Salumera Albertini

I have been wanting to write about this place for days. It is a wonderful salumeria--a shop that sells cured meats, olives, cheeses, wine, vinegars, and other yummy things. I was very taken by the can of tuna in the center of this picture--it was large and the tuna looked beautiful. The shop is on the east side of Piazza Erbe, on Via Sant'Anastasia, 39. It would be the ideal place to buy a complete party, or a picnic, or whatever excuse you might be able to conjure up. The proprietor, Signor Albertini, is a friendly, rather elegant gentleman who is happy to help lovers of good food. Worth many repeat visits--which I intend to make!

Kebabs

Another day of teaching in Verona. It is still hard to believe that we are here--we are so lucky! Today my class focused on Medieval foodways. It was hot in the classroom and by noon, everyone was getting sleepy and/or restless, so when the students proposed that we go somewhere, I was happy to oblige. We are, after all, here to learn as much from our environment as we can. So we all went out to get kebobs for lunch at one of the numerous kebab stands that are all over Verona. A kebab is a meat and vegetable (and other things) sandwich, packed into a thickish pita that has sliced horizontally. It is classic street food--and apparently many Veronese do not approve of these kebob stands. So we went to Piazza Bra and after inspecting one kebab place, we checked out one more and succumbed. The smell of lamb roasting was tantalizing and we couldn’t wait any longer.

Kebabs are made from lamb that has been roasted on a vertical spit. The chef shaved off very thin pieces, then cut them up into smaller pieces for the sandwich. He sliced the pita in half, painted it with an orange chili sauce, then began packing in meat, lettuce, french fries, tomatoes, onions, and I don’t know what else. He finished off the kebab with a yogurt and garlic sauce (tzaziki), then I added some (optional) tabasco. The result was a large handful of tastiness. The lamb was delicious, perfectly roasted and seasoned, and the other elements and sauces only enhanced its flavor. Eating it was interesting--first, I began by picking at it with my fingers, eating bits of lamb. Once I had worked my way down a bit, I tried get a biteful--but it was just too big. Clearly street food, designed to be eaten with no pretensions to gentility--although, as I discovered, plastic forks made the job a lot easier. That’s why forks were invented.

So we stood around, eating our kebabs and thinking about the combination of cultures that has characterized Italy for centuries--at least since the Romans. The Arabs brought us these spicy foods a long time ago and we still love them. This particular type of kebab, also know as a doner kebab, is originally from Turkey. It combines salty, fat, spicy hot, and cool in a convenient package. Can’t wait to try another. They say the falafel is also excellent.

Speaking of packages, I went shopping last evening and bought a package of flatbreads at Verra Frutta. They are about 12“ in diameter, sort of like flour tortillas, and are made to be heated in a dry frying pan. I did just that for lunch today, then laid four slices of speck/prosciutto on top, folded it in half, and ate it. Easy, delicious. These would be a great snack too--but it was perfect for a quick lunch.

Venice, and the Day After (27-28 May)

We all got up very early yesterday morning to catch the train to Venice. Our orders were to meet at the school at 6:45 a.m., and so we did. We all made it to the station (on the bus, a new adventure) and settled in for the hour and a half train trip. It seems incredible that Venice is that close--but it is. We pulled into the station in Venice by 9:30, just in time to catch a vaporetto for San Marco for our scheduled tour. The boat trip was exquisite. We had a gorgeous, sunny, warm (but not too warm) day and the sea air revived us after our early start. We went the long way around, through the Guidecca Canal rather than down the Grand Canal--to my mind the best way to approach the city. I love seeing the Zattare and the bottom side of Venice. It felt very familiar after my two-week stay there in 2003.
Our time in Venice began with a tour of the city. We went from San Marco to the Rialto Market and back, with stops along the way to hear about the layout of the city, the way the buildings were built, the important architectural styles and details, and the culture of daily life in this fabulous city. At the Rialto Market, the students had some time to explore the goods on their own. I found out that in ten days (June 6), the baby artichokes will appear at the market. They are very special and unique to Venice, and they have only a two week window before they disappear again. They are grown in the islands somewhere and I have to get back to Venice during that time to check them out.
After our tour, we spread out across Venice to to our various things. Rala, Peter, Federica, and I went to the Dorsoduro in search of lunch, ending up on the terrace in front of La Calcina. Lunch was delicious--Federica and I had fish ravioli with zucchini sauce, Rala had tagliatelli with lobster, and Peter had octopus. We all had cafe corretto with grappa and then walked down to Nico’s for gelato. An ideal way to spend an afternoon! We strolled around until it was time to meet the students and head back to the stazione. Home around 8:30 p.m., sunburned, tired, happy.
This morning, I had class at 11 a.m., where we discussed the cookery and foodways of ancient Greece and Rome. After class, a bunch of us went to the Mensa, the student cafeteria, where we have eating privileges. For 7 Euros, I had speck (prosciutto) and mozzarella, plus a plate of pasta, peach tea, and a kiwi. The scene is very interesting--lots of students and our students are trying to figure out how to meet them. In time. Later, I had offered to lead a field trip up to the Museo Archeologico. We got there about 5:30 p.m., paid the student rate of 2 Euros for tickets, and wandered through the museum, which is located in the Teatro Romano. The teatro has been restored to the point where theatrical performances are held regularly, and the museum exhibits the many surviving fragments--architectural elements, mosaics, and sculpture--from the original building. In addition, there is a nice exhibit of Roman glass toilet and table wares, and another of Roman oil lamps. It is a lovely spot with a sweeping view of Verona, the theater, and the river.

After the museo, we all walked back towards our apartments and dinner, with a stop at the mercado. I found a shop selling handmade pasta, Casa del Raviolo, Via Carducci, 27, and bought some beautiful-looking tortellini with basil, ricotta, and pine nuts. They were ottimo!

Summer in Verona, Italy

I am spending a month in Verona (Italy, not New Jersey) with a group of students from Fitchburg State College. While here, I will be teaching a course called "Food: The Mediterranean Connection." I am a cultural historian who does food as a sideline and a food historian who does cultural history. Take your pick. Anyway, my plan for this course is to explore the various cultural sources for the foodways of the Mediterranean in general and Italy specifically. We will look at the history of food in the region, as well as the history of specific types of food (olive oil, pasta, gelato, pizza, and much more). I have developed a set of readings for the students, but much of our work will be exploring this beautiful city, looking for and at food.
We arrived on Friday and have been walking around Verona, following our intrepid guide Rala and learning about the history of the place and its people. And yes, tasting tasting tasting. We introduced the students to the pleasures of gelato, especially Gianduja. We also went to PAM, the local supermercado, to shop for provisions. What a treat! I bought some freshly made radicchio ravioli, a piece of perfectly ripe gorganzola, asparagus, eggs, and garlic. Oh yes, some local wine, C'a del Plin Barbera d'Alba. The impact of Carlo Petrini and the Slow Food movement is even more noticable since I was last here in 2003. The selections, even in a large chain supermarket, are varied, local, fresh, and delicious. Of course, there is still the same old mass-produced agrobiz stuff, but now consumers have a choice to go local (or at least regional). A wonderful trend, for us and for the earth.
I will be posting here on a regular basis throughout my month in Verona, as will my students. Hope you enjoy traveling with us (in the slow lane).