Hello! My name is Madeleine, and I’m from Princeton, New Jersey. I grew up running around the woods near my house, hiking with my family, and going down the shore each summer. Food was always an important part of my life (just like it is for you), but I didn’t fully realize this until after I graduated high school...
When I went to college, I thought I wanted to study politics and philosophy because those were my “academic interests.” However, after a few classes, I realized that what truly fascinated me was how space, community, and food shape the world around us. I didn’t even know that you could study that! So, I decided to major in Urban Studies and Italian, two very different subjects that helped me expand my understanding of the world. My experiences in Bologna, Italy, in 2022 sparked a deep interest in cultural exchange and living abroad. Living in Bologna gave me the opportunity to apply the skills I had learned and immerse myself in the city’s rich food history. Through daily interactions over artisanal pastries, meats, and meals, my time in Bologna was academically and nutritionally enriching as I engaged with the food and the people around me. It turns out that my analytical thoughts about food were part of an entire discipline: Food Studies and Gastronomic Sciences.
