December 12, 2015

"She'll be taking me to three different places, all just outside of Parma..."

"... La Traversetolese -- makers [of] Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, then the family Conti -- curers of Parma prosciutto (a mother and daughters operation), and finally Picci Acetaia -- the Balsamic House of the Picci family (a father and son affair). Not interested in finding out about what makes this part of Italy hum? I can't even imagine that possibility. You can't just sprinkle cheese on your spaghetti and fake balsamic vinegar on your salad without knowing about what you're really doing or eating. It's not all that it appears to be!..."

Nina's in Parma with pictures of ham-making and cheese-making and important specifics about the right kind of balsamic vinegar.

25 comments:

Bill said...

I don't know Nina personally, but I love her.

Michael said...

I love the way she travels. And writes. Thanks for posting.

LYNNDH said...

Now that is a tour I would like to take! What samples, what heaven.

FleetUSA said...

Italy is wonderful. Thanks

Sebastian said...

"You can't just sprinkle cheese on your spaghetti and fake balsamic vinegar on your salad without knowing about what you're really doing or eating." You can. Don't misunderestimate us. In fact, most people can do most things "without knowing about what you're really doing."

hoyden said...

On the west side of the St Croix River I will toast good eating with Rotel Velveeta cheese dip splashed over fried Spam. Bone appetite.

ndspinelli said...

Nina is an interesting person. Traveling is the best education.

traditionalguy said...

Some prosciutto ham and cantaloupe slices sounds good... With a spicy Chianti.

the gold digger said...

Rotel Velveeta cheese dip

Did you know that there are people who have never even heard of Ro-Tel dip? So sad for them.

David said...

Google the web site "Parmashop" if you want to buy some of these products directly from Italy. Good prices and reliable delivery.

SteveBrooklineMA said...

My favorite breakfast blogger! I've been to that beautiful region of Italy and enjoyed the cheese and ham. The vinegar is good too, but seriously how good can it be? It's just vinegar. I don't get the ga-ga for vinegar thing.

Anonymous said...

I make my own charcuterie, sausages, wine, cheese, etc.
Living in Europe so long spoiled me and when I came back home I couldn't find the good stuff. So I had to make it. Great fun when you get it right.
Highly recommended if you are a project cook.
Now I'm off to lunch. Homemade headcheese with a mustard vinaigrette and minced raw onions accompanied by fresh German farm bread and sweet cream Amish butter.
And no, I did not milk the Amish myself.

Tonight it's burgers stuffed with an onion-mushroom sauté. I just picked the mushrooms, wild porcinis, about 30 mins ago.

Fernandinande said...

Flautists flout flautas.

rehajm said...

Always enjoyable Nina. Thank you.

paminwi said...

Dessert served to uswhile in Italy based on owners recommendation was a small piece of Parmiggiano Reggiano with a small spoon of aged balsamic vinegar. What a great flavor combination!

Better than a sweet dessert typically served.

Anonymous said...

I think both Althouse and Camic are unhealthily obsessive people. How many photos do we need of Ed, Nina's partner, eating breakfast? What would happen to Althouse's sense of herself if she decided to stop adding blog entries for just one day? Both of them have a need for control that they themselves can't control.

nina said...

Jeffrey: How do you know we obsessively post unless you obsessively read?

Thanks all. I so admire the passion some people bring to food -- it doesn't really matter where that food comes from. But seeing it "done right," with care and love is just so greatly rewarding.

Ann Althouse said...

"How many photos do we need of Ed, Nina's partner, eating breakfast?"

What about people who say grace before every meal? Are they "obsessive" as you see and analyze people?

Anonymous said...

Nina, I check in at your blog every six months or so and just count the photos of Ed over his breakfast. It's always the same photo, over and over again. And I would not characterize a twice yearly visit as "obsessively reading," would you?

Ann, if you can't imagine not posting for one day, you have a problem.

Neither of you are bad people, of course. But the intense need both of you have to post each and every day, to me, is a sign of mental illness.

traditionalguy said...

Nina is onto something. Sharing good food is the primary social activity among Homo Sapiens.

Chik-fil-A's motto: Food is necessary for life, Therefore make it good.

Anonymous said...

I should add, however, that while Nina's obsessive blogging is fueled by a combination of an ingrained work ethic and an inability to accept the transience of life (how ephemeral her own life is, to be exact, and for which I have the highest sympathy, being as equally doomed as she is) as she attempts of hold onto each experience in photos and writing, Ann's obsessive daily blogging is about the extension of her ego by creating an online classroom where all the commenters here are just more students for her to address (which I understand, being a teacher myself, currently in China, as it happens).

Ann Althouse said...

You didn't answer my question.

Anonymous said...

Ann,

You didn't answer my question.

Exactly my point. This is not your classroom.

You're only comfortable in a place where you are in complete control of the flow of information, which is also why you find traveling to other countries disturbing.

nina said...

One of the great mysteries for me is why some people keep going back to blogs they do not like. It's like torturing yourself with rereading a book you hate. Instead of egging over why a writer writes something that's not your fancy, why not read something that's closer to your heart?

Ann Althouse said...

@nina There are people who take advantage of a stage that someone else built by attracting readers. Some of them are doing good work, providing balance and making the site better. Others are actually interested in tearing down the place. The reason I moderate comments now is because there are a few people I know are "bad faith" commenters. Sometimes these people try to come back with a new persona. It shows.