Philosophy of Food 2016

Katherine Lenahan
Professor Borghini & Professor MacDonald
17 June 2016

Introduction:
Throughout our time here, we have learned about food production in a unique way. From the process that ingredients go through to the way in which we taste these products and deconstruct them with our tastebuds, food and wine are more complex than I ever imagined. In order to understand how to deconstruct the components of each artist’s creation. I met multiple artists with each stop that we made, and learned about their method to their art, including the craftsmanship that is apart of each of their pieces. When we met with wine producers and butchers such as Dario and Vicky, we met artists that truly shape their products that reflects their innate creativity that yields an irreplaceable experience with each meal or bottle of wine that is created. Speaking with these artists in and around Panzano was a great experience and understanding their methods was essential, however with each artist that we met, we truly did not have the opportunity to understand the artists that remain behind the faces of the main artists such as Dario or Vicky. Dario and Vicky may be the heads of their projects, but they are not the rest of the body; they are not the hands that pick all of the grapes, feed all of the cows, trim the vines, and cut all of the meat. My objective in this paper is to capture the viewpoint of the layers of artists that reside behind the heads of these studios and correct the disconnect that we have with them in order to fully understand the importance of multiple aspects of the artwork that we experienced.
What is an artist?
An artist is an individual or a group of individuals who can convey their inner thoughts and emotions through a medium that an audience can interpret, and this interpretation can be through our senses or through our emotions. Telfer and I clash in regard to categorizing art; she feels that a “work of art” is something that its creator wanted it to be looked at “with intensity, for its own sake.” Telfer continues to expand upon this argument, but her ideas also encompass the concept that we cannot have an aesthetic reaction to taste or smell. Her definition directly clashes with mine because I feel that after experiencing extensive wine tastings and food samplings that I am moved in a way that a painting or a sculpture cannot capture. Taking her definition, it is essential to see that when we are served wine for example, we taste wine with an intensity that is unmatched with any other beverage that I consume to the point where I take notes about the wine just as some take notes about art that they view in a museum or gallery. Food is a major art that infiltrates my senses and emotions in a way that is unlike any other form of art. Telfer also argues that food is not a major art because we destroy upon consumption, however we criticize art when we visually and emotionally interpret it. In both cases we are “destroying” the art that is either hanging on the wall or on the table before us. Dario has captured the definition of an artist and this is evident from his restaurants which are his galleries atmosphere that he creates for individuals to interpret his work. Therefore it is evident that his dishes are considered major works of art. Through the definition that I provided above, the love, respect and savory flavors that are present in his work reflect the definition of an artist and are evident in each bite. We can better understand my interpretation through two cases, Dario Cecchini & Vicky Schmitt.
Dario the Sculptor, the Waiters the Chisels:
Dario is the master butcher, genius, and moderator of his butcher shop, but his genius shines with the layers of artisans that work for him. Their feelings toward this process reflect the overall product. The servers feel as if they are apart of a family and create an experience that is a form of art. This perspective is essential to understand because their contribution in their everyday work is an extension of Dario’s vision and without feeling this way towards his vision, we as interpreters of this art would not connect to a man who’s personality is overpowering and who’s meat would be seen as merely “special.” They are indispensable because they convey Dario’s message through their art of serving. Even though Dario’s genius is admirable, Dario can be an intimidating figure to approach, and the artisans behind his vision create an environment that aides the viewer in dissecting the art that they receive from Dario’s. These two entities are interconnected in such a way that truly makes this process an art form. Borghini explains how dishes and recipes are different but connected in the sense that “a dish is the stuff and the recipe is the idea,”; just as Dario’s artisans are the “dish” that contribute to the recipe, which is his vision. Borghini’s explanation of the importance of this phenomena is essential to consider in order to fully understand Dario’s craft. The combination of the art of service and the vision that Dario produces is not only beautiful cuts of meat but also a complex relationship with animals, that makes his work true art because we can consume it with our senses as well as just through vision and interpret its meaning. This significance and emotional complexities that exist in the ethical dilemma that we have as meat eaters makes us feel in some ways as if we are truly appreciating the creation that nature provides. This process is unmatched by any other medium that Telfer may try to argue because it is an organic experience that encapsulates so many emotional responses that we do not quite understand what we have experienced until after the meal. Dario’s work is a major art that cannot convey its true meaning to its audience without the layers of artisans behind his vision that truly convey the experience of joy and understanding of the creation.
Vicky at Le Fonti & Social Structure:
Vicky is another artist who has artisans behind her vision to better shape the taste that she encapsulates into her wine. Le Fonti’s workers encompass a multitude of backgrounds that influence the wine. The artisans are comprised of both Italians who chose to work in the fields as a vocation as well as the Eastern European immigrants who fled violence in their home countries of Albania and Kosovo. Vicky explained that they are all hard workers who enjoy their work in the fields and strive to pick only the best grapes for the winery. They enjoy their work because of the healthy and respectful relationship that Vicky has with the growers, which yields a more fruitful result. These workers are a part of the exception to the food system because they are not fiscally valued as a form of labor and their methods are not standardized which means that Vicky is willing to pay for more hours from them if there are slower field workers during the harvest time; it is not solely about quantity, but quality. The environment specifically at Le Fonti is dissimilar from the food system because the process to create wine is not as industrial as other larger wineries, as a result, the workers are treated better. Sandler provides a profile of workers that includes characteristics of immigrants and their risk of deportation, however, Vicky articulated that many of her workers who are Albanian or of Eastern European descent are so grateful to have an opportunity that supports a new life for them. The Italian workers are continuing an art that represents the region and is an art that is critical to generating quality in the product. This critical because the quality is something that we can smell, see, and taste and from our senses and detect flavors that vary from berries to vanilla and others that connect emotions and memories, making the tasting a powerful experience. This art is generated through a thoughtful harvest process; some artists creating other art forms convey suffering while others convey love, joy, or remnants of their culture through their process. In this case, the Eastern European field workers pick grapes knowing that the grapes represent freedom, and infuse this feeling into their work. This is why a bottle of wine is more emotional than we actually realize; when we consume it, we are not only tasting our memories, our thoughts, and our feelings, but we are tasting with it the artists’ aspirations and emotions as well.This is more powerful than Telfer’s examples of visual art because we are interpreting the wine that we consume in a communal way that is not present at a gallery.

