"Live with no regrets" is a hard thing to do when you've studied abroad. My one regret about this experience: coming home. One of the major problems I've faced is being able to re-accustom myself to Italian-American cooking. Coming from a long line of Italians, (many of which are terrific cooks) I can't stop longing for authentic Italian cuisine.
As a part of my time abroad, I chose to register for a cooking and wine-pairing course. What better place to learn to cook than in the motherland? My professor, Giancarlo Russo, was Roman and had moved to Florence in his twenties. He spent much of his youth traveling, learning, teaching, but most of all, cooking. He'd taken culinary courses in Paris, Rome, Boston and several other places. Needless to say, he was the best chef I've ever met.
Although he was well versed in several types of cuisine, we focused on Italian (specifically Tuscan) cooking. We made all types of dishes, spaghetti alle vongole or spaghetti with clam sauce, spaghetti alla carbonara, pappa al pomodoro or potato tomato soup and much more. One of the lessons he stressed most to the class was that Italian olive oil is good for you. As nave Americans, we assumed it's oil, so it must be inherently unhealthy. However, Giancarlo made it very clear that it is one of the few oils that can be consumed daily and actually benefit your health.
Being skeptical still, I decided to do a little more research on the subject. As a result, he was right! In an article published by the Global Healing Center, titled, "The Health Benefits of Olive Oil" Dr. Group lists the benefits of consuming it and six uses other than cooking. Unaprol, an Italian company, produces a premium product that is packed with antioxidants and Vitamin E. Their website also lends some more information to the topic of how this is an advantageous product.
I'll never forget the look everyone in class, including myself, gave Giancarlo when he walked around pouring a generous amount of oil into our pappa al pomodoro. He would always say, "trust Tio Giancarlo, trust!" And trust you should.
As a part of my time abroad, I chose to register for a cooking and wine-pairing course. What better place to learn to cook than in the motherland? My professor, Giancarlo Russo, was Roman and had moved to Florence in his twenties. He spent much of his youth traveling, learning, teaching, but most of all, cooking. He'd taken culinary courses in Paris, Rome, Boston and several other places. Needless to say, he was the best chef I've ever met.
Although he was well versed in several types of cuisine, we focused on Italian (specifically Tuscan) cooking. We made all types of dishes, spaghetti alle vongole or spaghetti with clam sauce, spaghetti alla carbonara, pappa al pomodoro or potato tomato soup and much more. One of the lessons he stressed most to the class was that Italian olive oil is good for you. As nave Americans, we assumed it's oil, so it must be inherently unhealthy. However, Giancarlo made it very clear that it is one of the few oils that can be consumed daily and actually benefit your health.
Being skeptical still, I decided to do a little more research on the subject. As a result, he was right! In an article published by the Global Healing Center, titled, "The Health Benefits of Olive Oil" Dr. Group lists the benefits of consuming it and six uses other than cooking. Unaprol, an Italian company, produces a premium product that is packed with antioxidants and Vitamin E. Their website also lends some more information to the topic of how this is an advantageous product.
I'll never forget the look everyone in class, including myself, gave Giancarlo when he walked around pouring a generous amount of oil into our pappa al pomodoro. He would always say, "trust Tio Giancarlo, trust!" And trust you should.
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For further details related to olive oil, for Italian cooking or what have you, please consult Unaprol.. Check here for free reprint license: Never Underestimate A Florentine In The Kitchen.
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