RECIPES FAR AND WIDE

Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine is as varied as the regions of Italy. Although Italy was officially unified in 1861, the food reflects the cultural variety of the country’s regions with culinary influences from Greece, Roman, Gallic, Germany, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arab, Chinese and other civilizations. In this sense, there really is no one Italian cuisine because each area boasts of its own specialties. Not only is the food of Italy highly regionalized, but a high priority is also placed on the use of fresh available produce.

Although traditional Italian dishes vary by region, they also do not follow strictly to a North/South pattern either. The north tends to use more butter, creams, polenta, mascarpone, grana padano and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg pasta, while the south is more tomato and olive oil based cooking, along with mozzarella, caciocavallo and peconrino cheeses, and dried pasta. Coastal and central regions often use tortellini, ravioli and prosciutto in their cooking. Even pizza varies across the country. In Rome the crusts are thin and cracker-like, while Neapolitan and Sicilian pizzas have a thicker crust.

For most Italians, pasta is the first course in a meal with the exception of the far north where risotto or polenta is the norm. Vegetables, grains and legumes play a regular part of many Italian diets with meat often not being a regular part of everyday meals, Olive oil is usually seen in its dark green state (from its first pressing) in the south, where in the north a more refined, golden oil is seen.

Basically, Italian cuisine consists of a combination of vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, cheeses and a some meats, with fowl and game usually seasoned or cooked with olive oil (with the exception of the far north). La cucina povera, the food of the poorer Italian people of the southern coastal area, has shaped a diet popular for centuries but now there is a resurgence of this “poor people’s food”, the Mediterranean diet, which is now being touted as the model around which we should restructure our eating habits.

Breakfast is considered a minor meal in Italy, often consisting of nothing more than a bread roll and milky coffee (café latte). Traditional lunches tend to be larger, have several courses and are eaten slowly. Italian children don’t go to school in the afternoon, and because of the heat, many small businesses close from midday until about 4pm which makes lunch the social meal of the day.

The traditional menu structure in Italy consists of basically eight courses, but the long traditional Italian menu is typically kept for special occasions such as weddings, with everyday fare including only the first and second courses, with the side dish being served with the second course. As an exception to this order, a unique course, Piatto unico, can replace the first or second course with, for example, pizza.

The traditional menu consists of:

1. ANTIPASTO – which are hot or cold appetizers, literally it means “before the pasta”; consists of a varied combination of colorful foods. The most popular ingredients are melon or tomatoes served with prosciutto cut into very thin slices. Lettuce, such as the slightly bitter endives or rocket, or other green leaves, such as the aniseed-tasting fennel, are typically used as a garnish, placed around the edges of the serving dish. Salami, mortadella, coppa and zampone, manufactured meat products, are common in antipasti. The artistry of the food is as important to Italians as the taste. For example the reddish colour of salami provides a good contrast to the green lettuce. Fish and other seafood may also be used in the antipasti course and, of course, olives and artichokes are also common servings, as are mushrooms (fungi) seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

2. PRIMO (first course) – which usually consists of a hot dish such as pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup, with many vegetarian options. There are many types of pasta, each type usually named after its shape with common types including spirali (spirals), farfalle (butterflies; sometimes described as ‘bow-tie-shaped’). Penne (hollow tubes) and conchiglie (shells). Different shapes are supposed to be better with the different types of sauces. Spirals are two strips of pasta twirled around each other and are used with the heavier sauces, such as those containing minced meat and vegetables. Rigatoni is cylinders or tubes, with a wide diameter and grooves (or lines) on the outside. The grooves are supposed to hold the sauce onto the pasta, meaning that this pasta is good with runnier sauces. Then there is the group of pasta made up of long thin strands, which includes the most common type of pasta, spaghetti. Typically you eat this type of pasta by coiling its long thin strands around a fork. Other long thin pastas are tagliatelle, fettuccine and linguini, which are all varieties of flattened spaghetti. Extremely thin strands of pasta are called vermicelli (meaning ‘little worms’). Yet another group of pasta is made of flat sheets (lasagna) or tubes (cannelloni), which are either layered or stuffed with meat and cheese fillings. Some pastas have ‘pockets’ to hold the sauce inside them instead of outside like ravioli or tortellini, which are soft sheets of pasta rolled around meat or cheese. Italians cook pasta of all kinds, whether fresh or dried, in boiling water until al dente (‘to the teeth’, meaning still a tiny bit hard in the centre. It is then served immediately in a bowl with sauce or cheese.