Conclusion:
The artists that we met with are essential to representing this region and to generating paths to food resources that are ethical and delicious. The flavors that they pass to us connect us to memories and emotions in a way unlike any painting. Additionally, when we consume these products we are able to the emotions and sentiments that the artisans wanted to convey in a way that speaks to our own feelings and ideas. With out the artisans behind Dario and Vicky, their visions would be very different realities.

Introduction:

Throughout the trip, many have pointed out the unethical treatment some domesticated animals are receiving, and the non-biological methods of growing grapes in many towns outside Panzano. Some of my friends have also decided not to consume such unethical food anymore, and will lean towards choosing ethical products, such as beef from free range and grass fed cows, and wine made from biologically grown grapes.

Yet, in my opinion, labeling food as ethical or unethical is purely a game played by various parties, and by avoiding consuming “unethical” products is never a solution to this problem. This is because almost all of the food we are consuming can be termed as unethical in various ways.

Production:

Production usually come in two categories, labor-intensive and non-labor-intensive.

Non-labor-intensive industries such as mechanized and automatized production of crops have numerous problems, one of them being the replacement of human labors with machineries. Mass production of corn and wheat with the help of state-of-the-art cultivators, sprayers and harvesters has reduced the cost of production, and has been gradually diminishing the role of human workers. Unemployment prevails in countries that have just adapted such methods as automated harvesting. China’s 1.4 billion populations used to consist of more than 1 billion farmers, but now only just slightly more than 200 million as a result of increased efficiency by using machines. Many of them are in a transitional period from the primary industry to secondary industry. In other words, farmers who do not make profits planting crops are trying to make a living in the city. Being semi-skilled, most of them are forced to work in the labor-intensive industries such as electronics assembly line or construction zones. These people are usually labeled as migrant workers, making a population of 270 million in 2015 in China alone. It is not difficult to observe that this whole process of automation and mechanization has led to a shift in labor, making a tiny fraction of the producers happy, and leaving the rest suffer. It may not necessarily take place in Italy, but there certainly are places fit into such description. Saying these food ingredients (those harvested and planted by machines) come from an ethical source? I highly doubt it.

On the other hand, labor-intensive food production processes such as cocoa picking in Central Africa and South America are surely unethical, as workers are underpaid, child labors are involved, and working conditions are just too awful to imagine. An example would be Ivory Coast. During the 2013–2014 harvest season, an estimated of 1.2 million children of age between 5 and 17 worked in the cocoa production, of which 95.9 percent were engaged in hazardous working conditions[1]. During our stay in Toscana, I’ve observed that much of the chocolate we consumed have cocoa produced in such regions as Central Africa and South America, and it is hard to tell whether the cocoa used in gelateria comes from an “ethical” source.

