Comments on: Our Introduction to Italian Life, Food & Drinks Starts in Padova

By: Dial a Bottle

Dial a Bottle — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:56:44 +0000

So Italians have emotianal attachments with food, I am a big kind of foody and I am not vegetarian but that veg pizza made me think twice on that..lastly Limoncello and Liquorizia…I would die to have a drop on my tongue;)

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:25:27 +0000

@Zaga – Thank you very much for your informative and thoughtful comment. I really appreciate your contribution to clarify the bacteria issue.

By: Zaga

Zaga — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:43:20 +0000

Nutritional yeast, beer yeast, bread yeast and so on… even beer and some other beberages (which can be vegan if not processed with any animal product as bones, eggs and milk for “whittening”… all those products have microorganisms. Lactobaciles do not mean that come from cow milk, even we produce lactobaciles, an perfect example, the ones that we women have in our vigina (sorry if it is too gross for someone). Those kind of bacterias just need polysacarids (I don’t know the therm in english) and produce lactic acid, as part of it’s Krebs cycle, the same way we do in our muscles when overwork our body without enough oxygen..we have lactobacillus in our intestins even if we do not eat any dairies! That kind of cultures can be done without dairies, I’ve made my self soy and almond yogurt from bacillus that I started grown in soymilk when I still was vegetarian, until they survived and produce communities of bacterias, and now they are totally grown in vegetable milks (with their corresponding acids and sugars to trigger fermentation).
Come on guys! if we were so purist we could not even take B12 supplements because it’s a bacteria, or drink beer, use yeast for our vegan home-made cheezes or for our bread and cakes, just because they are bacterias!!! even eat “dirty” vegetables to get a certain account of cianobacterias that we need for a correct brain function. Please, read and inform your selves before making a judgement just because somebody told you so! is as silly as telling that we should not being using cotton wearing because thousands of little organisms are killed with the production of our clothes (well, I know, that’s why we want to seek for “organic” frabrics, but even them killed animals without wanting so, to be produced). We have a cause, we do it not just to judge, but we are trying to change the world, if we start to discard those products which are 99% vegan, we are telling the industry that there is not place for that kind of products and we would have the counter-effect… if we want the world to turn into compation, we have to start tolerating them to soften the change…

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:49:20 +0000

Hi Jill! Nice article :o)

Just a correction about the kitchen… I had, for a variety of reasons, been waiting for a kitchen for around 8 months, not for the gas to be hooked up – although that had been about a month due to it being August.

And then sadly about Spritz… I have since learned that the Aperol and Campari in Italy are made using cochineal – so off the menu for vegans. However, I now order Spritz al Cynar which as far as I am aware is vegan friendly.

The Luna Nuova does have a number of vegan options… in fact quite a few to choose from every time I’ve been – but I agree that it’s better to call in advance so that they can ensure there is sufficient variety as they often run out of certain dishes. There are also some items on the menu which can easily be adapted on request.

Finally, I’d just like to add that your cooking was delicious, and your company fantastic – it was a real honour and pleasure to host you in Padova! :o)

By: Anca

Anca — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:22:45 +0000

“The Valsoia pizza is not vegan, because they use bacterial cultures from milk.”

Wikipedia does not say anything about those bacteria coming “from milk”, only that they are added to milk to make yogurt. Sounds like we need a microbiologist to shed more light.

By: Jill

Jill — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:45:15 +0000

@Heather – It was never a problem to have the cheese left off but one pizza place also decided to remove the sauce and that was kinda weird :-s

I will email you some tips for Florence :)

By: Jill

Jill — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:44:26 +0000

@Rebecca Thanks for the info. I looked up the ingredient list again for the Valsoia pizza and I guess it’s the L. bulgaricus – S. thermophilus that is the problem?

Italian:
Farina di grano tenero tipo “0″, estratto fermentato di soia (11%) (acqua, semi di soia (8,2%), inulina, destrosio, fruttosio, addensante: carragenina, sale marino, aromi, fermenti: L. bulgaricus – S. thermophilus), acqua, polpa di pomodoro, spinaci (6,7%), peperoni grigliati (4,7%), zucchine grigliate (4,7%), olio di semi di girasole, broccoli (4,2%), semiconcentrato di pomodoro, asparagi (3%), sale, lievito, olio di oliva, amido modificato di riso, basilico, origano.

English:
Wheat flour type “0″, fermented soybean extract (11%) (water, soybeans (8.2%), inulin, dextrose, fructose, thickener: carrageenan, sea salt, spices, yeast: L. bulgaricus – S. thermophilus), water, tomato sauce, spinach (6.7%), grilled peppers (4.7%), grilled zucchini (4.7%), oil sunflower, broccoli (4.2% ), tomato puree, asparagus (3%), salt, yeast, olive oil, modified starch of rice, basil, oregano.

By: Heather: Healthy Vegan Recipes

Heather: Healthy Vegan Recipes — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:16:53 +0000

oh awesome… we’re catching the ferry over to Italy tomorrow night and Phil has been talking about getting some vegan ice cream for a month or so now with no luck – so he will be pumped to go the grocery store in Florence and check things out!! looks awesome – did they give you any flack at the pizza places for ordering cheese-less?

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:03:03 +0000

As an information/warning: The Valsoia pizza is not vegan, because they use bacterial cultures from milk.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:40:12 +0000

Orange cinnamon and chocolate shake? I want that immediately! And everything else looks delish too. Great post.