Basil Salad
4 Tomatoes (or to match the amount of peaches, depending on the size)
4 Peaches (2 yellow, 2 white)
Basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional
2 cloves chopped garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Roughly cut the tomatoes and peaches into bite size pieces. Tear basil into the salad. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette. Gently toss and fold into the salad.


Grilled Peach Salad
Dressing:
2 1/2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 oz Parmesean, freshly grated

2 large peaches, halved, pits removed
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 frisee or endive leaves, washed and dried
small bunch of fresh mint leaves

Put the goat cheese in a pestle and mortar with sea salt and pepper - easy on the salt because the cheese will already be salty. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix. Add the parmesean and mix again, but not for too long. 

What's in Season: Sweet Corn

Buying: Look for husks that are green and fresh looking - they shouldn't be too dried out. The silk should also be fresh looking. Peeling back the husks to look at the tip of the corn is a good indicator: the kernels should be full and evenly spaced. If you dig your nail into a kernel, the liquid should be milky. If it is clear, it is under-ripe, if it is thick, it is over-ripe. Organic corn will not be genetically modified, like many of the corns you will find in the grocery store. 

Storage: Corn is best when eaten right away before the sugars turn to starch, diminishing that sweet sweet taste. This is mostly true for eating corn right off the cob, within 24 hours, but after 3 days, corn will still be edible and tasty enough to cook with. Corn should be refrigerated with the husks still on. The husks will preserve that milky moisture in the kernels. Keep them in the crisper drawer without any strong smelling foods as corn will easily absorb those odors.

Medical: Corn is high in carbohydrates and fiber - chew chew chew. It is apparently a good reducer of cancer risks, heart disease, and tooth cavities. 

Fact: Sweet corn is the sweet variety of maize, which is the starchy produce used to make fodder and used as a grain. The sweet corn that we eat is an immature grain. 

Together, they are the third more important cereal only after wheat and rice. Over 500 different by-products can be used by corn....ever seen the movie King Corn? This also makes sense because corn is a staple in some countries in the form of tortillas, polenta or corn meal as well as snacks in other countries as popcorn or corn tortilla chips. 

I like it's scientific name, zea mays, its kinda like saying maize in a fancy accent.

Cooking: Shuck corn only before using by pulling down, cutting off the stem, and remove the silky threads either by hand or with a vegetable brush. If there is some worm damage - no fear - just cut out that part, the rest of the corn is still good. Wash the corn in cold water. To remove the kernels, place the corn vertically in a large bowl and run a sharp knife down along its length. If making a soup, or if you want some extra milky juice, run the knife down the length of the corn again, but with the dull back of the knife to avoid shaving off the cob. To freeze corn, blanch in boiling water for about 5 minutes, cool and drain then wrap in plastic or tin foil.

Tip from Thomas Keller: After you have removed the kernels from the cob into a bowl, place a smaller bowl of water next to it. Swirl your hand around the corn and the silk will stick to your hand. Remove the silk from your hand by dipping it into the bowl of water. Or running water would work too, I'm sure.

Recipes

Try corn raw; boil it in boiling water for about 10 minutes depending on how soft you like it, remove with tongs, slather with butter and sprinkled with salt; pull back the husks without removing, remove the silks, then pull the husks back up and soak for at least 15 minutes then grill corn in their husks, turning occasionally until charred about 20 minutes; creamed corn; corn bread; corn chowder; corn and black bean salsa; Silver Queen succotash; deep-fried corn fritters; roasted; sprinkled into salads....

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Lime Salt and Cotija Cheese

Heat the grill. Pull back the husks without removing them and remove the silks. Pull the husks back up and cover the corn.Soak the corn in a large bowl of water for about 15-30 minutes and then shake off any excess water.Put the corn on the grill, close the cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the husks and roll the corn with garlic butter, sprinkle with lime salt and cotija cheese.

Garlic Butter: 2 sticks of butter, 8 garlic cloves, salt and pepper, blended in a food processer.

Lime Salt: 1/4 cup Maldon sea salt, zest from one lime put into a jar and shaken to mix

Cotija cheese is a hard, salty, grating cheese that doesn't melt when cooked - substitute Parmesean or feta cheese for other great combos

Cheese inspired by restaurants, lime salt from Thomas Kellar.

Do you twirl your corn and eat around the cob or lengthwise like a typewriter?