Distribution:

Advertising plays an essential role in the operation of any distributor. TV commercials, event sponsorship and free samples given on streets are all common forms of distributors’ advertisement. However, instead of telling consumers about the ingredients used in manufacturing such products, which should be the primary focus to ensure safe consumption, advertising campaigns often focus on drawing attention from the customers, such as the “Share a coke with”, and “StayExtraordinary” by Coca-Cola in the United States. In Italy, situation is not any better. During my evening stay at a hotel in Castiglione della Pescaia, the TV had more than two hundred channels broadcasting food and snack commercials simultaneously and non-stopping. With limited understanding of Italian language, I could not figure out the exact meaning of these commercials. Yet, I was able to capture words such as “benessimo”(very good) and cartoons aimed to draw children’s attention. These advertisements usually create a falsely presumed sense of product safety among consumers, as consumers may take for granted and think that there is nothing to worry about when drinking coke or eating biscotti. Yet, there are things to worry about. Problems associated with food products such as soft drinks and sweet snacks are the excessive amount of sugar present, and the use of caffeine (in coke). And it is east to tell that they are not really good for a healthy lifestyle. With such advertising campaign taking place almost every day, I believe that this practice, and hence such products, shall not be considered as ethical.

By now, some people may be eager to argue that such advertisement campaign does not apply to all the distributors, and many of them actually highlight information such as chemical content in their commercials and brochures like what we’ve observed in vineyards such as Le Fonti and Nittardi, which gave detailed descriptions about their products and production process. Yet this practice takes place not very often, and it usually takes place only on the early distribution process. When wines, biscotti, and many other food products enter supermarkets, like Mercato della Piazza di San Lorenzo in Florence, there is not much explanation about the food products available on the shelf or even from the shop managers. I could only obtain limited information regarding all the products, and could not figure out which products were the results of an “ethical” production process.

Generally during distribution, products of various qualities are often mixed up, and it is difficult to tell the source, ingredients or production methods associated with the food products from the consumers’ perspective. This is because distributors usually aim at maximizing profits. Creating a competitive price and an appealing image of the food products is their primary goal. Consideration on if these food products are ethical is often left way behind.

Aiming at creating more profits by encouraging people to consume more, yet discarding potential health issues caused by over-consumption and excessive nutrients intake, food distributors should reconsider their advertising strategy, and help consumers to make a healthier choice of diet. As such, I hold the opinion that food distributors with such advertising strategies taking place shall not be considered as ethical distributors, and their products neither.

Consumption:

Imagine a particular food item that miraculously escapes all the criticisms mentioned above. “This must be absolutely ethical,” you might say. However, in my opinion, by passing the last stage, consumption, such ethical food products are not ethical anymore.

Consumers nowadays share one common characteristic. That is their endless demands. If consumers do not like certain products, the products disappear from the market. If consumers like something that was only produced in the 90s, distributers still can get it back, just like the “Bring Back Crystal Pepsi Movement”.

The demand for food products triggered, or partially helped establish, the Silk Road, where the exchange of goods such as spices, fruits, and grains took place in between Asia and Europe. Till now, we could still find traces of evidence such as mulberry trees (leaves are used to feed silkworms) planted in the Chianti region. As technology advances, people found out that automation could reduce the cost of products and thereby making products more affordable. So the industrial revolution came. Massive automated assembly lines such as those of Barilla took over the roles of workers. Only a tiny fraction of the food manufacturers could maintain a small-scale profitable production process. Repeatedly raising a demand and meeting the demand goes on till today. In general, consumers help shape today’s world.

Yet, this endless demand for better, more varied and cheaper food products has led to a chain of actions that harm producers, distributors and consumers themselves. When consumers say, “We want affordable beef”. Distributors say yes in order to meet the demands of the consumers. Distributors then turn to producers who raise cows, and proba
bly will tell them that the buying price has dropped. Producers, in order to maintain profitable, will often change the way cows are raised. A common practice would be feeding cows with corn, and keeping them in tiny sheds to minimize land use, hence reducing the cost. Some farmers may not have the means to raise cows in such way, and they may go bankrupt eventually. In the end, large “factories” take over, as large scale of production usually leads to small marginal cost, and hence could cater to the needs of the consumers. Yet, back to consumers, nowadays only a few of us choose to accept higher price grass fed beef, and most of us go with corned beef. This creates a vicious cycle that traps the consumers, distributors and the producers. This cycle is also the reason why Dario Cecchini’s project Chianina di Lunga Vita is a only luxury for the rich.

