Bringing Italy Home

By Abigail (The Rock) Bedard | International Food & Culture Class

On August 29th 2019 I arrived in Florence, Italy. I had only been to Italy once before when I was really young so I did not remember much.

Little did I know I was about to learn everything there was to know about Florence; I was going to live in this amazing city for nine months.

Rather quickly I learned the principles of the language, met local people, and adapted to their social way of life.

Most importantly, I noticed the intense and varied food culture throughout the entire country. One thing I soon realized was that everyone took time to thoroughly enjoy their meals. People would sit in a very relaxed state and actually enjoy the time spent at the restaurant in each other’s company.

Whether they were at a panino shop, a café, or even a fancy restaurant, the appreciation for food and the people whom they shared it with were always the same. Not only did the people dining at the restaurants show this appreciation, but so did the chefs and servers. Almost every restaurant made their pasta fresh and homemade. The ingredients tended to be sourced from family farms or local markets. Even I found myself shopping at the local markets for all of my groceries.

This way of life gave me a new appreciation and knowledge of fresh, local, and seasonal foods.

One of my favorite trips while I was in Italy was when I travelled to Calabria to visit my family. I had not seen my cousins, uncles, and aunts since I was about three years old, and did not speak to them very often due to the language barrier. However, as soon as I arrived I was met with big smiles and a freshly cooked meal. Every time is was lunch or dinner time, I found myself walking through the town with my cousins to see a new family member, who would be preparing what I would consider a feast!

Everything was freshly grown from their farm or gardens--from the tomatoes and beans to the olive oil it was all so delicious. I even visited the farm where my Nonno - my grandfather worked before emigrating to America.

My family showed me around the farm and explained how they worked to make the best quality ingredients.

On the last night I was in town we had a big dinner with family members from all over Calabria. We had fresh bread, salads, pasta, pizzas, and tiramisu.

Everything was absolutely delicious, but the best part was that everyone sat and talked for hours while enjoying our meal--they even helped me out with some Italian! Although my grandparents live over 4,000 miles away now, every meal I ate while in Calabria reminded me of all the meals my Nonna still cooks for our family in America.

On February 29th, I received the news that I would have to leave Italy. We were not able to go back to Antico Noè for one last panino, or to the Mercato Centrale for fresh ravioli. We just had to leave and go home for the remainder of the semester.

Although I was very upset to be leaving a place I learned to call home, I realized there was a simple way to take the spirit of Italy home with me - through food! I had to stay at home in a fourteen-day quarantine after returning to the United States. This, however, gave me a lot of time to brush up on my cooking skills. I decided, much like many Italian families and restaurants, that I would cook with what I had readily available to me.

First, I decided to make fresh pasta. Pasta has a very simple list of ingredients. To make fresh pasta I prepared flour, eggs, and a little bit of salt to taste.

I made my dough, rolled it out and cut it into long spaghetti pieces before placing it in the boiling water. After the pasta was cooked, I invited my entire family to come so we could share and enjoy the meal together. The meal may not have been quite as good as the ones I enjoyed in Italy, but the cooking and long sitdown meal reminded me of being there.

I decided that at least once a week, while everyone was home from school and work, we would make one Italian inspired homemade meal to enjoy together. Considering my grandparents are Italian immigrants from Calabria, I decided I could also share our new routine with them.

Due to the quarantine, I could not physically cook or eat with them; however, I was able to call once a week to tell them about my past meals or even receive recommendations about what to cook next. My grandmother is a fantastic a cook and she enjoyed sharing recipes over the phone and seeing how mine turned out. Although we may not have been physically together, the idea of food culture gave us something interesting to do and we were able to connect in a deeper, more meaningful way during this challenging time.

After the quarantine was over I found myself being drawn to our local formers’ market instead of the big name grocery stores.

I wanted fresh, farm-sourced, and new ingredients. Not only did these fresh ingredients add a better and fresher taste to the dish, it felt good to help out local small businesses during this time. My family also joined in and helped me cook. We all enjoyed spending time together while also celebrating our Italian heritage. Through a variety of different cooking methods, spices, and flavors, food has an amazing way of helping people connect with different global cultures.

Food culture itself excels at bringing people together.

Transporting Italian food culture home with me has helped me fondly remember my time in Florence and grow closer to my Italian-American family and their roots.