Italian food varies greatly throughout Italy and pairing down Italian food to just the fifteen or so dishes that can be found at Italian food restaurants in the United States is very short sighted. There are many different regional cuisines in Italy that take their cues from surrounding countries and mix in a little local creativity in order to produce their own unique Italian food. One great example of this is the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
This region shares a border with the former Yugoslavia and shares a lot of the same traditions, including culinary traditions. The Italian food here is strong with Austrian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and Croatian influences. One of places that this is most apparent is in the beer halls of the area. Here they feature such dishes as Viennese sausage and goulash. Goulash, which originated as a Hungarian dish, has taken on a distinct Italian taste here and can often be found in fine Italian food restaurants both in and out of Italy. Goulash is immensely popular in this region and is a thick stew of beef and local vegetables such as onions and red peppers. It is very thick and seasoned with paprika and can be served with pasta. Another dish that makes a frequent appearance at the beer halls in this area is Bohemian hare.
The most often used meat in this area is pork. In fact, if visiting this area it is essential to try one of their world famous San Daniele del Friuli hams. These hams are a staple of the local Italian food. The whole region is known for their bacon and sausages. In fact there is a local dish called jota that is unique to the region and is a stew dish made with beans and bacon. The pork in this area is spicy and this may come as a bit of a shock to foreigners not familiar with this brand of Italian food. The pork is often cooked over an open hearth and is seen in many dishes even if it is not the main entr?e.
There are many other foods specific to the area. The sweeter side of the Italian food here includes strudel. Most of the desserts here are flour based and so strudel is very common. One of the most common dishes found in the area is polenta. This is a dish of boiled cornmeal and is a staple of the regional diet and can be found served with all types of Italian food including both meat and cheese dishes. It is most similar to American grits. Another Italian food staple that must be mentioned in this region is the cheese. The world famous Montasio cheese comes from this region. If you like your Italian food with lots of cheese, and not just mozzarella, than this is the region for you. One last dish that must be mentioned is brovada. This is a dish that is unique to the region. It is most simply turnips that are preserved in marc. This most certainly is not a dish that most people think of when thinking about Italian food, but it is a dish that is unique to Italy and is therefore an important part of Italian food. So the next time you’re up for some Italian food, branch out and try some different regional cuisines.
When people think of popular Italian food they most likely think of spaghetti, lasagna, or tortellini. However, the popular Italian food in Italy is actually a little different and much more diverse.
A very popular Italian dish is the minestrone soup. This soup makes excellent use of one of the most popular ingredients in Italian food, beans. Beans are widely used in Italian food and are the feature ingredient in many soups, not just the minestrone. Along with beans are nuts as another popular ingredient. The main nut preferred for Italian food is the pine nut. This nut is used to not only accent pasta dishes, but also as a main ingredient in popular desserts. But, the most common and popular use of the nuts is in pesto sauce. Nothing says Italian food like a good pesto sauce.
Another popular Italian food ingredient is rice. By far the most popular use for this ingredient is in the signature Italian food dish of risotto. Here rice is mixed with broth, vegetables and spices to make a very unique and flavorful dish. Risotto is widely known as the most popular appetizer in Italian food and different regions take great pride in their individual risottos. Rice is also used in many different soups and stews throughout Italy.
The most ubiquitous of all popular Italian food ingredients is olive oil. The best olive oil is known as extra virgin olive oil and many Italian food chefs rely strictly on extra virgin olive oil. The difference between extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil is the acidity. In order to be classified as extra virgin the olive oil must not contain more than one percent acidity. Virgin olive oil on the other hand cannot have more than two percent acidity. Extra virgin olive oil is by far the most popular in Italian food where it is used not only to cook food in, but also as a dressing for salad and a dipping option for bread.
When discussing popular Italian food it is essential to talk about the most popular breads and pastries. Breads serve an important role in Italian food. They can be used as appetizers, sides to a meal, and desserts. The most popular breads are flavored with herbs, cheeses, and sun-dried tomatoes. An excellent dessert bread in Italian food is the biscotti which means “twice baked”. This popular dessert is more like a biscuit or cookie and is often flavored with almonds and spices. Fruit can be added to the biscotti and a popular choice is cherries. Biscotti are very versatile in Italian food, being served for breakfast with coffee or as an after dinner treat.
