ITALIAN FOOD

Italian Food: Eat well, drink even better

Viva! Viva spaghetti, pizza, tomatoes, olive oil, espresso coffee and cappuccino! But is this food all really Italian in origin? The answer is of course "no" but even food products from other continents have been enhanced in a way only the Italians know. A thousand mouth watering dishes await the intrepid traveler, hundreds of gastronomy specialties, a host of truly tasty typical food products, and all kept very much alive by a modern agricultural system that is careful about preserving the traditional flavors and nutritional values.

Wholesomeness and freshness are the watchwords in all Italy's food specialties, in all of their countless variants, from the Piedmont's fondue in the north to Sicily's caponata in the south, from the risotto alla milanese to Campania's mozzarella cheese, from the Veneto's risi e bisi (sweet-peas and rice) to Rome's porchetta, from the trenette al pesto of the Ligurian coast to the Florentine steaks, to the lasagna of Emilia Romagna or the spaghetti alla chitarra of Abruzzo, not to mention the large variety of cheeses.

Another great reason for coming to Italy is therefore (and in many cases, indeed, simply is) the desire to taste Italian food cooking as the Italians really make it. So whether you're enticed by the food at one of the best-known restaurants in the cities famous for their gastronomy, or are quite happy to try the fare of the thousand small trattorie dotted around the country, you are sure not to be disappointed. Or, to try something slightly different, what about the family-run osterie (literally hostels) and ristoranti you can come across in the most characteristic parts of the historic centers? They specialize in reinventing traditional dishes or rediscovering typical agricultural products such as spelt, barley, wheat, vegetables, and olive oil. The perfect way to delight your taste buds without adding to your waistline. To complement your meal perfectly you will want to order a good wine that is free from the chemical processes so much in use today. So relax and choose an Italian wine - again, the choice is broad, but always satisfying; the bright whites to go with white meats, the robust reds for red meats, and then there are the rosés, the sparkling wines, the fortified wines, the liqueurs and the grappas: something to go with every stage of your meal, from an aperitivo at the beginning to a refreshing lemon or strawberry sorbet to round off a perfect evening.

In sum, never has there been a better time to eat and drink well in Italy, or, if you cannot get there, at least to cook food the Italian way at your home.

North Italy food:

the eight regions of what is loosely defined as northern Italy boast the nation's highest standard of living and its richest diet, in terms of both abundance and variety. The plains that extend along the Po and lesser rivers from Piedmont to the northern rim of the Adriatic proliferate with grain, corn, rice, fruit, livestock and dairy products. Vineyards on slopes along the great arc formed by the Alps and Apennines are Italy's prime sources of premium wine.

Restaurateurs and recipe collectors abroad acclaim the common heritage of what they call "northern Italian cuisine." But menus that mix Bologna's tagliatelle and ragout, for example, with Genoa's trenette noodles and pesto, Milan's risotto and braised veal shanks, Venice's black rice and soft shell crabs, Trieste's goulash and sauerkraut or Turin's cheese fondue and white truffles mock historical realities. Even today, despite standardization of tastes and the invasion of fast food, no other section of Italy maintains such diversity in regional cooking.

Roots of local cultures can be traced to early peoples: the Liguri of the Riviera, the Salassi and Taurani of Piedmont, the Rhaetians of the Alpine rim from Lombardy to Friuli, the Veneti of the northern Adriatic basin and the Etruscans who crossed the Apennines to control the Padana valley before the conquests of Cisalpine Gauls and Romans. The unity constructed under the Roman empire collapsed in the Middle Ages. The

northern states, domineered by foreign forces, continued to switch loyalties, leaders and borders with dizzying frequency through the Renaissance and on up to the Risorgimento.

The assortment of local dialects, or in some cases full-fledged languages (French in Valle d'Aosta, German in Alto Adige), attests to the historical heterogeneity of Italy's north. French influences remain in recipes of Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy and Emilia to the northwest, just as Austro-Hungarian tangs linger in foods of the Tre Venezie (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige) to the northeast. But local tastes rule in this vast territory where culinary customs vary delectably from province to province and town to town.

Still, some generalizations might be made about northern cooking. Meat has prevailed over seafood in most places where butter and lard are the traditional fats. Exceptions must be made for Liguria, with its exemplary Mediterranean diet, and the Adriatic strip where seafood and olive oil prevail. In most inland areas, diets have relied on a wholesome mix of grains, legumes, cheeses, preserved fish and seasonal varieties of vegetables, mushrooms and herbs. A tendency to substitute olive oil for animal fats has revitalized the balance.

Pasta, rice, polenta and gnocchi figure in one form or another in each region's diet, though local preferences present a study in contrasts. Fresh pasta, usually made with eggs, prevails south of the Po in Piedmont, Liguria and, most gloriously, in Emilia-Romagna. Rice dominates in the flatlands of Lombardy and Piedmont, where it is usually braised and stirred as risotto, and in the Veneto, where it is often simmered in broth in dishes that range tastily between

risottos and thick soups.

Polenta, made from corn or also from buckwheat or chestnut flour, was the sustenance of northern country people for ages, eaten as a mush or porridge with cheese or sauces or sliced and fried or grilled to go with meat dishes. Today's polenta strongholds are the Tre Venezie and the Alpine flanks of Lombardy and Piedmont. Gnocchi are often based on potatoes, though dumplings are also made from semolino or ricotta and greens. In Trentino-Alto Adige, round bread dumplings are called Knödeln or canederli.

Perhaps the most popular category of primi, though not only a first course, are soups, which may include pasta, rice, polenta, gnocchi, bread, vegetables, beans, meats or seafood. Prominent examples of northern minestre are the noodle and bean pasta e fagioli of the Veneto and Friuli, the fish chowders of Liguria and the Adriatic coast, Milan's tripe-based busecca and Emilia-Romagna's delicate pasta in brodo (afloat in

broth).

A meat dish eaten nearly everywhere in the north is bollito misto. But the mix varies between beef, veal, pork sausages and poultry, while sauces range from parsley-based salsa verde to Piedmont's tomato red bagnet ross, Verona's beef marrow and pepper pearà and Cremona's candied fruit and mustard mostarda. Fritto misto is also eaten in most regions, though compositions of fried meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and pastries are never the

same from one place to another.

Pork plays a prime role in salt-cured meats, whose hallmark is Prosciutto from Parma and San Daniele, the salt-cured ham described as dolce due to the ripe flavor and soft texture that develop over a year or more of maturing. But the delights of salumi range beyond pork to beef for the bresaola of Lombardy's Valtellina, as well as goat, goose and chamois for salame and sausages.

Northern Italy is a paradise for cheese lovers. They may begin with Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, which account for a major share of national production, and nibble their way through blue-veined Gorgonzola, buttery Fontina, tangy Asiago and a vast array of mild, creamy, ripe and sharp cheeses, mainly from cows but also from sheep and goats.

The eight northern regions produce about a third of Italian wine, though they account for more than half of the DOC/DOCG total. The leading region for volume of classified wines is Veneto, where Verona's Soave and Valpolicella head production. Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia have sterling reputations for white wines, though they are increasingly admired for reds. Lombardy is noted for aged reds from the Alpine Valtellina and classical sparkling wines from the hills of Franciacorta and Oltrepт Pavese. The north's most vaunted reds are Barolo and Barbaresco of Piedmont, a region that also makes Gattinara, Barbera, Dolcetto and sparkling sweet Asti.

A byproduct of wine is grappa, which was long considered a common sort of spirit. But class has been upgraded dramatically in recent times by distillers in Friuli, Veneto, Trentino and Piedmont, whose grappa often comes from select grape varieties and specific vineyards.

Piedmont food:

Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) - "at the foot of the mountains" - consists mainly of the extensive Po Plain. Between the Alps and the Apennines this fertile area is intersected with long rows of poplars where grassland alternates with cereals and rice growing. Three fifths of the Italian rice production is concentrated in the districts of Vercelli and Novara. Southeast of Turin the gently rolling chalk hills of the Monferrato bear the well-known Asti wine and produce the Gorgonzola cheese. Numerous hydro-electric power stations supply electricity for the textile factories of Biella and the metal, engineering and chemical works of Turin. Turin, home to Fiat, is a dynamic town which attracts followers of fashion and those with a passion for cars.

Cooking here is done with butter. A popular dish is fonduta, a melted cheese dip of milk, eggs and white truffles (tartufi bianchi) “The term

"truffle" as commonly used refers to members of the genera Tuber and Terfezia.

There are many other kinds of subterranean fungi, "false truffles," which outwardly

resemble the ones we eat. They are far more common than the truffles that are

collected for food, and some are poisonous. Truffles are round, warty, and irregular

in shape and vary from the size of a walnut to that of a man's fist. The season for

most truffles falls between September and May. The mention of truffles conjures up

images of the renowned odorous white truffle (Tuber magnatum) of Alba, in the Piedmont district of Italy.

Autumn has always been the richest season for the Langhe, land of Barolowine and of truffles, and of well-

cultivated vineyards. After the grapes have been harvested the farmers go hunting for truffles. The Barolo wine

does not betray, and goes perfectly with specialties such as "taiarin," narrow tagliatelle enriched with aromatic

truffles. As truffles grow under the earth, they are located using the sensitive noses of specially-trained dogs, who

carefully dig them up with their paws. These dogs are referred to by the Piemontese as "tabui", which strangely

enough means "bastards.". Polenta is a staple. Cardi (chards) are prepared alla bagna cauda, i.e. with a hot sauce containing oil or butter, anchovies, garlic and truffles. Monferrato produces the famous Gorgonzola cheese and delicious wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Grignolino, red Freisas, white Asti, still or sparkling (spumante). with a strong flavor of grapes. And... don't forget cioccolato, Piedmont has been the kingdom of cocoa products for hundreds of years (visit the historic Caffe' Bicerin to get a good perspective)

Chocolate was produced in Turin even before Switzerland, and chocolatiers Giroldi and Giuliano were already famous in 1700 where their shop in Via Doragrossa served hot chocolate to faithful customers. They were joined by Peyrano, who today uses nine different types of cocoa in their production which includes bitter gianduiotti (made with almonds), pistachio shells and other specialties. Baratti & Milano and Caffarel are other famous names. And the French might be surprised to know the most French of desserts, the Montblanc, made with chestnuts and whipped cream, came originally from the Varaita Valley in Cuneo, and was translated into the elegant dessert in Turin and named after the

nearby mountain Mont Blanc.

Specialty Foods of Piemonte

The white Alba truffle is the most delicious and sought-after truffle in the world. This “noble mushroom,” as the ancient Romans called it, is found in the Langhe, the hilly countryside around the town of Alba. The gathering of white truffles, between October and November, when they have reached the peak of flavor, is a difficult process requiring the knowledge of a trifulau, or professional truffle hunter (and his trained dog) who will keep secret the areas where he knows truffles to grow. Truffles usually weigh between two and four ounces – and the price can reach 150 to 200 dollars for four ounces. Sliced raw and paper-thin, the rich flavor of the white truffle enhances the flavors of even the simplest local dish, from the simplest tagliolini (thin egg noodles) to the most elaborate beef filet.

Bagna cauda, a delicious dipping sauce made with butter, olive oil, garlic, and anchovies, is served whenever the Piemontese are hungry, usually with a glass of red wine. The name translates as “hot bath,” because raw vegetables – such as celery, peppers, and artichokes – are dipped into the hot sauce for an explosion of flavor.

Gorgonzola is one of the Italy’s most famous cheeses, and the majority of its producers are based in the Novara area of the Piemonte. A full-fat cow’s milk cheese, gorgonzola is made from pasteurized milk and inject with Penicillium glaucum, a mold that aids fermentation and produces the cheese’s characteristic blue veins. Gorgonzola has a place on any cheese board, and can be served as an appetizer or at the conclusion of a meal.

Robiola di Roccaverano is a delicate, creamy cheese made in a very limited area between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in the northwestern region of Piemonte. This delicious example of the cheesemaker’s art can be made from three different kinds of milk: cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s. According to gourmets all over Italy, Robiola di Roccaverano that is made from 100% goat’s milk is one of the finest of all delicacies, although the mixed versions made from a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk are also much sought after.

