A little over a month ago I left Prague with nothing but this backpack (and a pocketful of dreams) and set off on a two-month travel/farming journey through Europe.
Above has been the route so far and it has been quite wonderful to say the least. Some highlights of the pre-farm travel part:
A Budweiser in Budweiser. The town is actually called Ceské Budějovice and the beer should not be confused with the lightly-flavored mineral water they sell under the same name in the U.S.
Hiking in the Austrian Alps. Crisp.
Discovering the lovely town of Ljubljana.
Obligatory Lake Bled picture. I would advise any travelers to avoid going out of their way to come here. It's a bit like the Mona Lisa- way more impressive in photographs.
Eating a horse burger. Ne!
Being all James Joyce-ey in Trieste.
Prosciutto Veneto Crudo (a much, much different version than the Prosciutto di Parma which is the only thing I've ever seen in the U.S.) on one of the best baguettes I've ever had with a glass of Friuli. This lunch cost me 3 Euro and was the best lunch I've ever had in my life despite it being, basically, grape juice and a ham sandwich.
Revisiting Venice
Being either by myself or around Swiss and Italians for the last month and a half has given me quite a bit of time to think. What I've been thinking about most is this idea of place. Italy has such a strong sense of place. Each region has its own customs, dialect, food, wine, art, history- and people are fiercely proud of their particular region. This may exist in some places in the U.S. but it is very faint- specifically in terms of food. A Chicago Italian Beef isn't really what I'm talking about either. With a few exceptions people basically eat the same in Chicago as they do in New York, Los Angeles or any other city in the U.S. Don't get me wrong, sometimes this American freedom to eat and live the way we want is a wonderful thing. Italians can sometimes be so bound up in tradition that it's impossible to change or do anything differently. But in reality, the American freedom to eat and to live the way we want typically results in all of us eating and living the same. When meeting new American expats for the first time, one of the first topics of conversation is typically about how much we all miss Chipotle.
The sense of place evolved in Europe before fast transportation was a given, thus most of the ideas of place formed a protective barrier between friends and enemies. Consequently, many of the cultural differences inspire fear and are things that I'm glad we don't have in the U.S. It's pretty frustrating to have to constantly speak in a different language when traveling. Also- anyone who's traveled in Italy knows that, the only people that Italians hate more than non-Italians are Italians from neighboring regions.
But the foods that were inspired by this sense of place are incredible. This is why everyone in the world loves Italy and keeps coming back. To eat Prosciutto or Parmaggiano in Parma, Eat Sepia in Sicily, Mussels in Rome, Pecorino in the Marche, Balsamico in Modena- these are incredible food experiences that anyone who has had will remember forever. Strangely enough, when you take these things out of the place, they aren't nearly as good. Parmesan cheese is something that every American eats frequently and completely takes for granted. But having it fresh from the wheel in it's birthplace is an incredible experience that takes you completely by surprise.
Surprised by Parmesan
Not only is it empirically more delicious (Parmesan looses potency very quickly after being cut), but because of the reverence with which it's treated, you concentrate on the flavor more, you pay attention to it in a way you never did when sprinkling it haphazardly over your pasta; and it becomes more delicious- not in a verifiable way, but in an emotional way. It's called the "Mom's Meatloaf Effect." Everyone has a food from their childhood that will they remember with such fondness that no other version will ever compare. It has nothing to do with the taste but with memory.
Mom! The Meatloaf!
So we continue to pour into Italy by the thousands every year seeking the best of the best and ignoring the possibilities in our own country.
But Dave!!! You can't possibly think that the U.S. could every compete with Italy- the food capital of the world?!?!
Yes I do. A tomato is simply a plant. Given the right conditions it can produce fruit just as delicious as any in Italy. Anyone who has grown backyard heirloom tomatoes knows how unbelievably delicious they can be. The problem is that in the American commercial agriculture system, it is increasingly given less and less of those "right conditions." The meat situation is even worse. Not only are factory hog farms torture factories- they also produce a pretty lousy product. But if you've eaten meat from a small, free-range farm (surprisingly difficult to find in the U.S.), you know how good meat can be. American culinary tradition has made great strides in the
last few years, no question. But we are still miles behind and I think it is because we suffer from a fundamental lack of understanding and appreciation for the place and the ingredients that go into our products.
Today I ate a baked potato- a plain baked potato and it was delicious. In the U.S. a potato is an ingredient. It can be paired with cheese, sour cream, chives, truffles- it can be deep-fried and salted. The mentality here in Italy is "don't screw it up." The produce is so delicious that they don't really need to do anything to it. Salads are simply dressed with olive oil. Fennel is served plain. Everything, by American standards, is under-seasoned, unadorned and boring- and yet it is more satisfying for body and soul than any 1-star restaurant in Chicago. Why? I think the reason is two-fold. 1.) Commercial produce in the U.S. is garbage and 2.) Because it's garbage we are used to seasoning the crap out of it. But seasoning is no substitute for natural deliciousness and until we understand this and start growing produce worthy of the things we're trying to make, we'll never make anything that will hold a candle to the best what they eat in Europe.
The great tragedy is that we CAN grow food and raise meat just as good as any in Europe- but first we have to take the task out of the hands of the agricultural Wal-Marts and put it back into the hands of people with a real interest in what is done with it and the reputation which it creates. If we can bring an appreciation, a desire for a sense of place- I think this problem might just solve itself.
Enough of that philosophical nonsense! Here's what you're really here for:
Homemade Salami. This stuff was absolutely incredible.
Prosciutto hanging up to dry. They dry this for two years so unfortunately, I was unable to try it.
The fog at 500m above sea level.
Baa? Milking time.
Italian heritage corn from which they make an incredible polenta.
Shuckin' corn.
After a hard day chopping wood I spent a few hours here relaxing like I've never relaxed before.
I am the Shepherd.
Relaxing after a day of trimming vines with a glass of wine produced, years earlier, by those same vines.
The vineyards of Dogliani. Producers of fine Dolcetto since time immemorial.
A rare self-portrait of the man himself.