3. SECONDO (second course) – this is usually the main dish of fish or meat. Veal, pork and chicken are traditionally the most common and are often pan-fried or casseroled. Beef is used as steaks (bistecca), while lamb (agnello) is roasted on special occasions, such as Easter and Christmas. Fish and other seafood are often used as main courses.

4. CONTORNO (side dish) – this may be a salad or cooked vegetable. Salad is traditionally served with the main course. Common vegetables are beans (greens and pulses), potatoes (often sautéed), and carrots as well as salads.

5. FORMAGIIO AND FRUTTA (cheese and fruit) – this is the first dessert course and the fruit and cheese are usually served together. Grapes, peaches, apricots and citrus fruits are a major product of Italy’s agricultural industry and are common.

6. DOLCE (dessert) – the cakes and cookies course Italians produce many sweet desserts and ‘sweet treats’, including Amaretti, almond-flavoured meringues, which Australians call macaroons, Panforte, a sweet semi-hard ‘strong bread’ based on nuts and containing dried fruit (a classic Christmas treat from Siena), and. Pannettone, a very rich bread-cake (another Christmas treat).

7. CAFFÉ (coffee) – which is usually espresso coffee

8. DIGESTIVE (liqueurs) – which may be grappa, amaro, or Limon cello. The wine industry has been important to Italy for centuries and the most common drink associated with Italy is wine. Until recently, and even now in the countryside, most Italians would make their own red or white house wine after the grape harvest. This would be drunk at every lunch and dinner. Even children are given wine to drink, but it is usually watered down with mineral water. Before dinner many Italians drink an amaro (bitter) to stimulate the digestive system, while after dinner they may drink sweet wines, such as marsala (from Sicily). Children are also sometimes given Marsala, beaten with a raw egg and sugar into zabaglione, to strengthen them.

PIZZA

Modern pizza has evolved from pizzas made by peasants in Naples, Italy, but more than a few Mediterranean peoples can claim to have ‘invented’ the pizza. In ancient times many civilizations created dishes of flat bread with various herbs and toppings. As a staple for the poor, it was a matter of necessity that food could be eaten without utensils, and that the ‘plate’ it was served on could be eaten as well. They made a bread crust from flour, water and yeast, topped it with olive oil, herbs, cheeses, sometimes even leftovers, and baked the whole thing in a stone oven.

Given that most pizza connoisseurs today consider the tomato sauce to be the key ingredient, it may be surprising that pizza pre-dates the introduction of tomatoes to Europe. Tomatoes reached Italy by way of Spain in the early 1500s but were thought to be poisonous. It was several decades later that tomatoes topped a flatbread in the form of a pizza.

Italian cuisine is very popular in all its forms and is imitated all over the world. Look for a few Italian recipes on June’s Recipes page, and visit our Marketplace to find Italian cookbooks and herbs and spices to make your families Italian dishes more authentic.