Typical food from Piedmont include:

Agnolotti al burro e salvia: envelopes with a lean meat-herb filling served with fresh sage leaves sautéed in butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Fritto misto piemontese or fricia: this deep-fried banquet includes lamb, chicken, veal, liver, brains, sweetbreads, pig's feet, sausages, artichokes, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, apples, pears, cheese, dumplings, almond biscuits, though possibilities don't stop there. Grande bollito misto piemontese: various cuts of beef and veal, including tongue and head, simmered with hen, cotechino sausage, onions, celery, carrots and served with bagnet verde (sauce of parsley, garlic, anchovy, breadcrumbs) or bagnet ross (peppery hot and red from tomatoes). Insalata di carne cruda: finely chopped raw beef or veal marinated briefly in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, served with salad greens or, in season, shaved truffles. Panissa: risotto tinted with Barbera, braised with reddish borlotti beans, pork rind and salame alla douja, typical of Vercelli; paniscia of nearby Novara is subtly different. Polenta cùnsa: cornmeal mixed with Fontina and toma, topped with butter and grated grana. Trota alla salvia: brook trout braised in white wine and vinegar with bay leaf and fresh sage. Zabaione or zabaglione: egg yolks whipped with sugar and Marsala into a delicious cream, which also flavors ice cream and semifreddo.

Risotto con Tartufi - Risotto with Truffles

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (500 g) risotto rise, for example Carnaroli or Arborio

• 1 cup unsalted butter • 1 tablespoon very finely minced onion • 1/2 cup dry white wine • 4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano • 1 quart simmering beef broth

6 ounces (150 g) fresh white truffles brushed clean

Preparation:

Sauté the onion in half the butter until it begins to turn golden, then add the wine and cook over a low heat, until the onion is falling apart and the wine has evaporated. Add the rice, mix well, and then begin adding broth, a ladle at a time, stirring gently all the while. When the rice has almost reached the al dente stage, remove the pot from the fire and stir in the remaining butter and the cheese, then slice half the truffles into it using a truffle slicer. Heat the risotto through, transfer it to a serving bowl, and shred the remaining truffles over it.

Black Truffles (Tartufi Nero d'Estate)

Features:

• Truffles are said to be best from Piemonte • Tartuglangue is owned by Domenica Bertoluuso, one of

the few women in this male dominated business. • Despite the small size of her business, she is one of the

region's most influential truffle sellers

Product Description Thinly sliced black truffles in oil. These summer Piemontese truffles are preserved in extra virgin olive oil. Use them to flavor egg or potato dishes in place of butter. We believe that truffles jarred at the peak of freshness retain their flavor better than truffles shipped or flown here in their whole form. With these jarred truffles, you can indulge in one of Italy's greatest treasures without blowing a hole in your budget.

Carnaroli Rice

Product Description Italian rice cultivation is concentrated in certain areas of the country, although it is consumed in various dishes throughout the Italy. Carnaroli, considered one of the best Italian rices, is grown in the Piedmont region. Its excellent cooking qualities make it ideal for preparing risottos of the finest quality. Although less well known in the U.S. than Arborio rice, Carnaroli is actually more highly valued by Italian chefs. Try it in place of Arborio the next time you make risotto. You'll be surprised by its super creaminess and recognize why Carnaroli is known as "The Caviar of Rice."

Lombardy food:

Milan, The Food:

Milan, Milano in Italian, where cooking is done with butter, gives its name to several dishes: minestrone alla milanese, a soup of green vegetables, rice and bacon; risotto alla milanese, rice cooked with saffron; cotoletta alla milanese, a fillet of veal fried in egg and bread-crumbs with cheese; ossobuco, a knuckle of veal with the marrow-bone; panettone, a large fruit cake containing raisins and candied lemon peel. Here the commonest cheese is again the excellent Gorgonzola. Few wines are produced, apart from those of Valtellina, Franciacorta or the Pavia district.

A bit of historical curiosity

If you’ve ever traveled through Lombardy, you may have noticed the dominant presence of the color yellow that’s used in restaurants. This is not coincidence. It’s a custom that dates back to medieval times when the courts would coat their food with gold before serving it to guests. Gold was widely believed to be the remedy for illness and promised good health. Food was also prepared in this fashion for the sake of pure decadence. As gold became increasingly valuable, the Lombardians looked for ways to create the same effect without the cost of using gold. The golden hue of saffron risotto is one reminder of this tradition. Specialty Foods of Lombardia

The famous Risotto alla Milanese gets its golden hue from the precious spice saffron. Legend has it that the dish came about when a Milanese painter decided to gild the risotto served at his wedding banquet with a harmless gold-colored dye. Risotto alla Milanese is traditionally served with ossobuco (braised veal shank).

Traditionally made with raisins and candied citron, or with a rich cream filling, the light, fluffy brioche-like bread called panettone may be tall or short, covered with chocolate or flavored with various liquors, but it’s always a symbol of the Christmas season. With its hallmark domed shape, panettone has graced Christmas tables in Milan, where it is claimed to have been invented, since at least the 15th century. The traditional recipe calls for using nothing but white wheat flour, sugar, top-quality buttricette_panettone.htmer, eggs, and sultana raisins. In order to safeguard tradition and ensure that panettone is made in the time-honored, non-industrial manner, efforts are currently underway to establish guidelines for ingredients and procedures that will serve as the basis for obtaining a special DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) certification from the European Union.

Taleggio cheese is named for a valley in the province of Bergamo, but it is produced throughout Lombardia. This soft, creamy cow’s milk cheese, which can be dated to a thousand years ago, was traditionally ripened in underground caves; today, it is matured in climate-controlled cellars. Taleggio has a mild, somewhat acidic flavor, and subtle aroma make it ideal for many traditional Lombard dishes, but it’s also used in scores of dishes in other

parts of Italy. Because it melts easily, Taleggio is excellent in omelettes and crepes, or, as the base for a creamy pasta sauce.

The traditional Mostarda di Cremona, from the inland port city of Cremona on the River Po (and the birthplace of violin master Antonio Stradivarius) consisted of candied fruits, such as cherries, figs, and pears, preserved in a mixture of sugar syrup and white mustard. The result was a tangy condiment that was served with bollito misto, boiled, meat, game, or poultry. Today, Mostarda di Cremona is most produced commercially with stewed fruits instead of candied fruits, and lacks the “heat” of the traditional preparation.

Valtellina, The Cuisine It is a land of ancient flavors. The authentic country cuisine of the Valtellina, like the natural environment in which it originates, presents dishes that are greatly appreciated by the most demanding palates: “pizzoccheri”, “sciatt”, “polenta taragna”, made with buck wheat flour, “brisaola” or “bresaola”, a type of dry salt beef typical of Valtellina, the unsurpassed quality of which is due to delicate preparation and perfect curing in unique environmental conditions; “Bitto” cheese, which bears the DOP (protected denomination of origin) mark and “bisciola”, a rustic cake containing walnuts, figs and raisins.

Lombardy typical foods include: Casônsei: ravioli filled with sausage, bread and cheese in Brescia, and with those ingredients and more around Bergamo÷always dressed with butter and Grana Padano. Polenta pasticciata: cooked cornmeal, sliced and baked with layers of tomato, pork and mushroom sauce. Risotto alla certosina: rice braised with onions, peas, leeks and tomatoes, served with froglegs, filets of perch, crayfish and mushrooms. Tacchina ripiena: Christmas roast turkey stuffed with chestnuts, apples, pears, walnuts, minced veal, salt pork, brandy and herbs. Tortelli di zucca: envelopes with a filling of yellow squash, mostarda, almond biscuits and cheese, served with butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Uccelli scappati: chunks of veal and pork skewered with sage leaves and cooked to resemble “escaped birds.”

Risotto alla Milanese

Milanese Risotto

Ingredients:

- 6 T unsalted butter - 1 1/2 oz bone marrow, finely chopped - 1/2 onion minced - 1 lb Carnaroli rice - 3/4 cup dry white wine - 1/2 to 1 t saffron threads - about 5 cups simmering beef or chicken broth - 6 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional cheese for serving - freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter with the marrow in a saucepan large enough to cook the rice, making sure the marrow dissolves. Add the onion and sauté gently until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until every grain is coated and shiny, abut 3 or 4 minutes. Add the wine and keep stirring until it evaporates. Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons of the hot broth and set aside. Add the remaining hot broth to the

rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, waiting until the broth is absorbed before adding more. The risotto should

always be moist. After about 15 minutes, taste the rice, it should be done al dente. Add the saffron, stir, and cook for 3

minutes, adding broth as necessary and stirring constantly. Remove from the heat when still moist and stir in the

remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the 6 tablespoons Parmesan. Cover tightly and allow the risotto to set for 3 minutes.

Turn out onto a heated serving dish and serve with freshly ground black pepper and more Parmesan as needed. Note:

The risotto should be, as we say in Italy, al onda, or wavy. It should be served slightly moist, not dry.

a bit of history:

History of Italian cuisine Risotto dates back to the Renaissance and is a descendant of the Spanish paella. The

dish is said to have originated in 1535, when Charles V made his son Philip duke of Milan, beginning what was to

be nearly two centuries of Spanish rule. Saffron added to the rice turns it a deep yellow and adds a subtle yet

pungent flavor. Bone marrow is essential for a good risotto. Many butchers give it away for nothing. You can

freeze the marrow in small quantities and use it as you need for risotto. The rice for risotto should be Italian

superfine Arborio rice, or, better, Carnaroli rice, slightly moist and al dente when done. The rice will continue to

cook after it has been removed from the flame, so be ready to add the butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

immediately. The entire process of cooking the risotto takes roughly 45 minutes and requires your full attention.

In Italy we say "Il riso nasce nell'acqua e muore nel vino," meaning rice is born in water and dies in wine, so, in

addition to the wine used for cooking it, have a good dry white wine ready to serve with the risotto.

Liguria Food:

There is a saying that he who eats pesto (For centuries Ligurian sailors plied the seas as part of the spice

trade, bringing to Europe the exotic products of the Far East and Africa. When they

returned from their long, arduous voyages, the sailors had had their fill of fish and

spicy food. What they wanted instead was fare that spoke of their homeland, made from

vegetables fresh from the gardens and farms that cling to the Ligurian hillsides. As a

result, the dish that is now most closely identified with this region is pasta al pesto,

noodles bathed in an intensely green and fragrant sauce. The pesto recipe took the form

we know in the mid-nineteenth century: the recipe first appears in writing in the Ratto

brothers’ 1865 Cuciniera genovese, where it is described as "pesto is a mince of garlic

and basil" and used as a sauce with which "to dress all varieties of pasta". Ligurians almost make a religion of

their devotion to pesto sauce and its main ingredient, fresh basil. While they generally favor fresh herbs in their

cooking, it is basil that inspires the most interest. There is, however, no uniformity of opinion as to the best pesto

recipes or its best uses. Every village, and for that matter probably every family, has its own recipe for pesto

sauce and its favorite shape of pasta to use with the sauce. For example, the Genoese prefer a sharp, pungent

pesto sauce which they serve with ravioli filled with veal and cheese. Many people opt for a mild pesto sauce,

sometimes with cream or butter added. In many areas, the preferred "pasta al pesto" is trenette, a sort of plump

local version of linguine. In still other areas, they dispense with the pasta altogether and add the pesto to their

local version of minestrone or to fish soup.

The basic ingredients of pesto sauce are common to all these recipes: fresh basil leaves, cheese (either

Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino), pine nuts or walnuts, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. The great debate,

and the great fun, about pesto is deciding on the proper proportions with which to combine these ingredients and

whether to add any extras. Ultimately, with some experimentation, you can make pesto that suits your tastes

exactly, just like every cook in Liguria. )

never leaves Genoa, the stronghold of this delicious sauce, rich with the flavors of fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese. Traditionally, the ingredients are put in a mortar and pounded with a pestle until a smooth sauce emerges. Pesto is popular throughout the world, but small-leafed Ligurian basil, grown in herb gardens buffeted by sea breezes, is arguably the best in the world.

True Ligurian focaccia is not the pizza-like bread we enjoy here in America. As Liguria’s salty airand humidity makes it difficult to bake good bread and keep it from spoiling quickly, the Ligurians devised a bread that can be eaten hot out of the oven. This unleavened, thin, flat bread is usually topped with olive oil and salt, and in some areas, sage, cheese or onions.

Did the Ligurians bring pasta to Italy, as they still claim today? Whether it’s true or not, they have created several delightful types that are local specialties. Pansotti are a triangle-shaped ravioli-style pasta, stuffed with a mixture of vegetables (such as swiss chard, borage, and endive) and ricotta cheese, and are often served with salsa di noci, a walnut sauce. Trenette, made from whole wheat flour, come in long, flat strips, either fresh or dried, and like trofie, a spiral-shaped gnocchi, are served with a sauce made from boiled beans, potatoes, and pesto.

