A Full Three Weeks
The first three weeks of classes at UNISG have been full, literally. Along with Italian lessons, we've enjoyed cured meat and cheese technology classes. Heavy on chemistry and biology, the classes gave us a technical background for the flavors and smells and sites we'd experience later during tastings.We pushed our lactose tolerance with three different cheese tastings, each featuring a myriad of cheeses between the three-day-old mozzarella and the rare-four-year old parmigiano reggiano. The UNISG class of 2007 had a large presence at the barolo tasting hosted by a Parmigiano enoteca. Classes before the Christmas break ended with a crescendo as we had a surprise tasting of no less than eighteen cured meats. More than half of them came from Slow Food Presidia. Among my proudest accomplishments, I have to add keeping up with the tastings and still having room for the occasional gelato.
Other proud accomplishments? I'm now the owner of a cell phone. Yes, my very own cell phone. "No problem?" It was only thanks to Jackie's great help that I didn't end up walking out of the store with two cups and a long string. Tante grazie, Bella! More soon on the other flavors of these first three weeks. In the meantime, if learning more about cheese technology is on your list of New Year's resolutions (as it is on mine), you might enjoy this site.
-Corrie
