In the age of COVID-19 and having to spend significantly more time than usual at home, we need to find creative ways to stay sane. Why not learn something new and experience other cultures as if we were there? I assembled this Italian-themed staycation bucketlist for foodies going through serious wanderlust while being cooped up. I picked Italy as the first ultimate staycation theme I’d dive into, but there are so many more themed staycations I’d like to create. Where should we explore next? Let me know your thoughts in the comments at the end of this post, otherwise, send me a message!
I’d love to see what things you check off your Italian-themed staycation bucketlist. Tag me on Instagram @EatLikeYoureOnVacation if this list inspired you to try something new!
Learn to cook like an Italian, with an Italian—virtually!
Many people know by now that AirBnB is the place to go if you want to stay somewhere other than a hotel while traveling, but did you know that AirBnB also offers one-of-a-kind activities hosted by experts throughout the world? Before COVID, AirBnb’s experiences were all in-person, but they now have a wide variety of classes that you can take with an expert located anywhere. These are their top classes offered by instructors based out of Italy, and you can cook with them live over Zoom as if you were in the kitchen with them! You can learn Luca & Lorenzo’s family pasta recipe, make pasta with Chiara and her Nonna, or make pasta with Lucrezia while getting a live opera performance.
Learn the do’s and don’ts of Italian dining etiquette and cultural norms
Many of these facts surprised me!
Do…
- only drink wine or water with your dinner. The only exception is if you are eating pizza, in which case a glass of Coke or beer is acceptable, but no refills. Cocktails are enjoyed before the meal or afterward, otherwise it spoils the food.
- wait until your dinner host sits or announces, “Buon appetito!” before digging into dinner if you’re a guest.
- peel your fruits and vegetables that are typically eaten with the skin on, such as apples, pears, sometimes peaches, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes. While peelers are sold in Italy, Italians prefer to peel with knives.
- fill up your neighbor’s glass, always, before topping off your own.
- ask for the check when you’re ready for it. Italian servers think it’s rude to rush you from the table, so it could be hours before they do.
- order an espresso—but after dessert, not during it.
Don’t…
- butter your bread. Instead, use it to sop up leftover marinara.
- eat eggs in the morning. They are usually eaten hard-boiled on a lunchtime salad or sandwich, or as a frittata for dinner.
- cut your pasta with a knife. Instead, swirl it using a spoon for assistance.
- ask for salad dressing—oil and vinegar are all you need.
- slurp your spaghetti. The only noise your mouth should make during a meal is “Mmm.”
- order an espresso—but after dessert, not during it.
(Sources: Rachel Ray, HuffPost, The Italian Concierge, and Life in Italy)
Learn about regional Italian food
There are so many great cookbooks out there that describe regional Italian cooking at a high level. After reading through the reviews on Amazon, it looks like these are the top books out there:
- Tasting Italy (this is the book I bought!)
- Italian Regional
- Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Participate in a virtual wine tasting
Transform your dining space’s ambiance
You have many ambiance themes to choose from. Do you want to channel chic Mediterranean, rustic Tuscan vineyard, or a classic Italian bistro? If you have a vision of what theme you want to go after, it might help you decide what materials and patterns you decorate with. Pinterest has all kinds of tablescape inspiration ideas available, and below I’ve curated some of the best ideas I came across. (My Pinterest board has more Italian dinner tablescape inspiration linked if you want to check that out too):
First things first: music!
I think chill instrumental music is great to have on as background while cooking or eating, but there are a lot of Spotify playlists with cheezy Italian dinner music that I can’t listen to for long periods of time. Not this one! The Italian Instrumental playlist by J.B. Spaulding is funky and will probably make you want to dance in your kitchen the whole time you’re cooking. It’s not your cliché Italian dinner music playlist… it’s better.
Set the mood with lighting
Bring Italian vibes to your dining table or kitchen counter so it sets the stage for a fun and unique dinner party or date night! Besides music, nothing instantly transforms the mood of a room like lighting.
Here are some fun DIY ideas that incorporate the Italian-theme:
- Fill large glass jars with a glass hurricane to place a candle in, and arrange pasta between the jar and the hurricane
- Up-cycle some glass bottles by filling them with water and fresh herbs, and sticking a white candle in the top
- Get some solar-powered jars and place lemons inside
- Get small battery-operated lights and place inside old wine bottles
- Turn old wine bottles into torches
- Turn wine glasses upside down and fill them with corks, and use as a candle base
And of course… you need string lights!
