Tasting new things...

I had another cooking class this week. I am loving the cooking and getting to know more people in my program in a different way, but this week, not so many recipes I’m going to duplicate. Ok about half and half, it was either a hit in my book or not so much.
We started with 2 antipaste {<--using my plural Italian} or 2 appetizers that were:
Bruchetta the poor man’s way and Bruchetta with chicken liver
And then the 2nd {I know but those were variations of the same thing…} Grilled vegetables with Anchovy cream sauce

So here are my least favorite dishes and you might think I’m a picky eater. Above all I did what my momma taught me and I tried them {with a glass of water close at hand}. This is not now bit we are talking about here. I’m being brave in coming here, new situations and in eating food.

Moving on…the pasta {or first course} was risotto with saffron. It was delicious but I had a wonderful risotto here so I was expecting a little bit more flavor. The saffron does not do anything but turn it yellow. We get a history lesson with our food and that was one of them. The saffron was added to it to show that the man who came up with the idea had more wealth. The more yellow or gold your food the more financially stable you claimed to be, and it’s not like saffron is inexpensive!

My favorite dish is right here…and I had a very similar version last night. It comes from a famous battle dealing with napoleon when they ran out food and threw whatever they had into a pot to feed soldiers. Italians are all proud because it it’s the dish that has a birthday! Beef {or chicken} with a sauce that combines herbs, orange peel, onion, wine and a few other ingredients. Tomato paste was later added in.
Served with it is polenta which is truly a poor man’s dish. It’s filling and cheap and easy. {College students did you hear that?} But really I would make this again, maybe modify the recipe a little but it was delicious! It has four cheeses layered with the polenta and then you bake it. It is the only Italian recipe that I have seen so far that slightly resembles a casserole.

For dessert {which always happens to be amazing, maybe because I don’t have to try funny things and there is sugar} was similar to a homemade gelato. It is slightly frozen and has eggs, cream, hazelnut nuggets, and crumbled meringue {did I mention eggs?!?}. We drizzled some dark chocolate sauce over it. I know your mouth is watering…so is mine not to worry!

There you have the installment of Italian cooking class.
I will be in and out this weekend internet wise as it is the last time with my parents before Christmas! I am trying to soak up all the time I can, because when I get back in the states I will only have a few days with them before heading back to school.

Off to Venice it is!