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ABRUZZO
Maccheroni
In Abruzzo, the word "pasta" maccherone (sounds like macaroni, but it's
more of a band noodle) to be precise, is the maccheroni alla chitarra.
This unique method of preparing pasta has become a gstronomic symbol
of the region. The procedure consisits of laying a rolled out sheet
of fresh pasta on the box with its metal strings (the "guitar") which
cut the pasta into the desired form. The dressing of choice is lamb
ragù or the standard classic tomasto with basil.
Minestrone della virtù (Soup of the Virtues)
This regional favorite merits a mention. The Abruzzese soup takes its
name from the fact that its ingredients number seven -- the total number
of the cardinal virtues. To prepare the soup in the traditional fashion,
you'll need seven types of vegetable, seven types of meat and seven
sorts of both dried and fresh legumes and aromatic herbs. Even the condiments
used number seven!
Pecorino di Farindola
Among the products typical of this region, the Pecorino cheese made
in and around Abbruzzi is without comparison in all Italy. Particularly
famous is the Farindola Pecorino, which uses a very unusual sort of
rennet: pork stomach, to be specific, which is cut into strips and set
in wine, salt and pepper for three months.
VAL D'AOSTA
Fontina
This cheese which, depending on its age, can have either a delicate
or more piquant taste, has become the symbol of an entire region! The
process involved in its production dates back hundreds and hundreds
of years, and it was first officially documented in 1480, when its characteristic
form was recorded in a fresco in the castle at Issogne along with other
typical products of the valley. Fontina appears in all the valley's
typical dishes: fonduta (fondue), soups, gnocchi and costolette alla
valdostana (cutlet). The recipe for fonduta is really quite simple,
but at the same time very appetizing! Cut the cheese into cubes and
put the into a rectangular baking dish. Pour milk over the top to cover
the cubes and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, add butter
and heat in the top half of a double boiler, stirring until the fontina
is completely melted. Remove from the head and stir in 4 egg yolks.
one and a time; salt and pepper to taste. Return to the double-boiler
and heat through. Do not boil. When creamy and well-blended, serve with
chunks or bits of toasted bread.
Polenta Valdostana (Cornmeal)
Polenta, similar to hominy grits or slowcoach, remains an indispensable
part of the Valdostan diet! Curious to think that it was only in the
second half of the 16th century that corn was grown in the area. As
the years passed, polenta di granturco, with butter, fontina, meat and
gravy came to be the most important source of nutriment, often the only
source, for shepherds who remained in their mountain huts for nearly
the entire winter. In Gressoney, "polenta grassa", polenta enriched
with butter and cheese, still remains a well-entrenched favorite. (another polenta is in veneto region)
LOMBARDIA
Risotto alla milanese
Milano is famous in al the world for two dishes: its risotto alla milanese
and its specially prepared cutlets. The story goes that near the end
of the 1500's, a young glaziers' apprentice was called to the capital
to work on the restoration of the cathedral's stained glass. The young
man had a mania for putting a pinch of saffron in all the dyes used
to color the glass. "He'll be putting it in his food, next thing you
know," his colleagues joked. When the works on the cathedral were finished,
the young apprentice married his master's daughter and the joyous event
was celebrated just behind the cathedral. Most likely at this point
a bit drink on the steady stream of wine flowing through the festivities,
the young groom decided to further the joke, adding saffron to the risotto
before it was brought to the table. According to popular belief, this
is how risotto alla milanese, which soon became a standard local favorite,
was born.
Gorgonzola
Uncontested Big Cheese of Lombardy, gorgonzola takes its name from the
city of the same name not far from Milano. This Italian blue cheese
has a unique, characteristic taste, delicious on its own or ideal as
a seasoning for pasta dishes or polenta. Its inception was the result
of the herds of cattle that were moved through the village on their
way down from the northern Alps. By the time the poor beasts reached
the town, they needed badly to be milked. Much of this of milk was then
given or traded to local inhabitants. Quite often, curdled milk from
the morning milking was mixed with the then cooled milk from the evening.
