Blog Archives - Page 17 of 25 - Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu

[Thoughts on the Table – 8] Ask the Neuroscientist

‎Do we eat just for the energy content or also because we need specific nutrients? Can food influence our mood? What happens when something spicy comes in contact with our mouth? What causes the inflammation that turns our lips red? Join me in another special edition of Thoughts on the Table to get all the answers and more from my good friend Davide Anchisi, a neuroscientist at the Dep. of Medical and Biological Sciences of the University of Udine (Italy).

Also, don’t miss Davide blog: neurophy.wordpress.com (in Italian).

[Thoughts on the Table – 7] On Location in Milan!

Don’t miss this special edition of Thoughts on the Table recorded “on location” in Italy! Check out Jason’s first impressions on his first time in the country, as he told me when we met in busy Piazza Duomo, in the heart of Milan. A note of warning: I was very excited about this recording – please bear with me as I gradually calm down 🙂

[Thoughts on the Table – 6] Flavor Perception

This week’s episode concludes this series on flavor by talking about anomalies in flavor perception, how ‘tannins’ work, and by touching on the controversial theme of cultural attitude towards innards.

[Thoughts on the Table – 5] Flavor Appreciation

Jason and Paolo are back for a new episode. This week, it’s about the rewarding path to appreciating subtle flavors. Also, as a bonus, Jason presents his theory as to why North Americans don’t like liver anymore.

[Thoughts on the Table – 4] Acquired Taste

Join Jason and Paolo for this week’s interesting and entertaining episode exploring why certain flavors are acquired tastes. Why do we enjoy “spoiled” products like Gorgonzola and Nattō? Why do we put cream and sugar in coffee? Why some people can’t stand root beer, cilantro, dill pickles, or even sushi?

[Thoughts on the Table – 3] Umami

Join Jason and Paolo as they resume their conversation on flavor. This week’s topic is umami, the mysterious fifth taste: its discovery and etymology, its presence in nature, and its negative image as MSG.

[Thoughts on the Table – 2] Sweet

Jason and Paolo are back for another episode on flavor. This time, it’s all about sweetness: cultural attitudes towards it, the purpose of sugars in the diet, and the reason why desserts end the meal. Finally, as a bonus, don’t miss Paolo’s disgusted response to ice cream floats!

[Thoughts on the Table – 1] Salty and Spicy

Welcome to the first episode of Thoughts on the Table! It’s very exciting for me to switch format, and venture into making a podcast. As always, I will investigate why food and food culture are the way they are, and in particular why they are different between Italy and North America. This time, my friend Jason, Canadian born and raised, will join me.

Is the perception of salt absolute or subjective? Is there such a thing as a spicy taste? Does eating spicy food damage our taste buds? Join Paolo and Jason as they answer these questions and more in this episode on flavor titled “Salty and Spicy”. Thanks for listening!

Three Years of Blogging

After another year, it’s time for my usual retrospective. This year’s production hasn’t been as high as in the first two years. I don’t have a good excuse for the drop, but I can think of a few contributing factors in my personal life (I moved to a new place, and took on a different role in my job). On the bright side, however, the blog has maintained good traffic thanks to some of the articles posted in previous years which now enjoy fairly high Google rankings. This is exciting because it led to some more incoming links.

During the last year, I published recipes for a risotto (with asparagus), a hearty soup (with rice and parsley), two pasta dishes (with vodka and with saffron), and an elaborate baked pasta (Tagliatelle Timbale with Wine Gravy), which was also a guest recipe on La Bella Vita.

As for food articles, I largely focused on the difference between Italy and North America. The articles on Table Service and The Italian Bar were centered on the different cultures around foods, and the post on Eggs touched on different food production and distribution. In other posts, I described Italian fine pastries (generically called Pasticcini), and I ventured into the fascinating world of the Italian blue cheese: Gorgonzola.

But now it’s time to look forward to next year, and I have some incredible news! I am extremely excited to introduce… (drum roll) a series of audio posts! I’ve been dreaming about having a podcast, and it has finally become a reality. Stay tuned for the first episode of “Thoughts on the Table”, to be posted soon on this blog.