THE COOKING OF ITALY
THE MOTHER CUISINE : The cooking of the Italian Peninsula was the first fully developed cuisine in Europe. Its originators the ancient Romans, found some of their culinary inspirations in Asia minor and Greece , besides drawing on many resources and ingredients that were home grown . Combining all these it was possible for Italy to teach France the act of good Cooking and eating . In fact , the La Rowne Gastronomique the bible of French Cooking goes on Staple “ Italian Cooking can be considered , as a varitable mother cuisine.
It was in 1533, that Catherine de Medici journeyed from Florence to France for her marriage to king Henri II. Both Catherine and her Cousin Marie de Medici who later became queen of Henri IV in 1600, brought teams of Expert cooks to France with them. They knew the art of making modern Pastry and desserts , Cakes , cream puffs and ices. Medici cooks also now familiar vegetables like outside Italy dishes such as the now familiar vegetables like asparagus, artichok, broccoli and the tiny peas that the French took as their own and which the world now knows as Petit’s Pois.
The mother Cuisine of Italy also assimilated many Products of the New World and helped introduce them to the old. It is hard to imagine Italian Cooking without the tomato, but till 1554, no European had even set eyes to it . It was imported into Italy form mixies where it was known as Pomo d’ oro (golden apples) . The Piments or red Pepper , to important in Italian Cooking today , was also a find of the conquests , so was the potato sent back to Europe in 1540. Italy was also the first to Exploit corn , the grain used today in Polento. Turkey were brought back from America and were cooked according to Existing recipes of Peacock . In the end of 1600 , the Italian list of food resources was complete and Italians cooking techniques and eating habits had crytallised into the forms we know today.
THE MODERN CUISINE
To many a non –Italian , the Cooking of Italy means Pasta, Paste and more Pasta. Actually , Italian Fare can be lively and interesting .It ranges from rich, stomach warming soups through dazzling anti Pasta , meat, fish and vegetables dishes , to a profusion of cakes and ice creams.
On the basis of styles of Cooking Pasta , the whole Country can be divided into North and South , into two quite separate culinary territories.
The north is fertile Popular ,industrialized and affluent, the south is Porched , sparsely inhabited historically poor and mainly agricultural .As a Consequence , the north cooks in butter , the South in olive oil (its cheaper to maintain an olive tree than a cow. Flat Pastas , usually made with egg are Popular in the north where as dried tubular Pastas like Spaghetti and macaroni are more popular in the south.
PASTA
No doubt, most non-Italians if asked to name Pastas would probably mention Spaghetti and macaron’s and Perhaps Cavioli and Vermicilli . This is not many from a list which includes agnolotti , amorini, bucatini , Cenellon, Capellini, Capalletti, Covatoni, Conchiylie, ditali, ditalini, faifalle, faifalette, fedelini, fettucea, fettucelle, fettucine, fritelle, fusilli,losagne, linguine, lumache, Macherancelli, Mafalde, Malfatti, Manicotti,Margherite, Maruzelle, Mezoni, Mostaccioli, Papardelle,Passatelli,Pastine, Penne, Pennoni, Perciatelli, riccidine, rigati, rigatoni, spaghettini, spiedini, stelline, stivaletti, tagliarini, tagliatell, tagliolioni, tonarelli, tonnellini, tortelli,tortellini,torteloni,trenette, tripalini, tubettini, tufoni, & ziti. Most names describe the shape , origins or filling of the Pastas at times , they are in local dialects and at times, even nicknames among those which are translatable are agnolotti (little lambs) amorini (little cupids) , Cannelloni(Big Pipes) Conchiglie (Counch Shells) , farfaller (butterflies),
fusilli (spindles) linque de Parsero ( Sparroni tongues ) viceiolini(little cinls) Stivalatti
(little boots and vermicelli(little worms).
Pastas can be cooked in variety of ways including boiling , frying , baking . Besides the above list , they are doughy varieties of gnocchi which are Pasta like dumplings made of flour, semolina, Potatoes or a mixture of these .There are also a whole range of sauces including Pesto, “ Besciamella” and ragu Bolognese” that go along with these Pastas. After Pasta , the sea , infact , is Italy’s more important sauce of food . Every Italian Provence , with a sea coast has its own delicious variety of chowders. From its long Coastline along the Tyrrhenien and Adriatic seas , Italian net around 700 million tonnes of fish each year. These includes varieties such as , red mullet sole bars, anchovies, sardines, mackeral, tuna and .
