Travelling from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Elon has been an experience itself.
November 28th, 2022. This is the highway from Charlotte, toward north, almost at the border with Virginia, in the area called the Blue Bubble for the high density of graduated students.
Free cows, grazing the grass: besides perfect, smooth asphalt, asphalt, flanked by rows of trees in an endless forest, this is what I notices the most: free cows grazing happily. And horses.
Here I had the first pleasant surprise. Thus in America there are not only intensive breedings of ( sick) animals. It is possible to find better. Better meat, better butter, better cheese. Better vegetables.
My first steps ( but also the last ones) inside the Elon Campus where full of wonder. I was expecting a “small” university, as the Dean Dr Nick Gozik and the President Dr Connie Book, described me last summer, during their visit at Gigliocooking. I have to say that in Italy we have another concept of “small”. Besides the size, everything else captured my mind: the trees, the gardens, the lakes, the buildings. Everything was clean and tidy, pretty, well organized. The “inn” of the Campus where Lauren and I have been hosted for two days, is as luxurious as a star hotel.
Would you ever say this is the building of an university? it seems a house in a fairy tale.
November 29th, 8:00 am. This is the class of chemistry for the lesson on Culinary Transformations. A little medal at my chest. The students looked skeptical. I started to talk mentioning one of the most famous cooking book in Italy: “The science in the kitchen and the art of eating well”, by Pellegrino Artusi. I analysed the title: I started with the art of eating well, with some of the factors that concur to create the art: scent, colors, disposition of the food inthe plate, the use of the correct cutlery, the matching with the correct wine in the right glass, the lovely conversation that should be carried on at table. The art in the dish cannot be accomplished without the science: the chemistry of cooking.
At the end I left time open for the students questions and after a few minutes of hesitation, the questions started rolling in and creating a relaxed and jovial atmosphere. Thank you to the students for their interesting questions.
Me betweent the Professors Mary McManamy and Nyote Calixte: thank you for welcoming me so kindly in your class.
A tour with Chef Jonathan, Executive Chef who runs 6 kitchens and 350 workers.
The Elon University uses eggs of “happy chickens”, living free on the field; milk and dairy from organic farms; a special scale that measures the weigh and the quantity of wasted product; there is a plant incubator for herbs and vegetables.
Besides science and care of the enviroment, there is space also for art….
One of the three little lakes inside the Campus.
At the CARLTON Department of World Languages and Culture, with the Professor Brandon Essary: he speaks Italian better than me! It has been a honor to be admitted in his class and partecipate to the students debate about movies. Thanks to Professor Brandon for his gift of the book he wrote on Pier Paolo Pasolini.
In the evening, the students lit candles and had a chocolate party in the park.
One full day of enjoyment, satisfation, beauty. THANK YOU ALL.