Decorate your tablescape
Notice how the pictures above portray the traditional “Italian” dinner through patterns? Placemats, platters, or a tablecloth can instantly turn a standard meal into a dinner party! If you want to host an Italian-themed dinner, but want to do something other than a red and white checkered tablecloth pattern, try channeling Amalfi Coast vibes by incorporating royal blue and Meyer lemon prints instead.
Make an iconic Italian apéritif
Try this recipe by TheHungryBites:
Master how to assemble an antipasto platter
Here is some inspiration shared by LauraInTheKitchen:
Make an authentic Italian dish you’ve never had before
As I’ve been learning more about Italian cuisine, I’m realizing that my perception of what is an authentic dish was way off. There is so much more to Italian food than just pizza and pasta! Here are some dishes I’ve never had, but would love to try myself:
Make your own gelato
Everyone knows Italy is home to the best gelato in the world. If you’re up for a culinary challenge, give it a shot! These gelato recipes look great if you ask me!
- Blueberry lemon gelato
- Tiramisu gelato
- Nutella gelato
- Pistachio gelato
- Lemon basil olive oil gelato
- Peach gelato
If you are considering getting a gelato/sorbet/ice cream maker, this is the one I have and recommend:
Make limoncello from scratch
Try the recipe below by OrsaraRecipes:
Embrace Al Fresco Italian dining made simple–go on a picnic!
A few things you might want to take with you:
- Picnic blanket, chairs, and a table cloth
- Wine and a wine opener or prosecco, plus insulated tumblers and a wine bottle cooler
- Lawn games and a portable music player
Go souvenir shopping from afar
These specialty food products are all from Italy:
Organic Hazelnut Spread ($12)
Nutella lovers, rejoice! You can take your love of cocoa/hazelnut spread to the next level with this organic spread that’s similar in taste to Nutella, but has a cleaner ingredient list and supposedly a much better texture. This product by Nocciolata is gluten-free and would go great on a banana, toasted bread, or even just a spoon.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($19)
Since 1916, the Asaro family has been producing Partanna olive oil out of Partanna, Sicily. It is only produced in October and made with “Nocellara del Belice” olives, which gives it a very rich flavor profile. It can be used for finishing, dipping and cooking, and when you taste it you may pick up notes of artichokes, almonds, and a pepper.
Cream of Pistachio Nut Spread ($19)
This spread is made with pistachios sourced from Bronte, a region in Sicily. Many people were raving over the sweet pistachio taste and creaminess on Amazon, which sounds like it would be great on toast or a biscotti. What would you put it on?
Limoncello dark chocolate ($19)
Italy is known for their tart Limoncello and creamy chocolates, so I feel like this encompasses the best of Italy all in one tiny package. I’ve never seen limoncello chocolate before, but now that I know it exists, I want some. Perugina has represented excellence in Italian chocolate-making for more than a century, so I’m sure this is good. This would be fun to try in recipes or just to enjoy on its own!
Truffle salt ($21)
Transform an everyday meal into something special with Casina Rossa’s Sicilian sea salt includes black truffles from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Sprinkle this stuff over scrambled eggs, popcorn, fish, cooked vegetables, or pasta to transform an everyday meal into something special. This product is has been featured in NY Times, Gourmet, Food and Wine Magazine, O Magazine, and many others!
Cocktail Maraschino Cherries ($22)
These cherries are the real deal–it’s not every day you see a product on Amazon that has over 1,150 reviews and 92% of the reviews were 5 stars. Now I think I need to get these and make myself a Shirley Temple for old times sake… except I’ll probably add vodka.
Instant Cappuccino ($34)
When I get this I’m going to pretend I’m sipping it outside of a small cafe on a nice sunny day in Italy. Isn’t that what you would do too? Nescafe is a popular brand throughout Europe, and this instant cappuccino apparently tastes like it was made by a barista. It’s worth giving this a shot if you like cappuccino!
Aged Artisan Italian Balsamic Wine Vinegar ($39)
For generations, the Giusti family has aged this balsamic wine vinegar in barrels made from different types of wood for different steps of the process, so the vinegar will take on the complex flavors of each cask. After a minimum of 12 years, the vinegar can be considered ready for consumption. Pair this balsamic with fresh pasta, beef, soft cheese, or fruit.
To view the full list of all my favorite items on Amazon, visit my shop page.
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