1. Food Studies and Italian Studies:
anAppetizing Possibility?
American Association of Italian Studies National Conference 2015

2. Presenters:
Denise Caterinacci, Case Western Reserve University: Special
Topics in Italian: The Slow Food Movement
Carol Chiodo, Yale University:
Tutti a tavola a imparare
Elise Magistro, Scripps College:
Savoring The Past: Memory and Food in Sicilian Life and
Literature
Christopher E. Renner, Kansas State University:
Italia in Bocca: Food Studies as scaffolding for language learning
Teresa Lobalsamo and Joanne Granata, University of Toronto,
could not make the conference

3. Italia in Bocca: Perché?
“the alimentary history of the recent past is one of unsafe food
and pervasive acceptance of the primacy of profit for the produce
and savings for the consumer, summed up in the shameful
slogan ‘low cost and minimal quality’” - Carlo Petrini
industrialization of farming, loss of contact with producers, and
the disconnect of “eating to live” vs “living to eat”
loss of biodiversity by monocultural farming and standardization
long-term impact of global climate change
long-term effects of the insertion of genetically modified
substances

4. Il percorso di studi
Contemporary Italian dietary habits and the culture of food
Overview of the history of the Italian peninsula from the decline
of the Roman empire to the emergence of the unified Italian state
in the 19th century and the impact of the WWI and WWII on
Italian culinary traditions
The History of Taste - from the publication of Liber de coquina
from the Angevin court of Charles II of Naples to Pellegrino Artusi
to Futurism to Il Cucchiaio Argento.
Contemporary issues in modern food production: industrial
agriculture, the Slow Food Movement, urban farming, local vs
chain restaurants.
Cooking labs in which basic Italian recipes are taught

5. Il percorso di studi
The course is supplemented by the 35,000+ volume cook book
collection housed at the K-State Hale Library, including copies of
such historical tests as Liber de coquina, Scappi’s Opera, and
others.
The course connects with the Kansas Farmers Union,
permaculturalists, and local artisans of cheese making, bread
making, wine making, and local organic producers.
Students conduct research on a topic of their choice and make
presentations to the broader public.

6. Percorsi linguistici
Lexis: cibo, processi alimentari, linguaggio della cucina - gli
elettrodomestici, gli inserimenti, le azioni
Grammatica: L’imperativo.

7. Sviluppo di abilità culinaria
Students engage in eight cooking practiums in which students learn basic kitchen
hygiene, cooking methods and have to choose the dishes to be made and prepare
a complete meal.
Members of the local Italian community engage with he students by teaching them
traditional family recipes.
Libri di corso: Il cucchiaio argento e La scienze in cucina e l’arte di mangiare bene

8. La valutazione
The course has 2 quizzes, a mid-term and final exam.
Students self-evaluate themselves for each practicum.
Students produce a 10 - 15 minute presentation on a research
topic.
Students write two critical reviews for the films: Dirt and Food,
Inc.

9. Interdisciplinarità
Connecting L2 to other content:
Global issues of food and access to water
Impact of industrial farming on the environment:
bee die offs; depletion of soils and aquifers; loss of faming
farming
provide opportunities for service learning by engaging students
with local food banks, farmers, and soup kitchens
reconnect people to the soil and food production
teach critical thinking skills regarding consumerism