My experience (John) cooking at home while studying abroad in Italy has been truly incredible as I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. Back in the United States, cooking felt like a chore, but since I have been in Italy it is something that I look forward to every day. The ingredients are fresher and higher quality, and it has been fun to try and cook meals that are typical of Italy.
Recently I made lasagna, which has become one of my favorite dishes to make. Everything that I needed I was able to purchase at the local grocery store; fresh pasta, meat, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. I was also able to select a bottle of wine to pair with the lasagna for a very affordable price. Compared to the United States, wine is of a higher quality and less expensive. While making the lasagna I first started to make the ragu. Normally I would be too impatient and I would not want to take the time to make fresh sauce, but I have learned to enjoy the experience of cooking and I have realized that it is worth it to take the time and make a great meal occasionally. After making the ragu I constructed the lasagna and baked it until it was ready to eat.
What I have learned from cooking at home as a study abroad student in Italy is that I should enjoy the quality of the food and look at cooking as a positive experience rather than a chore.
My experience (Anaid) cooking in Italy has been fun! I did not have much prior experience cooking before coming to Italy so it has been interesting learning and trying new recipes. My one roommate and I cook for us and our other roommates when they have night classes and then when we have night classes they cook! It has worked out nicely with this schedule and this way everyone gets a turn to cook! We tend to cook a lot at home and are able to split the cost of the meals.
Grocery shopping here has been so much cheaper compared to the United States. Everything is also very easy to find especially at Conad. I have learned that cooking is much more enjoyable than I thought it would be and I realize that it is not super daunting. I enjoy being able to have a homemade tasty meal at the end of the day.
One of our favorite meals has become this Chicken Rice Bowl which is super yummy. We make it with chicken, rice, cucumbers, avocado, carrots, and spicy sriracha sauce. Overall, I will definitely be bringing recipes back with me and will continue to cook delicious meals at home!
My experience (Grace) when cooking at home, has been an integral part of my abroad experience. Upon arriving, I was randomly placed with nine, mostly random, roommates. I hadn’t met most of them, but upon moving in, I became fast friends with all of them. As we all talked about our anticipation and excitement regarding booking upcoming trips, we realized we should find ways to save money. Our first thought was to make more food at home.
After this, we all started making routine trips to our nearby Conad and splitting up the ingredients of whatever dinner we wanted to make that night. After buying all of our items, in the kitchen we would divide and conquer, with each person being assigned different aspects of making our meal. This routine became ritualistic, as we discussed new recipes we wanted to try, and different ingredients we wanted to purchase. As the weeks have gone on, I have gotten far more comfortable in the kitchen, and have learned to enjoy the fun of making food with my friends.
Additionally, we feel we reap the benefits of saving money through buying high quality ingredients at the store, while also benefiting from the social benefits of getting to spend time together making it. This has changed my perspective on viewing cooking more as a fun activity, rather than a chore.
Link to Videos:
Cooking at Home Video with Friends, Supermarket & Cooking, Coffee Experience with Moka Pot