The Baltimore Sun has reported that Italy is attempting to protect its culinary traditions through a group called “Home Food” whose title goes something like “Association for the Protection and Valuation of the Typical Gastronomic-Culinary Patrimony of Italy”.
The group is based in Bologna and is sponsored by the Ministery for agriculture in collaboration with the University of Bologna.
It’s basically a group of women dedicated to the preservation of traditional Italian cooking and kitchen craft, who welcome guests into their homes to taste the cooking of bygone times.
The events range from Bologna to Naples and in between, and my favourite is S.
O.
S Home Food whereby, if you’re registered in the group, they can come to your house and cook a traditional Italian meal for a special occasion.
The group has expanded into the online world with a blog and forum.
With more than 300 “cesarine” (group members) in the network, this could become a big business.
It looks like housewives are enjoying the sophistication of the internet, and are happy to stay in the kitchen.