Stir-Fried Corn

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add corn kernels with a tablespoon of chopped ginger, a teaspoon of freshly chopped chili, a handful of chopped parsley, and a couple tablespoons of reduced-sodium soy sauce. Cook until the soy sauce sorta caramelizes so that the corn kernels are sweet n' crunchy. Incredibly easy and Incredibly delicious.

Inspired by Jamie Oliver

Corn & Basil Soup with Stir Fried Corn - two recipes in one dish!

Corn and Basil Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 small white sweet onions, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic

5 ears of corn, kernels removed

1 jalapeno, stem removed and chopped (optional)

a handful of fresh basil

1 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock

salt and pepper

Place the kernels into a blender. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the garlic then add the onion and jalapeno. Stir to coat with the oil and saute until the vegetables are tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and add these to the corn in the blender. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally and pulse to the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the soup from the blender to a large pot over medium heat.  Stir until the soup begins to thicken and then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and can be served garnished with a dollop of corn salsa! Serve hot or cold.

What's in Season: Strawberries

Strawberry in Latin is fraga, which refers to it's sweet sweet fragrance. Nothing says summer like the sweet sweet smell of freshly picked strawberries (shipped grocery store kinds don't count). 

buying: plump, firm, dry and blemish-free (take bad ones out to prevent the others from catching molds). the more fragrant, the better tasting they will be. it's always good to smell your produce and strawberries should smell fragrantly candy sweet. the fruit should be completely red - no white bits - and the green cap-hats should not look dried out. shake the box a little to make sure that the strawberries aren't stuck together, which would be a bad sign of mush or mold. remember, bigger isn't always better - it is very often that the small, darker strawberries are much sweeter and more flavorful. 

storing: it's probably not that hard to hold back, especially at the height of a short season, but it's best to eat your strawberries as soon as possible because they begin ripening as soon as they have been picked (local farmer's markets produce are usually picked that morning). don't wash the entire quart - only wash what you are going to eat. the moisture will easily spoil the berries - even if it's a rainy farmers market, keep them out to dry a bit before putting them in the fridge. also - don't take the little green cap-hats off until ready to wash and eat because they will help prevent moisture absorption. Lying them on a single layer is the best way to prevent bruising and on top of a paper towel will absorb excess moisture. strawberries also freeze very well, so laying them flat on a baking sheet to freeze then moving them to a freezer bag is a great way to have tasty strawberries all year round (although nothing tastes more like summer than a freshly picked juicy strawberry!)

strawberries and shortcake galore at the farmer's market.

tips: strawberries taste best at room temperature so leave them out for a bit before eating them. refrigeration kinda spoils the flavor, but they are so delicate that it really is best to eat them the same day.

if you're cooking with strawberries, the colour will turn from red to a deep purple however adding citrus like lemon or orange, or even baking with rhubarb, will preserve the red.

medical: apparently eating strawberries can help whiten teeth!

recipes: i overheard this recipe by a woman who stopped by the farmers market and bought a whole bunch of strawberries for her husband. I asked her what she was going to make with all them - jams? - but she said her husband just loved them and they are just so good at the peak of the summer season she wanted to take advantage. i suggested adding them to spinach salads and told her the night before i had a snack of crackers with goat cheese, sliced strawberry and cracked black pepper, which she loved the idea of. she said the Blue Strawberry, which is now the Black Trumpet, used to serve strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar. each in their own bowl, the strawberries get dunked into the sour cream and then into the brown sugar. everyone loves to dip, what a great combination! 

Like fruity sangria, add strawberries to summer cocktails 

Fact: apparently the seeds on the outside of strawberries are actually the ovaries.
I've also heard a lot of people who have eaten too many strawberries and have become allergic to them.

What's in Season: Radishes

Easter Egg radishes (above) are a beautiful bundle of colour - they really do look like little Easter eggs. Red, purple, white, and pink on the outside, but white flesh on the inside. They are rather mild and add colour to any salads or veggie tray. 

d'Avignon radishes are long with sprays of bright pink and white with long leafy greens. They are a variety of French breakfast radishes which makes them one of the most mild radishes. 

Red Rover radishes (below) are the most typical red radishes with the spice you'd want from a radish. They are part of the mustard family and the degree of hotness comes from how old the radish is - a longer length of growing time and/or if they are deprived or overwhelmed with weather conditions will make them hotter. They should be bright red with a translucent white flesh. Red rover red rover, send these radishes over!

