Thoughts on the Table

Paolo Rigiroli
  • 4.8 (12)
  • FOOD

Hi! I'm Paolo, the author of Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu. This is Thoughts on the Table, an audioblog on food and food culture, with a special eye on the difference between the so-called Italian Food and the real food of continental Italy.

  1. 05/19/2022

    The Meta of Food - All About Food Besides Eating It!

    Join us in our journey through this fascinating subject as we touch on the concept of authenticity and on how culture influences our appreciation of flavor. Conversely, in the second part of the episode, Jason and I discuss some cooking trends that affect the flavor of food such as the tendency to finish cooking pasta in its sauce and to alter traditional recipes to make them visually pleasing for sharing on social media, more so than with our guests!

    47 min

  2. 04/20/2022

    Taste and Flavor Flashbacks with Jason and Paolo

    Today’s issue contains extracts from the first six episodes where Jason and I discuss flavor and taste, as well as cultural differences between Italy, North America, and Japan. Among other topics, we touched on why as an Italian I would never try to put salt on pasta, whether eating spicy food can damage our taste buds, the reason why desserts tend to end the meal, why many people learn to appreciate "spoiled" foods like Gorgonzola and Natto, what exactly astringency is, and the path to appreciating subtle flavors. To wrap up the selection, I couldn’t help but include extracts from episode seven, a recording that took place right in the center of Milan on Jason’s impressions from visiting Italy for the first time.

    37 min

  3. 03/23/2022

    Introducing Jasmina and Stefano from Bread and Spirits

    Bread and Spirits is an Instagram feed that unites Italian cuisine and cocktails enthusiasts around the world. Born out of the March 2020 lockdown from the combined talents of Jasmina and Stefano, Bread and Spirits is visually stunning, informative, entertaining, and very much unique. In this episode, I have the pleasure to record Jasmina and Stefano’s first audio interview and capture their incredible energy and passion for food and drinks, but also for human connections and communication. (Music by www.purple-planet.com)

    20 min

  4. 02/17/2022

    Cookbooks and the People They Were Written for, with Diana Pinto

    Is a cookbook on a cuisine a mirror of what takes place in its people’s kitchens? Or does it reflect more the desires and needs of its intended audience? And if that’s the case, are these desires of a practical nature, or for something that people like to dream about? These are some of the questions that Diana Pinto has been asking herself while going through lots of cookbooks as part of her “2-week cookbook project.”

    27 min

  5. 01/16/2022

    What Makes a Dish Italian? With Eva from Electric Blue Food

    Join us in this episode to hear more about the true cuisine of Italy by going over some unexpected Italian dishes, such as Mostarda, Bagna Cauda, Prosciutto and Cantaloupe, as well as evidence of many dishes wrongly labeled as "non-authentic" that are eaten daily all around the Peninsula, like Spaghetti alla Bolognese, Gnocchi al Pesto, Lasagne al Pesto, Carbonara with Pancetta, and Strawberry Tiramisu.

    36 min

  6. 09/15/2021

    Introducing Chicca Maione from Chicca's Cooking Club

    My guest today is Chicca Maione, an extraordinary cooking instructor for both in-person and online classes on Italian cuisine. Based in Castagneto Carducci - Bolgheri, Tuscany, Chicca shares her fascinating story, from her Neapolitan origins to the amazing experience of cycling all over the world for over ten years, before settling in Tuscany and seeing her love for food and cooking materialize into a new career. In the episode, Chicca Maione also goes over her philosophy on food, how to bring joy into the kitchen, and the benefits of cooking every day. Finally, she talks about the food she cooks the most (Italian-Mediterranean).

    21 min

  7. 06/03/2021

    Podcast Recording, Editing, and Production with Sound Designer Geoff Devine

    Geoff (We Regret To Inform You, Alone Together, Dietetics After Dark) answers my questions on podcast sound design and gives me a glimpse into the fascinating world of professional audio production. (Music by www.purple-planet.com)

    25 min

  8. 05/13/2021

    Introducing Becca and Sarah from Dietetics After Dark Podcast

    This episode's guests are podcasters Becca and Sarah from Dietetics After Dark, a highly trending podcast on food-related scandals, misconduct, fraud, and drama. In the episode, we learn more about Becca and Sarah, how Dietetics After Dark came to be, and how it's made behind the scenes.

    29 min
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4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Hi! I'm Paolo, the author of Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu. This is Thoughts on the Table, an audioblog on food and food culture, with a special eye on the difference between the so-called Italian Food and the real food of continental Italy.

Information

  • Creator
    Paolo Rigiroli
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2022
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All content by Paolo Rigiroli under the "Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0" Creative Commons license.
  • Show Website
    Thoughts on the Table