Conclusion:

After observing the whole cycle of food production, distribution and consumption, I believe that consumers are the true source of evil. As our endless demands keep going, producing healthy, organic and harmless food products seems to be an insurmountable quest. And at the end of the chain, greedy consumers who want cheaper products are killing the future of healthy food production, and as long as we still demand our food ingredients to be cheaper than it is today, there is simply no room for discussing what is ethical or unethical, because consumers’ actions and involvements in the food production and distribution cycle are not ethical in the first place. Furthermore, any products that come out to fulfill the demand of consumers, which help consumers fuel and propel all the unethical actions in the stages of production and distribution, should not be considered as ethical. And that means all the food we have on our plate today.

Yet, I believe that as consumers, there are things we can do on a personal level even though it may not necessarily alter the well established and the seemingly unshakable food production and consumption cycle. I believe that the least we can do is showing respect to the food we have today. When we have a plate of beef stew in front us, regardless whether the cow went through ethical or unethical treatment in its life, it is our chance and final chance to show it respect.

We need to keep in mind about the effort put in by farmers, butchers, cooks and waiters, a group of people who make this dish possible in the first place. It is never about whether we like it or not. It is also not about the flavor or the texture of the dish on an objective point of view. We need to show respect, and eat or drink it without necessarily feeling elated or disgusted by the dish like many people are doing today. Respect is key. And eating while paying respect, in my opinion, is one of the few ways to consume our food “ethically”.

[1] United States Department of Labor, 2014 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, 2014, http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/cote_divoire.htm

When we first read and discussed Ronald Sandler’s Food Ethics, I began to seriously consider the merits of a global food system against its faults for the first time. I struggled to find a solution to the issue of exploitation of producers who provide simple food commodities commonly used in a greater production. However, I was able to experience such a solution through an extensive understanding of the method of production and the source of ingredients, in this case vanilla beans, when we visited De’Coltelli’s gelato shop in Pisa.

The exploitation of small producers of goods like coffee beans, cacao, and even vanilla occurs partly as a result of the fact that they provide little of the final value of what their products will eventually become. A quart of Ben and Jerry’s vanilla ice cream costs a lot more that it cost them to buy the vanilla beans they used, if they even used real beans. These producers face a significant challenge if they wish to bring the unprocessed goods to the market themselves, and intuitively would rather take the quick cash up front instead of trying to process them. Due to this, the producers often get by with very little profit while those who purchase their goods make a fortune. With these challenges in mind, it becomes difficult the knowingly consume food like gelato without an understanding of where the ingredients originated.

This is precisely the reason that made visiting De’Coltelli’s shop so special. We heard very precise descriptions of not only where the ingredients of each flavor came from, but also how they manipulated different factors of production to create such interesting combinations. The owner spoke to us at length about the origin of his vanilla beans as well as how to judge when one truly is of quality. With the complete knowledge of the vanilla’s source (Alain Abel’s Tahiti Vanille Project) in addition to the full technicality involved in its production, the gelato tasted much better, if not more honest. The flavor was simple and expressive of its quality.

Even with this knowledge, some problems still remain. We do not have all the information or history about Alain Abel’s project. We do not know if he exploits his employees or the environment in the process of production. Moreover, Abel is a foreigner who uses another country to produce a good that he then exports, something increasingly popular in the Chianti region with Chianti Classico. This can be seen as detracting from the local heritage of an area as more and more foreigners take over. However, his website does insist on the passion, love, and pride that he has when cultivating and preparing the vanilla.

To steal a line from the Montserrat cluster I was in, how then shall we live? We can all improve our lives and the lives of others by increasing our knowledge of the ingredients in our food. Not only will it taste better, as I learned in Pisa, but we may also be contributing to a more just food system across the globe. We might not always be able to reconcile every aspect of production, but we certainly can take a step in the right direction as more informed consumers.

