This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Nutrition or equivalent.
This course is a study of the importance of nutrition in sports and exercise in order to maximize athletic potential and performance. Covered topics include food nutrients, role of water, bioenergetics in exercise and training, heat and fluid regulation during physical activity, weight, and eating behaviors. Students are encouraged to form educated and strategic regimens (exercise and dietary plans) from both scientific and holistic approaches for professional athletes and physically active individuals.
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings and visits. This is a Food and Culture course, not a CA/BP lab course. Food labs emphasise the food culture of Italy and are not based on professional cooking techniques.
Examines historical and contemporary issues involved in providing food to cities and metropolitan areas. Tracing the routes that food takes into the city and the major sources of food, the course looks closely at the accessibility of food, especially in poorer urban neighborhoods. Among topics covered are obesigenic neighborhoods, food deserts, gentrification and foodie culture, public school food nutrition, attempts to minimize food waste, and immigrants and ethnic foods in the city. The course also considers recent attempts at food production in cities, including urban agriculture, vertical farming, and craft production of food products. After closely looking at the history and current status of food programs, the course concludes with a consideration of urban food policies.
Prereq: (CAS BI 105 or CAS BI 108).
An introduction to nutrition with a focus on the relationship between diet and health. Basic scientific information is presented in preparation for a discussion of applied issues such as weight management and prevention of chronic disease. Emphasis is placed on translation of current dietary recommendations to actual food choices.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Though food diversifies throughout the world according to local cultural backgrounds, there is a common ground in the universal approach to food: it is a part of everyday life and sharing food is still one of the greatest examples of humans acting as “social creatures”. Italy represents a unique case for how food is both celebrated and is involved in cultural celebrations that are still fundamental in Italian society. This course will provide students with a full immersion in the relationship between food and the local community in Italy, focusing on the many moments that represent conviviality in Italian culture and society. Coursework includes a wide variety of field learning activities through which students will be introduced to local and traditional crafts, food markets, typical street food vendors, local purchasing groups, community-supported agriculture, and countryside food festivals as fundamental milestones in the Italian gastro-social tradition. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities students, will learn the fundamentals of community-geared food production and will acquire a deeper understanding of food as an essential element of society.
This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. Food labs twice a week, one aperitivo project shift per session.
Studies have shown that following the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, especially when combined with exercise. This course includes lectures on various forms of physical and lifestyle activities and an overview of their respective health benefits. Lectures will also include visits to athletic centres within the local community and the nutritional aspects of the Mediterranean diet, and particularly the Italian culinary tradition. Cooking labs, wine tastings, and physical activity are integral components of the course and will result in the creation of a customised exercise and nutritional program by the student. This course also features a field learning component in relevant Italian locations to supplement and enrich academic topics.
This course includes cooking labs and various physical activities in relevant locations in Florence.
This course introduces students to the basic nutrition concepts such as calories, nutrient density, and dietary reference intake. Through the course, the characteristics and the role of the basic nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals) will be closely examined and different food combinations analysed and discussed. The concept of the food pyramid will be extensively studied along with the food pyramid and a cultural and scientific comparison between various diets including the Mediterranean, USA, traditional Latin American, Asian, and vegetarian versions. Menu composition and meal planning will be discussed from the nutritionist’s point of view.
NOTE: This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
This course includes cooking labs and various physical activities in relevant locations in Florence.
Pre-requisite: Culinary Arts Majors only.
The course offers a survey and classification of macro and micro nutrients for the development and analysis of nutritionally balanced meals. Students will learn the fundamentals of metabolism and digestion to apply nutritional concepts to a wide variety of ingredients utilised in satisfying dishes that respect nutritional values. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of special dietary requirements depending on special dietary needs or ethical choices. Raw foodism, vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as alternatives to guarantee a balanced nutritional intake will be thoroughly covered. The course provides students with the tools to design meals on a seasonal basis following the principles of healthy cooking. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. EL hours include Special EL Project Friday Dinners at Ganzo.
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings and visits. This is a Food and Culture course, not a CA/BP lab course. Food labs emphasise the food culture of Italy and are not based on professional cooking techniques.
Considering the renewed global interest in local sourcing and the growth of Km0 practices (locally produced), the study of sustainable food systems is an essential component in the education of an ethically-minded food industry learner. The course takes its cue from the Italian example based on regionalism and the table as an expression of local territories, and how these factors have influenced the national food industry. It analyses the industry and the production of food (fish, meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and grains) and focuses on packaging, traceability (labels), and distribution while exploring the social aspect of the food supply chain. Sustainability principles will be analysed, as well as case studies in Italian food and beverage service and retailing. A strong focus is placed on seasonality, food policies, and food education.
The course objective is to provide students with a solid conceptual framework in order to analyse the Italian food industry and the food production system from a sustainable perspective. Through the understanding of the broader concept of sustainability, students will be able to explore the social, economic, and environmental implications of food production and consumption and to identify the global threats in terms of public health. Students will develop critical skills by analysing sustainability as active citizens, consumers, and entrepreneurs. The analysis and rethinking of economic, social, and agricultural alternatives in the current food production system will also be developed. Lectures will be complemented by visits, food tours, tastings, and cooking labs.
NOTE: This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.
Italian culinary tradition is the result of a long and complex historical, social and cultural process that can be fully understood through a careful analysis of the many aspects of Italian cultural heritage. In the past, food was characterised by the use of locally available ingredients and alimentary habits slowly became established and codified along with the specialisation and the improvement of regionally different production methods. Nevertheless, nutrition and cooking underwent substantial changes and profound transformations through the centuries, often resulting from historical and political events that affected the economy, the production, and the distribution of goods.
This course introduces students to Italian gastronomical traditions through the analysis of the main ingredients and the traditional preparations that have contributed to make Italian cuisine the most popular and imitated. Students will be introduced to the world of Italian quality ingredients thanks to a survey of DOP, IGP, and Slow Food Presidia quality certifications. The fundamental traditional cooking methods, techniques, and preparations utilised in Italian cuisine will be thoroughly covered and sampled in class. Course topics will be analysed through a focus on cultural background, origins, production processes, technical features and application in Italian cuisine. These experiences will prepare students continuing on to the advanced section of this course.
Examination of issues of environmental and public health effects of intensive and extensive agriculture, influence of corporations on government, animal ethics, food deserts and urban gardening, and food insecurity. Focus on representation of such issues in documentaries, public lectures, memoirs, novels, and visual art, as well as on initiatives to address such problems through policy and activism.
Good food is healthy, sustainably produced, and culturally meaningful. Introduction to basic concepts and history of food systems, food science and nutrition, fair and sustainable food production, natural resources and environmental issues including climate change and biodiversity, agriculture and food policy and law, food distribution and access, cultural identity and artistic engagements with food.
This entomology course explores the use of insects as food sources for human and animal feeding. In an era of a food crisis, climate change, habitat loss, air pollution and so many environmental problems, the look for more sustainable solutions is pushing to look back into ancient traditions, technical strategies and the scientific integration of both to supply the nutritional needs for human development. One of these possible solutions is the use of insects as food sources. Entomophagy is the practice of consuming edible insects. Latin America, South Asia, and African countries have engaged on entomophagy since ancient times. However, this is a disappearing practice. This course is theoretical and practical look at the origins of entomophagy, its current state and how to use it for a sustainable future. This course will be based on the study of multimedia, literature, visits and practical contact with edible insects whenever possible. Therefore, this course is aimed at any professional with an interesting sustainability, gastronomy, anthropology, and biology.