There is much more to Italian food than just pasta and sauce. Italian food is a cuisine of diversity. When traveling in Italy it is often amusing to see the stark difference between what Italian food is popular in America and what Italian food is popular in Italy. If you want to try some different Italian food you certainly can’t go wrong with these time tested favorites.
Have you ever wanted to celebrate the holidays with Italian food? Maybe you want to try something different this year and love Italian food, or maybe you’ve been invited to spend the holidays with Italian friends or are fortunate enough to actually be spending the holidays in Italy. What Italian food is appropriate and traditional? Well, like many other cultures, Italians have certain food traditions for certain holidays.
The biggest tradition is with Christmas and it starts on Christmas Eve. The traditional Christmas Eve meal doesn’t include a lot of Italian food that foreigners may be familiar with. That’s because the Italians observe a type of symbolic fast which actually equates to more of a light dinner. This means that there will be no Italian food that includes the typical meats. Instead the Italian food will be centered more around seafood including fish, snails, and frogs. That may sound a little more French than Italian, but it’s a great time to experience some excellent traditional Italian food that is hard to find outside of Italy.
The next day on Christmas the food may be a little more familiar. The first course is a very well known Italian food, tortellini. This pasta dish filled with meat is more in keeping with what most people envision when thinking of Italian food. After the meal dessert consists of one of two types of cake, either panettone or pandoro. If you’re in Milan or spending the holidays with a family from Milan it will be panettone. This cake like bread takes days to make and is an Italian food that not many people know of, despite it being a symbol of Milan. The other traditional cake is pandoro, a sweet bread that is often made to look like a mountain complete with white sugar icing giving it a snowy finish. Christmas is a great time to taste the sweeter side of Italian food.
Easter Sunday is another holiday that brings families around the table. The holiday starts out with breakfast. Not too many people think of breakfast when thinking of Italian food, but Easter Sunday starts off with a feast of salami and boiled eggs with cakes and pizzas all washed down with fine wine. That night the Italian food of choice will be dishes that rely on lamb, avoiding other meats. The evening will be finished off with wine and cakes.
The last holiday that has importance to those who love Italian food is St. Joseph’s Day. This holiday is in commemoration of St. Joseph saving Sicily from famine. This holiday centers on a rather unknown Italian food, the fava bean. It was this bean that saved Sicily from starving. So, while this bean is not native to Italy, there are many Italian food dishes that are centered on it in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day. The day is spent giving food to the needy, eating doughnut like pastries and enjoying good Italian food.
Anytime is a good time for Italian food, but the holidays really make authentic Italian food shine as families get together to celebrate with traditional dishes. Try celebrating the holidays with Italian food and you’ll be introduced to a side of the cuisine that many don’t know exist.
There seems to be a trend today to return to authentic Italian food. People are no longer satisfied with the Americanized Italian food that is often served at restaurants, especially chain restaurants. There is also a move to make more and more Italian food at home. People like to have control over the food and make healthy substitutions or personalize Italian food recipes. This is due in large part to the internet. Before the internet people who wanted to make or buy authentic Italian food had to hope that an Italian family or international market had setup shop in their town or a neighboring city. Also, the Americanized version of Italian food became popular because it was easy and cheap to make. However, with the internet people can now learn online in the comfort of their own homes the secrets to making good Italian food and now that shoppers can buy directly from the source it is cheaper to buy ingredients and prepared food.
The internet is truly opening doors not just in Italian food, but in all international cuisine. But, you do need to be careful when shopping for Italian food online. The first thing you want to do is make sure that the vendor you are buying from is as close to the source as possible. If you are looking for a specific ingredient then look for a vendor that specializes in that particular area. This will help you maintain an authentic taste as well as cut on the costs if you’re not dealing with a middle man. See how long the vendor has been in business and what their experience is with Italian food. There are dozens of these Italian food specialty shops online, you just need to find the ones that you feel most comfortable with.
Another thing you want to pay special attention to is the shipping charges, especially if you are buying from another country. In Italian food there are many non perishable items and you will want to buy them in bulk since it is cheaper to ship it in the same order than to order it again. Avoid any online vendors that charge you shipping per item since all your purchases will be shipped together. The bulk of the shipping should be charged with the first item you order and rise gradually with each additional item. Many vendors will just charge flat rate shipping or you may be able to find specials with free shipping. Make sure you also read the fine print to understand all their charges. You don’t want to be surprised by any processing charges or other extra fees.
