When I moved to the United States seven years ago, I went through a phase of cooking Tuscan recipes. All the time. I was surprised, because when I actually lived in Tuscany, I spent most of my time exploring the cuisines of other cultures.
In my kitchen in Oregon I compulsively read Tuscan and Italian cookbooks, trying to hang on to an identity I’d never realized was important to me. I was going through a full-blown identity crisis. I’d given up my job, my friends, my language, and my culture, and I was searching for something from my past to hold on to.
As the years have gone by, I’ve come to accept that I can be many things at once. Yes, I was born and raised in Tuscany, but I’m not a piece of Etruscan pottery.
I recently read a very interesting book, “A short history of Spaghetti with tomato sauce”, by the food historian Massimo Montanari, and I realized that the history of spaghetti with tomato sauce is a bit like my own history. Everyone thinks of the dish as Italian, but its journey has been a lot more complicated.
Listen to the last podcast episode to learn about the history of this dish:
2024 tour dates will be out soon on the website.
Happy holidays, and I’ll see you in January.
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