The Cinque Terre seas are an unequalled habitat for many species of fish. Fishing is done by lampare (night trawling with lamps), along the sea beds near Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The smell of anchovies is quite unique and the variety of shiny silvery greys is unmistakable. The women set up their stalls in the squares and sell the fish, surrounded by lively chatter, the catch prize being a mormora, an orata or one of the types of ink fish (itiani and calamari). The market often boasts baskets of prawns, caught or fished off the Ligurian coast. Throughout the years local restaurants have become famous for their fish and specialties, but traditional recipes have never been forgotten and are always part of the menu. Mussels (le cozze) are always on the menu too: alla marinara - boiled and dressed with a few drops of lemon juice and a sprig of parsley - or stuffed with tuna fish, cheese, mortadella, egg and marjoram. The latter takes lot of patience because each uncooked mussel has to be opened individually.

Typical food from Liguria include: Buridda: Genoese soup of various fish in a stock with plenty of garlic, anchovy, tomato. Capponada: the poor man's cappon magro includes biscuits and mainly preserved fish. Ciuppin: the humblest of fish stewed with tomato, garlic, onions, white wine and eaten as soup thickened with stale bread. Coniglio alla carlona: rabbit braised in white wine with black olives, pine nuts, capers, herbs. Gianchetti all'agro: the miniature fish served raw or poached with lemon, oil, parsley. Mes-ciua: chick-peas, beans, farro and olive oil blend in an antique soup of La Spezia. Pansùuti con la salsa di noci: pasta envelopes filled with ricotta and the Preboggion bouquet of herbs, topped with walnut sauce and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Sbira or sbirra: tripe with tomatoes, potatoes and herbs served over slabs of toasted bread with Parmigiano Reggiano, eaten by Genoa's stevedores and Sbirri (cops) after a day's work. Siluri: torpedoes, the nickname for totani or flying squid, stuffed with cheese, breadcrumbs and garlic and stewed with wine and tomatoes. Stecchi fritti: wooden skewers of various pieces of veal coated with thick batter that includes artichokes, mushrooms and grated cheese and fried in olive oil. Stocchefisce accomodou: dried cod cooked with pine nuts, olives, mushrooms, potatoes, vegetables, herbs and anchovies, in white wine and tomato sauce. Tomaxelle: veal rolls with a filling of mushrooms, pine nuts, breadcrumbs and eggs braised in tomato sauce.

Zuppa di pesce (burrida - ciopin) - Fish stew

Ingredients:

- 3 lbs. assorted fish (gray mullet, turbot, St. Peter's, scorpion fish, squid, octopus, shrimps) or - - any fish with a firm texture - 3 tomatoes, chopped - lemon - 3 cloves garlic - 2 sprigs parsley - salt - pepper - 2 tbs. olive oil

Preparation:

Gut and clean all the fish. Fillet the fish with bone and cut the squid and octopus into pieces while reserving the heads and the bone. Bring 6 qts. water to a boil in a large pot: add the tomatoes, the fish bones and heads, including the shrimps' heads. Cook for 2 hours, then cool and pass through a fine sieve. Bring this poaching liquid back to a simmer and start adding the fish, one at a time, in order of cooking time. First the squid or octopus, then the scorpion fish, the shrimps, turbot, St. Peter's fish and the mullets. Cook till all fish is done. Prepare a soffritto with garlic and parsley, add to the fish stew and remove from heat. Finish with lemon juice, place in a large serving platter and serve with toasted country bread.

Note: There are as many variations and as many names to this preparation as there are church bells. Just to mention a few: brodetto, caciucco, burrida, ciuppin. The type of fish added also varies; some do not add mollusks, some add bivalves, some claim that at least 13 or 14 different types of fish should be used, others use only one type.

Aosta Valley Food:

The flavors that emerge from fontina cheese summon images of the fresh herbs and flowers the cows graze on in the high Alpine meadows of the Valle d’Aosta. This semi-cooked, straw-yellow

cheese, with tiny holes and a supple, soft texture, is perfect for melting and is used to make fonduta, or fondue, one of the region’s famous dishes. For an authentic antipasto, toast small squares of country bread, rub with a clove of garlic, top with little chunks of fontina” The history of Fontina is the history of the Valle d'Aosta. The first notes

date back to 1200: whereas while there were some who were constructing

impregnable castles, someone was paying attention to making life more flavorsome,

and so produced the ancestor to the Fontina.... Already cheeses were mentioned in

the feudal archives of 1267, and in the Summa Lacticinorum, written in 1477, it is said about Valle d'Aosta: "Here the

cheeses are good and the pastures excellent. There are made to medium size, and become stringy when put on the fire or

when placed into food". A description of which there gives off already the perfume of the, by now, famous fondue. In

the castles of the Valle d'Aosta, there are frescoes in which between dames, cavaliers and warriors there may be seen a

medieval bench of cheese sellers on which is recognizable the typical form of Fontina.” and an anchovy, then pop the toasted squares into a hot oven for a minute, and serve piping hot.

Providing hearty sustenance, carbonade is a classic Valdostan stew. The meal is made with salt-cured or fresh beef, onions, red wine, butter, and nutmeg, and often is served with polenta. The name – derived from carbone, or coal – refers to the dark gravy that results after the meat is

cooked.

Eaten in soup, with lardo (spiced bacon), or savored alone with a pat of fresh butter, pane nero (black bread) is a staple food for families in the valley. Made with rye and wheat flours, this bread was baked traditionally in the communal oven just once a year and was dried to preserve it. Today, residents and visitors consume so much of the satisfying pane nero that it is made fresh on a daily or weekly basis.

After a delicious and satisfying fonduta, friends and neighbors may be found sipping a cup of grolla dell'amicizia, or cup of friendship, to keep warm on a chilly night. More than just an after-dinner drink, grolla consists of wine and espresso that are mixed and spiked with grappa and served hot in a wooden goblet with a lid to keep in the heat.

Aosta Valley typical food: Capriolo alla valdostana: venison stewed in red wine with vegetables, herbs, grappa, cream. Carbonade: salt-cured beef cooked with onions and red wine in a rich stew. Minestra di castagne e riso: thick soup of rice cooked in milk with chestnuts. Polenta alla rascard: cornmeal cooked, cooled and sliced, then baked with layers of Fontina and a ragout of beef and sausage. Risotto alla valdostana: Fontina, toma, Parmigiano Reggiano and butter make this one of the creamiest of rice dishes. Seupa de gri: barley soup with potatoes, onions, seasonal vegetables, salt pork.

GNOCCHI DI PATATE ALLA BAVA Gnocchi with Fontina

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. baking potatoes - 8 oz. Fontina, thinly sliced - 4 oz. flour - 4 oz. butter - salt

Preparation:

Make the gnocchi as in basic recipe. In this case, no egg is required in the dough. Also, this gnocchi should be prepared right before use. Cook gnocchi, and strain. Place alternate layers of gnocchi and Fontina in a buttered baking dish, making sure you have at least 3 layers. The top layer should be of cheese. Dot with butter and bake for 5 mins. Let it rest 5 more mins. and serve.

Veneto Food:

The 'Veneto' is an essentially agricultural region growing wheat, maize, mulberry bushes, olive, fruit trees and vines. The industrial sector includes oil refineries, smelting works and chemical plants which are concentrated in the vicinity of Venice at Mestre-Marghera, as well as a large production of hydro-electric energy in the valleys of the Pre-Alps. The latter supplies the textile industry. The landscape is punctuated by two small volcanic groups, the Berici Mountains south of Vicenza and the Euganean Hills near Padua. The slopes of these blackish heights carry vines, peach orchards and are the site of hot springs. In the Po delta (Polesine) and that of the Adige lie impoverished, grandiose and desolate areas, subject to river floods. Following reclamation certain areas are farmed on an industrial scale for wheat and sugar beet. The coastline takes the form of lagoons (lido) separated from the sea by spits of sand pierced by

gaps (porti). Venice, whose industrial sector is continually growing, is built on piles in one of these lagoons.As in the Po Plain, the people eat polenta, a form of semolina made from maize, sometimes accompanied by

little birds, risi e bisi (rice and peas), and fegato alla veneziana (calf's liver fried with onions). The shell-fish, eels and

dried cod (baccala) are excellent. The best wines come from the district of Verona; Valpolicella and Bardolino, rose' or

red, perfumed and slightly sparkling, and Soave, which is white and strong.

Grappa

Grappa is grape pomace, the remnants of winegrape pressings. Derived from the crushed skins, pulp and seeds of winegrapes, grappa is produced throughout Italy and is generally considered to be one of the most elementary of distilled spirits-an authentic case of Distilling 101, if you will. Regardless of which accounts of the history of distilling you adhere to, it is certain that distillation of some forms of grape juice was occurring in Italy by the 12th century. For centuries, grappa has been the peasant's drink of choice. Farmers in bucolic districts such as Piedmont, the Veneto, Umbria, Friuli, and Tuscany customarily wanted a strong drink to help patch up their workday wounds and

salve their aches for the night It was grappa that became Italy's national spirit. It is a liqueur now.

Specialty Foods of Veneto

Risi, or rice, is a mainstay on the Venetian menu, but it’s generally served differently than in most other areas of Italy. Rice is never eaten by itself, but always cooked and served with other ingredients, such as lamb, sausages, chicken livers, tripe, beans, and raisins, as well as with fish and shellfish. The most famous Venetian rice dishes are risi e bisi (rice and fresh peas) and risi e figadini (rice with chicken livers), which have the consistency of a thick soup. Risotto – made with fish, beans, chicken, veal, or vegetables such as fennel or zucchini – is also popular in the Veneto, with specialties such as Risotto alla sbirraglia: spring chicken and lean veal braised with rice and vegetables and Risotto primavera: diced string beans, artichokes, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes united with peas and asparagus tips and braised with rice in the spring.

Baccalà, dried, salted cod fish, is one food that the people of Venice and the larger region of Veneto agree on. It is widely served throughout the area, at gala dinners or on everyday tables, often mixed with polenta into a delicate, delicious “cream” that is eaten as an appetizer with cocktails or as a first course. Baccala’ alla Visentina, which is a version of baccalà that hails from the city of Vicenza, is a slow-cooking dish with many variations, and which ingredients should or should not be included (milk, celery, potatoes) is often the subject of heated but friendly debate among Venetian food lovers.

Polenta, a modest dish made from cornmeal, is a staple food of much of Northern Italy, but nowhere is it more popular than in the Veneto region. It was (and still is) traditionally prepared by stirring cornmeal, water, and salt over heat constantly for 40 to 45 minutes with a wooden stirring stick called a mescola. (To ease the burden, families would often take “shifts” as stirrers.) The resulting “mush” is then poured onto a wooden board to cool, and cut with kitchen string while still hot (a knife can be used once the polenta is set). Today, automatic stirring machines make the job easier, but they do not supply the togetherness of sitting around the kitchen and stirring the fragrant polenta as it cooks. Pasticcio di polenta: layers of fried polenta and stew of wood pigeon with mushrooms baked in pie crust.

Veneto’s contribution to Italy’s pasta culture is a style of fresh pasta called bigoli, which gets its name from the traditional kitchen implement that’s used to make it, called a bigolaro, a four-inch-wide bronze tube. Bigoli, a long, spaghetti-style pasta with a hole in its middle, is made on a hand-operated press by forcing pasta dough through the bigolaro, then cutting the strands to the desired length. A typical Venetian preparation is bigoli in salsa, which tosses the bigoli with a delicious sauce of anchovies, olive oil, and cooked onions and bigoli co l'anara: “spaghetti” and sauce of duck liver and innards with vegetables and herbs.

Veneto typical food: Bigoli co l'anara: “spaghetti” and sauce of duck liver and innards with vegetables and herbs. Carpaccio: the original (named for the Venetian Renaissance painter) was thin-sliced raw beef dressed with mayonnaise containing mustard and Worcestershire sauce, though popularity has inspired creations with meat, fish, cheese, mushrooms and truffles. Fegato alla veneziana: calf's liver sauteed with onions, parsley and sage in butter and oil with a hint of vinegar. Granseola alla veneziana: the meat of boiled spider crab pounded in a mortar and served in the hollowed shell with olive oil, pepper, lemon, parsley. Pasta e fasioi: noodles of any type and beans in a thick minestra, often flavored with onion, carrot, celery, pork rind, though recipes vary around the region. Pasticcio di polenta: layers of fried polenta and stew of wood pigeon with mushrooms baked in pie crust. Pastissada de caval: horsemeat stewed with tomatoes, onions and herbs in red wine. Risotto alla sbirraglia: spring chicken and lean veal braised with rice and vegetables. Risotto primavera: diced string beans, artichokes, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes united with peas and asparagus tips and braised with rice in the spring. Tiramisu: coffee-flavored cream of mascarpone and eggs, layered with savoiardi (ladyfingers) and topped with curls of bitter chocolate. Torresani allo spiedo: pigeons roasted on the spit with salt pork basted with oil containing mashed bay leaf, rosemary, juniper berries.

