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What Are The Regional Food Specialities In Italy?

August 26, 2010 in Regions by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

There are three main regions in Italy for the purpose of distinguishing culinary specialties.  There is north, central and southern.  The northern region is bordered on the north by Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.  This is farm country and the cuisine reflects what is grown in the fields.  There is less use of pasta and olive oil.  Also, tomato sauce is not as prevalent as it is in the other regions.  The  regional dishes use more rice, butter, corn and cheeses, which are used to make creamy sauces.  Risotto and polenta are favorites.

There are seven distinct areas in Northern Italy.

Val d’Aosta

This area is home to fontina cheese.  One of their specialities is veal chop covered in fontina cheese.  They also have a delicious venison stew, complete with vegetables and wine.  Their vineyards are in an Alpine region and produce some unique reds and whites.

Piedmont

Fonduta is one of their signature dishes, which is composed of melted cheese, eggs, milk and white truffles.  They produce several fine cheeses including Tumin electric which is white mountain cheese that is soaked in red peppers.  Many of their dishes contain rabbit, veal tongue and oxtail.  Piedmont is home to Porcini mushrooms and truffles which are prized the world over. They also produce Asti wines from which we get our Asti Spumante.

Lombardy

There are many recipes that incorporate rice in Lombardy.  One is Risotto alla Milenese which is a creamy rice dish with meat stock and saffron and cheese.  They also make a ravioli with pumpkin filling.  Osso bucco, which is veal knuckle, is another of their specialities.

Veneto

Polenta and rice are staples here. They also enjoy rabbit, duck, pigeon and guinea fowl.  For those who live by the sea, shrimp, clams, fresh fish and eels are an important part of their diet.  Veneto is also the home of Asiago cheese.

Trentino Alto Adige

This area combines Italian and German elements in their cooking.  Gnocchis, which are dumplings, as well as polenta and sauerkraut are common to the kitchen here.

Fruili-Venezia Giulia

Corn is a big crop here and as a result, polenta is very popular.    Goulash and dumplings as well as a soup of beans, potatoes and cabbage reflect the German and Slavic traditions.  Seafood is enjoyed along the coast.

Liguria

Liguria is best known for its pesto sauce.  It is also famous for its olive oil, which is unusual for Northern Italian cuisine.  Seafood is an important part of their diet, especially anchovies and swordfish.

This is a brief overview of Northern Italian cooking.  I will cover the other regions in other posts.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

When In Rome–Enjoy Their Festivals

August 24, 2010 in Espresso, Gelato, Italian heritage, culture by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Modern day festivals in Rome are a series of outdoor events known as Roman Summer.  The tradition of celebrations dates back to the time when Rome dominated the world.

Early Roman Celebrations

In the early Roman culture, the people loved celebrations.  This was a pagan society which worshiped many gods. The gods were jealous of each other and were always warring with one another.  In order to appease the different gods, the Romans held separate festivals to honor each god.  It was party time.  The parties consisted of many excesses in food, drink and sexual activity.  They loved games and we are familiar with the gladiators who fought each other and wild beasts as well.  Saturnalia was a feast to honor the god, Saturn.  The nobles dressed and acted like slaves and the slaves “became” noblemen. A good time was had by all.

Dark Ages

After the fall of Rome and the rise of the Papacy, the festivals were banned.  Mysteries or religious dramas became the form of entertainment.  This period was originally thought of as the Dark Ages, in contrast to the light of classical Greek and Roman antiquity that came before.  It was a time of economic and cultural deterioration and there was not much to celebrate.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance there was a return to festivals.  The Roman Carnival became famous and people came from all over the world to participate.  The celebration inspired many artists and musicians, including Berlioz and Resipghi.  There was even horse racing down the main street in Rome.

Modern Times

Today, Roman Summer or L’estate Romana, is a festival that lasts from June to September.  It is a series of open air performances.  There are many sites in the city where music, dancing and theater are offered.  At the Baths of Caracalla and the Castle of St. Angelo ballets and operas are performed in the open air.  There are many piazzas or squares where visitors and locals alike enjoy sitting and enjoying a gelato or sipping an espresso while watching the crowds go by.

