A Christmas Break On Foods Native To The Italian Culture

Criterion A, Strand i

“My parents have just informed me that we will be hosting a foreign exchange student named, Valentina, from the country of Italy. Since my family has always used dinner as a source of community bonding, my parents have decided that I should be the one to plan and cook this complex, and welcoming meal.

Criterion A, Strand ii “I have done some research before the Christmas break on foods native to the Italian culture and I’ve seen that a lot of Italians eat a salad with their meal so i’m going to put Caprese salad (old world) into a burger (new world).

In creating this meal, here is a list of the topics I researched for my foods native to Italy, in order of importance:

A fun fact about the food: mozzarella was

History - The first mention of the beloved Caprese Salad {Insalata Caprese} was in the early 1920s, Caprese Salad appeared on the Hotel Quisisana menu; where Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, founder of Futurism, in the summer of 1924 protested pasta calling it “outdated”.

Commodity- Caprese salad is not a commodity

Medicine - Tomatoes ( In the salad which is mixing with the burger) are also an excellent source vitamin C, biotin, molybdenum and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, folate, niacin, vitamin E and phosphorus.

Criterion A, Strand iii “I’m a little nervous that my parents have asked me to plan and cook this meal because I’m only 13 years old and I’m not a great cook. So I started looking for inspiration online at websites like https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/food-and-wine/the-16-most-iconic-foods-to-eat-in-italy and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian-American_cuisine . The proteins I’d like to use are ground beef and mozzarella cheese because I could make an American burger with Italian accents. Some of the other flavors I’m looking for inspiration for are tomatoes,salt, and onion

However, in Ancient Greece and Rome, basil did not enjoy such a positive reputation and was associated with poverty, hate and misfortune due to the prevailing belief that basil would only prosper where there was abuse.

Basil was not introduced in Britain until the 16th century and they in turn brought it to North America.

Basil was thought to be poisonous. People thought that if they ever smelt it scorpions would grow in your brain

Women at a table would refuse to eat from any dish if a basil leaf had been placed under it. Their aversion to basil was so strong that they would instinctively know the basil was present even if they could not see it. Our source did not explain the origin or cause of this aversion.

Criterion B Strand i

Temperature of food : I want the temperature to be hot but not too hot that it burns your mouth

Spice level : I want it to be spicy but not so spicy that you’d need a glass of milk

Aroma : I want it to smell super good, like while i’m cooking it you can smell it and say “ Wow that smells delicious” How well did I blend Old World with New World?

How well did I create something new/different?

Criterion B Strand