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fandomhigh2025-09-18 09:30 am
carbsliftthespirit) wrote in fandomhigh2025-09-18 09:30 am
Entry tags:
Food Adventures, Thursday, First Period
"Today we're gonna begin a little bit of a unit focusing on one city," Raiden told his students today. "I know, I know, there are so many great foods and food cities out there, but--well, seriously, we could've spent the whole semester eating our way through New Orleans. But today we're moving on from New Orleans, and we're going to spend some time exploring Rome.
"Rome, for those of you who might not be familiar, is the capital of Italy, and was in ancient times the capital of the Roman empire, which at its largest stretched from Britain in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east, and from, well, Britain in the north to Egypt in the south. It's also the home to the Vatican, the headquarters of the Catholic church, but I'm not going to go into all of that. The point is that Rome has a long and storied history and it's worth exploring, which we'll be doing today with a food tour. The tour is actually in the evening, and the weather should be clear and maybe in the sixties, which is why I messaged you that some of you may want a light jacket." Or, in the case of Erasmus, maybe a puffer coat.
"I'm not going to say Roman food hasn't taken influences from different cultures--like the rest of Italy, they happily adopted the noodle and the tomato when they got access to them--but also like the rest of Italy, the food here is very regional, using the ingredients that are available in the area and focusing on traditional preparations. Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese, is more common here than the cow's milk Parmigiano Reggiano, which comes from Parma. Artichokes, for example, grow very well here, and when they're in season you'll see a lot of dishes using them, especially a Jewish preparation where they're deep-fried. Delicious. Offal is also traditionally common in Roman cuisine, and it's worth giving a try, but I think our itinerary will be skipping it tonight." Some of you might be more disappointed than others.
"Of course you can't talk about Italy without talking about pasta! Fettuccine Alfredo was invented here, but it's not common or popular the way it is in the United States. Instead, here you'll find bucatini all'amatriciana--that's a sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, which is cured pork cheek, kinda like bacon, and that pecorino romano cheese we talked about--or cacio e pepe, a very simple preparation of pecorino romano and black pepper, or spaghetti alla carbonara, which is made with guanciale or pancetta, pecorino romano, black pepper, and eggs. You can't go wrong with any of 'em. Pizza in Rome comes in two forms. If you order a round pie at a restaurant, it'll typically have a very thin, almost cracker-like crust, where if you get the kind of pizza we're going to be having tonight, pizza al taglio, it comes by the slice, with a thicker, focaccia-style crust. Of course we'll also be trying some delicious gelato, and then we're gonna split off from the food tour to try another dessert, tiramisu, if you've got room." Be strong. It was gonna be worth it. "Sadly we're here at the wrong time of day for maritozzi, which are brioche buns filled with fresh whipped cream--so simple, so good--but maybe when we revisit the city we can fit those in.
"Now, the drinking age in Rome is eighteen, and Italy is known for its wine, so I'm not gonna tell anybody what to do." That would go against Gluttony. "Just make good choices, okay?" He clapped his hands together, then rubbed them enthusiastically. "All right! Let's head to the Eternal City and see what she's got for us today. Uh, tonight. You know what I mean."
"Rome, for those of you who might not be familiar, is the capital of Italy, and was in ancient times the capital of the Roman empire, which at its largest stretched from Britain in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east, and from, well, Britain in the north to Egypt in the south. It's also the home to the Vatican, the headquarters of the Catholic church, but I'm not going to go into all of that. The point is that Rome has a long and storied history and it's worth exploring, which we'll be doing today with a food tour. The tour is actually in the evening, and the weather should be clear and maybe in the sixties, which is why I messaged you that some of you may want a light jacket." Or, in the case of Erasmus, maybe a puffer coat.
"I'm not going to say Roman food hasn't taken influences from different cultures--like the rest of Italy, they happily adopted the noodle and the tomato when they got access to them--but also like the rest of Italy, the food here is very regional, using the ingredients that are available in the area and focusing on traditional preparations. Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese, is more common here than the cow's milk Parmigiano Reggiano, which comes from Parma. Artichokes, for example, grow very well here, and when they're in season you'll see a lot of dishes using them, especially a Jewish preparation where they're deep-fried. Delicious. Offal is also traditionally common in Roman cuisine, and it's worth giving a try, but I think our itinerary will be skipping it tonight." Some of you might be more disappointed than others.
"Of course you can't talk about Italy without talking about pasta! Fettuccine Alfredo was invented here, but it's not common or popular the way it is in the United States. Instead, here you'll find bucatini all'amatriciana--that's a sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, which is cured pork cheek, kinda like bacon, and that pecorino romano cheese we talked about--or cacio e pepe, a very simple preparation of pecorino romano and black pepper, or spaghetti alla carbonara, which is made with guanciale or pancetta, pecorino romano, black pepper, and eggs. You can't go wrong with any of 'em. Pizza in Rome comes in two forms. If you order a round pie at a restaurant, it'll typically have a very thin, almost cracker-like crust, where if you get the kind of pizza we're going to be having tonight, pizza al taglio, it comes by the slice, with a thicker, focaccia-style crust. Of course we'll also be trying some delicious gelato, and then we're gonna split off from the food tour to try another dessert, tiramisu, if you've got room." Be strong. It was gonna be worth it. "Sadly we're here at the wrong time of day for maritozzi, which are brioche buns filled with fresh whipped cream--so simple, so good--but maybe when we revisit the city we can fit those in.
"Now, the drinking age in Rome is eighteen, and Italy is known for its wine, so I'm not gonna tell anybody what to do." That would go against Gluttony. "Just make good choices, okay?" He clapped his hands together, then rubbed them enthusiastically. "All right! Let's head to the Eternal City and see what she's got for us today. Uh, tonight. You know what I mean."
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During the Lecture
Roman Food Tour
The stops on our food tour:
1. Cafe La Nicchia for a tasting of pestos, buffalo mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and truffle-infused apertivo. (And maybe some shopping!)
2. Pizzarium for pizza al taglio, or pizza by the slice.
3. La Tradizione for a tasting of cheeses and cured meats like prosciutto (and more shopping!)
4. Pasta at Il Segreto
5. Gelateria dei Gracchi for, you guessed it, gelato.
6. Two Sizes for tiramisu, because always say yes to tiramisu.
Talk to Raiden
OOC