“What’s been your favorite meal so far Lola?” This has been a repeatedly asked question by my friends and family back at home since being in Italy. They always expect me to say some pasta dish or pizza pie, but this was not the case. My favorite meal so far has been the hamburger or the “MAC DARIO” at the Mac Darios restaurant. We went to Mac Darios on May 24th, only five days after arriving in Panzano. By this point in the trip, I wasn’t missing American food yet so I didn’t think I’d be as excited to try the hamburger and potatoes from this place. However, let me tell you, I was so wrong. Everything about this meal was perfect. We were seated outside and given bread, olive oil, and their delicious salt mixture to start off with. Next our burgers arrived and I was immediately taken aback by the lack of a hamburger bun. It was just a single burger patty, surrounded by potatoes, celery, and fresh tomatoes. I was hesitant to try the burger without the bun because that wasn’t how I was accustomed to eating a burger. Ultimately of course I tried it anyways and it was a fantastic first experience. Normally I’m not big into thinking or noticing different meat qualities, but with this meat the quality could not go unnoticed. It was so tender and thick; you could taste the juiciness with every bite. Even the potatoes were perfectly cooked with just the right balance of crispiness and softness. And on top of it all, at Mac Darios they have three original sauces to go with the meal. One of them being a mustard sauce that reminded me of what we have back in the states known as honey mustard. The combination of the burger and potatoes with this sauce simply made everything so balanced together. By the time the meal was over my plate was completely clean. That was when I knew this was going to be one of my favorite meals in Italy.
Like a lot of the meals I have back at home, I am completely unaware of where my food comes from. However, before arriving to Mac Darios, we learned a lot about how, Dario Cecchini, the owner, runs his business. All over the world, Dario is known for being of the best butchers. To him, there is no such thing as a bad piece of meat. Every part of the cow is valuable in some sort of way. That is why Dario makes sure to use the entire cow during the butchering process. He has become such a humanitarian that he even started his own project. This project allows the cows to roam freely until they die on their own. Once they die, that is when Dario plans to use them for production and consumption. Although this project is expensive and may result in complications with the meat’s tenderness, Dario is nonetheless sending a message about animal liberation. In a relatable manner,  McWilliams in his piece, Loving Animals to Death, discusses the problems with killing animals with kindness. Moreover he discusses the problems against treating animals nicely before killing them for consumption. Whether it’s through the distribution of antibiotics or by simply showing them affection, McWilliams argues it can be deceitful and wrong to gain an animal’s trust and then return the favor by killing them for personal benefits. In opposition, Dario’s project seems to represent the exact opposite of this practice.

Knowing Dario’s philosophy beforehand made the entire meal experience 10x more special because I knew the quality of my food was coming from a respectful and trustworthy source. This food awareness is something mentioned in Wendell Berry’s article, The Pleasures of Eating. Berry mentions that a lot of times as consumers we are very naïve about where our food comes from. By learning about Dario’s business/project, as well as by visiting the meat production site and cow plantation, I ate my meal at Mac Darios responsibly, as Berry would call it. This was honestly one of the first times I knew the exact origins of the food I was about to consume. It was a refreshing and new experience that I do plan on trying to recreate more often back at home. Overall, even with just a week left on the trip, there has yet to be a pizza or pasta that has topped the Mac Dario’s burger for me.

The similar “honey mustard” sauce

The “MAC DARIO”

The Cows for “Dario’s Project”

On Monday June 6th, we stopped at a small historical town of Bolgheri shortly after our olive oil tasting. I had lunch at a small and cozy restaurant at the corner of Bolgheri town. The restaurant is owned by married couple and hey offer mainly slow-cooked food, like the one I’ve ordered, cut of beef reduced in red wine sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Having read Telfer’s article on food and art, which claims that food can hardly trigger emotions like a piece of art does, I was eager to prove Telfer wrong by tasting some stOn  Monday June 6th, we stopped at a small historical town of Bolgheri shortly after our olive oil tasting. I had lunch at a small and cozy restaurant at the corner of Bolgheri town. The restaurant is owned by married couple and hey offer mainly slow-cooked food, like the one I’ve ordered, cut of beef reduced in red wine sauce and balsamic vinegar.

unning dishes that could move my heart, mind and emotions like nothing else does.

The restaurant at Bolgheri uses a casserole dish to sear the beef brisket first, then puts on a simmer with a variety of locally grown seasonal vegetables such as carrots and fennels. The long simmering process allows the beef to take on multiple flavors from the vegetables. Reducing in red wine and basaltic vinegar also gives the sauce a spicy kick, stimulating our taste buds do we could continue eating this rich dish without feeling overly greasy.

Nowadays, to achieve the best flavor, chefs usually utilize technologies such as a pressure cooker or even a sous vide to allow maximum flavor penetration and perfect donees. Yet, in my opinion, traditional simmering with a casserole or a terracotta pot magnifies the effort put in by the chef. Every dish cooked in this way is authentic. It is a not a result of following a fixed formula and let machines take over. Slow cooking requires continuous effort in observing the texture and state of the food and adjusting it correspondingly. It also eliminates the use of technology such as sous vide, which is gradually making cooking an industrial process even on a small level.

