As my semester in Siena was winding down, I knew I had to make the most of my last few weeks of Italian food. As I write this, now back home in America, I can't begin to tell you how much I would love a good carbonara right now. Or even a good pastry with a cappuccino. That would hit the spot. But my favorite thing to do when it came to eating in Italy was going to the market, seeing what looks good, then going home and making something out of it. All improvisation based on things I learned and watched other cooks do in Italy. One day at the market, I realized that I had yet to try gorgonzola since I had been in Italy. Gorgonzola is a salty, strong cheese filled with surprisingly delicious mold. Just like what we call blue cheese in the United States. The Italians have a specific method of making gorgonzola that gives it a DOP certification, which means gorgonzola is only made in a specific region using specific historical methods. I found a nice, soft slice of gorgonzola, the softness meaning that the cheese was still young and would still be strong but not as concentrated as harder gorgonzolas. I already had apricot jam and croissants in my basket for breakfast or a snack, and then I imagined how well the sweetness of the pastry and jam would go with the salty gorgonzola cheese spread between them. Immediately, I went home and fixed one up. A gorgonzola apricot croissant served warm with a glass of red wine.
Another creation with the gorgonzola was a pasta dish. I had also picked up some pumpkin which was in season at the market, and I thought that maybe the funky saltiness of the gorgonzola would complement the sweet, nutty pumpkin beautifully in a sauce. I sweated out some pancetta, then some leeks and the pumpkin, added stock to simmer the vegetables down to the point that the pumpkin had nearly disintegrated into the sauce, then melted the gorgonzola in and tossed the sauce with fusilli pasta. I was in love with the dish. It was one of those creations that reflected the tastes of Fall found in nature.
Lastly, I was very hungry after classes one day and I saw a video on YouTube from the outdoor cooking channel Almazan Kitchen making chili cheese fries. Needless to say I was inspired. They unfortunately don't have many of the peppers needed to make a classic chili available in Italian markets so I had to improvise. I thought, what if I make a spicy Italian ragout to top my fries, and then melt Italian cheeses like burrata and parmesan over it? The idea paid off and this dish was as delicious as it was unhealthy, making it completely worth it.
These were just a few of the dishes that I thought up through getting to know Italian flavor profiles, and it's a challenge to adapt those ideas into new creations. Being innovative and trying new things with food is a rewarding experience that I recommend to anyone. Even if your creative culinary endeavor isn't up to scratch, you will learn something from the experience.