Bello da Vedere, Buono da Mangiare!
Beautiful to See, Good to Eat!!
Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
Bello da Vedere, Buono da Mangiare
Beautiful to See, Good to Eat
A slide presentation by Norman Rusin, Lecturer at Italian Department of Italian, Bryn Mawr College
Light refreshment, RSVP at 215 735 3250
The fresh and fragrant basil, juicy tomato, hot sundried chili, thick and aromatic olive oil: we just read some of the ingredients for a good pasta dish, but the act of reading alone make us a watering mouth. Pasta is probably the dish that reminds us the most of the Italian culinary tradition. Yet people in Italy pasta have not always eaten pasta the way do today. Then, when and where was this culinary tradition born? How has it been transformed over the centuries? What does this say about Italians? To understand this I am going to explore the intrinsic relationship that food has with literature. During our talk, I will try to document, describe and understand the link between food and literary invention, studying its presence and consistency within Italian culture. We will read together some passages from literary works and historical cookbooks, using them as useful lookouts to help us understand ourselves, our history and the instinctive action that brings us to grab a food, to quench our thirst, to taste disparate flavors. By reading about taste, touch, smell, or the contemplation of a well prepared meal, we will move closer to an understanding of our nature, our body, the physicality of all our senses, hence of aesthetics. Therefore, by appreciating some bites of Italian extraordinary literary tradition, we will explore the differences and consequences of food habits in Italy and the symbolic significance of food. Eventually, we will understand the role these ingredients have played in constituting one of the most peculiar and hybrid forms of identity of Italy, the country par excellence of good wine and good food.
Bello da Vedere, Buono da Mangiare
Beautiful to See, Good to Eat
A slide presentation by Norman Rusin, Lecturer at Italian Department of Italian, Bryn Mawr College
Light refreshment, RSVP at 215 735 3250
The fresh and fragrant basil, juicy tomato, hot sundried chili, thick and aromatic olive oil: we just read some of the ingredients for a good pasta dish, but the act of reading alone make us a watering mouth. Pasta is probably the dish that reminds us the most of the Italian culinary tradition. Yet people in Italy pasta have not always eaten pasta the way do today. Then, when and where was this culinary tradition born? How has it been transformed over the centuries? What does this say about Italians? To understand this I am going to explore the intrinsic relationship that food has with literature. During our talk, I will try to document, describe and understand the link between food and literary invention, studying its presence and consistency within Italian culture. We will read together some passages from literary works and historical cookbooks, using them as useful lookouts to help us understand ourselves, our history and the instinctive action that brings us to grab a food, to quench our thirst, to taste disparate flavors. By reading about taste, touch, smell, or the contemplation of a well prepared meal, we will move closer to an understanding of our nature, our body, the physicality of all our senses, hence of aesthetics. Therefore, by appreciating some bites of Italian extraordinary literary tradition, we will explore the differences and consequences of food habits in Italy and the symbolic significance of food. Eventually, we will understand the role these ingredients have played in constituting one of the most peculiar and hybrid forms of identity of Italy, the country par excellence of good wine and good food.
Ambrogio Figino (Milano, 1553 – Milano, 11 ottobre 1608)
