Whenever I am asked to recommend a restaurant in Italy, particularly in the culinary capital of Bologna (where I lived all of last year), I do my bit, suggesting one Osteria or another. Yet I always seem to walk away nursing an uncomfortable pang of regret.
This
is because I know the truth about dining in Italy. A truth I discovered credit
to the outstanding fortune of having a rich network of friends and family
spanning from the southern pizza forni of Naples, through the
medieval mountain villages of Abruzzo, and halting in the gastronomic region of
Emilia Romagna –where any north bound train will cover the cities of Bologna
(home of ragù), Modena (home of aceto balsamico), and
Parma (home of prosciutto and parmigiano-reggiano)
within only half an hour.
So why do I feel mere restaurant recommendations are never enough?
Because the best food in Italy is to be found inside peoples'
homes. Most specifically but not limited to the home of the elderly Italian
woman; La Nonna.
It is inside the home where one may really begin to explore both the pinnacle of authentic Italian cuisine, and the extent to which the Italian's traditional, region-specific foodways speak volumes for their unique cultural mores. Now, thanks to the Home Food project, you don't have to be well connected to experience a real Italian cucina. The Bologna-based company allows you to suggest any location in Italy through their website, no matter whether it be a bustling city or countryside village, they will see if there is a nonna willing to cook for you in her home.
The project is ingenious as it harnesses the everyday Italians' innate flair for hospitality and cooking, whilst providing tourists with the much desired yet increasingly unobtainable authentic cultural experience.
Images sourced from the inspiring Classe Touriste Blog where you can also read about their experience with Home Food.
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