A chunky, uneven paste formed, and a greenish type of mold began to
grow in the cracks. Some farmers, either quite thrifty or very hungry,
decided to try and eat this smelly, veined cheese -- and found it marvellous!
CALABRIA
Caviale dei Poveri (Poor folks' caviar)
'Caviale dei poveri' is a dish which more than any other represnts the
true essense of Calabrian cooking. Consisting of anchovy eggs in oil
spiced with peppers, it has all the characteristics of the cuisine of
the poor: the ingredients are simple and immediately available, the
taste and smell are storng, almost violent. It's appearance is less
refined than its celebrated Mediterranean compatriots, but no less delicious!
La pasta fatta in casa (Homemade Pasta)
One
of the principal stars of the Calabrian cuisine, as elsewhere in Italy;
is without doubt homemade la pasta! Perhaps, however, in no other region
is the preparation of this cultural staple so linked to daily life.
For example, it is said in hte region that a girl is not ready for marriage
until she has learned at tleast fifteen different ways to work flour
and water... One of these methods would be the firriettu, a thin iron
rod around which the pasta is wound to the characteristic form of fusilli,
and also serves to flatten and smooth lasagne. il ferro da calza è invece
usato per fare i cosiddetti 'ricci di donna' e i maccheroni.
Soppressata calabra
La soppressata è un salame di puro suino, legato a mano con spago naturale.
La carne di maiale viene macinata e impastata con l'aggiunta di alcuni
ingredienti aromatici: pepe nero, sia in grani che in polvere, peperoncino
piccante calabrese e sale.
EMILIA ROMAGNA
Tortellini
A delicious dish typical of Emiila which has become popular all over
the world. The tortellini's unmistakeable form recalls a bandana worn
on the head and knotted behind, pirate-style, hence the name. The pasta
itself is made of just flour and water, but the filling is a blend of
chicken, pork, prosciutto ham, cheese, egg and mortadella. The pasta
is set to rest overnight, and then is rolled out and then cut either
by hand or by machine into squares. The filling is place inthe middle
of each sqaure and thesquares are folded into triangles. Holding one
corner down with thumb and forefinger, the other two meet in the middle
and "kiss". Tortellini is generally served eiter in broith or with a
cream sauce.
Mortadella e ciccioli
Mortadella is a lunch meat available almost anywhere in the States,
though perhaps it's often sold as "baloney" (also referred to as Bologna
in Italy), and may not always have the characteristic mosaic chunks
of other ingredients. In the distant past, it was often paired with
ciccioli, or those bits of the hog which couldn't be used for anything
else. In principal, they closely resemble the cracklin's popular in
the American south, and the ciccarones enjoyed by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
They consist primarily of first layer of fat and rind which is pressed
and seasoned to form delicious savory tiles (very crunchy!) which can
be eaten as an antipasto accompanied by a good wine. Mortadella is also
made from the less importatn pork bits, which are cooked, blended and
seasoned with herbs and a dash of sugar, then made into large sausage
rolls.
Salsa Bolognese (Ragù)
For citizens of Bologna travelloing abroad, it's always excited and
surprised to see "spaghetti bolognese" written on the menu. Wondering
what this could be, some are prompted by curiousity to order the dish
and chuckle when they recognize their native ragù (as bolognese sauce
is known in Emilia, indeed in most of Italy as well.) Less amusing is
the spaghetti, however, as this is the type of pasta least adapeted
to a meat sauce, which traditionally calls for a egg pasta (spaghetti
is semolina-based and much too thin and slick). Ragù is prepared a bit
differently from one part of Emilia Romagna to another, but the basic
ingredients are: minced onion, carrot and celery sautèed inn olive oil,
to which are added peeled and seeded red tomatoes. The mixture is then
cooked down for about 15 minutes after which equal parts of choice ground
pork and beef are added to simmer over a low heat for at least one hour.
Salt, pepper, basil and sage are added to taste.
FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA
Iota
Beans are among the most prominent celebrities of Friuli's cuisine,
starring in many of the region's most typical dishes, such as iota.
In addition to beans and sauerkraut, this minestrone calls for cornmeal
flour and a generous helping of pestat, a local condiment which consists
of minced onion, lard, sage, garlic and parsley. The variations of the
classic theme are nearly unlimited, adding vegetables, barley, beef
or pork.
Gulash friulano (Stew)
The cuisine of Trieste is a marvellously successful blend, combining
the traditions of Veneto, Autria, Hungary, the Balkans, Greece and the
Jewish culture. The recipes are often transformed as the various traditions
meet and local ingredients such as cumin marjoram and garlic replace
those time-honored, but often the dish appears at the table in Friuli
completely unaltered! It is therefore not surprising to find a wide
variety of specialties offered in Trieste's osterie as diverse as riso
alla greca, sanguinaccio alla boema or costoletta alla viennese. One
of the recipes that has been especially well-received is the local reinterpretation
of gulash. Indeed the Trieste version has proved so popular for so long,
it is now listed as an official specialty of the Friuli region. The
recipe has been improved upon and enriched over the years to result
in the recipe as it stands today. It calls for ham fat, beef. onion,
tomato, peppers, paprika and a selection of typical Italian spices such
as rosemary, sage, bay leaves.
BASILICATA
Peperoncino (Little hot peppers)
In the town of Basilicata, the little red pepper plays a fairly large
role in popular cuisine. Indeed, in local dialect there not one, but
four different names for them! Once, they were known as the 'il pranzo
del contadino o pastore ', or "farmer's or shepherd's lunch" because
they did represent a main staple of their rudimentary diet. Characteristic
of this might be the sugna piccante, a condiment made of pork fat, fennel,
salt and hot peppers, accompanied by thick slices of homemade bread.
Salumi (Sliced meats)
A basic element of the local specialities is pork. The salamis and sliced
meats produced in this area have been famous and highly appreciated
since these days of antiquity. Particularly fond of the product appear
to have been the Romans who picked up the art form the Lucanians. The
Lucani are naturally therefore quite proud of their centuries of experience
and the quality reflected in their hams, sausages and pancetta. It is
thought that the name of the famous north-eastern sausage, the luganega,
is derived from Lucania, in honor of the indescribably yummy sausage
produced there. Original and interesting here is also the method of
production, where the sausage is kept under ashes and conserved in terracotta
crocks.
LIGURIA
Pesto alla genovese
The Genoese cuisine is known throughout the world by its most familiar
regioanl delight:pesto! In Liguria, pesto can be found in every house,
the most elegant restaurant and simplest osteria. The condiment is based
primarily on basil, with garlic, and oil...but the real secret is the
proportions. For truly authentic pesto, a marble mortar and pestle are
absolutely essential. Each city in Liguria have its own variations,
as well, the most interesting of which is from Savona, whereby the taste
is rounded out with the nutty flavor of pinoli (pine nuts). Pesto accompanies
any manner of pasta and main dishes, but is usually seen in the company
of lasagne (with pesto poured on top!), gnocchi, trofie, minestrone
and most especially trenette, the traditional spaghetti of Liguria.
Ingredients:
About 30 leaves of basil, 1 large clove garlic, 1 tablespoon grated
Pecorino, 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, olive
oil and course salt.
Preparation:
Place the basil in the mortar, with the pine nuts, garlic and a pinch
of course salt. Grind up the ingredients, then add the grated cheese.
Grind again until all ingredients have been blended into a green paste.
Turn the paste into a bowl and add 1/2 - 1C. olive oil. Stir gently
until mixture is creamy.
Cappon magro (Grunt, whiting or umbrina)
The Genoese cuisine has been referred to as the "homecoming cuisine",
the reason for this being that most of these dishes were born of the
imagination of long-suffering fisherman's wives who had plenty of time
to plan and prepare hearty dishes of welcome for their husbands. Indeed
many of the most characteristic are complex and time-consuming in the
preparation. One of these is cappon magro, an impressive fish dish.