The sea also Provides vast quantities of shell fish and crustaceans cysters, clams , mussels , spiny lobsters , shrimp, cray fish, and the famous scampi also squid , cuttle fish and Octopus varieties not very Popular outside Italy.
While Pasta and fish may be the staple diet , the greater glories of Italian cuisine lies in its fruits and vegetables.
No Italian kitchen is without fresh or dried bunches of Parsley, sweet basil, wild marjoram , sage, tarragon, bay leaves, oregano mint, fennel seeds and juniper berries. Along with spices such as cloves , coriander , and flavouring like saffaron , garlic shallots, lemon juice,vinegar, olives and celery from a wide spectrum of Enhances to choose from. In this list, the olive has a special place .Some of the best olive oil comes from Italy .Lucca in Tuscany and Saseria in Sardania produce top quality olive oil .
Italy in Europe biggest producer of rice and its per acre production is not matched anywhere in the world . Arborio is a top quality rice used in the making of Rizotto. By the end of the 18th century . The rice grown in the Piedmont region in the North was so superior that its cultivation methods was a closely guarded secret .It was illegal to take the seed out of the region.
Although Italians are not ordinarily great meat eaters , it is not true that Italy does not have good meat. Italian veal, Pork and even beef are very good , but most Italian prefer veal, among other popular meats are the processed Pork in the form of Parma , Ham , Bologna sausage , Mortadello sausage . Duck geese children and turkey are also prepared in a variety of ways.
Italy also has a fair amount of good quality cheese , Although they do not compare with the variety of France , cheeses such as Parmesan , Gorgonzola and Bel Paese are now world famous.
Italian ice creams are probably the best in the world .It comes in two basic varieties , the gelati ( milk based , such as vanilla , chocolate ) and granita (shorbet like made of a thin Powdery ice flavoured with lemon , Coffee etc.,
THE REGIONS OF ITALY
Culinary wise Italy has been divided into various regions .Each region has its own history and its own distinctive way of Preparing food. The main region include Rome, Florence and Tuscany , Bologna , Venice and the North east , Genoe and Lingwia, Milan and Lombardy .Turin and Piedmont , Naples and the South and the islands .All Italians Consider restaurants serving dishes from other regions as being “International” .To a citizen of Bologna , a restaurant serving Roman. Genoese or sielian dishes is International but a Bologna restaurant serving Milanese , venetian or Florentine dishes is not regarded as International as those dishes are from neighbouring region and have been assimilated into Bolognese cuisine .One reason that many Foreigners think Italian Cooking is Pretty much the same is that most Italian restaurants abroad are Nepolitan. It was from the relatively improvised south of the country that most immigrants came from , bringing with them their regional Cuisines .In the broadest terms , the dominant city of Northern Italian Cooking is Bologna and Naples is of the South. Besides having a large appetite for Pasta , South Italy also has bread as its staple .Bread not money is the gift for beggars . Bread is combined with cheese to produce the traditional “Mozzarella in Carrozza” (Mozzerelle in a carriage ). The South also has a well developed sweet tooth .”Trudiddi are small biscuits fried in oil, dipped in honey and frosted with sugar or chocolate , mostaccioli are similar but flavoured with almonds Biscuits Tortoni invented by a Neapolitan of the same name led to the development of granite and gelati.
SICILY & SARDINIA
The two islands region of the coast of Italy have also greatly influenced the food of Italy . They share a certain insular conservatism, clinging to their own ancient culinary traditions .Sicily raises lush crops of citrus fruits , garden vegetables olives and grapes. Sardinia a fishes for tuna has some excellent wines and has about one third of the flock of sheep in Italy. The most famous creations of Sicilian cuisine are the sweets and Pastries . Home made cakes and breads are also Popular. The typical bread is Cartwheel shaped .Sicilians eat little meat and that too in the form of cured sausage .In Sardinia the meals are healthier .This is the land of cooking “FURRIA” Furria meaning to turn and turn on. This refers to spit roasting and whole animals such as wild boar , suckling Pig, basy lamb and young goats . Sardinia and sicily were once known as the Grannary of Italy.
THE REGION OF ROME
Sooner or later, for most visitors , all roads lead to Rome , as a Capital , Rome manages to embraces the culinary character of the entire country .The real Pride of the Roman Homeland ,however lies in its own native cooking . Romans know or care for the gastronomic split between the north and south .They have developed their own variation of both northern and southern Pasta. The city is famous for its Cannelonoi , fettucine, al burro and tagliatelle . Rome also has many dishes involving Maceroni and spaghetti (from South ). Among the meat dishes, the popular ones include Porchette and abbachio (suckling lamb) another favourite is saltimbocca a veal and ham Escalope seasoned with sage and santeed in butter and then braised in wine .”Filetti di baccale (thin strips of salt cod, dipped in butter and fried in olive oil).