Celebrations, parties and festivals are a natural way to express our love and enthusiasm for life.  Let the good times roll.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How To Make Easy Low Fat Italian Fruit Gelato

August 19, 2010 in Gelato, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This recipe is the best of both worlds.  It’s super tasty and it’s low fat.  How can that be?  It’s really easy.  A few simple substitutions can make a big difference in calorie count.  In this recipe, cornstarch is substituted for egg yolks and low fat milk for the heavier, calorie dense kind.  Fresh or frozen fruit provides the sweetening as well as many healthful vitamins.

This Italian fruit gelato is especially good to make in the summer when fresh fruits are readily available.  But don’t despair if you don’t have any.  Frozen fruit is easily substituted for fresh.

IngredientsGelato with strawberries

  • 1/2 half cup of sugar
  • 3 thin strips of lemon (yellow part) 1/2 x 3″ long
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • fruit puree – see specific amounts below

Directions

  • Combine sugar and lemon peel in a large sauce pan.  Press the lemon peel into the sugar to release the lemon oil.
  • Add cornstarch
  • Stir in milk
  • Cook over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.  When the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking for one minute.
  • Remove from heat and discard lemon strips.  Add the puree and vanilla to the mixture and let it cool.  Put it in your gelato maker and process.
  • If you are using an ice cream maker, you must make sure the mixture is very cold before you add it to your ice cream maker.

How to Prepare Puree

  • Blueberries:  Process about 3 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen blueberries and 2 tbs of lemon in your food processor or blender.  Make sure the skins are chopped up fine.
  • Raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, boysenberries:  Process 3 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen berries and 1 tbs of lemon juice in your processor or blender.  Then put them through a strainer to remove the seeds.
  • Strawberries:  Process 3 1/2 cups of fresh or partially thawed frozen berries and 1 tbs of lemon juice.

I hope you enjoy this low fat fruit gelato.  It tastes good and it’s good for you.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

Familiar Cheeses of Italy

August 17, 2010 in cheese by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Italy is home to many wonderful cheeses that we use in our meals everyday. There are three main categories of cheeses: soft, semi hard and hard.

Soft

  • Mozzarella was originally made with the milk from a water buffalo, but now, because of the scarcity of water buffalo, it is made with cow’s milk.  The cheese is made by spinning and cutting, hence the name mozzarella.  The verb ” mozzare” means to cut.  There is low moisture mozzarella which is good on pizza and high moisture or fresh mozzarella.  Fresh mozzarella is heavenly on a slice of fresh tomato with a sliver of fresh basil.
  • Gorgonzola is one of the finest blue cheeses available.  It comes from Como, Milan and Brescia.  It is a great dessert cheese and is used on salads and in dips.
  • Ricotta means “cooked again”  referring to the way it is processed.  It is similar to cottage cheese but lighter.  It is used in lasagne, manicotti and raviolis.

Semi Hard

  • Provolone is made from cow’s milk.  It comes from southern Italy and is basically mozzarella that’s been aged and smoked.  It’s drier than mozzarella and is therefore good on sandwiches.
  • Fontina cheese hails from the Aosta valley in northern Italy. It is one of the oldest Italian cheeses and dates from the 12th century.  It melts easily and is good for fondues and pizza.  It’s also a good dessert cheese.
  • Bel Paese is made from cow’s milk and is made in Lombardy.  It is a mild, white, creamy cheese with an almost buttery taste.  It is good for snacks or desserts.  It can be a substitute for mozzarella.

HardFamiliar Italian Cheeses

  • Parmigiano Regiano is one of the most familiar cheeses in America.  It is sold in America as Parmesan cheese.  It is made with cow’s milk and comes from Reggio Emillia and Parma.  True Italian Parmesan is very different from the Parmesan we are used to buying in cans in the supermarket.  If you can find the imported variety in a specialty store, buy a chunk and try grating it just as you need it.  You’ll be surprised at the difference.
  • Pecorino Romano is made with sheep’s milk.  “Pecora” means sheep in Italian.  It is sharper than Parmesan but can be used as a substitute for it.  It comes from central and southern Italy.  It is used for grating.
  • Asiago  is made from cow’s milk.  It comes from Veneto and is used for grating or as a table cheese.  It develops a strong flavor as it ages.

Well, now you are familiar with nine Italian cheeses.  What are you waiting for?  Go out and buy some!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How to Make Tiramisu

August 12, 2010 in Espresso, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Tiramisu is a melt-in-your-mouth Italian dessert.  It is a layered dessert made in a flat pan that is light in texture and filled with hints of the most delightful flavors.  The name “tiramisu” means pick me up, which may have something to do with the strong espresso that is used in it.

