Italian Food

Italian cuisine is not just pasta and pizza, not at all! Authentic Italian food reflects great diverse cultural variety and history depending on the region it comes from, each of which has its own culinary influences and seasonal specialties. High priority is placed on the use of fresh seasonal produce, which distinguishes cuisine available in Italy from imitations prepared in most other countries. The northern and southern regions of Italy differ in the way they prepare their cuisine with the northern region tending to use more butter, creams, polenta, parmesan, risotto, and fresh egg pasta, as opposed to the southern region which uses more tomato, olive oil, mozzarella, other cheeses, and dried pastas. The northern and central coastal regions often integrate Italian foods from both northern and southern regions, using tortellini and ravioli in many signature dishes. The coastal regions are also renowned for their fresh prosciutto, a flavorful addition to many Italian dishes.

Italian food cannot be separated from a fine Italian wine, which is produced primarily in the regions of Piedmont, Venetia, and Tuscany. The Italian kitchen is the center of the home and cooking is not just about satisfying a hunger, its about celebrating culture, flavors, and life. A traditional Italian menu consists of antipasti (hot or cold appetizers), and several courses beginning with a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup. The second course is the main dish, usually fish or meat, which is traditionally veal, pork, or chicken. The side dish is usually a fresh salad or cooked vegetables, followed by various cheeses and fruits, and last but not least, dessert. The first (yes there’s more than one!) dessert could be a cake or cookies, with coffee (espresso) followed by a sweet after dinner liqueur. Sounds absolutely wonderful, doesn’t it? Definitely not for all of you on a low carb diet, but if you’re planning a trip to Italy, the diet will have to be left behind!

You don’t have to go to Italy to have great Italian food. There are collections of traditional pasta recipes featured on many sites online, like www.italianfoodforever.com, a comprehensive site relating to all aspects of Italian cuisine. Browse through hundreds of traditional recipes, menu ideas, unique articles, monthly newsletters, cookbooks, culinary journals, forums, a photo gallery, and more. How does an elegant warm lobster salad sound, or maybe oven-roasted tomatoes with prosciutto and crisp peppery arugula? Tuscany Tonight.com is another great resource that features an abundant selection of Italian food recipes hand-crafted to express the flavorful Tuscan culture, in addition to wine pairings, entertaining tips, how to select ingredients, etc. Authentic Italian food is among the richest and most varied anywhere, and it’s perfect for every occasion. Enjoy!