Capesante in tecia - Scallops in Tecia

Ingredients:

- 16 scallops in the shell - 1 tbs. parsley, chopped - 2 tbs. breadcrumbs - 1 clove of garlic - 3 tbs. dry white wine - 2 oz. olive oil - salt

Preparation:

Open the scallops, remove the mollusks with the roe and keep the shells. Wash under running water and pat dry. Make a battuto of parsley and breadcrumbs and coat the scallops with it. Sauté the garlic in a skillet with oil. Remove when golden brown. Add the scallops, turning quickly, then add wine. Reduce briskly and finish the cooking in the oven for another 4 mins. Season and serve immediately, either by returning the scallops back into their own shell, previously heated, or placing them on a serving platter.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Food:

Love and respect for food are the pride and the banner of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Every single itinerary, every discovery regarding arts or nature has its joyful ending around a table lavishly laid out with different and surprising tasty dishes. In actual fact, here you will find yourself right in the heart of the cross-roads where the freshness of the Mediterranean cuisine, the mountain goodness of the Alpine dishes, the savory taste of the Slav and Austro-Hungarian specialties all come together, without being mixed up. And you will always feel satisfied and contented.

Molluscs, shellfish and fresh fish all add color and savor to the characteristic cuisine that can be tasted along the coastline. However, Friuli Venezia Giulia also means frico (a delicious cooked cheese dish), Montasio Cheese, San Daniele prosciutto - cured ham, asparagus, gubana (a traditional cake made with dried fruit), olive oil from the Riviera in Trieste and thousands of other specialties and products characteristic of the single places and territories.

Whether you may have chosen one of the most famous restaurants mentioned in the best Italian and foreign guidebooks, or an agri-resort on a hill, or a village osteria or inn (In Friuli Venezia Giulia there are still many of these typical places!) or even a typical osmizza (a kind of agri-resort) on the Carsic area in Trieste, the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia will always be a surprise for you when you sit down to eat at one of its tables.

San Daniele prosciutto is one of the world’s best hams, made only by 27 small producers within the town of San Daniele. The

locals will tell you that the quality of the pigs, fresh air from the nearby Alps, humidity of the Adriatic Sea, and the care taken with seasoning are what make this ham deliciously unique. Free of additives and seasoned only with sea salt, San Daniele proscuitto has no more than 3-4% fat, found only on the edges of the meat.

A basic frico consists of cheese that has been fried like a pancake until it is crisp. Potatoes and other ingredients can be added, which makes the dish more of a frittata or omelet. There are endless variations to be found throughout Fruili Venezia-Giulia; every village and valley seems to have its own special version. Once a staple of local shepherds, today a frico most often appears as

an appetizer.

Montasio cheese has been an export of the region since the 18th century, and today, it may only be produced legally within the area covering Friuli Venezia-Giulia and the Veneto provinces of Belluno and Treviso, together with parts of Padua and Venice. This delicious cow’s milk cheese is mild when young; stronger when aged to 10 months; and tangy at its most mature, when it can be grated as an alternative to Parmesan.

Friuli typical foods include:

Boreto alla graisana: chowder of fish (preferably turbot) stewed with olive oil, garlic, vinegar. Fasõj e uardi: bean and barley soup with pork, onion, celery and herbs. Frico: aged Montasio grated, mixed with cornmeal and fried flat and crisp; some recipes add chopped onions or potatoes. Granzevola alla triestina: spider crab meat baked with breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon, parsley. Gulasch or glas: beef stewed with onion, tomato, herbs, chili peppers and paprika. Jota or jote: beans, potatoes and sausages simmered with broth in an earthenware pot are flavored with sauerkraut and sage sautÚed in garlic in the Trieste version of the soup. Muset e bruada pork-rind sausage boiled and served with bruada or brovada (turnips pickled in vinegar), sautéed with onion, garlic, salt pork. Paparot: corn meal with chopped spinach and garlic in a tasty gruel. Risotto di Marano: rice boiled in fish stock served with sautéed shrimp, squid and mussels.

Polenta e osei - Polenta with skewered meats Ingredients:

• 8 ounces pancetta, sliced

• 8 ounces round of beef fillets

• 12 leaves fresh sage

• 1 pound pork loin, cut into fillets

• 4 ounces veal cutlet

• 12 skewers

• 4 links fennel sausage, removed from casing and cut into chunks

• 4 ounces pancetta, cubed

• 2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• About 1/2 cup basic meat broth

• Salt to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place 1 slice of pancetta on each beef fillet. Cover with a piece of sage and roll into a tight cylinder. Do the same for the pork and veal. Thread the rolled meats onto the skewers, alternating with chunks of sausage and cubes of pancetta. Meanwhile, make the polenta: Bring 8 cups salted water to a rolling boil over medium heat in a heavy-gauge saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, pour in the polenta in a steady stream, and cook, whisking frequently until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan and the whisk stands up by itself in the center of the polenta. While the polenta is cooking, heat the butter in a skillet over low to moderate heat and cook the skewers a few minutes per side until golden. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 15 minutes, adding broth as necessary to keep the meats from sticking. Spoon the cooked polenta onto a serving platter. Stick the skewers into the surface of the polenta so that they are standing up straight, and serve with a platter of sautéed greens

CENTRAL ITALY FOOD Art and literature have emphasized the extravagant banquets of Renaissance courts, the revelry of Medieval hunting and harvest feasts, the conspicuous consumption of the ancient Romans. Yet, barring the occasional episodes of excess, patterns of eating in central Italy have historically upheld the culture of country cooking and the virtues of simplicity and balance.

The diet in all six regions adheres to Mediterranean standards in the reliance on olive oil, grains and seasonal produce. But cooking styles vary markedly in a territory split into ethnical enclaves by the Apennines, the mountainous spine of the peninsula. In ancient times, the Adriatic side was inhabited by Sabellian and Oscan tribes of the Abruzzi and Molise and Piceni and Senone Gauls of the Marches. On the Tyrrhenian side, Latium was inhabited by Latins and Sabines, Umbria by Umbri and Etruscans, who from their base in Tuscany gained territory up and down the peninsula before being subdued by the Romans.

Notions of unity were advanced under the Roman empire, but for centuries after its fall the various states of central Italy struggled to assert autonomy against the menace of foreign invaders and the hegemony of papal Rome. Umbria and the Marches remained largely loyal to the papacy. The Abruzzi, of which Molise was a province until 1963, maintained historical ties to southern regimes. Tuscany, despite battles between Florence and other city states and spells of foreign rule, upheld a measure of independence.

Historical patterns still reflect in regional diets. As the national capital, Rome serves as an intermediary between north and south in political as well as culinary matters. Abruzzi and Molise show a southern touch in dishes that are decisively piquant. The Marches shares recipes with central neighbors, as well as Emilia-Romagna to the north. Tuscany and Umbria have tastes in common, though throughout the heartland cooks

uphold traditions in local ways.

The ancient grain called farro, the predecessor of hard wheat, is still used in soups. Until recent times, the chestnut was the leading staple of the diet in the uplands of the Apennines. Eaten roasted or boiled, chestnuts were also dried and ground into flour for polenta, soups, flat breads, cakes and pastries. They were even used to fatten pigs. Today, of course, wheat is the base of pasta and most bread, including the unsalted loaves unique to Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches.

Over all the use of pasta is about evenly split between dried and fresh types in the central regions, where rice and polenta play secondary roles. Abruzzi and Molise have solid traditions of maccheroni. In Latium, spaghetti, bucatini and rigatoni share the spotlight with Rome's egg-based fettuccine. Dried pasta is produced in quantity in Umbria and the Marches, though cooks still often hand roll the dough for tagliatelle and local delights. Homemade noodles are also preferred in Tuscany, but that's one place where bread historically outweighed pasta.

Fine olive oil is made through the central hills, though the paragon of extra vergine comes from Tuscany, Umbria, northern Latium and Abruzzi. Garden produce is rigorously seasonal. Rome is renowned for artichokes and peas, Tuscany for white beans and black cabbage, the uplands of Abruzzi, Umbria and the Marches for lentils, chickpeas and potatoes. The central Apennines are a major source of truffles, both the prized white varieties found in the Marches and parts of Tuscany and the black varieties that thrive in

Umbria.

Consumption of fresh seafood was historically confined to coastal areas. Each Adriatic port boasts a local recipe for the fish soup called brodetto. Along the Tuscan coast the counterpart is cacciucco. But even in inland places, such as landlocked Umbria, cooks made good use of preserved anchovies, tuna, sardines and salt cod.

Meat plays a key role in regional diets, with preferences for lamb and kid to the south and veal and beef to the north, particularly in Tuscany, whose Chianina steers provide the legendary bistecca alla fiorentina. Chianina, like the Marches' Marchigiana and Romagna's Romagnola breeds of white cattle are protected under the DOP of Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale, which extends through the central part of the Apennines. Poultry and rabbit are appreciated everywhere, as are game birds, hare and wild boar in regions where hunting is still considered more a birthright than a sport.

Pork is prominent everywhere, in the salumi made by butchers whose ancient craft was perfected in the Umbrian town of Norcia. The Marches, Latium, Umbria and Tuscany all claim the origins of porchetta, a whole pig boned and stuffed with garlic, wild fennel, rock salt and peppercorns and roasted slowly in wood-burning ovens.

Pecorino is the dominant cheese in all regions, though styles range from soft, young marzolino (made from milk of sheep or goats grazed on green grass in early spring) to firm and tangy types to aged Pecorino Romano, hard and sharp and used mainly for grating.

The six central regions between them produce less than a quarter of Italy's wines, yet they account for more than a third of the DOC/DOCG total. The so-called renaissance in Italian wine gained impetus in Tuscany, renowned not only for the classics of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano but also for unclassified reds sometimes lauded as "Super Tuscans." The red Montepulciano of the Abruzzi has won growing acclaim, though the best known wines of other regions are white: the Marches with Verdicchio, Umbria with Orvieto and Latium with Frascati and other wines of the Castelli Romani.

Emilia Romagna Food

'Enjoy your meal'! Why? Go into any restaurant of Emilia-Romagna and you will understand. Or, is you cannot (yet) get there, try at home some of the recipes listed below, you will find the right ingredients that come right from the producers in Emila-Romagna.

This is an eminently gastronomical region, whose pork-butchers' meat is the most famous in Italy: Bologna salami and mortadella, Modena zamponi (pigs' trotters), Parma prosciutto (ham). Pastas are varied and tasty when served a la bolognese - that is, with meat-gravy and tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese (parmigiano), hard and pale yellow, is strong and delicate in flavor. Emilia produces Lambrusco, a fruity, sparkling red wine, and white Albano.

Specialty Foods of Emilia-Romagna

It is difficult to imagine an antipasti plate without prosciutto di Parma” In Italian there is a distinction between prosciutto crudo, literally "raw ham", which is cured ham, what English speakers refer to as "prosciutto" and prosciutto cotto, "cooked ham", which is similar to what English speakers call "ham". Parma is a cultivated city, wealthy and well-disposed, located in the Emilia-Romagna region. This is one place where people know how to live well: Sunday mornings are whiled away breakfasting (for at least 2 hours!) on cold-cuts and champagne at a bistro with friends. People who know so well that there's a time to work and a time to enjoy, couldn't do anything but produce a truly perfect prosciutto. More than 200 curers are located in the Parma region, where prosciuttos are sent from all over to be cured without

added chemicals in the area's exceptional air. At the end of the curing process, the prosciuttos graduate with honors: certified prosciutti di Parma with a characteristic cornelian red color and melt-in-your-mouth taste. The "Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma" is the farmers' union safeguarding the quality and goodness of Parma prosciutto. In order to be entitled to the "Parma prosciutto" distinction, a prosciutto ham must bear the mark representing a five pointed ducal crown, symbol of the Consorzio.”, the delightful ham named for one of the region’s culinary capitals. Made from carefully raised local pigs, prosciutto di Parma is simplicity personified: salted, cured with air descended from the Apennine mountains, then aged in special underground caves and closely tended to by Parma’s salumieri. This meat has a pure, unadulterated flavor that is an abiding passion for many. Its silky consistency and rich, clean taste can be enjoyed draped over a plate in thin, ribbon-like slices; wrapped around crunchy, delicate grissini (bread sticks); or tossed with pasta, cream, herbs, and vegetables.

The production of nutty, savory Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is limited to the Emilia-Romagna region to ensure authenticity. It takes about eight quarts of milk to make one pound of this delicacy, the so-called ‘king of cheeses.' Aged for a minimum of 12 months and up to 24 months, Parmigiano Reggiano is made according to the age-old traditions passed down from generation to generation. The cheese is delicious alone, in vegetable-laden soups and salads and in many pasta dishes, some of which claim a literary pedigree. In the Decameron, Boccaccio speaks of “…mountains of grated Parmigiano, on which people did nothing else but prepare maccheroni and ravioli.