About the Author

A great resource for your family meals is the new e-cookbook, “Good Cooking Central Cookbook”. It offers easy-to-prepare, delicious family-tested recipies. Available at: http://www.goodcookingcentral.com/good_cooking_central_002.htm

Refreshing Antipasto Salad-Food Network

Everyday Pasta $13.45 Food Network favorite Giada De Laurentiis returns with another beautiful cookbook, this time focused on pasta. In Everyday Pasta you’ll find more than a hundred new recipes for pasta dishes (as well as for sauces, salads, and sides) that are easy to prepare and delicious, whether you are looking for something light and delicate, or rich and hearty. We’ve included a recipe for “Rigatoni with Sausag…

Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen $15.95 Lidia Bastianich, loved by millions of Americans for her good Italian cooking, gives us her most instructive and personal cookbook yet.Focusing on the Italian-American kitchenùthe cooking she encountered when she first came to America as a young adolescen…

The Antipasto Table by Scicolone, Michele [Paperback] $24.27 Italian cooking instructor Michele Scicolone offers over 200 delicious, authentic antipasti recipes to enjoy at the start of a complete meal, as a side dish, or simply on their own. The cookbook also features special sections on the art of preparing vegetables and selecting the proper wines. Author: Scicolone, Michele Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 276 Publication Date: 1998/09/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.24 x 7.44 x 0.61 inches

Remembering Recipes $24.52 My recollections of the first time I entered the spacious, bustling kitchen of Villa Joes restaurant brings me back a long stretch of years. I was twenty years old when I stepped into the dynamic heart of the restaurant. I was simply dazzled by the abundance of food, cooked and uncooked, in escalating stages of preparation, all being assembled, concocted, confected into forms creatively visual and delectable. As a promising fashion designer I was enthralled by the scene so artistic in my eyes. I saw a palette of colors, the modeling of textures and contours as if designed and draped at a couturiers studio. I had a sixth sense I would like to be a part of this activity. My husband Franks mother was busy at the antipasto table sorting salad greens, chicory and arugula. Frank introduced me to her. I said, Hello, may I help you? You may find yourself matching recipes with the lighthearted fables in my husbands memoir, A Remembrance of a Restaurant; A Decameron of Dining, or his other works, Under Blue Skies of Naples, Chez Dogs, and Naples of Salvatore DiGiacomo, which might grant a realized recipe added piquancy. For your convenience I have charted correspondences on the last page. Author: Palescandolo, Irene/ Palescandolo, Frank Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 136 Publication Date: 2004/02/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.32 inches

Vickys Favorite Soup and Salad Recipes $32.44 One of Mexicos most famous chefs presents a collection of her favorite soup and salad recipes. Author: Cowal, Victoria Robbins Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 160 Publication Date: 2006/12/01 Language: English Dimensions: 11.02 x 8.52 x 0.45 inches

Every Night Italian By Hazan, Giuliano $29.04 The secret to preparing quick, delicious Italian cuisine is revealed in this collection of 120 easytoprepare recipeseach clocked at under fortyfive minutesfor appetizers, antipasto, main entrees, salads, and desserts. Author: Hazan, Giuliano Subtitle: 120 Simple Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less Publication Date: 2000/01/12 Number of Pages: 256 Binding Type: Hardcover Language: English Depth: 1.00 Width: 7.25 Height: 9.25

Secrets of FatFree Italian Cooking By Woodruff, Sandra $19.27 Introduces more than 130 delicious lowfat and fatfree recipes representing the best in Italian cuisine, from new versions of traditional favorites to bold contemporary dishes. Original. 50,000 first printing. 50,000 ad/promo. Tour. IP. Author: Woodruff, Sandra Subtitle: Over 200 LowFat and FatFree, Traditional Contemporary RecipesFrom Antipasto to Ziti Publication Date: 1996/10/01 Number of Pages: 230 Binding Type: Paperback Language: English Depth: 0.75 Width: 7.75 Height: 9.25

Grainware 70377 Salad Dressing Shaker with Recipes GW296 $26.13 Grainware is proud to offer Art Quality acrylic products for fine home living. These pieces have beauty of cut crystal and the durability and practicality of acrylic. The flexibility of Grainware products is evident in its ability to go from the formal dining table to the outdoor patio. Grainware is proud to be the only manufacturer of this quality and style of acrylic art please enjoy browsing our entire selection to see what unique pieces that are available for your home or office. Acrylic Salad dressing shaker with recipes 2.37d x 7.75h 6 oz