I’m glad that in such competitive European culinary field, there are still people like this couple who uses the most traditional method to cook such dish. They are, in some ways, not aiming at maximizing their profits, but upholding the art of cooking, which many high-end restaurants no longer practice. To me, the plate of beef brisket may neither have the best color, nor the best plating. But they do have the best effort from the chefs, and personally, a taste and structure beyond my level of expectation.

This dinning experience also reminds me of my visit to Chihuly glass museum in Seattle Washington. The glass structures are surely beautiful, but what captured my heart was seeing the process of glass making, a true process of artisanship. Similar to this, I believe that a dish can be regarded as art only if a mindful and effortful process is put behind in making it. And I believe that traditional way of cooking is such a process. Hence, I have to disagree with Telfer, and say that food can indeed move us just like a piece of art does. The food itself may not have to be aesthetically beautiful be general standards, but the traditional process of making it is definitely art, w
ithout any doubt.

I prepared myself to eat a lot of gelato in Italy. I didn’t know how it differed from ice cream, but I knew it was similar and that I liked it. A lot of the gelato here in Italy is pretty standard – the same flavors made from similar mixes and powders. While this gelato definitely hits the spot, finding and tasting gelato from an artisanal shop made by passionate creators is a completely different and more meaningful experience.

We ended our day in Pisa with a gelato tasting at De’ Coltelli, as arranged by Professor Borghini. He prepared us by explaining how much the owner and employees care about the gelato and that they are constantly experimenting with new flavors and textures. They use fresh ingredients from reliable farmers – something that makes more of a difference in the taste of the gelato than you would think. We tried flavors such as strawberry and sage, ricotta, and traditional chocolate. At De’ Coltelli, they make different kinds of gelato: cream, which is cream based and very similar to ice cream, and granite, which originates in Sicily. There is no cream in granite, so it is icy and works best with fruity flavors, almost like a sorbet. It was nice to try some granite flavors, but the cream was my favorite, since it reminded me of ice cream and home.

After trying some new flavors, I still wasn’t satisfied, probably because I like picking my own flavors and eating it from my own cone (clearly I’m bad at sharing). Whenever I get gelato, I always order hazelnut, but I figured that since I’m at a real gelato shop, I should branch out. I ended up choosing macadamia nut and ginger, both in the traditional cream form. The macadamia was nutty and sweet, but more mild than hazelnut, while the ginger was a little spicy. The two worked very well together to create my favorite gelato experience in Italy so far.

In class, we’ve talked a lot about art. One of our recent readings was by Elizabeth Telfer on food as an art form, and if food can even be considered art. She describes that food is only a minor art because it is short lasting and can’t convey emotion. In my opinion, the gelato I tasted at De’ Coltelli was absolutely emotional; the passion of the owner stood out in the taste of the gelato. The amount of care and pride he puts into his work is evident by just tasting how fresh the ingredients are and how perfectly they work with each other. Of course my gelato was eaten quickly (it was hot out and melting, and I couldn’t resist), so maybe it wasn’t able to be looked at and analyzed for an extended period of time, but the taste said it all. Whether De’ Coltelli’s gelato is considered art or not, I have a delicious memory of eating artisanal gelato in Italy, and that’s all that matters.

As we were in San Miniato for a couple of hours to visit a butcher shop, our professors gave us some free time to explore our surroundings and nearby shops. Immediately, all of my classmates went to try the gelato that was right next door to the butcher shop, but as I looked across the street, something caught my attention. I couldn’t quite see what it was, but something in me was excited, as If I was going to find the world’s biggest treasure. Anticipated, I crossed the street and there it was: the most flawless sculpture I have ever laid my eyes on.

The sculpture in front of me was of a black woman, with sensuous hips, large buttocks and her head held high, as if she’s never been prouder to be herself. Immediately, a smiled showed up on my face. I thought to myself: Wow! I honestly couldn’t have expected to see someone exhibits as much confident as she did. On the other hand, I have to admit that on some level I thought the sculpture, Franco Mauro Franchi, was objectifying and mocking her oversized body as European men had done to Sara Baartman (a woman with similar features) in the 1800s.