The piadina, also known as piada or “piè,” came into being as peasant bread, yet today it is the queen of snacks on the Romagna Riviera. For the many tourists who have stopped in at least once at the colorful kiosks lining the Adriatic coast between Rimini, Riccione and Gabicce, the flavor will always bring to mind sun, sea and holiday memories. This unleavened flatbread is best eaten piping hot; filled with greens, pan-fried vegetables, cheese or ham, and cured meats of all kinds; then folded in two, cut into four, or rolled up. One variation, the crescione, is filled to bursting with sausages and vegetables sautéed with garlic and oil, then folded in two. This

gastronomic delight has gone on to conquer all of Italy with endless street stands now preparing them, and today piadina can even be found in New York.

Aceto balsamico, or balsamic vinegar, is one of the cornerstones of Italian gastronomy, produced exclusively in the province of Modena according to the same time-honored method vinegar-makers have used for centuries. Locally-grown grapes are the preferred raw material, mainly the Lambrusco and Trebbiano varieties, from which is obtained the cooked grape must that is matured in special casks. A good balsamic vinegar is at least 12 years old, but, like the finest of wines, it can be aged for as long as half a century. Just a few drops are all that is required to turn an “ordinary” dish into a work of culinary art, from beef fillet to a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano to even strawberries and ice cream. Although balsamic vinegar is now sold across the United States, often what is available is a factory-produced product. True artisan-made balsamic vinegar is an incomparable taste experience. Look for the word “traditional” on the label, and let flavor be your guide.

Chestnuts For many centuries, the numerous chestnut forests found in the zones up to 700-800 meters elevation were one of the most important nutritional resources in the Apennines. Still today, high quality chestnuts are produced in "natural" cultivations, which use no pesticides or chemical fertilizers. In addition to raw consumption, chestnuts are still processed into flour after being dried on traditional racks or in modern drying facilities. Peeled using a special machine for chestnut "threshing", they are then ground in water-powered mills. The flour obtained, which has a high nutritional and energy value, is used in cooking for soups, bread, desserts, and in particular the well-known delicate ciacci (a traditional mountain sweet). For a number of years, the Modena East Apennine Mountain Community has worked to recover and promote chestnut cultivation. The activity carried out thus far has placed this zone in the forefront at the national level in the sector of chestnut cultivation. Both the chestnuts and marrons, as well as the products obtained from their processing, are identified by a special provincial mark of origin.

Typical foods from Emila Romagna include: Anguilla alla comacchiese: eel from the Comacchio cooked in a tomato-onion-garlic sauce. Anolini alla parmigiana: a stracotto of various meats, vegetables and herbs makes a filling for the envelopes cooked and served in caponâs broth with a liberal grating of Parmigiano Reggiano. Asparagi alla parmigiana: green asparagus served with melted butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Cappelletti romagnoli: the “hats” with a filling of cheese, pork, turkey breast, sage and rosemary are served with a pork ragout or in broth. Cappone ripieno: large capon roast in the oven with a stuffing of veal, ham and Marsala. Garganelli: pasta tubes with ragù alla romagnola based on chicken livers, veal, prosciutto, tomatoes, herbs and bechamel Gramigna: short, curly pasta tubes often served with sausage braised in wine. Lasagne verdi: Bologna's spinach green pasta sheets layered with ragout and bechamel. Passatelli: grated grana, breadcrumbs, eggs and bone marrow are worked into paste and forced through slots to form dumplings, cooked in beef broth as soup in Romagna. Pasticcio di tortellini: in Bologna, the cooked pasta with ragú is baked in a pie crust with broth, grated cheese, breadcrumbs and, if available, white truffles. Pisarei e fasò: tiny pasta rounds with reddish borlotti beans, tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, the pride of Piacenza. Prosciutto con melone: roseate slices of Parma ham with fresh cantaloupe (or figs). Riso con sugo di anatra selvatica: risotto of the lowlands around Ravenna and Ferrara with a sauce from wild duck stewed with white wine, tomato and herbs. Tagliatelle alla duchessa: chicken livers browned in butter flavor noodles dressed with beaten egg yolks and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, as Parma's Marie Louise liked them. Tortelli con le erbette: envelopes filled with ricotta and greens are served with drawn butter around Parma. Tortellini in brodo: the pasta curls with an exquisite meat and cheese filling are traditionally served in capon broth with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Ragu alla Bolognese

Bolognese Ragu

Ingredients: - 1/2 lb. ground beef

- 1/2 lb. ground veal - 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter - 1 small carrot, diced fine - 1 small onion, diced fine - 1 center rib celery, diced fine - 1/2 cup dry white wine - 1 can (35 ozs.) San Marzano tomatoes with liquid

- kosher salt - freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1 Place the beef and veal in a heavy 4 quart Dutch oven. Place the pan over low heat. Cook, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is a uniform grayish color. Transfer to a bowl.

2 Increase the heat to medium and add the butter. Heat until the butter is bubbling. Stir in the carrot, onion and celery. Stir until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons.

3 Return the meat to the pan. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and stir to break them up. Heat to simmering. Adjust the heat so only one or two bubbles rise to the surface at a time. (Long, slow cooking is essential.) Cook, stirring occasionally-more frequently as the sauce thickens-until the sauce is very thick, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. halfway through the cooking, season sparingly with salt and pepper.

The finished sauce should be more like very small pieces of meat bound with a thick tomato mixture than like a tomato sauce flecked with piece of meat. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Food in Abruzzo

The local word for chili pepper is diavolicchio or diavolillo and it is the protagonist of nearly all Abruzzesi dishes. It is in the local pasta dish maccheroni alla chitarra, in the succulent 'ndocca 'ndocca, as well as in simpler pasta sauces and all pork products.

The Abruzzese version of brodetto, the fish soup made along the length of the Adriatic coast, is flavored with tomatoes, garlic, onion and bay leaves. Unlike other versions of brodetto it contains no saffron, which is surprising since the crocus from which saffron is extracted is extensively cultivated near the capital of the region, Aquila. In fact saffron appears in only one local dish, scapece - pickled fish, which is fried and then preserved under saffron- flavored white vinegar in wooden barrels.

The origins of this dish go back over the centuries to the Greeks, who landed on the coast but never penetrated into the interiors as they did in other regions.

Pasta-making was once a craft but is now a large-scale industry, with local brands in strong competition with those from Naples. It is the tradition that has made the modern product so successful, as well as the high- quality durum-wheat grown locally. From: Gastronomy of Italy Anna Del Conte Prentice Hall Press

Specialty Foods of Abruzzo

Peperoncino This red chili pepper, known to the people of Abruzzo as diavolino, or little devil, is a key ingredient in the local cuisine. It spices up everything from brodetto alla pescarese, a fish soup made in the fishing port city of Pescara, to the time-honored spaghetti aglio, olio, e peperoncino (spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and chili).

Maccheroni alla chitarra is an egg pasta that is made with a chitarra, a rectangular beech-wood frame, over which fine metal strings, like those on a guitar, are stretched. The thinly rolled pasta dough is laid over the strings and pushed through with a rolling pin, cutting the dough into uniformly fine, long strands. Traditionally, the maccheroni is served with a lamb, tomato and peperoncino sauce, sprinkled with the local Pecorino cheese.

Saffron is another seasoning that makes an appearance on the Abruzzi menu. The Abruzzi is Italy's principal source of saffron, with the majority of it grown for export. Worth more than its weight in gold - it takes approximately 130,000 flowers to

produce just two pounds - saffron is used respectfully and sparingly by judicious Abruzzese cooks.

Parrozzo is a famous local dessert, a soft cake made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and almonds, covered with chocolate. It was a favorite of the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, a native of Pescara, who supposedly gave the cake its name (which derives from pan rozzo, a round bread of the countryside) and sang its praises in verse.

Confetti The town of Sulmona, Italy’s confectionary capital since the Renaissance, is known for producing the country’s best confetti, or sugar-coated Jordan almonds. These tasty, colorful treats are transformed (using silk, plastic, colored paper, wire, and other accessories) into flowers, blossoms, exotic fruits, and many other imaginative arrangements. Confetti are a common sight at weddings and christenings, where they are given to guests in elaborate bags festooned with ribbons.

Cent’erbe is the most powerful of all Italian liqueurs. Emerald green in color, with a high alcoholic content, it was first produced by herbalists of Abruzzo from various plants indigenous to the alpine region of Abruzzo; hence its name, “one hundred herbs.”

Agnello alle olive: lamb cooked in an earthenware pot with olive oil, black olives, lemon, oregano, hot peppers. Cicoria, cacio e uova: soup of wild chicory and other vegetables with salt pork in chicken broth thickened with eggs and grated pecorino. Coda di rospo alla cacciatora: monkfish cooked with garlic, rosemary, anchovies,

peppers. Lasagne abruzzese: pasta sheets with a peppery meat and tomato sauce. Maccheroni alla chitarra: noodles are often served with a ragout of lamb stewed in wine and olive oil with tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf and peppers. Mazzarelle d'agnello: lamb's lung and innards wrapped in beet greens or chard and braised in white wine. Indocca: pungent stew of pork ribs, feet, ears and rind with rosemary, bay leaf, peppers and vinegar. Pizza rustica: pork sausage, mozzarella, eggs and Parmigiano Reggiano baked in a pie. Polpi in purgatorio: octopus cooked with tomato, garlic, parsley and diavolicchio. Scapece di Vasto: pieces of raw fish, such as ray and smooth hound shark, preserved in earthenware vases with salt, chili peppers and saffron. Scrippelle 'mbusse or 'nfusse: fried crepes coated or filled with pecorino and served in chicken broth. Timballo di crespelle: crepes layered with spinach, artichokes, ground meat, chicken giblets, mozzarella and grated Parmigiano Reggiano baked in an elaborate mold. Virtû: soup of Teramo that according to legend was made by seven damsels who contributed various ingredients, including pieces of pork, beans, peas, greens, herbs, carrots, garlic,onions, tomato and pasta. Zuppa di cardi: soup of giant cardoons from L'Aquila with tomatoes and salt pork. Zuppa di lenticchie e castagne: tiny mountain lentils and fresh chestnuts in a soup with tomatoes, salt pork and herbs.

Preparing the herbs to cook the old sheep - Photo ( The old sheep is boiled in water for 8/9 hours, according to the age of the sheep, until the meat pulls from the bones, in a big pot (cotturo in Abbruzzese)...in this way the sheep loses the greases and becomes tender... then it is put in another pot in layers... sheep, herbs, potatoes - sheep, herbs, potatoes - and so on and it is cooked for one hour... the herbs??? about ten (parsley, carrot and so on, some are secret)

PORCHETTA Roast Suckling Pig

Ingredients:

- 1 suckling pig, 18-22 lbs. - 4 cloves garlic

- olive oil - 2 tbs. white wine

- coriander

- wild fennel seeds - nutmeg

- 4 sprigs rosemary

- peperoncino - salt

- pepper

Preparation:

Chop and sauté the piglet's liver, heart and kidney in 2 tbs. of olive oil. When hot, add the white wine, reduce and remove from heat. The piglet is seasoned with its own liver, heart and kidneys, plus wild fennel seeds, rosemary, salt, pepper, a fair amount of garlic, coriander, nutmeg, and peperoncino. It is then rolled up like a large sausage, securely tied with colorless thread and roasted whole on a spit over charcoal made from aromatic wood for about 4 hours. Cooking time varies according to the piglet's size. The piglet should be basted frequently with a rosemary sprig dipped in oil and with white or red wine.

The juice and fat that collects in the drip pan (leccarda) can be used to cook potatoes and onions, which may be served together with the porchetta. Porchetta can also be roasted in the oven.

Note: Porchetta is always boned to make it easier to serve and eat.

Molise Food: Because of their joint history, Molise shares many of the culinary traditions of Abruzzo, and there are few dishes unique to the region. One is p'lenta d'iragn, a white polenta made with potatoes and wheat and served with a tomato sauce. Another is calconi di ricotta rustica, ravioli stuffed with ricotta, provolone, and prosciutto, then fried in oil. The cheeses of Molise include scamorza, mateca, and burrino.

In the interior of Molise, you can still find orchards with a very old type of apple tree that produces very aromatic fruit known as mela limoncella. Many families used to display these apples around their kitchen and living room doorframes because of their special scent. They have a green-yellow peel, a very strong scent, and a slightly acidic yet sweet flavor.