The appearance is that of a pyramid: the base is a bed of bread soaked
in water and vinegar. On top of this come seasoned vegetables sliced
into strips, crowned by the fish. The entire dish is then covered with
salsa verde (a parsely-based sauce with garlic, olive oil, vinegar,
pine nuts, bread crumbs and anchovies), then garnished with lobster.
Extra-virgin olive oil
Another product of which Liguria can be proud is the olive oil pressed
with love and skill from local fruit. It is among the best in the entire
peninsula! Particularly prized are the olives cultivated in the narrow
valleys backing the town of Oneglia, on the east coast. The quality
of the product is so elevated that often pasta with olive oil alone
is enough to satisfying even the most discerning palate. (another olive
oil is in umbria region)
MARCHE
Olive ascolane (Stuffed and breaded fried
olives)
Olives all'ascolana are probably the dish most representative of typical
Marches cuisine; a cuisine characterized by a tradition of delicious
stuffed foods. The giant olives of this zone enjoy the renown of centuries.
The ancient Romans enjoyed them, and they delighted the hungry Carthaginians
when they had struggled over the Alps. The ascolana olives get their
unmistakable flavor from the stuffing which fills the center of each
pitted olive, made of ground beef, ground prosciutto, egg, Pecorino,
Parmigiano and spices. After they're filled, the olives are dipped in
beaten egg and dredged through bread crumbs and then fried in oil. Optimal
eaten piping hot!
Le zuppe di pesce (Fish soups)
A seafood lunch on the coast of the Marches just has to start off with
a 'brodetto', or fish soup. There are two main versions, and the one
preferred in Ancona calls for thirteen types of fish, including scorpion
fish, eel and red mullet. The fish is cooked with onion, tomato, parsley,
pepper, oil and vinegar. The other alternative, in vogue around Porto
Recanati, calls for the fish to be browned and then cooked in a sauce
enhanced by saffron.
UMBRIA
Pesce d'acqua dolce (Fresh water fish)
Speaking of fish, Umbria's first-class regional specialty is provided
by Lake Trasimeno, where they catch carp of up to 30 lbs.! The most
famous dish prepared with this magnificent bounty is known by the interesting
name of The Queen as Suckling Pig (la regina in porchetta). The dish
consists of carp cooked in a wood oven in the same way as porchetta
is baked. The roasting pan yields something quite special, the juices
being somewhere between a fish soup and a rich stew comprising all the
fish in the lake, plus fine olive oil, white wine and herbs.
L'olio d'oliva (Olive oil)
The olive of Umbria goes back a long way, indeed all the way back to
the Etruscans! Its quality is determined by the climate, which allows
for a slow ripening period. This in turn permits making the most of
the harvest: 80 percent of the olive oil produced results from the first
cold pressing.
La selvaggina (Game and fowl)
Pheasants, thrushes and hares (great when prepared alla cacciatora,
seasoned with prosciutto and herbs), partridges and quail. There are
of course many diverse ways the Umbrians prepare the various meats.
In Terni, cooks are fond of baking game inside a bread dough crust,
a bit along the lines of Beef Wellington. The technique del pillotto,
on the other hand uses twin spits, turning one above the other. The
upper spit slowing drips lard onto the beef or lamb turning below.
Il tartufo (Truffles)
This is the pride and joy of the Umbrian cuisine: the black truffle
gathered here from March to November in Val Nerina and in Spoleto. This
is a truffle of superior quality which has been threatened in the past
few years with extinction due to the volume of demand. To ensure the
viability of the species, and the satisfaction of gourmets around the
world, numerous oak trees have been artificially inseminated with truffle
spores. The black truffle is an essential ingredient used in many meat
and fish dishes as a base, and to enrich spaghetti and egg creations.
One of the more important of the traditional dishes is wild boar with
truffles (cinghiale al tartufo) and it is often used in salads. For
use as a condiment it is often cubed and browned in butter.