Recipe

I am combining a few recipes to create a basic Italian  version.  There is really very little variation in the ingredients.  There may be a slight difference in quantities but that is all.  Of course, the more authentically Italian your ingredients are, the more Italian your Tiramisu will be.

Ingredients

  • Eggs, 3 large with eggs and yolks separated
  • Sugar, 1/2 cupTiramisu
  • Mascarpone, 8 oz.  Mascarpone is a triple cream cheese that is easily spread like thick cream.
  • Ladyfingers, 20
  • Espresso, 1 cup
  • Cognac or Brandy, 2 tablespoons
  • Cocoa, 1/8 cup

Directions

  1. Make the espresso in a stove top espresso maker and let it cool.
  2. Combine 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon espresso, sugar and Cognac into a large mixing bowl and beat 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the Mascarpone and beat 3 to 5 minutes until the consistency is smooth.
  4. In another bowl, combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar.  Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold into the Mascarpone mixture.
  6. Pour the rest of the espresso into a flat dish.  You are now ready to put the Tiramisu together.
  7. Take a ladyfinger and lay it flat, sugar side up, in the espresso and remove it immediately.  Lay it sugar side down in the Tiramisu dish.
    Use 1/2 of the ladyfingers.  If any are not dark with the espresso, just sprinkle a little more espresso on them.
  8. Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture on the ladyfingers and sprinkle with cocoa.  Put the cocoa in a sieve and tap on the side to apply the cocoa evenly.
  9. Take the remaining ladyfingers and repeat step 7.
  10. Add the rest of the mascarpone mixture and sprinkle that layer with cocoa as described in step 8.
  11. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.  All the liquid will be absorbed by the ladyfingers and the flavors all blended together.

Storage

This dessert will keep in the refrigerator for several days, but I can’t imagine that there would be any left after the first time it is served.  Enjoy!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How to Can Tomatoes Using a Water Bath Solution

August 10, 2010 in Food, tomatoes by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 1 comment

Late summertime is the time of the year when I have an abundance of tomatoes.  We eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but there is still a lot left over.  Since I don’t want to waste any, I can either can them or freeze them.  That way, you can enjoy your tomatoes all year long.  In the middle of winter, nothing tastes as good as Italian pasta sauce made with your own tomatoes.

Canning

Canning tomatoes is good if you have a lot of tomatoes all at once.  This is definitely the case if you have grown Roma tomatoes.  They are of the determinate type and produce a heavy crop in a short period of time.  Since tomatoes are acid based, they can be preserved in a water bath.

  • First wash your tomatoes and discard any that are very bruised or have open cracks.  I always make a small slash in the bottom of the tomato.  It helps the skins to slip right off.
  • Place them in boiling water until the skins start to split and then plunge them into cold water.  The skins will come right off.
  • I cut out the core and blend them quickly in my blender.  I like to heat my tomatoes in order to do a hot pack.
  • I sterilize my canning jars in the dishwasher and boil my lids and rims for 5 minutes in a saucepan.
  • Fill your water bath canner and bring the water to a boil.  Fill the jars to within a half inch of the top with the hot tomatoes and add 1 tsp of salt per quart jar.  Wipe the rim of the jars to make sure there are no food particles on the rim.  Screw on the lids with the rims and put them in the canner.  Bring the water to a rolling boil and process them for 10 minutes.
  • Remove them and place on a towel away from drafts and listen for the jars to seal.  You will hear a “pop” that will let you know they are sealed.

Freezing

Freezing tomatoes is very simple.  Process the tomatoes to remove the skin as described above.  Then either quarter them or place them whole in freezer bags.  Lay them flat in the freezer until they are hard.  Then you can stack them neatly on your freezer shelves.

Frozen tomatoes are best used in soups or stews.

Before you do any canning or freezing, it’s a good idea to have a  how-to book on preserving foods.  Amazon  has a good selection of  canning and freezing books.

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

Who wants gelato for dessert?

August 5, 2010 in Gelato, cooking, dessert by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

I wanted to share a basic gelato recipe with you, but I have to admit I was confused by the many “basic” recipes.  I researched several different versions and came up with the one below.  I found there are many variations in the ingredients and in the quantities.  I think this is one of those times when you just have to play with it and make adjustments to suit your tastes.  Here goes!