Pajata de Vitello (real offals with Pecorina cheese and rigatoni.) Coda alla Vaccinora (braised ox tails) Pemodori Cenriso (striffed tomatoes ) and cipolline in agrodeolee are all Roman favourites .The neighbouring districts of Umbria and the Marches are also decidedly influenced by Latin (Rome) . Perogia the capital of Umbria the region north of Rome is known for its chocolates, the best in Italy as well as for Porchetta Perugina ahighly spiced version of the suckling Pig.Umbria is also famous for its crop of good quality vegetables including celery and Mushrooms .More exotic are its magnificient block truffles richer in taste than its French counter part. Another source of food is the fresh water lakes of Trasimen and Piediluco where trount , Perch grey mullet and cels.
FLORENCE & TUSCANY
Tuscany is considered the heart land of the nation , the place where the language is the Purest , the traditions strongest and the culture liveliest . It is also the region where he food is thought to be least corrupted by outside influence Great attention is paid to raw ingredients of the highest quality cooked with a minimum of seasoning and sauces .The heart of this heart land is Florence .To many a foreigners , especially to those who know French cooking , the term a la Florentine is famous and would mean the use of spinach in the dish. This is not totally true. To a true Italian a la Florentine would mean the way a la Florentine cooks . One of the more famous dishes is trippa a la Florentine tripe stewed in chicken stock with herbs and vegetables and served with grated Parmesan cheese. Another is arista a la Florentina (roast saddle of Pork seasoned with garlic , cloves and rosemary). Pullo a la diavola (tender quarter of chicken basted with a spicy butter sauced and broiled )and tortino careiofi a speciality of Florence an omlette like Preparation involving artichoke hearts.
Tuscany is best known for its three gastronomic traditions- Beef , Beans and chianti . Probably the oldest and heaviest of beef cattle in the world is the chianina in Tuscany , they are well known for their speedy growth as well their great weight , when it reaches the table chianina beef steak in probably one of the best of the world .Bistecca a la florentina or Costala a la florentina are referred dishes. The Costala rib steak grilled over cool and soft wood embers and seasoned with olive oil – is said to be the best of the best than can be had in Italy . Besides being big beef caters the Tuscans are also known as Mangia Fagioli (bean eaters ) by non Tuscans and this addiction to beam is common to all classes of People . Beans appear on the menu at every stage except the dessert .Hence, there is bean soup (Zuppa difagioli) riso a fagioli (rice and beans ) and Ribollita and any left over dish , reheated and served with beans , chianti is one of the best known Italian wine. Chianti country includes Florence and sienna, its boundaries marked by law. One of the best chianti wine is chianti Brolio , an ancient name in Tuscany . Besides Florence, other Tuscan towns are also famous . Arrezo is known for its hams, its delicately flavoured trout and particularly its delicious walnuts and chest nuts. Lucca Produces the best olive oil in all Italy. In Grosetto, the tasty known as Capitone is very famous , while six miles Inland on the river alno in Pisa, the same is called ‘la cie’ or Cieche . Another Tuscan city Livorno gives its name to a fish stew like soup Cacciucco a la livornese something like the French Bouillaibaise.
Bologna and the North : The Italians refer to the Bologuese (People of the Emilia). Romagna has the richest style of cooking in all Italy. The cattle of the region are also well known and the two very Popular dishes are involtini a la Cacciatore (veal rolls stuffed with smoked ham and chicken livers ) and Cuscinetti di Vitello (veal scallops , stuffed with cheese and ham moistened with ham and cooked in a skillet). One of the more popular Pastas from the region is Tagliatelle. Besides Lasagne a speciality of the city of Bologna is the mortadella sausage. Also from this region comes Pama Ham, Proscirltto di Parma , obtained from boned rear legs. Parma is also responsible for the famed Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano in Italian ) used in soups and served with Pasta , rice and many other dishes. Another delicate Product from the region is the aceta balsamico a herb flavoured vinegar which adds sparkle to the salads and Pickled meats . The nearby Feuaro district is fertile and 60-65% Careage is given to apple orchards .This region is known for its bakery Prowess with breads being their Forte. Just South east of Feuare is the town of Ravenna known for its Brodetto (Fish Chowder).
