My fellow Chicago Foodies,

It has come time to confess that I am a turncoat and have abandoned Chicago's wonderful community of foodie cognoscenti. Why? For the last week I have actually been living in northern Italy, in a little town called Bra. I will be here for the next year attending a master's program at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Food Culture and Communications. If you are wondering what on earth gastronomy is, let me explain. It is not the study of gaseous stars, but the holistic study of food and its relationship to society, history and the environment. The program delves into sustainable production, and is cosponsored by Slow Food. Course titles include “Medieval Food History,” “Sociology of Food Consumption” and “Food Economics.” So far, the hours have been long, but the studying has been delicious. 

I will return periodically to Chicago Foodies to post about my gastronomic findings in Italy, but you can also follow me day to day at http://ladyparmalade.wordpress.com or on Twitter.

Also, I am happy to field questions if anyone is traveling through northern Italy or wants more info about the University.

Alla prossima,

Crystal