IngredientsDifferent types of gelato

  • 2 cups of milk (whole, low fat or non fat)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of fat free powdered milk
  • 8 eggs (yolks only)
  • 1 cup of light cream or half & half or fat free half & half
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 3 cups of prepared fruit

Directions

Since the DeLonghi gelato maker has a built in refrigeration unit, you do not have to freeze your container ahead of time.

  • Heat the milk, sugar and powdered milk in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom.  Just heat to a slow simmer to dissolve the sugar and then lower the heat to keep the mixture warm.
  • Separate the yolks from the eggs.
  • Whip the egg yolks with a whisk or hand mixer until they are thick.
  • Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks constantly whisking while you pour.
  • Then pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk and increase the heat to medium.  Be sure to use a wooden or plastic spoon and stir for about 6-8 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the cream, whichever kind you have chosen and the vanilla.  Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  • Prepare the fruit, whatever kind you want.  Just fix it the way you would as if you were going to eat it and then puree the fruit in the blender. Combine with the milk/cream mixture and put it in the DeLonghi removable bowl and turn on your gelato maker.  Your gelato will be ready in 30 minutes.  Yum!!

Like I said before, there are many variations of this recipe.  Some use less sugar, some less eggs.  And of course, there are many different flavorings you can use.  Let your imagination soar and create your own special gelato!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

How many types of short pasta are there?

August 3, 2010 in Food by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the many types of short pasta.  There are three main types.

  • Tubular
  • Shaped
  • Stuffed

Tubular

Tubular pasta can be tiny to jumbo sized.  It can also be smooth or ridged and straight cut or diagonal.  This type of pasta is good for heavy sauces. It is able to hold more sauce because of it’s uneven shape and size.  Also the sauce can sneak right inside the tube so you get even more sauce with each mouthful.

  • Small – Ditalini are tiny short tubes that are good to use in soups or broths.  Pastina is even smaller and is often the first pasta that small children are fed.  Orzo is shapped like a grain of rice and is often combined with rice to make rice pilaf.
  • Large – Manicotti or large shells are an example of large tubes.  They are usually stuffed with a ricotta blend of cheese.
  • Smooth or Ridged – Macaroni is pasta made with semolina and water, without eggs.  It contains many different shapes such as elbow, penne, rigatoni and ziti.  Elbow and ziti are smooth.  Rigatoni is ridged and penne can be both smooth or ridged.

Shaped

There are many fancy shapes of pasta.  Farfalle means butterfly, but it is better know as bowties.  Fusilli is a corkscrew type of pasta as is the spiral rotini and children all love wagon wheels.  Gemelli is two pieces of round pasta twisted together.

Stuffed

A familiar stuffed pasta is ravioli.  It looks like a little pasta pillow and can be round or square.  It is stuffed with meat, cheese, seafood or vegetables.  Tortellini are bite sized stuffed pasta.  They are sometimes served in soups.  Gnocchi are basically dumplings made with flour, semolina and potatoes.  They are served as a side dish with butter and grated cheese.

When you cook your pasta, remember to use lots of water, about 4 quarts to 1 pound of pasta. Remember to add salt to the water.  It really enhances the flavor of the pasta and don’t cook it too long; it should be “al dente” or firm to the tooth.  Serve your pasta dish in a beautiful hand painted pasta bowl and enjoy your dinner!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

What makes a great gift for your Italian food loving friends?

August 1, 2010 in Food, Italian Christmas Gifts by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Ciao!  It’s not too soon to think of Christmas giving, and there are always occasions to give someone a very special Italian themed gift. Such as birthdays, anniversaries or any other special reason.  Everyone loves food, especially Italians.  There are many food items and food accessories that make great gifts.  Here are a few ideas and resources to get your creative juices flowing:

Food

  • Italian cheeses
  • Antipasto
  • Olive oils
  • Balsamic vinegars
  • Different types of pasta

Kitchen Accessories

Italian Gifts

Italian cheeses

An assortment of different Italian cheeses makes a great gift.  Your gift basket might include the following cheeses:  mozzarella, gorgonzola, mascarpone, parmesan, pecorino, provolone.

Antipasto

A gift basket could also contain, cold cuts, roasted red peppers, Italian olives and marinated mushrooms.

Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars

Extra virgin olive oil has the most intense flavor.  Extra virgin means that it was produced with the first pressing or by cold pressing the olives.  Olive oil can also be seasoned with different herbs and also garlic.  Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in Modena or Reggio Emilia.  There are many cheaper varieties that are produced, but the real deal is called “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale” and is aged at least three years.

Pasta

There are many types of speciality pastas available in different flavors and colors, such as spinach pasta or roasted red pepper pasta.

Pasta Bowls

Beautiful hand painted pasta bowls are an essential for the Italian kitchen.  They can be displayed as a decoration, but more practically, they can be used to present that wonderful Italian dish that you just prepared.

Stovetop Espresso Makers

A stovetop espresso maker makes a wonderful gift for your Italian friends.  Italians love their coffee and an espresso maker lets them make authentic espresso right in their own kitchen.

Griddle Stone

This is a great gift for those who like to make their own pizza.  It can also be used for cooking flatbreads and seafood over a hot fire.

Roasted Garlic Cooker

This is a great idea.  Simply put your garlic in this little ceramic jar, add a little olive oil and salt and in 30 minutes you have your roasted garlic. This is much better than using your whole oven to roast a little package of garlic.

Gelato Maker

What could be better than homemade gelato?  This is a great family gift.  With your own gelato maker, you can experiment with all kinds of flavors and ingredients.

Pasta Machine

A food processor and pasta machine is a terrific combination.  Think of that homemade bread or pizza for dinner.  This is another great family gift.

Whatever the occasion, there are many great Italian gifts to choose from.  Enjoy shopping!

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

July 27, 2010 in Food, cooking by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

How many kinds of pasta are there?

There are certainly more types of individual pastas than you or I could name.  Some of them are familiar and some I have never heard of.  They can be divided into the following broad categories.

Long strands

  • Round- thin to wide – angel hair
  • Flat or ribbon pasta -thin to wide – linguine, lasagne

Short

  • Tubular – small to large, smooth or ridged, straight cut or diagonal-rigatoni, penne, mannicoti
  • Shaped – farfalle, wagon wheels
  • Stuffed – ravioli, tortellini

Long Pasta

Long pasta is best used with sauces made with olive oil or butter. Frequently, these sauces incorporate seafood such as clams or shrimp.  Light tomato sauces are fine too.  The light sauces allow you to twirl the pasta around your fork.  Please don’t cut with a knife.  Oh, horror of  horrors!  If you are adding vegetables to your sauce, be sure to cut them into small pieces or in strips so they blend in with the long pasta as in pasta primavera.

Short Pasta

The short pastas that are tubular or shaped,  because of their uneven surfaces,  hold the sauce better.  Heavier tomato and cream sauces are paired with these pastas.  Stuffed pastas such as ravioli or tortellini are also good with heavy tomato and cream based sauces.

I’m going to talk about the long strand pastas today.  I will cover the other types in another post.

Long Strand Round Pasta

The most familiar type of long strand round pasta is spaghetti.  Sometimes this is used as a catch all phrase to cover all kinds of long pasta.  Spaghetti is the oldest known type of long pasta and literally means “lengths of cords”.  Spaghetti is good with oil or tomato based sauces.

Angel hair is a thinner version of spaghetti.  It is often used with thin oil or butter sauces or broths.  It is frequently paired with vegetables or shrimp.  Any additions should be chopped very thin.

Long Strand Flat Pasta

In the world of long strand flat or ribbon pastas, linguine and lasagne are probably the most familiar ones.

When I think of linguine, I always pair it with red or white clam sauce.  They just go together.  Yum..a nice big serving of clams and linguine in a beautiful pasta bowl…that’s my comfort food!

Lasagne noodles are long, wide and flat.  Sometimes they are ruffled, sometimes not.  Lasagne also refers to the delicious baked dish made with layered lasagne noodles, and a filling of cheese, meat and/or vegetables.

Fettucine is also a flat, ribbon pasta which is a little wider than linguine.  Fettucine is typically used in rich, creamy sauces…think fettucine alfredo.

Whatever kind of pasta you choose, try to present it in a beautiful, hand painted pasta bowl.  And for dessert, enjoy some delicious  gelato made in your very own gelato maker.

Ciao,

Stephanie
Italian Nonna

Simple Italian Cooking

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