Italy has Turned Me into a Food Snob

I think that I’m going to need a 2nd job to cover my new grocery budget.

Everyone has “a thing” that they do upon their return home from a vacation. Usually, this involves an immense amount of laundry and getting caught up on unread emails.

I similarly follow this trend, except this time. I just returned from Italy, and as soon as I got home, I threw away all of our boxed pasta, canned pasta sauces, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).

Why?

Because I can clearly taste a difference between prepackaged pasta made with preservatives that I cannot pronounce. I also know that many Italian-sounding olive oils are misleading and not really from Italy at all. The ones I had stocked in my pantry were the kind that I got suckered into buying because it was on BOGO, and I will compare the consistency to motor oil now that I have had the real thing.

During my 10 days touring Italy, I tasted risottos, homemade bread, visited olive farms, gorged myself on homemade pasta, and I even had a four-course meal prepared by the well-known chef Maurizio Staiano of Salerno who has also worked with several Michelin Star Chefs.

I have officially been indoctrinated to La Dolce Vita (“The Sweet Life”). Having such an unforgettable culinary awakening, I could not let these abominations of preservatives stay in my home, and my husband thought I returned borderline crazy.

My body experienced a sensory awakening while in Italy. I am no Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, or Wolfgang Puck, but I like to think of myself as a little bit of a self-taught foodie. Despite living full-time in an RV, I can make some damn good food from scratch and can meal-prep like a pro, although I live in a small living space. However, the food in Italy lifted my tastes and smells to a whole new level.

There is a reason why Italians are known for their cooking, and now I completely understand why. During my stay in Italy, I had only one lousy food experience: Gluten-Free Pizza (because my mom has a food sensitivity; I have had worse, but I don’t count this blasphemous pizza against Italy.)

Only after performing this culinary exorcism in my kitchen would I allow myself to unpack to slowly re-acclimate to the hectic go-go-go life in the US…but hopefully with fewer preservatives. I’ve already made some excellent culinary changes and have noticed a few subtle things since my return. For example, I (literally) cannot eat prepackaged pasta or sauces. So far, I have made my own sauces and rationed out the pasta I brought back with me in my suitcase from Gragnano.

“The hilltop town of Gragnano may not boast sweeping views like its neighbors on the Amalfi Coast, but it has a noteworthy legacy of its own: it’s the birthplace of dried pasta.” — Forbes

I’m also hunting in my local area for a European grocery store that stocks pasta from Gragnano with the PGI Certification from that specific area, and I refuse to have any other kind. (Hint: Look for the two round symbols below on your pasta to ensure it is P.G.I. certified!)

I’ve explored a 50-mile radius from my home to locate some with no success yet, but worst case: I’ll be spending a lot of Euros on shipping it to me! Worst case, I may have to entertain making my own pasta now. Oh, Momma Mia…I’m not sure that I am ready for that yet, but if it means quality and taste then I am in.

So far, the only place I can find P.G.I. certified pasta from Gragnano is 60 miles east of me at a Whole Foods in Destin, Florida.

I also make my own homemade pizza now. The dough is made a day before, and I use only fresh toppings down to the plucked basil and freshly sliced mozzarella.

Today, I went to the store on my way home to “grab something quick for dinner.” I hated myself for it. I instantly went to the pre-made macaroni section next to the rotisserie chickens under the heat lamps. What did I do?

I gagged and put it away.

It was a little alarming to have such an involuntary reaction, but this is the new me…I guess.

I’m not saying any of this to brag. However, I am bringing it up because it’s a little shocking to realize how many of us have blind taste buds. How many of us go to Olive Garden and think that is actually good? When was the last time you had something fresh? Do you even know what fresh basil smells like?

Right now, I am going to give you a challenge.

I have the busy parent in mind who has less than 30 minutes to make dinner for their family. I challenge you to substitute one prepackaged ingredient for a fresh one.

I’ll give you an easy suggestion: Spaghetti and Meat sauce. Do you want something more simple?

Top a pre-made jar of sauce with some fresh basil leaves, and I can guarantee a new sensory explosion. Do you want to up the antie? Instead of a pre-made can of tomato sauce, make your own.

I’ll give you “Crystal’s Lazy, but Tasty Way to Cook Somewhat Fresh Recipe”:

• 2 large cans of whole tomatoes
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 lb of Mild Italian Sausage
• 1 lb of Lean Ground Beef
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 Garlic chopped
• Fresh Parmesan (optional)

— Open the whole canned tomatoes and break them apart by hand into a large bowl. Add the small can of tomato paste.

— Brown the meats, drain grease. Add the chopped onion and garlic and let them soak up the extra juices.

— While the onions and garlic are working their magic: Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. (I’m not going to give you exact measurements because everyone’s tastes are different. For me, I sprinkle enough until I hear my ancestors whispering to me, “That’s enough, child.”) Live a little, sprinkle that sh*t on, look like a pro, and taste as you go.

— Only when the water is at a rolling boil, add the pasta. Cook your pasta to “al dente,” and drain water. (Another Pro-Tip: If you find your sauce is too thick, add a ladle of the pasta water to the sauce.)

— Once the pasta has reached “al dente,” lightly drizzle with some EVOO, so the pasta strands don’t stick together.

— When sauce is heated through, spoon into your pasta until coated; not smothered. Don’t soak your pasta in the sauce! (Are you here to eat pasta or sauce?! If you want to eat just sauce, make some damn soup or chili then.)

— Sprinkle some fresh Parmesan over it and freshly chopped basil leaves.

*This sauce recipe will yield enough not only for the pasta dish, but you’ll have enough for a homemade pizza and a lasagna dish as well. #cookinginbulk

If you really want to compare if this is worth doing or not, I ask you to take this challenge one step further: Make two dishes; One with the sauce recipe I just gave and the other with pre-made jar sauce of any kind you want. Taste them blindly and see if you can taste the difference in quality and flavor. Also, give the challenge to your significant other as well.

This could be a fun date-night bit of fun as well!

If you end up doing this challenge, let me know how it turned out in the comments. Was it worth it? Not worth it? What do you think?

Buon appetito!

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