A storm passed through the other day, and it finally pushed the disgustingly hot, humid weather out of our area. Now its breezy and pleasantly warm - in the mid-80's, so we went for a bike (bicycle) ride around outer Foligno. I noticed all the corn fields, and realized that I hadn't eaten any fresh corn all summer (once in Montenegro, but it was horrible). Then I thought about how I hadn't remembered seeing it at my local fruttivendolo either. Federico told me that if you want fresh corn, you have to steal it from a field - and that's just the way it is. (Maybe they sell it at the big supermarkets, but its rare.) Corn is used for making polenta, oil, canned corn, and animal feed...but never fresh for the 4th of July bbq. ;-)
I think this is really strange because they like to eat corn here - I've even seen it on pizza - but its always canned. And one time at the Autogrill, I ordered a salad and they just dumped the whole can into my salad - gross corn liquid and all... Anyway, for most of Italy (so I'm told), 1st: its just not so common to use fresh corn, and 2nd: why buy it, when there are huge cornfields all around you?
Most of the corn is harvested in August, and we were away...I think I'm going to have to go on a reconnaissance mission...
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September 02, 2007
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- We are in Sicily leaving for Rome and then home on Sunday. I just wanted to tell you once more how much we enjoyed the cooking class with you and Christiana. It is truly a highlight of our trip. If you would send the recipes to me, I will forward on to the others I also wanted to ask you to pass on to Federico that we really appreciated his time in his busy schedule to give us such a wonderful experience tasting the wine. We will be anxious to have the wines online so we can order them in a couple of months. If you are coming to CA. anytime in the future, please let us know. We would love to get together with you......perhaps to cook for you! (Nancy, USA)
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Your comments about corn made me laugh, and remember. I lived in Assisi for a very short time in the 90s, and the people there were totally befuddled at the idea of eating fresh corn. Their knee-jerk reaction was that it was pig food. Canned corn? Acceptable to eat. Polenta? Well, so much in Umbria. Corn on the cob or fresh corn? My bringing it up was filed under Crazy American Stuff.
Posted by: Meg | September 11, 2007 at 07:44 PM
oh...if only it was a taco truck...No, the "AutoGrill" is kind of like the national rest-stop chain of Italy. On every Autostrada, instead of having a rest-stop with McD's, KFC, and 7-11, there is just one place to eat - the Autogrill. I have to say that usually, the food is not so bad. Also every Autogrill has to sell, by law, local products from the area. So, if you stop in Umbria, you will see truffles and olive oil; in the north gorgonzola and bresaola, etc...See my post "Off the Autrostrada" on 2-28-07.
Posted by: Jennifer McIlvaine | September 04, 2007 at 09:13 AM
Okay, educate me. What is an autogrill? Is that like a taco truck? What does the autogrill serve?
Posted by: Traca | September 03, 2007 at 09:46 PM