Molise typical food includes: Abbuoti or torcinelli involtini: (envelopes) of lamb intestines filled with chopped liver, sweetbreads, hardboiled egg and baked. Baccalá alla cantalupese: salt cod cooked with peppers, capers, black olives, grapes, garlic. Calcioni di ricotta rustici: rounds of pasta dough filled with ricotta, provolone and prosciutto fried in olive oil, often part of a fritto misto, fried in oil. Lepre a ciffe e ciaffe: hare cooked in a marinade of vinegar and wine with plenty of herbs. Panettoncino di mais: spongy corn-flour cake with chocolate. Pezzata: ewe stewed with tomato, onion, rosemary and hot peppers. Picellati: pastries filled with honey, nuts and grapes. Pizza con le foglie: corn flour flatbread baked with wild greens; pizza e minestra is a soup of pork broth and field greens with the pizza crumbled into it. Polenta maritata: slices of cornmeal fried in oil with garlic, layered with a filling of red beans and peperoncini and baked in the oven, a specialty of Isernia. Zuppa di ortiche: soup of early spring nettle sprouts cooked with tomato and bacon.

Tacchino arrosto

Roast turkey Molise style

Ingredients:

- 1 turkey, not very big - 6 cloves of garlic - Salt - Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Prepare the turkey. Wash and clean the turkey and open it out with a clean cut down the cartilage of the breastbone. Beat it out with a wooden mallet and

dust inside and out with salt and pepper. Place it in a roasting tin, add the cloves of garlic, squashed. Cover with water and bake in the oven at 200° C (400° F) for about six hours. Turn it over and cover with the juices in the pan to keep it moist. The bird must be colored on all sides.

Tuscany Food:

Olives have been cultivated on the rolling Tuscan hills since the seventh century B.C., so it’s no wonder that extra virgin Tuscan olive oilis an emblem of the culture of this area in the heart of Italy. With its intense green-to-gold color and fruity aroma of almonds, artichokes and mature fruit, this olive oil is one of the finest and most valued in Italy. To fully appreciate the sweet, rounded flavor of Tuscan oil, pour it onto a slice of Tuscan bread that has been lightly toasted and rubbed with garlic (the classic bruschetta).

To the beef connoisseur, few cuts of meat are as exceptional as those from the cattle raised in Tuscany’s Chianna valley. These white-hided cattle produce large cuts of meat (including the huge T-bone steaks known as bistecca alla fiorentina), which is low in fat, remarkably flavorful, and so tender that, traditionally, it requires only a short cooking time over a glowing red-hot charcoal fire, with just a sprinkling of salt.

It literally means “strong bread,” but Italian lovers of sweets know panforte as the famous confectionery of the colorful city of Siena, home to the annual Palio horse races. Legend has it that this delightful concoction of nuts, candied lemon and orange peel, flour, sugar, honey, and spices, originated in the 13th century and was once believed to be an aphrodisiac. Today, panforteis enjoyed all over Italy, especially during the Christmas season.

Vin Santo (“holy wine”) is a soft, medium-dry-to-sweet dessert wine, made from grapes that have been hung up to dry and pressed only when they are almost completely transformed into raisins. It takes two to six years for the resulting wine to mature, during which time it takes on rich flavors of nuts, apricots, honey, and spices. After a meal, Tuscans like to dip the local hard almond cookies, biscotti di Pratoor cantuccini, in small glasses of Vin Santo.

A Brief History of Tuscany Cuisine

In the 1300s, Florence became one of the most important centers of world culture international city that attracted tourists and merchants with its boundless beauty and endless possibilities. Fresh fish and seafood, meat and poultry, vegetables, cheese, and freshly pressed extra-virgin olive oil were sold in the town markets. At this early time, there were already some exquisite convenience foods ready to be purchased: cooked spinach and Swiss chard could be bought alongside herb sauces in the city's shops and on street corners. Fridays and Saturdays were both meatless days, giving rise to a wealth of typically Tuscan fish specialties that are prepared to this day: baccal… in zimino, cacciucco, and a number of grilled, fried, and braised dishes that made the most of the offerings of the Arno river and the Mediterranean.

In 1434, Cosimo de' Medici became the Signore of the city and did much to make his beloved Florence powerful and prestigious. Two of the dishes that have made Tuscany famous reflect Florence's prominence as an international city. Florentines had long been cooking a perfectly roasted pork loin when Cosimo de' Medici persuaded the Pope to move the Ecumenical Council of

the Greek and Roman Churches to Florence in 1440. When the Council met in Florence, this treasure of Tuscan cooking was baptized by visiting Greek priests who exclaimed "aristos!" (magnificent, splendid) upon biting into the crisp, moist meat. Thus was born the name arista, a name still used after five centuries

A similar story can be told about Florence's famous grilled steak, made from the prized Val di Chiana beef. The year was 1500, the day of the feast of San Lorenzo; the streets of Florence were crowded with tourists and celebrants. Beef was grilling in the Square of San Lorenzo. Some English tourists had the fortune of savoring the succulent grilled meat, and upon finishing their portion demanded more "beef steak, beef steak, beef steak." Over the years the Florentines transformed the words beef steak into bistecca, and their bistecca alla fiorentina is still renowned throughout Italy.

In 1533 Caterina de' Medici married the future King of France and moved to Paris, followed by her troop of chefs. A lover of fine food and drink, Caterina revolutionized the essentially medieval cooking of France and transformed it into a refined cuisine. France owes many of its basic ingredients and signature dishes to Caterina's Florentine cooks: olive oil, beans, peas, spinach, artichokes, and ricotta were unknown in France until Caterina introduced them.

In 1860, Florence joined the new Kingdom of Italy. Italy as a country was born under King Vittorio Emanuele II, bringing together the varied history and colorful past of its many regions. Pellegrino Artusi - born in Rome but raised in Tuscany - published La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene in 1891, when he was seventy-one years old. This highly personal work was a veritable love story with the food of Italy and has become a classic; Artusi can be considered the founder of Italian cuisine, for he unified the disparate cooking traditions of the farmers and the bourgeoisie.

Tuscany typical food include: Acquacotta: cooked water, soup of vegetables and herbs, often salt pork, mushrooms and other ingredients, depending on the season. Baccalá alla fiorentina: salt cod fried and then stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic. Cibreo: classic Florentine chicken stew includes giblets, embryonic eggs and cockscombs. Fagioli all'Ucceletto: with beans flavoured with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and sage. Gramugia: soup of fava beans, artichokes, peas and asparagus, an ancient recipe of Lucca. Pappardelle alla lepre: noodles with sauce of hare braised with wine, carrots, celery, onions. Pici: a type of thick, handmade large-size spaghetti, served with a rich sauce. Trippa alla fiorentina: tripe with tomatoes, broth, wine, herbs and grated Parmigiano Reggiano„served on a slice of bread at FlorenceÍs markets as lampredotto.

CINGHIALE ALL'AGRODOLCE Wild Boar in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

- 3 lbs. Wild boar fillet - 1/2 cup wine vinegar - 1 tbs. pine nuts - 4 tbs. butter - 1 pt. red wine - 2 tbs. bitter cocoa - 1 bay leaf - 1 sprig thyme - 3 cloves

- 2 onions, chopped - 1 carrot, chopped - 1 celery stalk, chopped - 1 tbs. sugar - 3 oz. dried prunes, softened and chopped - 1 tsp. peperoncino - 2 tbs. candied orange peel - 1 tbs. raisins - salt

Preparation:

Prepare a marinade by boiling the vinegar and wine with the bay leaf, thyme, peperoncino, cloves, 1 onion, carrot and celery. Pour into a large pot and let cool. Place the boar fillet into the marinade and let sit for 48 hours.

Chop the remaining onion and brown in butter. Add the cocoa, sugar, prunes, candied orange peel, raisins and pine nuts. Stir for a few minutes, then add the boar meat and cook slowly for an hour. Add the filtered marinade, and salt. Continue cooking until the meat is very tender and the sauce thick. Serve with polenta, potatoes or potato gnocchi.

Latium Food:

Carciofi, or artichokes, are enormously popular in Italy – some 90 varieties are grown – and especially prized in Rome. Many varieties are offered in the markets, including the large, thorn-less Romanesco, slim Cantanese and the tender Vioetta. In Rome, they are flattened and fried twice for carciofi alla giudia (Jewish style) an ancient recipe that was born in the Roman ghetto. Carciofi alla Romana, artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, parsley, anchovies, salt and pepper, is another famous Roman dish.

Some of Italy’s best-known pasta dishes originated in Lazio. Bucatini all’Amatriciana, with its sauce of pancetta, tomatoes, and chili pepper, was born in Amatrice, a little village on the border between Lazio and Abruzzo, but the Romans have claimed it for their own. Romans, whose passion for pasta is legendary, also take credit for inventing Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (streetwalker’s spaghetti, so named for the local prostitutes who were said to enjoy its nourishing qualities), which includes garlic, tomatoes, capers, olives, herbs, and anchovies; and Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with bacon, eggs, butter, and cheese.

Tiramisu, which means “pick me up,” may not have originated in Rome, but it is an adopted specialty of the city. The ingredients – mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, raw eggs, sugar, espresso coffee, ladyfingers, liquor and cocoa – result in a scrumptious cold dessert. There are many different recipes for tiramisu; the main differences usually are found in the type of liquor used.

Typical food from Latium include: Abbacchio alla cacciatora: baby lamb cooked with rosemary, garlic, anchovies, vinegar. Baccalá in guazzetto: salt cod in a sauce of olive oil, onions, tomato, pine nuts, raisins. Cozze alla marinara: mussels steamed in their juice with garlic, tomato, parsley. Fettuccine al burro: feather-light egg noodles with butter, cream and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Mazzancolle alla griglia: large prawns grilled with a brushing of olive oil and lemon. Pasta e ceci: soup of chickpeas with garlic, rosemary and pasta noodles. Penne all'arrabbiata: pasta tubes with a ñragingî hot sauce of tomatoes, garlic and chili pepper. Pollo alla romana: young chicken braised in olive oil and white wine with green peppers, tomatoes and garlic Pomodori ripieni: large tomatoes hollowed and baked with a filling of their pulp, rice, potatoes, garlic and basil, usually served as antipasto. Rigatoni con la pajata: squat pasta tubes with sauce based on milk-fed calf's intestine cooked with tomato, salt pork, garlic, herbs and spices, topped with grated pecorino.

Spaghetti alla carbonara Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti • 5 oz pancetta, streaky bacon if you cannot find pancetta, cut

in very small cubes • 1 Tablespoon butter • 3 eggs • 1/4 cup Grated parmigiano reggiano cheese • 1/4 cup pecorino cheese (all Parmesan if you cannot find

pecorino) • Nutmeg • 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoon parsley, chopped • Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Carbonara, an authentic Italian cuisine recipe, is a very popular, tasty and easy to prepare Roman dish, a true Italian regional cuisine dish. Some cooks like to prepare it with smoked bacon, others with pancetta, the cured but not smoked bacon. Be careful not to overcook the pasta, as you will be cooking it a little longer in the pan with the sauce: the pasta should be al

dente, a bit chewy. The eggs should just curdle. Melt the butter in a pan large enough to eventually hold both the pasta and the sauce over medium heat. As soon as the butter is melted, add the diced bacon and cook till crisp and light brown. At the same time bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add the pasta and stir to separate with a wooden spoon or fork. Cook till done. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs along with the Parmesan, pecorino, lots of freshly ground pepper, and a ¼ tsp of nutmeg or more to taste. Add 1 Tablespoon of parsley to mixture and stir. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid, and add to the pan with the oil, butter and bacon mixture. Turn the heat on to very, very low and add the egg/cheese mixture, stirring continuously for a couple of minutes until eggs are heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Remove the pan from heat, and serve the spaghetti alla carbonara immediately onto pre-warmed plates. Pass extra grated cheese at table if you wish.

A bit of history of Italian Cuisine Carbonara

There are a lot of discussions on the origin of the recipe for spaghetti alla carbonara. Somebody credits the “carbonari” umbri, the secret movement in the 1800, that would have brought to Roma capital, others instead attribute the spaghetti alla carbonara paternity to Ippolito Cavalcanti, Neapolitan noble who published its recipe in a book, and others, instead, credit a more recent period: the spaghetti alla carbonara would have been invented by the combination of the strength and ideas of the American soldiers arrived in Rome in 1944 and the local cooks.

The bacon and the dry eggs from the American military rations, in the hands of the roman cooks of the local trattorie would have generated the delicacy of spaghetti alla carbonara.

Regardless of the origins, you can now enjoy real spaghetti alla carbonara in Rome, or even in foreign countries.

SOUTH ITALY FOOD Most of the basic elements, olive oil, wine, cheese, grains, fruits and vegetables, originated in other places, but what came to be known as the Mediterranean diet assumed its enduring character in Italy's south. The Mezzogiorno, as it's often called, was a garden of the Greeks and Romans. The most celebrated foods and wines of the ancient world were produced in these sunny lands at the heart of the Mediterranean.