When buying Italian food online it is also important to look at the company’s return policy. A vendor should be willing to take back any food that is spoiled or ruined upon delivery. Italian food depends on fresh ingredients and online shopping is a great way to get not only the ingredients, but whole Italian food dishes already prepared. Just make sure you don’t get stuck paying for Italian food that isn’t fresh. These days online Italian food companies have mastered shipping fresh food to make sure it arrives fresh at your doorstep.
Demand the best from the vendors you deal with. If you haven’t already, take the plunge and try buying Italian food online. You might discover a new favorite, or experience another side of Italian food without having to go out to a fancy Italian food restaurant.
Want a romantic night out on the town? A fine Italian food restaurant is a safe bet. Italian food has always been romantic and here are some tips to picking a great restaurant.
It’s important to pick a place that serves authentic Italian food; otherwise your date will come off looking like a cheap imitation of the real thing. How do you know what’s authentic? Simply look at the menu; if you understand it, it’s not authentic enough. You’re looking for more Italian food than just spaghetti and pizza. You might also want to talk to some people who work at the restaurant. When I’m looking for an authentic Italian food experience I definitely want the people behind the food to know more Italian than English. If everyone there seems too American you can bet the food is going to be more American-Italian than authentic Italian food.
Once you find a place with a good menu the next step is to learn to understand it. You won’t make a good impression on your date if you order something and are then shocked to find out what it is when it gets to the table. Decide beforehand what you’re going to order and learn how to properly say it in Italian. Then, find out what Italian food your date likes and pick out some recommendations from the menu beforehand and learn how to say them. When it comes time to order and you’re reading off your selection from the menu like an Italian food connoisseur you’ll really impress your date.
Now, Italian food isn’t Italian without a good wine to go with it. Any respectable Italian food establishment should have a nice selection of wine. This is a must for your romantic date. Research what wine will go best will the Italian food you’re ordering. Don’t be scared to ask the server, that’s what they’re there for. However, also be aware that they know it’s easy to rack up your check with expensive wine. Italian food was meant to be enjoyed with wine, so do take some time to make sure you’re getting a good wine for both the food and you’re budget.
Now that the Italian food and wine are squared away, the next thing to look for in a restaurant is ambience. There are really two ways to go on this one. The first is with a more traditional fine dining restaurant with dimmed lighting and maybe some romantic music in the background. This is an excellent choice. However, sometimes the most authentic Italian food can be found at small family owned restaurants with more of a home feeling about them. This can be equally as romantic as long as the restaurant isn’t loud. There you can enjoy not only good Italian food, but it will also be a memorable experience for your date. If the restaurant doesn’t have candles or a flower on the table you may be able to add that romantic touch by asking if you can bring your own candle and rose to decorate the table. Your date will be really impressed with your initiative when your table is distinctly nicer than the others.
Following these steps will lead to an excellent Italian food experience for you and your date. Find the right restaurant and you’re sure to have a romantic evening eating fine Italian food.
When asked to name one region in Italy, many people will say Tuscany. Its iconic scenery of sun drenched hills, groves of laural trees and hilltop villas have become a staple of travel literature and films. However, you should know that Tuscany has a cuisine as distinct as its scenery.
The cuisine of Tuscany is built around fresh ingredients and healthy preperation. Olive oil, beans, bread, cheese, seasonal vegetables, beef and pork are all found on the Tuscan table. In fact, the fertile, rocky Tuscan soil yeilds some of the finest olives and grapes on the planet. There is nothing too fussy here and nothing rarified. This is honest, hearty peasant cooking at its finest. Tuscan cuisine is the food of the earth.
One of the happiest and most exciting times occures each October and November. This is when the new harvest of white truffles appears. These pungent fungi are prized the world over for their flavor. So much so that they sell for hundreds of dollars per pound and are kept locked up in resturant safes when not in use.
Another Tuscan favorite is beef. Someof the highest quality beef comes out of Tuscany. It is not surprising then that a regional specialty is a t-bone steak known as ‘bistecca alla fiorentino’ or beefsteak Florentine style. It is a massive steak, cut thick, grilled on an open charcoal fire, seasoned with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. The bistecca is always served rare accompanied by a side dish of Tuscan beans and red wine. It is such a large cut of meat that two people usually sare the portion.
