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Podcast: the Mediterranean "diet" in the USA and Italy

A podcast with Paolo from www.disgracesonthemenu.com about the Mediterranean diet in America and Italy.


When I wrote my thesis at Penn State over the course of my entire senior year, I was already resigned to the fact that it would probably just get filed away and forgotten by everyone but the library gnomes who dwell in the stacks.

 Penn State stacksOr by the Nittany Lion mascot. Photo by Penn State, CC 

I was shocked delighted when Paolo asked me if he could read it after I mentioned it in my first podcast with him. He had always been interested in the Mediterranean diet, and my thesis focuses on exactly that subject.

In the podcast, we talk about the role of tradition and innovation in how we eat, differences in food cultures, and evolving cuisines and eating habits. We also get into cornetti, hyperpalatable food, chandeliers in McDonald’s, and how you’d have to drink enough wine to kill you if you wanted the benefits of resveratrol – but why this doesn’t even matter. Here's a link to the podcast: 

[Thoughts on the Table - 34] The Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle, with Diana Zahuranec

And if you want to go deeper into the discussion...the thesis itself is about contemporary food cultures in America and Italy. It looks at the discrepancy between rising obesity rates and the focus on dieting in American food culture, the influences of tradition and lifestyle on modern cuisine, and how differences I observed in the two countries can be seen in the way the single word “diet” is perceived: restriction (US) versus what one eats (Italy). If you're interested, yay! and here it is:

The Meaning of “Diet:” A Cross-Cultural Comparison of American and Italian Food Cultures and Links to Obesity.

 CornettiPhoto from Alfaro Matxalen, CC

Last modified onThursday, 08 January 2015 14:02
Diana Zahuranec

I love Piemonte’s food and wine, the city of Turin, and my proximity to the Alps! My goal and challenge is to see as much of the region as possible using public transportation, but if you have a car I’d appreciate the ride. My intro to wine was at the Univ. of Gastronomic Sciences, and I love visiting family wineries, plus discovering Piemonte's craft beer scene. I’m hard-pressed to choose a favorite wine, but Nebbiolo never disappoints (from Barbaresco to Ghemme). As for beer, the Birrificio San Michele makes an incredible beechwood smoked brew.

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