Yet it isn't historically correct to group collectively six regions that boast distinct cultural heritages. Two are the Mediterranean's largest islands, Sicily and Sardinia, whose natural isolation explains their idiosyncrasies, but Calabria, Basilicata, Apulia and Campania also follow individual customs. Certain traits can be traced to ancient peoples: the Siculi and Sicani of Sicily, the early Sardinians, the Campani, Apuli, Bruttii, Samnites, Lucani and Messapians of the southern peninsula. Some were colonized by the Greeks of Magna Grжcia and all were absorbed into the Roman empire. Southerners shared bonds of unity, if invariably imposed, under Byzantines and Normans and on and off for centuries under French and Spanish rulers of what came to be called the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Sardinia, however, often went it's own way, and even today people of the six regions retain their autonomous spirits.

Most outsiders came to conquer, though some introduced concepts of cooking that proved useful (Greeks and Arabs in particular). Yet all eventually surrendered to local tastes, won over by the flavors, aromas and colors of things that grow in the meridional sun.

Olive oil is fundamental, but the symbol of southern cooking, curiously enough, came to be the tomato, which arrived with peppers, beans and potatoes from America. The pomodoro found a promised land alongside the eggplant from Asia, the melanzane that distinguishes the "parmigiana" classics of Campania and many other dishes. The irresistible piquancy of southern food comes from herbs and spices, above all the tangs of garlic and chili peppers.

Italy's first pasta was almost certainly made in the south, though noodles were preceded by flatbreads called focacce, forerunners of pizza, whose spiritual home (if not its place of origin) is Naples. Baked goods, including pastries, biscuits and cakes, abound in the Mezzogiorno, though nowhere as evidently as in Sardinia, where each village has its own styles of bread.

Arabs in Sicily established a pasta industry in the Middle Ages, using durum wheat for the dried types that still prevail in the south. Tubes and other forms of "short" pasta may be referred to generically as maccheroni, distinguished from "long" types such as spaghetti and vermicelli. Also popular are spiral-shaped fusilli, oblique tubes called penne and larger tubes called ziti or zite, though variations make the pasta field as confusing as it is intriguing. Fresh pasta is also prized, sometimes made with eggs but more often not, in such familiar forms as lasagne, fettuccine and ravioli, through there is no shortage of local peculiarities.

Southern geography is marked by often sharp contrasts between rambling seacoasts and masses of mountains and hills that dominate the interior of most regions. Coastal dwellers have habitually eaten seafood and hill people meat, though preferences aren't always clear cut. Deep waters of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas render tuna and swordfish, shallower waters mollusks and crustaceans for the delectably fresh frutti di mare. Anchovies and sardines are fixtures through the south, though it's also curious to note that all regions have

recipes for baccalà or stoccafisso, the dried cod apparently introduced by the Normans.

Historically, meat had been used thriftily in the south, where every part of the animal is still rendered edible. Prime cuts of veal and beef are rare and prized. Lamb and kid are the glories of the hill country, grilled, roasted, braised or stewed in ragouts to be served with pasta. Poultry is popular, as are game birds, boar and hare where available. But the perennial provider has been the pig, preserved in all manner of sausages and salame (often spicy), soppressata, hams, salt pork and lard that in some places substitutes for olive oil in cooking.

Cheese, or cacio, is fundamental in southern diets. Sheep provide pecorino, which may be eaten at early stages of ripeness or aged to be used for grating. Goat's milk is the source of caprino. Ricotta, preferably from sheep, is eaten fresh or used in pasta fillings, pastries and desserts, though it is also salted and dried to be sliced or grated. The most prominent family of southern cheeses are the pasta filata types, which come mainly from cows. The exemplar is mozzarella, originally (and best) from the milk of bufala, water buffalo, but popular as the cow's milk fior di latte. The oldest member of the clan is caciocavallo, whose name refers to dual forms hanging from strings like saddle bags astride a horse (cavallo). Like the similar provolone, caciocavallo may be eaten after a few months as dolce (mild and tender) or aged for a year or more as piccante (sharp and hard and suited for grating). Both may be smoked. In between are the spongy provola and scamorza, both eaten young, often cooked or smoked. Burrino is a special pasta filata type with a core of butter.

No other sector of Italy boasts such a splendid heritage of sweets and ices. Many desserts bespeak the Arab and Greek influences in Sicily, with its almond pastes, candied fruits, ricotta, honey, raisins and nuts. But anyone with a sweet tooth will find delights all over the south.

The six regions produce about 40 percent of Italian wines, though only a fraction of the classified DOC/DOCG. Still, in vineyards that were long sources of anonymous blending wines, Apulia and Sicily in the forefront, the emphasis is increasingly on premium quality. The southern wines of greatest historical stature were sweet and fortified. But trends everywhere favor dry, balanced reds, many suited for aging, and fresh, fruity whites and rosйs.

Few places in the Mezzogiorno are known for deluxe restaurants or traditions of haute cuisine. Feasting is reserved for holidays and truly special occasions. The genius of southern cooking lies in the local individuality of everyday fare, the pure and simple preparations of foods whose flavors, aromas and colors capture the essence of the Mediterranean.

Significantly, the six southern regions lead the nation in biological farming, accounting for about 75 percent of Italy's organic produce. Sardinia and Sicily together accounted for more than half of the 960,000 hectares (2,372,000 acres) devoted to organic farming in 1999.

Campania Food:

The fertile volcanic soil of Campania combines with a perfect climate to produce the best fruit and vegetables in Italy. The Romans were quick to appreciate the richness of the Soil, the beauty of the landscape, the dry soft climate and the warmth of the inhabitants. Campania became their vast vegetable garden and their

orchard, as well as the playground of the wealthy.

On the whole the local cooking is quick and brief. This is exemplified in the fritto misto a dish aptly described in Neapolitan dialect by the expression frienno magnanno, meaning frying and eating. The food must be eaten straight after it comes out of the frying pan.

The cheese which immediately comes to mind when speaking of Naples is mozzarella, which, in union with the tomato, has found its apotheosis in the pizza. But many other cheeses are produced in Campania, both from cow's and sheep's milk: scamorza, provolone, caciocavallo and pecorino, all of which can be fresh or aged and are equally excellent. They are an everyday component of a Neapolitan meal, as is the sublime local fruit. It is only on special occasions that sweets arrive at the table, usually rich and elaborate, reminiscent of Arab cooking, and related to religious feasts.

Specialty Foods of Campania

Mozzarella di bufala Campana, or buffalo mozzarella, is the most celebrated and prized of mozzarella cheeses, made exclusively from whole buffalo milk. A cheese of very ancient origin, mozzarella takes its name from a very special part of the production cycle, when the curd, after being stretched, is mozzata (an Italian term meaning “lopped off”) to obtain pieces of a suitable size. Italian buffalo have always been concentrated in the Southern region of Campania; most of the herds are in the province of Caserta. The mozzarella production chain is so inextricably tied to this area that buffalo mozzarella of the Campania region obtained the DOP (Denominazione dOrigine Protetta -Protected Designation of Origin) mark in 1996, guaranteeing maximum quality for the consumer.

Born in Naples more than 300 years ago, pizza is often thought of as “genuine Italian food” by non-Italians, but this beloved food was little known in Italy (outside of Naples) until the 1970s. Pizza came to the United States early in the 20th century during the great migration of Italians from Southern Italy. Today, pizza is enormously popular the world over, even if it sometimes hardly resembles the authentic Neapolitan dish. In 2004, Italy drew up a series of rules that must be followed to make a true Neapolitan pizza: the dough must rise for at least six hours and must be kneaded and shaped by hand; the pizza must be round and no more than 13.7 inches in diameter; and it must be cooked in a wood-fired oven. And only three versions are permitted: Marinara with garlic and oregano; Margherita with basil, tomatoes and cheese from the southern Apennine mountains; and the “Extra Margherita” which must include buffalo mozzarella from the Campania region.

When is a lemon more than just a lemon? When it’s a Sorrento Ovale, also known as the Massa Lubrense lemon, which is produced and sold under the protection of the European Union. This high quality, highly perfumed medium-to-large fruit is identified by its sweet, juicy flesh and few seeds. Even its cultivation is special: the precious fruit is hand-picked to prevent it falling to the ground, and is typically is ripened under pagliarelle, straw mats attached to wooden poles (preferably made of chestnut), which help protect it from the elements. This method also allows for longer ripening times, making the lemons available for a longer season.

The most famous product made from Sorrento lemons is limoncello (or limunciel, as the Campanians call it), a delicious liqueur that is the result of an infusion of lemon peel in the purest alcohol. This traditional recipe has been handed down through generations. The herbal liqueur strega, which is enjoyed throughout Italy, is produced in the capital town of Benevento from a secret recipe that has been closely guarded by the Alberti family for almost 140 years.

Typical food from Campania includes: Baccalà alla napoletana: salt cod with tomato, black olives, raisins, pine nuts, capers, garlic. Cianfotta: peppers, eggplants, zucchini, onions and basil stewed in olive oil and served cold. Coniglio all'ischitana: rabbit braised with tomatoes, rosemary, basil and white wine Ischia style. Coviglie al caffé: coffee mousse topped with toasted beans and whipped cream.

Coviglie al cioccolato: is the chocolate version served with a candied cherry. Empepata di cozze: mussels cooked in their juice with lemon, parsley and black pepper. Peperoni imbottiti: red and yellow bell peppers stuffed with anchovies, black olives, capers, garlic, breadcrumbs. Polpi affogati: baby octopus "drowned" in boiling salt water, then sautèed with olive oil, tomatoes and hot peppers. Spaghetti alla puttanesca: “strumpet style” with tomato sauce, black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, chili pepper--specialty of Ischia. Taralli: ring-shaped biscuits baked with almonds and lard, or sometimes fennel seeds; the sweet types with vanilla, cinnamon and liqueur are called tarallucci dolci. Zeppole di San Giuseppe: puffy pastry fritters sometimes with a creamy filling. Ziti ripieni: large pasta tubes stuffed with chopped pork and salame, onion, raw eggs and caciocavallo cheese. Zuppa di cozze: mussels in a soup of tomatoes, white wine, parsley and hot peppers.

BRACIOLE DI MAIALE ALLA NAPOLETANA Pork Loin with Garlic

Ingredients: - 1 lb. boneless pork loin - 4 cloves garlic - 2 tbs. raisins - 2 tbs. pine nuts - 1 oz. capers - 2 tbs. olive oil - 1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped - 1 tbs. parsley - salt - pepper Preparation:

Slice the pork loin and flatten slightly with a wooden mallet. Chop 2 cloves of garlic very finely, mix with the raisins, pine nuts and capers. Place a small amount of this mix on each slice of pork and roll the slices of pork into braciola. Tie with colorless string. Brown the remaining garlic in oil, and then remove it. Add the pork braciola, brown on all sides, add tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for 25 mins. over a low flame. Add parsley, remove from heat and serve.

Note 1: Braciola can be added to a ragù.

Apulia food

"La cucina pugliese nasce come cucina povera," says Paola Pettini who for twenty-five years has directed a cooking school in her native Bari: The cuisine of Puglia was born as the cuisine of poverty. What this means, she explains, is pasta made without eggs, bread made from the hard-grain durum wheat flour that flourishes locally, and a diet based on vegetables, including many wild vegetables like cicorielle, wild chicory, and lampascioni , the bulb of a wild tassel hyacinth, foods that are foraged from stony fields and abandoned terraces. Meat is not much eaten and beef until a few years ago, was almost unknown on Pugliese tables, with horsemeat being preferred. For Christmas and Easter feasting, weddings and baptisms, Pugliese cooks look to what are called animale da cortile, farmyard animals, especially chickens and rabbits, although this rocky landscape being sheep country, lamb is the very symbol of feasting, as it is in most of the Mediterranean. The food of Puglia is in essence a home-based cuisine, not marked by the influence of great chefs or restaurants. Because it is based on home cooking, this is a cucina delle donne, created by women cooking at home rather than male chefs in professional kitchens. It is a cuisine without rules and regulations, based solely on what's in the family larder, which is then stretched and expanded to feed those who may show up all’improvviso, at the unplanned last minute. Pugliese cuisine is based on Apulian olive oil, one of the great products of the region. In any given year, Puglia produces as much as two-thirds of all the olive oil in Italy, and while much of it is shipped north, more of it stays right here to be used in Pugliese kitchens. Source: Flavors of Puglia Nancy Harmon Jenkins Broadway Books

Compared to other Italian regions, Puglia cultivates most types of wheat, but durum wheat is its main crop. Most dried pasta is made from durum wheat, the hardest of all wheats. (The word

“durum” comes from the Latin word “durus,” meaning “hard.”) Durum wheat’s density, combined with its high protein content and gluten strength, make it the wheat of choice for producing premium pasta products (Barilla pasta is made from 100% durum wheat. Pasta made from durum is firm and provides a consistent cooking quality. Whether it’s the appetizing aroma of a steaming bowl of orecchiette pasta or the warm, sweet aroma of homemade bread, the Pugliese know how to produce magic from their bounty of wheat.

