You not only have a right to be an individual. You have a responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt ✈︎ I have been hungry since the moment my international flight from Philly to Rome disgraced Coco Chanel on the runway (and, I thought Italy was the fashion capital of the world). My stomach’s demanding growls mimic the rumbling […]
Archive | Culture & Cuisine
What Am I…Slopped Liver? – Final Portfolio
I have been hungry since the moment my flight landed in Rome. Having been in Italy for nine days, I understand this statement is blasphemous. Italia undoubtedly has cibo squisito, but when local Umbrian and Tuscan ristoranti are tasked with feeding sixteen students, two professors, and one tour guide, it’s nearly impossible not to serve […]
To Lift One Up
Eating was a chore for me as a kid. It was also a chore for everyone else involved. I was the stubborn parental nightmare that insisted on stopping by McDonald’s for a Happy Meal before everyone sits down to eat at the Mexican restaurant the family frequents. On the occasion that I did eat what […]
Final Portfolio: Existing in a State of Contentment
The white porcelain mug that sits before me removes my thoughts from anything that may have been a worry days ago. Cars roll by, almost in slow motion, past my quaint table as it remains unscathed. I sit so close to the road that I could reach out and touch the warm metal if I […]
Truffles, Truffles and More Truffles (revised)
In Umbria and throughout the majority of the Italy, truffles have been a main staple, included in every dish. Truffles are used to top the olive oil coated pasta dishes, or mixing with the sheer coating of parmesan, they go on top of scrambled eggs, shredded like parmesan, mixing with the warmth of the fresh […]
To Be A Truffle Hunter
Today I became a truffle hunter. Well, not really. I did experience what it was like to be a truffle hunter, very briefly, and let me just say that it was so indistinguishable from anything else I had ever done before. My peers and I arrived at the casa of Alessandro, the head of our […]
From Umbria, Con Amore
In creating these digital collages, I realized I was embracing a personal meditation on the transformative power of travel and the profound impact of embracing a new culture. I was inspired by the interconnectedness I had formed with my body, environment, and spiritual undercurrents woven into the fabric of Umbria and Tuscany. Fragments of nature, […]
The Art of the Tartufo: an Agriturismo Excursion
Eight of us gather around a long metal table, basking in the cool morning air on the villa’s patio, nestled in the Umbrian mountains. The atmosphere feels a touch humid, as if nature herself is offering us an embrace before the day heats up. Knowing the temperature will rise, it’s best to kick-start our adventure […]
Eating in Umbria: Country Kitchen Edition
He wants me to kiss the head of the chicken. The dead chicken. The dead, headless chicken. But, before we reach that moment, my group arrives at the country kitchen restaurant Locanda Rovicciano for an Italian cooking class. Upon arrival, we shook hands with the head chef, Andrea. I notice immediately how rough his hands […]
A Hidden Gem in Orvieto
We had been wandering around Orvieto with casual aimlessness for about two hours when we decided we were hungry. It was that inconvenient period of time to get hungry–around 3:45 when it’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner. We had just come from visiting the 13th century Duomo and our mouths were […]