The North End Italian Cookbook By Buonopane, Marguerite Dimino $22.1 Gathers Italianstyle recipes for antipasto, salads, appetizers, soups, sauces, gravies, pasta, pizza, calzone, polenta, meat, poultry, fish, seafood, vegetables, pastries and desserts Author: Buonopane, Marguerite Dimino Publication Date: 2004/09/01 Number of Pages: 304 Binding Type: Paperback Language: English Depth: 1.00 Width: 8.50 Height: 8.00

Farberware 7830 Salad Dressing Bottle $5.37 Farberware 7830 Salad Dressing Bottle Farberware 7830 Salad Dressing Bottle Features: Make your own salad dressing Recipes printed right on the bottle Glass with plastic top Holds 9 ounces

QPG 149943 Salad Days $30.78 This book includes 150 recipes for creating delicious salads and dressings using organic locally grown ingredients. Recipes include Apple and Roasted Beet Salad with Fruit Nuts Gorgonzola and Watercress; Green Apple Sassy Slaw with Crisp Apple Maple Dressing; Pear and Grape Salad with Big Woods Blue Cheese and Concord Grapes; PecanCrusted Goat Cheese and Micro Greens with Crisp Apple MapleBrushed Crostini; Chilled Moroccan Couscous Salad; Curry Chicken and Apricot Salad; Harvest Moon Salad; and many more. Sixty color photos and colorful illustrations from the author accompany the recipes. Sidebars and tips for green ways to prepare salads are included. Dimentions: Length: 7.5 Height: 9

Salad People And More Real Recipes By Katzen, Mollie $22.89 The followup to Pretend Soup cooks up twenty new vegetarian recipes that kids six and under can prepare themselves with a little help from their adult assistant, and includes kitchen tips and safety rules. Author: Katzen, Mollie Subtitle: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers Up Publication Date: 2005/09/01 Number of Pages: 96 Binding Type: Hardcover Grade Level: 46 Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 8.25 Height: 10.00

Recipes from an Italian Summer $29.23 No Synopsis Available

Recipes of Italian Cookery (1900) $38.44 Author: Gironci, Maria Binding Type: Hardcover Number of Pages: 124 Publication Date: 2009/12/07 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.43 inches

Sim Salad Servers by Alessi $15 The Alessi Sim Salad Servers provides two delightful tools in head-to-toe color to move salad from the bowl to the plate. The Sim Salad Servers were designed by Jasper Morrison as a companion to the Saladim Twin Salad Bowls. Alessi is an Italian company. Its corporate mission is to bring a utopian priority to affordable, high design for the home and office. The Alessi Sim Salad Servers is available with the following: Included Features:Plastic.Set of two.Designed by Jasper Morrison.Shipping: In Stock items ship within 1 business day. Others usually ship within 2 weeks unless otherwise noted. Dimensions: Item: Height 6 In.

Growing Up Italian: A Book of Recipes and Memories $18.8 After the summer was over and we went back to Ozone Park, school started and I had to run back to Aunt Marys for my meatballs and coffee. But then, we also had the holidays to look forward to. Thanksgiving would be coming and that could only mean one thing… Mom was going to make lasagna Growing Up Italian is a cookbook of delicious recipes, humorous short stories, and treasured memories from author Anne Marie GuarinoSchrank. These hardtofind Italian recipes are compiled into one great cookbook, perfect for the holidays and for family gatherings. With each group of recipes, GuarinoSchrank shares heartwarming family stories about growing up in an Italian family. Included are such delectable dishes as strufoli (honey balls), Easter bread, Sunday sauce, artichokes, cardones, soups, an eggplant appetizer, pizza rustica, and more Let Growing Up Italian be your inspiration to collect your own family recipes and to pass them onto your children and grandchildren. With great cooking tips and recipes for every holiday of the year, youll love Growing Up Italian Author: Guarino, Anne M. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 72 Publication Date: 2005/12/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.17 inches