Dear food, I love you.

Alright, so here goes my first blog. Yippee! So yesterday we walked around Bologna for about a total of 7 hours. My feet are sore but my imagination has soared. (heh, y’like that? that was a play on words… im clever)

So we were in Piazza Maggiore yesterday morning, and ’twas there that I fell in love, again, with Bologna. Check it out…

Now, Chef P8n… i hope youre reading this. If it wasn’t for you I would not have known what half this stuff is, let alone how to cook it. It was so weird/awsome seeing like every ingredient we use on our menu in the market. Rock on!

For those of you that aren’t James Beard award-winning Chef Payton Curry of Digestif (ha! love the title), I will do my best to identify these objects.

From the top going clockwise…

Noci (Walnut, found in a crapload of stuff here, from pasta to pastry)

Ananas (Pineapple)

Melone (I smack you if you cant figure that one out..)

Pesca (peach) e albicocca (apricot)

Kiwi (yup, you guessed it…)

to the right of the kiwi and amongst the apples are the most amazing looking tomatoes I have ever seen. There were teardrop, cherry, and absolutely GORGEOUS heirloom tomatoes. Look at those cherry tomatoes… they couldnt be any redder and riper!!!

So then theres the red onions and in front and center stage were some pretty darn good-looking fava beans. Now those are show-stoppers.

And of course below and above them are basil and various fresh (by fresh I mean still potted!!) herbs, respectively.

Next up… MEATS!!! (if you loved the movie Babe, stop scrolling now)

Now, i could go on and on about this one as well, but pretty much my favorite part is the mailini (singular, maialino)… small pig. Its like he’s sleeping with his brother in a sea of yummy carcass. friggin awsome.

Scene 3… Formaggeria

so, various wheels of cheese, we got to try a few.. omg omg omg.

And now for what Bologna is famous for…. TORTELLINI. Everywhere you go, from restaurant to market its tortellini! tortellini! tortellini! (sunday! sunday! sunday!.. heh)

Oh, here’s a short list of what I have discovered from the locals that Bologna is famous for… tortellini, mortadella, prosciutto, sparkling wines, and of course, meat sauce (bolognese, in fact)

Back to the pasta… everywhere that they sell tortellini, it is ALWAYS fresh, and it is ALWAYS homemade. gotta love it.

check out all that hanging prosciutto. (oh and for some reason, tradition i suppose, all of the workers wear those panama jack hats)

just some more of the lovelies…

and to close, tortellini, cheese, hanging prosciutto, and FORZA BOLOGNA! (ref. to the soccer poster).

MAP

Then theres what we ate…

So while strolling around we stopped at a bar (italian version being one with coffee and light food, like a cafe, but with alcohol)

we had some awsome little sangwiches..

On the right was rick’s panino, with speck, mushrooms, and parmagiano affumicato (smoked parm). Mine on the left was what they call a focaccia (or panetto) with mozz and prosciutto. both grilled to perfection… simple and delectable.

Im going to try to take pictures of almost everything we eat at restaurants…