Bread is also an important part of Tuscan cuisine. Tuscan breads are legendary and legion. There are breads made of chestnut flour, stuffed with rosemary, sweet breads with eggs. The list goes on and on.
Tuscan food and wine is one of the greatest gifts of Italian cooking. Simple ancient cooking that warms the heart and sould while nourishing the body. What more could one ask for?
There is really no definitive answer as to how rice arrived in Italy. However, as soon as it made its way to Italy in the fourteenth century, most likely from Spain, it became a hit in Italian food. Areas of the country outside of Milan have the perfect blend of flat land, water, and humidity to make rice cultivation a very successful endeavor. The intensive rice cultivation that began in the fourteenth century has continued and has made rice a staple in regional Italian food.
Perhaps the most popular example of rice in Italian food is in risotto. Although risotto is considered a very serious dish in Italian food, it actually started out as a joke. As the legend goes a young apprentice was staining the glass used in the Duomo di Milano, a magnificent gothic cathedral, in 1574. He was relentlessly teased because it looked as if he had added saffron to pigments in order to obtain more vibrant and brilliant colors. When it came time for his master’s wedding, he decided to play a little joke to show how tired he was of the teasing. So, he added saffron to the rice that was to be served at the wedding. The plan backfired and the rice was so popular amongst the wedding guests that it became the staple of Italian food that we know today.
There are four main components to the risotto we know in Italian food today. The first is the soffritto. Sometimes this can be special ingredients specific to the type of risotto being made. However, it is typically a mixture of vegetables, butter, oil, and onions. This mixture is saut?ed in the same skillet where the rice will later be cooked. The next component is the broth. The broth can be homemade or canned and can be beef, chicken, vegetable, or fish. The third component is the flavoring ingredient. This is the component that will give the risotto its specific flavor. This can range from vegetables to meat, truffles, or the ingredient that started it all, saffron. Now of course, the final component is Italian rice. The rice that is used in Italian food is made up of large grains with lots of starch. This rice is perfect for risotto because it can absorb large amounts of liquid and still remain firm.
Risotto is a very popular Italian food dish, but it is also one of the most botched Italian food dishes because of the precise way in which the rice is prepared. Some tips to making it successfully at home include not washing the rice. If you were to wash the rice beforehand it would eliminate much of the starch that is needed to make good Italian food. There are also different types of Italian food rice and you will want to pick the rice that is most appropriate for your recipe. All rice is not created equal so check your recipe and cookbooks to decide which rice is best to use. You’ll also want to use a double-bottom saut? pan.
This will keep the heat uniform to make sure the rice cooks evenly. It is important to saut? the rice until it is toasted before adding the broth. However, don’t cook it too long or it will harden. This is the most important part of making an authentic Italian food risotto, make sure the rice is toasted. After that it is all downhill. Just follow these tips and pretty soon you’ll be cooking like a professional Italian food chef.
There are only two types of pasta – fresh and dried. All the various shapes and sizes we are familiar with start from just these two types. While there are over 250 different shapes and sizes of pasta used in Italian cooking, many are regional or specific to a particular dish.
Italians take pasta very seriously. In Italy, the law dictates that all dried pasta must be made with pure semolina flour made from duram wheat and water. Nothing else. This legal standard is followed by most pasta makers outside of Italy and serious Italian cooks will cook with no other type of dried pasta. Ideally, the pasta will will be slowly dried at a warm heat for up to fifty hours. However, many commercial pasta manufacturers quick dry their pasta at high temperatures. This tends to make the pasta brittle when dry and less flavorfull when cooked.
Fresh pasta is an entirely different animal. As the name suggests, it is made to be eaten while soft and fresh, not dried. Fresh pasta is made with various different ingredients, depending on the region of Italy. In the north of Italy, fresh past is largely made from all purpose flour and eggs, while in the south of Italy, fresh pasta is made semolina flour and water. This is because dairy prouducts, like eggs, were traditionally scarcer in the hotter drier outhern half of Italy.
So which is better, dried or fresh? The answer to that question depends entirely on the dish you are making. A rich southern Italian specialty, like lasagna, is dripping with fillings, cheees and sauce. It demands a dried pasta which is up to the challenge of supporting the dish. On the other hand, a lighter northern Italinian dish, like linguine, calls for a fresher pasta that compliments the delicay of the sauce. In any event, choosing the right pasta for the dish is one of the secrets of Italian cooking.
