aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

fresh reinterpretations of regional traditions, revaluation of local
products, interest in lighter and healthier diet, and an emphasis
on creativity. Driving these trends are such diverse factors as
interest in other cuisines, innovations by leading chefs, and
especially changes in Italian society and lifestyles. Students
learn basic cooking skills as well as some specialized cooking
methods and techniques. They discover how to select quality
ingredients, and they compare their eating habits with those
common in Italy today. Particular focus is given to the following
aspects: historical origins and developments of food production,
regional dishes, seasonal and environmental conditions, social
issues, nutrition, safety and health. In each lesson students
learn how to prepare representative recipes, with attention to
ingredients, nutritional values, and presentation. Please note
that the present course has exclusively vegetarian ingredients
and dishes.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cuisines
NUH 225 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Western cuisine owes a lot of its ingredients, foods and methods
of cooking to the Middle Eastern trade routes. This course will
analyze Middle Eastern cooking and its influence on Italian and
Mediterranean cuisines. Students will discover that the roots of
pasta, pizza and ice cream, the most well known Italian foods,
can be traced through history to the Talmud and the Arab
colonies in Sicily. Students will travel virtually through North
Africa, the Near Middle East (Turkey, Greece), the Arab World,
Israel and Persia to get to know their traditions and something
about their history and music and learn to prepare their
characteristic dishes. These cuisines all use a variety of herbs
and spices which were added not only for taste and aroma, but
also for their healing properties. In the first half of the semester
topics common to all the countries will be studied, in the second
half the specific countries or areas. Particular attention will be
given to Mediterranean-vegetarian cuisine. The course aims to
supply the main guidelines for recognizing, understanding and
interpreting true Mediterranean cuisine.
Topics in Nutrition: Italian Style Cooking
NUH 240 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
In an age of processed foods and widespread adulteration
of the environment, the importance of good diet is essential.
Appropriate use of eliminative or healing remedies may provide
additional influence on dietary metabolism. Healing nutrition
provides unique opportunities to convert food into useful
nourishment. It gives dietary therapy much added value. By
studying the chemical structure of food and its effects on the
human body’s metabolism, students are introduced to the
healthy side of Italian cuisine today, including the practical
preparation of healthy dishes. The different food combinations
and the way they affect digestion and metabolism will also be
analyzed in order to plan a daily healthy diet. This course is
recommended for everyone (vegans and vegetarians included)
with an interest in nutritional methods for restoring and
maintaining health.
Italian Food and Culture: Pairing Food & Wine
NUH 245 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Italian cuisine is the result of many different regional culinary
traditions that, although merged and diluted over centuries, still
maintain their particular flavors and distinct ingredients. Thanks
in recent years to a greater availability of wines from different
regions, the pairing of food and wine, always a traditional
aspect of Italian cuisine, has become more important in the
organization of a menu and the presentation of a meal. In this
course the various ways of pairing Italian food and wine will be
analyzed and used for menu planning. This involves research
into aspects of both wine and food, with special emphasis on
classification and technical terminology, nutritional and health
issues, chemical composition, sensory and other evaluation
techniques, as well as cooking skills that will be practiced
regularly in class.
The Science of Food, Health and Wellbeing
NUH 249 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The primary focus of this course is to analyze the biological
properties of the body and the effects that foods have on it. We
will teach the basics of nutrition (proteins, vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, natural supplements) and how the phytochemicals
and nutrients of foods can improve health, how to live
healthily, habits that may hurt your health, how to get fit, how
to get energy and programs for physical and mental release.
Throughout this course students will learn about prescription
for nutritional healing and guidelines for selecting foods, and
techniques and products for psycho-physical well-being. The
course is recommended to anyone (vegans, vegetarians), with
an interest in nutritional methods for restoring and maintaining
health. There will be a visit to an Italian local wellness center
(thermal establishment) and to a health food store, where
students will be able to see a great variety of organic foods and
learn to distinguish and best choose among them. During the
course students will enjoy a special dinner at a characteristic
organic food restaurant in Florence. The lessons include the
practical preparation of healthy dishes. At the end of the course
students will be able to choose anything they need to live life
“in shape”.
Italian Cuisine: History and Practice
NUH 250 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This is a study of the evolution of food in Italy, starting from
ancient Roman times, continuing through the Middle Ages and
the Renaissance, up to modern times. Students will look at
the sumptuous ancient Roman table, the simple cuisine of the
medieval monasteries and the spectacular feasts of the courts.
Food will be examined in the historical context of each period
and in relation to the society and culture of the times. The
economic prosperity and cultural vitality of the Renaissance are
explored through gastronomy: natural and sophisticated tastes,
culinary skills, famous cooks and their innovative recipes, table
settings and the code of manners. Particular attention will be
paid to the important role of Caterina de’ Medici in exporting
Tuscan cuisine to France and how it developed there. In Italy, as
nowhere else, ancient culinary traditions have persisted. Italians
still prepare and eat foods almost as they did in the fifteenth
century. Students work with original recipes from past culinary
treatises, sometimes discovering ancient tastes (herbs, spices,
sauces), but most of the time adapting old techniques to new
circumstances and ingredients. So many ancient customs have
endured for such a long time. This is one of the most fascinating
aspects of Italian cultural history. This course is about original
Italian cuisine and its timeless qualities.
Wine Business and Marketing
NUH 252 F; Dual listed: BUS 252 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course explores the business and marketing of wine, with
special focus on U.S. markets. Wine trade and consumption in
the US have constantly increased in recent years. If until the
early 1990’s wine consumption was concentrated in a few
major states, today wine is consumed by a large part of the
entire US population. Italian wine, counting for 30% of U.S. wine
imports, is a major part of this economic and cultural scenario.
In addition, new wine markets have emerged worldwide. This
growing interest has strengthened the role of traditional key
players of the wine trade such as importers, distributors,
wholesalers, retailers, while helping to create new professional
figures such as wine writers, wine club managers, and event
promoters. In this course students learn skills that help equip
them to take on such roles. Given the notable diversity and
quality of Italian wines, students examine issues of sourcing,
shipment chains and trading channels, and market impact. The
course includes business simulations, and students produce a
start-up or marketing project.
Prerequisites: BUS 130 Introduction to Business, or equivalent
School of Creative Arts FLORENCE
LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014
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