When I was in Canada, I really overlooked the artichoke. It's one of those intimidating, foreign-looking types at the supermarket that you think couldn't possibly be worth all it's scary spiny-ness. I always thought that until one steamy, summer's night in Rome, in a little trattoria with a rickety table about to keel over on cobblestone...I had my first carciofi alla romana (artichokes done Roman-style). It came out too hot to touch and was probably the most beautiful thing I had seen all day- although that happens alot when you're in Rome. I ate it with my fingers (not sure if that's faux pas), peeling the layers away one by one and sopping up the olive oil with crusty bread. It's one of those food memories, a food-gasm I suppose, that I just cannot get out of my head. So lately I'm obsessed with artichokes and unfortunately, I think we must be on the end of it's much-esteemed season as it's often called 'il re dell'inverno' (the king of winter), and winter's pretty much history.
In case you didn't know, in Italy, you eat the foods of the season. Fruits and vegetables have a specific set of months that you can eat them in. THIS IS A COMPLETELY NEW CONCEPT TO ANY CANADIAN. This is for obvious reasons as almost everything at any given point of the year in Canada is imported from a more tropical place, so if you fancy say a pomegranate, you can probably find one even in the dead of winter. It's a beautiful thing what's going on here in Italy though because Italians only eat what is grown and available in each season. I remember my first trips to the supermarket without this knowledge...I wanted to satisfy a berry craving and in looking high and low for blueberries or raspberries, I asked Massi where they might be hiding. The sheer shock on his face that I would be looking for berries OUTSIDE of berry season is indescribable. It may have been followed by shaming and a wagging of an index finger in my face accompanied by words like impossibile and ma sei matta (but you're crazy). So word of advice newbies to Italy, if you don't see something at the market, it's out of season. Actually come to think of it, the Italians treat foods like fashion- you best pay attention to the key pieces of each season lest you give yourself away as totally ignorant!
In case you didn't know, in Italy, you eat the foods of the season. Fruits and vegetables have a specific set of months that you can eat them in. THIS IS A COMPLETELY NEW CONCEPT TO ANY CANADIAN. This is for obvious reasons as almost everything at any given point of the year in Canada is imported from a more tropical place, so if you fancy say a pomegranate, you can probably find one even in the dead of winter. It's a beautiful thing what's going on here in Italy though because Italians only eat what is grown and available in each season. I remember my first trips to the supermarket without this knowledge...I wanted to satisfy a berry craving and in looking high and low for blueberries or raspberries, I asked Massi where they might be hiding. The sheer shock on his face that I would be looking for berries OUTSIDE of berry season is indescribable. It may have been followed by shaming and a wagging of an index finger in my face accompanied by words like impossibile and ma sei matta (but you're crazy). So word of advice newbies to Italy, if you don't see something at the market, it's out of season. Actually come to think of it, the Italians treat foods like fashion- you best pay attention to the key pieces of each season lest you give yourself away as totally ignorant!
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