Three things have shaped Italian culture; agriculture, the Catholic church and the family. It is no surprise, therefore, that Italian holiday cuisine is influenced by these three big cultural icons. As in a any cultural cusine, Italians have foods that are traditional for specific holidays.
A good place to start is an Italian Christmas Eve. It amy come as some surprise that an Italian Christmas Eve dinner is a lighter meal. On Christmas Eve you will never see beef or pork on an Italian table. In fact, you will rarely see pasta or other grain products. Instead, you will be served a variety of seafood dishes. Shrimp in various preparations is common, as are oysters and clams. Snails also make an appearance. Seafood was traditionally seen as a poor man’s diet. So, on Christmas Eve such food is served, symbolic of a fast.
The next day is a different story altogether. All the traditional foods associated with Italy make an appearance. There is always a pasta course served with meat, usually lasagna or tortellini. Dessert will consist of homemade cookies, pastries and cakes. The usual Christmas cake is a
One of the most important Italian holidays is one usually not known outside of Italy. On March 19th, the feast day of St. Joseph, Italians clebrate by opening the doors of their homes and feeding any and all who show up to partake of the traditional St. Joseph’s day table. It is a day of feeding the hungry and needy, so literally anyone who rings the bell of a home is welcome to sit down and eat. Typical foods include such springtime delights as artichokes and asparagus, along with bacala, salted cod that has been soaked in water and fried.
Italian food is good anytime, but it is during a holiday meal the cusine truly shines. Families come together and partake of traditions and food that go back hundreds of years. Take advantage of the holidays to experience an side of Italian cusine that you may not have known existed.
There is really no definitive answer as to how rice arrived in Italy. However, as soon as it made its way to Italy in the fourteenth century, most likely from Spain, it became a hit in Italian food. Areas of the country outside of Milan have the perfect blend of flat land, water, and humidity to make rice cultivation a very successful endeavor. The intensive rice cultivation that began in the fourteenth century has continued and has made rice a staple in regional Italian food.
Perhaps the most popular example of rice in Italian food is in risotto. Although risotto is considered a very serious dish in Italian food, it actually started out as a joke. As the legend goes a young apprentice was staining the glass used in the Duomo di Milano, a magnificent gothic cathedral, in 1574. He was relentlessly teased because it looked as if he had added saffron to pigments in order to obtain more vibrant and brilliant colors. When it came time for his master’s wedding, he decided to play a little joke to show how tired he was of the teasing. So, he added saffron to the rice that was to be served at the wedding. The plan backfired and the rice was so popular amongst the wedding guests that it became the staple of Italian food that we know today.
There are four main components to the risotto we know in Italian food today. The first is the soffritto. Sometimes this can be special ingredients specific to the type of risotto being made. However, it is typically a mixture of vegetables, butter, oil, and onions. This mixture is sautéed in the same skillet where the rice will later be cooked. The next component is the broth. The broth can be homemade or canned and can be beef, chicken, vegetable, or fish. The third component is the flavoring ingredient. This is the component that will give the risotto its specific flavor. This can range from vegetables to meat, truffles, or the ingredient that started it all, saffron. Now of course, the final component is Italian rice. The rice that is used in Italian food is made up of large grains with lots of starch. This rice is perfect for risotto because it can absorb large amounts of liquid and still remain firm.
Risotto is a very popular Italian food dish, but it is also one of the most botched Italian food dishes because of the precise way in which the rice is prepared. Some tips to making it successfully at home include not washing the rice. If you were to wash the rice beforehand it would eliminate much of the starch that is needed to make good Italian food. There are also different types of Italian food rice and you will want to pick the rice that is most appropriate for your recipe. All rice is not created equal so check your recipe and cookbooks to decide which rice is best to use. You’ll also want to use a double-bottom sauté pan.
This will keep the heat uniform to make sure the rice cooks evenly. It is important to sauté the rice until it is toasted before adding the broth. However, don’t cook it too long or it will harden. This is the most important part of making an authentic Italian food risotto, make sure the rice is toasted. After that it is all downhill. Just follow these tips and pretty soon you’ll be cooking like a professional Italian food chef.