Whenever we talk to students about their study abroad experience after coming home, there is a recurring theme that each and every student will talk about for hours.

Food.

Whether it’s Italy’s  pasta, Spain’s churros, or Asia’s curry, the tastes of our destinations stick with us. Like an old song, we seek out those forgotten flavors in hopes of recreating our experiences abroad. But no matter how great the corner bakery may be,  it’s just never the same as snagging a market baguette in Paris, is it? Not.Even.Close.

Instead of paying oodles to try (and fail) to recapture what you ate while abroad at an American restaurant, I suggest making it yourself.

When I was in Rome, I had the unique opportunity to take a weekend cooking class with a few other students through my host institution, the Lorenzo de Medici. Our chef/teacher/guru was Giordano Franci, a professor at LdM…

Let’s go get them… 

At springtime Puglia’s outback is at its best, the usual very dry landscape becomes all intense green. What better way to enjoy all this beauty  hunting wild asparagus?

My experienced, 80-yaers old friend told me to look near the muretti in secco, they hide overthere because they love rocky land.

Surprised as I was I found a whole lot of them, eventough others came before me, found a lot without top, Italians don’t waist any nature’s gift…

Recipe

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Let’s honour them in a very simple risotto

(You can easily use the normal, green asparagus)

Ingredients:

• Asparagus
• 1/4 dry white wine
• Parmigiano
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• About 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (you can use a knorr square melted in water)
• salt
• some parsley
• rice for risotto (carnarolo is the best ricetype to make risotto)

Method:

1. Fry the shopped shallots  in some olive…