As essential to the Italian kitchen as a pasta pot, Apulian olive oil is one of the finest olive oils in the world. Olive oil and table olives are one of the main agricultural products of this region, which accounts for 40 percent of Italy’s output of olive oil. For a simple taste of Puglia, tear off a generous piece of a local rustic bread, such as Altumura, and dip it into one of the many provincial varieties that range in flavor and intensity such as Coratina, Cima di Bitonto, Cellina di Nardó, Cima di Mola, or L’Olio di Peranzana.

Pasta and bread play a fundamental role in Pugliese cuisine – and Pane di Altumura is at the helm of this tradition. This wonderful bread, made only with durum wheat flour harvested at Alta Murgia near Bari, natural yeast, sourdough, and salt, is shaped into round loaves and baked in ovens, heated exclusively by burning oak wood, until a golden crust is formed. When freshly baked, it is extremely soft and crunchy, and becomes firmer

after a few days.

Specialty Foods of Puglia Agnello al cartoccio: lamb chops baked in paper or foil with lampasciuoli and olives. Bocconotti: half-moon shaped pastry shells flavored with Marsala and filled with cream and jam and baked. Carteddate: ribbons of pastry dough flavored with Marsala rolled and fried in olive oil and topped with honey and cinnamon; purciduzzi are similar. Cavatieddi con la ruca: pasta shells with cooked rocket greens, tomato and pecorino. Ciceri e tria: chick peas and noodle soup. Cozze alla leccese: mussels baked with oil, lemon and parsley. Gniumerieddi: skewers of lamb or kid innards with slices of salt pork, pecorino and bay leaves grilled over the coals of a wood fire. Melanzane alla campagnola: eggplant sliced, grilled and served with olive oil, chopped garlic, basil and mint. Melanzane ripiene: baked eggplant hollowed and stuffed with its chopped pulp, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, capers, olives, anchovies. Incapriata: thick soup of fava beans mashed with bitter chicory. Orata alla barese: gilt-head bream roasted with potatoes, garlic, grated pecorino. Ostriche alla tarantina: Taranto oysters breaded and baked with olive oil and parsley. Seppie ripiene: small cuttlefish baked with a stuffing of chopped mussels and squid, capers, breadcrumbs, grated pecorino. Tiella di cozze: mussels baked with rice, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, grated pecorino. Zuppa alla tarantina: peppery soup of shellfish with grouper, eel, prawns and cuttlefish simmered with tomatoes and served with toasted garlic bread.

Orecchiette alle cime di rapa

Orecchiette with Broccoli rabe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (500 g) orecchiette

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) broccoli rabe

• 1 hot pepper, shredded

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 tablespoons olio extra vergine d'oliva

• Grated Pecorino Romano (not too sharp)

Preparation:

Pick over and clean the broccoli. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the broccoli, and after a few minutes stir in the orecchiette and cook the two together until the orecchiette are done. While the pasta's cooking, simmer the garlic and the pepper in the oil, taking care lest the garlic brown and become bitter. Drain the pasta and broccoli well, turn them out into the skillet with the oil and garlic, cook, stirring, for a few seconds to distribute the seasoning evenly, and serve with grated cheese.

Calabria Cuisine:

Peperoncino Cancariello, pipariellu, pipazzu, pipi vruscente: these are just some of the local names for peperoncino, the most important ingredient in the culinary heritage of Calabria. Whether long or round, red, orange, yellow or green, fresh, dried, or crushed: it’s difficult to find a local specialty here that doesn’t contain chili pepper. Originally from the Americas, chili pepper found its ideal habitat in Calabria, although it may seem a paradox that there is relatively little commercial cultivation of this crop here: everybody grows it at home, either in the garden or in a pot, and everyone has a string of chili peppers hanging on

a door or at a window.

The name melanzane alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmesan, sounds like this popular dish (eggplant that is fried, then baked in the oven with tomato and cheese) is a specialty of Parma. But it was invented in Calabria (and is typical of much of the Italian south), where the eggplant has been the queen of vegetables for centuries. Calabria’s dry climate, high temperatures, and nearly calcium-free soil are ideal for growing eggplants because they prevent a build-up of the fruit’s bitter juices and concentrate its sweet flavor. The name melanzana derives from the Latin malum insanum, which translates as “the fruit which makes one crazy”! Perhaps this is why until the late 19th century, the eggplant was viewed with great suspicion in central and northern Italy. Today, it is enjoyed throughout the country.

Most Italians consider breakfast to be a brioche and a steaming cappuccino, but the Calabrians insist on a cooked breakfast called murseddu. It consists of a ragu made from pig and calf’s liver that are cooked slowly in tomatoes, herbs and hot red pepper, and then stuffed in the local pitta bread.

Despite numerous attempts to export production to other areas in Italy and the world, bergametto, or bergamot oranges, thrive only in Calabria. Bergamot oranges have a smooth, thin peel, an acidic flavor, and an intense scent. They look like an orange, but their color ranges from green to yellow, depending on how ripe they are. Their essential oil is used not only to flavor liqueurs, tea (such as Earl Grey), sweets and drinks, but also in perfumery and cosmetics.

Typical food from Calabria includes: Alalunga in agrodolce: tender young tuna cooked in sweet-sour sauce of onion and vinegar. Cannarãculi: Christmas fritters made of flour and sweet cooked wine coated with honey. Chinulille: sweet ravioli stuffed with chocolate, chestnuts, candied fruit and nougat and fried. Ciambotta: stew of eggplant, peppers, potatoes, onions, tomatoes eaten hot or cold. Licurdia: onion soup thickened with bread and grated pecorino and laced with hot pepper. Millecosedde: vegetable soup whose ñthousand thingsî include cabbage, celery, mushrooms, fava beans, chickpeas and the similar but stronger flavored cicerchie. Murseddu: pie of pork and veal liver with tomato and peppers. Mursiellu: stew of tripe and pork innards cooked with tomato, peppers and wine. Mÿstica: baby anchovies preserved in olive oil, also known as “Calabrian caviar.” Perciatelli e lumache: pasta tubes with snails in a piquant tomato-pepper sauce. Pesce spada alla bagnarese: swordfish in the style of Bagnara Calabra, roast in a casserole with olive oil, lemon, capers and chopped parsley. Pitta chicculiata: a type of pizza with tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, black olives and capers. Rigatoni alla pastora: pasta tubes with fresh ricotta, sausage and grated pecorino. Sagna chine: festive lasagne laden with ground pork, peas, mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes, sliced hard-boiled eggs and other seasonal ingredients. Sarde a scapece: fried sardines rolled in bread crumbs and doused with a mixture of hot oil, vinegar, garlic and mint.

Stocafisso alla calabra

Stockfish - Calabria style

Ingredients:

-700 g (1 2/3 lb) stockfish, previously soaked - 6 medium size potatoes, peeled and sliced - 50 g (1 3/4oz) black olives, stoned

- 2 onions - 2 tablespoons puréed tomatoes - 6 - 8 basil leaves - Some sprigs of parsley - 12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - Salt - Pepper or chilly, if you like it

Preparation:

Heat abundant water; when it comes to the boil, add the stockfish and cook over a moderate heat for ten minutes. Drain the fish, pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper, skin, bone and cut into large chunks. Chop the onion, parsley and sauté in a pan with olive oil and puréed tomatoes until the sauce is reduced. Pour in some hot water and add the fish, potatoes and basil, finely chopped. Cook for ten minutes, add the black olives, season with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt). Keep on cooking until potatoes become soft. Serve hot.

Sicily Food:

On any given night, Sicilian families can be found passing around a heaping plate of caponata, a traditional antipasto made of eggplant, tomatoes, celery, olives, and capers. Fisherman used to devour this dish with seafood at the end of a long fishing day, but caponata has evolved into one of the most popular Sicilian dishes. The recipe varies and sometimes includes artichokes and even chocolate.

No contemporary Italian kitchen would be complete without a bottle of Marsala wine. But centuries ago, this cooking staple was created in the western Sicilian town of Marsala to challenge the Portuguese and Spanish monopoly on fortified wines such as Madeira and sherry. Today, marsala is used all over the world to enhance the flavor of a dish, create a sauce, or to be enjoyed as a dessert wine.

Produced in the province of Ragusa and several towns near Syracuse, Caciocavallo Ragusano (Cosacavaddu Rausanu in Sicilian dialect) is a traditional Sicilian cheese made by curdling cow’s milk inside a wooden container called a “tina,” cooking the curds, and then kneading or pulling them by hand. The name was inspired by the practice of tying cheese (cacio in Italian) two-by-two and hanging them so that they straddle (a cavallo in Italian) a wooden beam to age. The seasoned variety is used in many traditional Sicilian recipes, especially pasta and bean dishes.

It’s impossible to resist the spell of a Sicilian pastry shop window with its explosion of tantalizing colors and aromas. Among the vast array of Sicilian pastry products, the place of honor definitely goes to the cassata. Made of a tantalizing mixture of sponge cake, chocolate, sweetened ricotta, candied fruit, and nuts, the cassata is usually decorated with thick icing or marzipan and covered with brightly colored candied fruits. The ever-popular cannoli, fried pastry rolls with a delicious filling made from sweet ricotta, chocolate and candied fruits, were once a treat only at Carnival time, but now are enjoyed year-round. And no festival in Sicily would be complete without torrone, the

mouthwatering honey-and-nuts nougat that is made in a wide range of varieties across the island.

Sicily speciality foods: Agghiotta di pesce spada: swordfish cooked with tomato, pine nuts, raisins, olives and herbs. Arancini di riso: fried rice balls with a core of cheese, peas, chopped meats and tomatoes, which give the "little oranges" their color. Braccioli di pesce spada: grilled swordfish fillets wrapped around a cheese-vegetable filling. Carciofi ripieni: artichokes stuffed with sausage, sardines and cheese and baked. Fravioli di Carnevale: fried sweet ravioli filled with ricotta and cinnamon. Gnocculli: semolino gnocchi with ricotta and meat sauce. Melanzane alla siciliana: eggplant fried and then baked with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Pasta con la Norma: spaghetti with a sauce of eggplant and tomato, favored by CataniaÕs Vincenzo Bellini, who wrote the opera La Norma. Peperonata: bell peppers stewed with onion, tomato and olives, often served cold. Pignolata or pignulata: confection of sweet fried dumplings (sometimes chocolate coated) shaped in a mound or cone held together by caramelized sugar with liqueur. Polpettone: meatball of ground beef, breadcrumbs, grated cheese and eggs, fried in olive oil and served with tomato sauce. Scorzette di arance candite: candied orange peels.

Sfincioni or sfinciuni: thick focacce with tomato and cheese, specialty of Palermo; sweet fried rice balls are also called sfuncini. Zite al pomodoro e tonno: short pasta tubes with tomato and tuna sauce.

COUSCOUS CON PESCE Fish Stew Couscous

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. semolina (1/2 finely ground, 1/2 coarsely ground) - 2 qts. poaching liquid (see recipe) - 3 lbs. grouper or red snapper fillets, each 3/4 oz. - 1 pinch of saffron - salt - pepper - 4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil - 2 cloves garlic - 1 tbs. parsley, chopped - 1 bay leaf - 1 pinch nutmeg - 1 pinch cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix semolina in a mixing bowl with 1 pt. of water and the saffron diluted with 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Work the semolina until it becomes dry and granulated (add more water if too dry, or more semolina if too wet). Let the small kernels dry on a towel. Warm the oil in a saucepan and brown the garlic. Add the parsley, and onion. When tender but not brown, add 2 qts. poaching liquid, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and add the fish. Cook until the fish is tender, but still crisp. Remove fish from broth, set aside and keep warm. Strain the fish broth, bring to a boil, place the semolina into a fine strainer and place suspended over the boiling broth. Take care not to let steam come out from the sides. This can be done by placing aluminum foil between the strainer and the sides of the pot. It will take at least 1 1/2 hours for the semolina to cook. Place cooked semolina in a large platter and add as much poaching liquid as it can be absorbed to get fairly moist and loose. Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Top with the fish, which should be warm, and place on top of the couscous. Serve. Note: This dish, of Arabic origin, is very common in the West coast of Sicily between Trapani and Marsala. It is prepared with fish instead of vegetables and mutton as in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Couscous is made by working semolina and water by hand on the walls of a wide terracotta-enameled tub, and cooked in a special, pierced terracotta pot placed to steam over the first pot.