VENICE AND THE NORTH EAST
Venicis menu like the city itself arises from the sea. Two of the most classic dishes are scampi and Risi e bisi (rice and peas). Scamppi are served in a variety of fashions in a Brodetto (Chowder) rolled in slices of ham or Plain boiled with an oil (vinegar dressings scampi can be baked , fried or grilled . Among the other fish dishes of Venice are stogie in saor (sole with herb sauce) Sardoni a scotadeo (Fresh Sardines , roasted and basted with lemon juices and bisato in tecia ( with tomatoes and herb).These names may even sound to Italians for they are in a Jenetian dialect . Although fish dominates on the coast , a short distance inland , the sea food is built into rice dishes as in risotto con scampi . A Phenomenon among the rice dishes is rise con la va (literally meaning rice with grapes).
Ravigo and Padua are another two towns in the region with culinary contributions . All sorts of Coffee originated from there. Cappucino takes its name from the colour of the roses of the Cappucino monks of Padua. Paduans also like Caffe a la Borgia , Coffee laced with apricot brandy and cinnamon.
NAPLES & THE DEEP SOUTH
Perhaps the most famous example of Neapolitan style cooking is the Pizza. The style is also Exemplified in the regions macaroni and Sphagetti . In expensive hearty and highly varied the cooking of Naples represents the entire south . Naples is the Culinary capital of the south . The South of Italy is not a land of great wines, one Exception is the Lachrima Christi Produced from grapes grown on the slopes of vesuvius.
The Compania region (in which lies Naples ) is superior to the remaining Parts. Because of its fertile volcanic soil, agricultural Produce is abundant and Voluminous with its large coastline, the south depends on the sea for much of its Produce .Each sardines , tubular Pasta, there is plenty of home made Pasta as well. The basic refinement for Pasta is the sauce . There is Sphagetti and Macaroni con le vongole(clam sauce) ,other Neapolitan Faromites include al Sugo (meat sauce ) or al Pomodoro (tomato sauce) However , the most favoured is Pommorda in Coppa that is Pasta topped with fresh tomatoes , onions , bacon and garlic browned with olive oil. From Capsi comes Spaghetti ai totani ( use of squid in the sauce).
ITALIAN FOOD REGION BY REGION
PIEDMONT – The name means at the foot of the mountain , which it is , bordering on both France and Switzerland .Mainly mushrooms and truffle are grown in this area.
LOMBARDY – The mention of Milan , the Capital of the Province , Produces immediate thoughts of the wonderful risotto named after the city and also the Milanese soufflé flavoured strongly with lemon veal dishes including vitello tonnato and ossobuco are responsible specialities of the region.
TRENTINO – ALTO ASIGE – This is an area of mountains , rich green valleys and lakes where fish are Plentiful .There is a strong German influence , Particularly when it comes to the wines . There are also several German style liqueurs produced such as Aquavit , Kummel and Slivovitz.
VENETO – Polenta is served with almost everything .
LIGURIA – The Genoese are Excellent Cooks , and all along the Italian Riveria can be found excellent trattorias which produce amazing fish dishes flavoured with Olive oil. Pesto sauce comes from this area.
EMILIA – ROMAGNA – Tortellini and lasagne are among the many Pasta dishes which feature widely , as do Saltimbocca and other veal dishes. Parma is famous for its ham , Prosciatto di Parma.
TUSCANY – BEANS ARE FAMOUS , T boned steak bistecca alla fiorentia.
UMBRIA / MARCHES – PORK and fresh ingredients are important ,spit roasting and grilling are Popular , Excellent local olive oil is used for cooking.
LAZIO – Lamb veal ‘Saltimbocca ‘ and offal all with generous amounts of herbs and seasonings.
ABRUZZI AND MOLISE – Lamb , Cheese , ham, herbs.
CAMPANIA – Naples is the home of Pasta dishes and tomato sauce .Pizza is said to have been created in Naples . Pizzaiola steak mozzarella comes from this region.
PUGLIA (Apulia) – Good fruits, olives vegetables and herbs and sea food . Puglians are said to be champion Pasta eaters.
BASILICATA – Lamb is flavoured with the herbs and grasses . Chitti Pepper are grown, Local breads are baked in huge waves.
CALABRIA – Orange and lemon , Olive trees , Egg Plant . Many desserts and cakes are flavoured with aniseed , honey almonds and the figs.
SICILY – Fish and Vegetables , Citrus fruits , dry , marsala wive . Game Cassala and other ice creams are Excellent and world famous.
SARDINIA – Suckling Pig or sady lamb , offals , Rabbit , sea bass ,lobsters tuna, mullet , cels, and mussels are in good supply.
Local herb myrtle(mirto) is added to anything from chicken to local liqueue the sweet dishes are numerous.