This sculpture allowed me to reflect on two specific topics that we have discussed recently in our philosophy class: obesity stigma and aesthetics. There it was a beautiful black woman appreciating every single curve, and one of my reactions was: how inspiring, but also how weird. Because of the obesity stigma that occurs in our society I couldn’t help but feel that the sculpture was made as a way to praise women of larger size, but at the same time I was considering if there was some negativity revolving the intent of the sculpture. We often believe that obesity occurs when people do not have self control and then ridicule them when they decide to fall in love, and find pleasure with their bodies that necessarily does not reflect societal standards. Viewing this sculpture enabled me to think critically of what beauty means to me. I believe that we shouldn’t look down upon others who may be classified as “different” but find ways to encourage others to find pleasure in what they see in the mirror.

Not only were my ideals of beauty changed by the viewing the sculpture, but it also made me question what is actual beauty. In her article, Elizabeth Telfer argues that we should appreciate an object for the sake of it being an object and not because it brings joy to oneself or others. Though there was some validity in her argument, I couldn’t resist the thought that the sculpture was beautiful not only because it was a sculpture but also because of the way it made me feel when I was in front of it: completely mesmerized.  When I first read Tefler’s argument I started to question my own beliefs. I thought I was taking something away from the sculpture by appreciating the meaning behind it; which was a woman breaking all social norms. I started to ask myself  “is this sculpture beautiful because it makes me reflect or should it just be beautiful because it is an object?” After pondering through these questions I’ve realized that it can actually do both: I can appreciate it for what it is, but also for the pleasure that it brings me.

This painting allowed me to reflect on our American standards of beauty and obesity stigma. It has made me realized that there shouldn’t be a standard on beauty. We should all be able to indulge in our bodily pleasure as long as it is not destructive.  Obesity stigma do not allow others to feel proud of their body, and shame them when they do not fit the standards, but our bodies are part of our identity in the same way that food and culture are. Because of this sculpture I now view my maymester in a different light as I was able to not only see the aesthetics and pleasure in the foods that we eat, but to also view it from an artistical point of view. My classmates found their favorite gelato, but I have found the perfect art piece, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

One of my favorite meals that I have had so far in Italy was on our second day in Panzano when our group went to Dario Cecchini’s restaurant for dinner. We got to experience eating many parts of the cow that most of us have probably never ate before. We ate muzzle, braised meats, rosemary up the ass, roast beef, ragu on toast, boiled beef along with Tuscan style bread, beans, vegetables, and olive oil cake. Our placemats showed which part of the cow where each dish came from, which can be related to Berry’s text, “Pleasure of Eating.” In this reading, Berry should form a relationship with our food and to not be blind consumers. We learned that Dario gets his cows from Spain, uses only the freshest, locally grown produce, and makes sure to use all parts of the cow.

Dario’s goal as a butcher is to maintain a sense of morality towards the animals. He believes that every part of the animal should be used. If he were to waste the animal, he would be taking advantage of the animal and it would be considered selfish. This relates to Singer’s concept of speciesism, in which humans value their life over animals lives. Dario doesn’t want this to be the case which can be proven by his project with the long life chianina cows. He is experimenting with chianina cows to care for them until they die and then use their meat. Although, these cows have not been eaten yet, he makes sense to butcher the animals that were taken care of properly. His goal is not about health, but about getting the most out of the animals he butchers.

Besides the fact that anyone can walk into the butcher shop and get free bread and wine at pretty much anytime of the day, I have always felt a family atmosphere being at Dario’s. All of the tables are family style, so they are long and many different groups would be sat at the same table. Although I never got to experience this, I think it is an awesome concept and is one aspect that makes Dario’s restaurant so special.

The place mat showing every part counts

Roast Beef at Dario’s restaurant

Chianina cows at Dario’s Project

Coming on this Maymester, I was excited to discover that we would be going on wine tastings with the opportunity to learn how to accurately taste and describe wines. My favorite experience thus far was the visit to the Nittardi Vineyard. At Nittardi, we were given the opportunity to create our own wine by mixing several different kinds together. We worked in groups in order to create our special recipe. A major problem in wine tasting is distinguishing between taste and judgement. Being a novice taster myself, I found it hard to distinguish between our preferences, or tastes, and our judgments, or objective points of views.

At Nittardi and in the article “The Taste of Wine” by Steven Shapin, we learned how to overcome this problem of subjectivity and objectivity in tasting wines. Describing wines by our preferences allows us to convey our experience to others and to be able to compare and contrast this experience with others, a subjective point of view. However, by describing wines with an objective point of view, it allows others the ability to understand and taste the flavors of the wine as opposed to what flavors we like.