Storage: twist off the greens. keep unwashed radishes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. only wash them as you use them as the radishes will absorb the water causing them to deteriorate quickly. 

use within a week, two max. 

Buying: Radishes should be firm.

Handling: When ready to eat, wash radishes and scrub off any of the earth's dirt in the crevices. The tops and roots should be cut off.

Medical: Radishes are low in calories and high in Vitamin C! They are known to relieve indigestion and flatulence. 

Tips: Radishes can be eaten unpeeled, but apparently most of the kick is within the skins, so if they are too spicy, peel them. 

When cutting off the greens, leave about an inch to use as a "handle" or easy to grab top. 

Leave them in a bowl of ice water for about an hour for some extra crispness.

Recipe: Radishes are great eaten raw or slightly grilled with some butter and salt - a great pairing for their peppery kick! (thanks, John Evenlyn)

The leaves can be cooked like spinach. 

Radishes can be eaten whole, raw, shredded or sliced. 

Substitute radish for mustard in sandwiches. 

Mustardy Potato Salad with Crunchy Radishes and Greens.

1 bag baby red potatoes, scrubbed

2 bunches radishes, thinly sliced

extra virgin vinegar

sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard - or to taste

salt and pepper

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

radish leaves, julienned

put the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. boil the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. drain the potatoes and let cool, then cut them in quarters. to make the dressing, add the extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. add the potatoes and celery and coat to dress. Let the salad come to room temperature before adding the radishes and their greens. 

I haven't made this one yet, but I'm obsessed with my Plenty cookbook by London's Yotam Ottolenghi. It looks great! 

Avocado, quinoa, and fava bean salad

1 cup quinoa

3 cups shelled fava beans

2 lemons

2 ripe avocados

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bunches radishes, sliced lengthways

1 cup purple radish cress (or purple basil)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

salt and pepper

place the quinoa in a saucepan with plenty of water and bring to the boil then simmer for 9 minutes. Drain through a fine sieve, rinse under cold water and then leave to dry. 

throw the fava beans into a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and then immediately drain in a colander. refresh with cold water and leave to dry. gently press each bean with fingers to remove the skins and discard. 

take the lemons and use a small sharp knife to slice off the top and base. stand each one on a chopping board and cut down the sides, following the natural curve to remove the skin and white pith. over a large mixing bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the individual segments into the bowl. squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl with the segments. 

peel and stone the avocados. slice thinly, then add to the bowl and toss to cover in the lemon juice. once the quinoa is dry, transfer it into the bowl. add the fava beans, crushed garlic, radishes, half the radish cress, teh cumin, extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes and some salt and pepper. toss very gently without breaking the avocado. season to taste. plate and garnish with the remaining paste. 

Italian tip #9

sing karaoke on the bus as a group. it's full of laughs, talent, incriminating videos, creativity, dancing in the aisle, support, and the best way to bound with the group especially on the last night of the last study trip. tear. 

Italian tip #8

Q: What to do when you're not hungry because you've been eating throughout the day and you have a reimbursement to spend? (yes, you will be eating and tasting throughout the entire day while on stages).

A: Order the most expensive bottle on the menu. (well, to the reimbursement limit).

liquid dinner aka a lesson in Spanish "merlot merlot" red wine
 and a nice peaceful chat with the roomie. 

Italian tip #7

video chat is way more fun for keeping in touch than talking on the phone.

 <3

italian tip #6

when traveling, invest in a sleeping cocoon. it will spare you from any suspicious sheets while you sleep, providing your own comfort and secure slumber - whether it is in the mold of calabria or just a little extra warmth in the friuli mountains. it packs up smaller than bringing sheets. it's a lifesaver.

italian tip #5

when it's really really really super hot and you can't do anything in your apartment except sweat, go to the local pool 10 minutes before it closes, smile and wink, and in really bad italian, ask the shirtless long-haired tanned life guard if you can just have one quick jump in and out. it feels glorious. it's refreshing. it's free. it's spur of the moment matto.

but then, as arina pointed out, you bike back home and the only difference now is that it's still hot and you're wet with stinky chlorine on top of the incessant sweat.