MOLISE
Zuppa di ortiche (Nettle soup)
This recipe dates back to the 1500's, and is one of the oldest and most
widespread traditional dishes the region. After being boiled in water,
the leaves and stems of the nettles are chopped and sautéed with tomato,
onion, lard, olive oil and diced celery. Its very unique taste is delicate
and really cannot be compared with other dishes of this kind.
Ventricina (Sausage)
Among all the sausages typical of the Molisano tradition, the ventricina,
(a reinterpretation of an Albanian favorite) is one of the most flavorful.
It comprises specially selected cuts of meat, particularly prosciutto,
and hard fat. It is seasoned with paprika, fennel and red peppers and
then stuffed into casings and vacuum packed. A covering of lard preserves
the sausage.
PUGLIA
Il pesce crudo (Raw fish)
On an Italian menu, the second course is very often fish. The recipes
are quite easy -- it's no good diminishing or worse yet, altering, the
delicate taste of the fish itself with complicated procedures and ingredients.
In Bari, for example, they eat polyps and tiny fish raw; still alive
actually, straight out of the water. Oysters from the area are excellent
and are also eaten fresh out of the water with a squeeze of lemon and
a dash of pepper. In Taranto, they're fond of their delicious mussels,
whose special goodness is explained by a local legend. Deep in the Gulf
of Taranto there are jets of fresh water, which is quite appealing to
the mussels. The vortex of the largest of these can be seen from the
surface and is called San Cataldo. It is said that the saint threw his
ring into the water to calm a storm. The underwater spring was born
at the very point where the jewel hit the water and this is the reason
the Tarantine mussels are so good!
Lo scapece di Gallipoli
(a regional fish dish)
Among the recipes for preparing the numerous sorts of local fish, scapece
di Gallipoli is perhaps the most typical: it involves frying up a batch
of pupiddi (tiny, tasty fish) which are then marinated with vinegar
and saffron. The word scapece come from the word 'escabeche', Spanish
for the method of cooking in which fried fish or vegetables are set
in vinegar.
SARDEGNA
Aragosta con patate (Lobster with potatoes)
A dish typical of Stintino, it originated in Asinara, where it was considered
the evening meal of fisherman who hadn't managed to sell his lobster
and cooked it up with potatoes.
Ingredients:
4 medium lobsters 1 onion 4 T. tomato sauce 2 large potatoes 1 clove
garlic salt and pepper, red peppers, spices
Sauté the onion, garlic and spices. Brown the meat of claws and legs
until the sauce has thickened then add the rest of the lobster. Stir
in tomato sauce, salt, red pepper and lastly the cubed potatoes. When
the potatoes are done to taste, remove the mixture from the heat and
serve.
Porcello allo spiedo (Piglet on a spit)
The preparation of meat has been strongly influenced by the methods
of shepherds. One of the most common of these is surely the spit over
an open flame. It's practical and the results are excellent. The porceddu
is a suckling pig cooked on a spit of arbutus wood over a fire made
with juniper, myrtle, laurel and olive, sprinkled from time to time
with lard. It's served hot and crunchy, but is also enjoyed cold after
having been covered a couple of days with aromatic branches of myrtle.
Il toro del cibattino
("Shoemaker's bull", a meaty dish)
It's more than amazing, this method of cooking from the Nuoro province
of Sardinia which resembles a set of Russian Matrijoska dolls more than
anything else! First, a calf is stuffed with a wild goat, which is filled
with a suckling pig. And that's not the end of it... inside the piglet
is a hare, which contains a grouse which contains a small bird. Why
is it called il toro del ciabattino? Because it requires the services
of a shoemaker armed with a needle and thread to sew each ingredient
into the one before.