In order to balance this objectivity and subjectivity problem, some scales have been created. For example, Bob Parker created a 100 point scale in which he rated wine based on a specific set of universal standards. The scale created by Parker and Ann Noble’s wine wheel has helped novice tasters to be able to develop their palette and describe wines in a more objective way.

After learning how to objectively taste and describe wines, my group was able to accurately describe the wines given to us: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Sangiovese. We differentiated between the different aromas by using Noble’s wine wheel and began mixing the wines together. It took several tries for us to complete the final mixture we liked, which included 30% Sangiovese, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Petit Verdot. We submitted this mixture to the judges and surprisingly my group won! Along with creating the best wine, Nittardi gave us a free bottle of one of their most popular wines called Ad Astra. Had we not learned the proper way of wine tasting and differentiating between subjective and objective points of view, I don’t believe my group and I would have been as successful in the creation of our wine or understood how to combine the flavors.

Although we learned how to distinguish between objectivity and subjectivity, I believe that both points of views are necessary when tasting and describing wines.

One of my partners, Katie, and I holding our free bottle of wine we won!

My group’s final blend we submitted

The judges of our wine competition

It’s Monday, the 23 of May. We are heading to Florence and it is also our first chance for a “Food Exploration”: a chance to “explore“ and try new and different food and learn more about it. This has me excited and I’ll be honest a little bit scared. We had talked in class about the different foods we could try at Florence, on of them being a sandwich called Lampredotto. We weren’t given much information about the dish, just the fact that it contains the stomach of a cow. My reaction as always, when it comes to things that I might not like, is disgust. But then I remembered that every time I have said “Ew” out loud as soon as I’ve seen some food I don’t or might not like, my Mom has chastised me, “You must not show disgust towards food. That is disrespectful.” And so though I was miles away from her, I could hear her voice in my head saying the exact same thing. So then I think okay, it can’t be that bad, but I was still undecided whether to eat or not to eat Lampredotto till the moment we got to Florence.

I tried it. I ate it. I ate the Lampredotto. It wasn’t bad, but I definitely would need more getting used to the texture of the stomach of a cow. To be precise, it is the 4rth stomach of the cow. Here is how the sandwich is made in the market of Sant’ Ambrogio in Florence: first, they take the stomach and boil it in a broth. Then, they take it out and chop it into pieces. Then, they dip the top half of the bun in broth to add more flavor while they place the chopped stomach on top of the bottom bun. You get to choose e if you want green and red sauce in it. The green sauce was made of garlic and parsley and the red sauce was made of red peppers for spiciness. I got both on mine. This whole experience was not new and trying new food has always been a big thing for me. All the experiences and my reactions have been hard to explain, but after reading Claude Fischler’s “Food, Self & Identity,” I have had a better understanding of my experience and perhaps, a better justification for my reaction.

In his article, Fischler talks about “the omnivore’s paradox”. As omnivores, we have the ability to eat a variety of food but at the same time, we can’t sustain on only one food and have to eat a variety of food to obtain various nutrients. And so, Fischler explains “disgust” helps us choose between all the variety of food available. “Disgust” helps us like and dislike food and narrows our choices and at the same time, helps understand ourselves through food. As a child, we have neophobia where we have a fear of trying new food and stick with what is familiar to us. Fischer says that this fades away as we get older but the distrust for new food still remains. And this is what I experience every time. I’m distrustful, hence disgusted of the the food as an automatic response. However, when I think and try to eat the new food, sometimes it turns out not to be bad at all. The courage then, perhaps, comes from neophilia, the love and desire to try new things, in this case food. Having this knowledge now, I am more open to try new food. The initial reaction is still there, but I remember and understand now and so I am able to go ahead and try.

I want to add that when trying new food, adding something familiar (the spiciness, the red sauce for me) definitely helped. It bridged the gap between the familiar and unfamiliar. Furthermore, knowing how the food was prepared and who made it definitely helped with lowering the distrust. As Berry and Fischler have pointed out in there articles about blind consumerism and how we don’t even know how most of the food are produced and prepared. Yet, when I reflect, I should be more distrustful of a McDonald’s burger than a Lampredotto. I don’t even now where the burger patty come from, probably not the 4th stomach of the cow, but nevertheless, the reading definitely has helped me understand my experience of trying new food and when it comes to the question: to eat or not to eat? Definitely eat or try at the least. Knowing more about the food is a great help to. Grazie e Ciao!

Figure 1: The fourth stomach of the cow showcased at the food market at San’t Ambrogio so that the consumer know exactly what they are consuming.

Figure 2: The vender chopping the boiled stomach.

Figure 3: Lampredotto.