Italian tip #4

when on study trips, i think it is important to try everything, even just a bite, but do not, whatsoever, if you want to maintain your sanity and waistline, eat everything on the plate. all of the food is important to the people and the culture of the area and every place that we go to is proud of their heritage and to serve you their traditional dishes. that means, when we are on a study trip and learning about the local area, we are going to have the same local cheeses, meats, seasonal vegetables and typical dishes at most every place, most every meal of every day. in this way, you will get a good sense of the area as well as slight variations of the culinary preparations. i like to try everything just to taste it, but self control is critical.

Italian Tip #3

If you ever see furniture on the side of the street, and it looks ok, you are free to take it. we currently have a new comfortable leather couch in our apartment. it may or may not have broken the front legs as we carried it up three flights of stairs...cough...but with the help of some super glue - and one half-hammered nail - it is now as good as new! i just won't be the first one to sit on it.

italian tip #2

the market. it comes to colorno on tuesdays and thursdays. there are tons of fresh fruits and vegetables which are cheaper than the A&O grocery store, selections of cheeses and cured meats, slippers, dishware, track suits, seafood, gooseberry plants, kitchen utensils, lady gaga imprinted zip ups....it is quite delightful! definitely get out before the morning class start because it is packed up and gone by the time we are let out for lunch.

Tip #3

Join a gym. seriously. this is no laughing matter. first of all you're in italy which is home to fantastic delicious food in general. second of all, you're in school learning about food - it's hard not to want to or have to try everything to experience it at least once and to appreciate it. as one girl put it today, gastronomy is about learning every aspect of food, not an anthropology major studying with a focus on food, but we're understanding and seeing it through every lens - scientifically, historically, economically, sociologically...there's no way to avoid eating lots while you're here. especially since they give you the option to eat lunch at the ALMA restaurant every school day (a prestigious Italian culinary school housed in the same palatial building as us). We had the pleasure of eating there today, and have a week to test it out. I think the food is the product of what the students were cooking that day. today was a buffet of salad, sauteed vegetables, mixed chopped asparagus, crispy fried artichokes, ricotta stuffed and rolled into fresh bright yellow pasta, mashed potato-like squash, roasted pork with crispy skin, dark green wilted spinach, linguini with lobster bites in a creamy tomato sauce, risotto with peas, an assortment of fresh fruit and various breads of sorts, and i'm sure i'm forgetting some dishes. for 1,000 euro you could eat lunch here for the year, which i think works out to be about 10 euro for lunch every day - doesn't sound so bad for the amount of food and the quality of deliciousness. however...the gym costs 56 euro a month....and rumor has it that one girl last year gained 12 kilo/30 lbs in the first two months that she was here and by the 5th month everyone had gained so much weight they all joined the gym. (!!!!!!) so for 1,000 that i could spend towards my tuition or traveling plus the gym membership, plus maybe for the poor sake of the scale, and of course my sanity, i think i might have to forgo the tastiness. i don't know. serious dilemma. we're supposed to be learning and appreciating and experiencing good food - how can i give that up?

during the presentation today too, paulo said that students gain

on average 5-10 kilo (japanese not so much...damn irish genes). that is not acceptable since i barely fit into my jeans from drinking pbr's for a year in portsmouth. i tell myself that i will go running along the river....it's ironic that the students gain weight here, i mean, it makes sense, everyone expects it, but the fact that we're supposed to be learning about good food and nutrition and changing the way the world perceives and uses food seems to be the opposite. and david is here from taiwan because he sees how children there are getting fat due to their un-nutritional diets and when asked 50% of them say they like to have mcdonald's for dinner. he is here on this program because he wants to go back and change the way they eat, but what will they think if he goes back fat?!

Tip #2

at most bus stops, you have to buy the ticket from a tabaccheria, however, no one usually checks for tickets as you get on the bus. so you could technically ride for free - although at the risk of a 40 euro fine if caught without a ticket. it really only costs a euro and change, no big deal, but just act like a stupid tourist that doesn't know any better and could possibly get away with it! not that we will take advantage of that or have already. i'm just saying...

Tip #1

One of the first things to do when living abroad is to unsubscribe to all those daily/weekly emails that clutter the inbox and are usually unread. I'll keep the UrbanDaddy's and NY Grub Street's, Failblog's, and some newsletters, but delete those HauteLook, Rent the Runway, Thrillist, Tasting Table, store coupons and discounts and mailing lists...most of them are now inapplicable or not useful and more importantly, not worth the time reading while abroad.