SICILIA
Arancini (Molded rice balls)
Arancini, which means "oranges", are one of the most famous and widespread
Sicilian specialties using rice. They can well take the place of a pasta
course, as they are particularly nutritious and their small molded forms
are attractive to serve. They are actually a specialty of Palermo, but
are typically made all over the island, usually with some alterations
on the classic theme. In eastern Sicily, in Messina and above all, Catania,
they more egg-shaped than rounded. The rest of the island however likes
them round as an orange -- hence the name. The balls are filled and
the fillings vary as well: with the addition of cheese in Catania, with
onion and white wine in Enna as well as with cacio cheese; in Ragusa,
no saffron is added.
Sarde a beccafico (Stuffed sardines)
This is very traditional Sicilian dish, where the cleaned sardines are
served "open-face" filled with bread crumbs, pinoli (pine nuts), passolina,
sugar and lemon juice. Many people add egg to the other ingredients
to hold the filling together. The characteristic sour-sweet taste comes
marinating the fish in lemon juice.
Frittella
This is another specialty typical of Palermo that is used in a number
of ways. It's great as an antipasto, a little in-between course, a main
course or a one-course meal. Contrary to what its name may imply, the
frittella (pancake) is not a dessert or an egg dish. It is, you'll be
surprised to know, a dish made of fresh fava beans fried in oil or lard,
sometimes combined with peas, artichokes or other vegetables.
VENETO
Il riso (Rice)
In Veneto, the first course, or primo piatto, consists primarily of
rice. Cultivated in the province of Verona, it is prepared in dozens
of ways, with each area adding its own local flavor to the recipe. Perhaps
the most common example of this is Risi e Bisi (rice with peas) of which
there are at least ten different versions to choose from. Besides this
famous dish which opened the Doge's lunch menu during the fest of San
Marco, Veneto claims up to 40 recipes, all combining rice with all manner
of other ingredients: meat, fish and, above all, vegetables.
Sarde in saor (Sardines in sweetened vinegar)
This dish best reflects the Asian influence of the local cuisine. It
consists of braised plump sardines, accompanied by onions, sultanas,
pine nuts and vinegar seasoned with diverse undertones of sweet and
savory. The key to success with this dish is marination: the sardines
are left to marinate for at least ten hours before serving, cementing
the happy union of all the ingredients.
Baccalà mantecato (Stockfish mousse)
A fish dish representative of Venice's cuisine is the baccalà mantecato,
where the stockfish is dipped in boiling water, skinned, boned and minced,
then dressed with olive oil. It is then beaten with a wooden kitchen
mallet. The resulting paste is whipped into a kind of mousse which can
be served on top of toasted polenta or canapés. This treat can be found
in the Venice's typical osterias, known as "bacari", and in its most
exclusive restaurants.
Fegato alla veneziana (Venitian Liver and
onions)
Among the dishes that make up Venice's gastronomic history, probably
the most famous is fegato alla veneziana, which has spread to many cities
throughout the world. It is a liver dish which appeals even to those
who have refused liver since childhood. The calves' liver is sliced
into very thin strips and sautéed in olive oil with a lot of onion,
butter and parsley. Note: This dish is a must in you go to Venice...Trust
us!
La polenta (Cornmeal mush)
Polenta is considered by the inhabitants of Veneto to be a proper bread.
Before the arrival of corn, buckwheat was used instead, in combination
with millet and fava beans. Around the middle of the 16th century, the
Venitians began to import and employ corn. A very, very famous dish
which unites the Venetians' love of polenta with their love of meat
is polenta ed osei, polenta accompanied by small birds roasted over
a low flame and flavored with lard, sage and olive oil.
Soppressa (Sausage)
Sopressa is a finely ground pure pork sausage with a finer spray of
speckling than in salami. In is at home anywhere in Veneto and is the
ideal companion for a glass of wine. It's best when freshly cut slices
are grilled and served atop toasted slices of polenta. In Vicentino,
every valley proudly boasts its own production of the sausage, but the
origin of choice for this sausage is Valli del Pasubio, high in the
Leogra basin a few kilometers from the Alpine splendour of the Pian
delle Fugazze. Tradition calls for the pigs used to make Soppressa to
be fed on chestnuts and potatoes, not neglecting the local water so
rich in minerals.
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