Archive for the ‘World Cuisine’ category

Fast Foods: They Can be Healthy Too!

January 10th, 2010

Generally, the tendency of the human being is to choose the easier option and fast food restaurants cash in on this lethargy of people. It is quite true that we live in a fast paced world and do not have time to leisurely choose a well planned diet. But, when we look at the harmful effects of fast foods, it becomes highly necessary to plan and cook a healthy food at home. Invariably, almost all the fast food items are rich in fat, high in calorie, over processed killing the essential nutrients, and served with a lot of artificial flavoring, coloring and preservatives. The consequences of such things are obesity, depletion of resistance to insulin, heart disease, accelerated aging, and many more health related problems. The bad effect of fast foods is more on growing children than in adults since their bodies and brain do not easily adapt to the elimination and processing of harmful chemicals that are present in the fast foods. Significantly, fast foods have low fiber content which is essential in our daily food for the elimination of toxins and safeguard against the onset of diseases. The unhygienic conditions under which the fast foods are prepared also contribute to the harmful effects. Fast foods are preferred by people due to obvious reasons like they can be eaten fast, they are cheaper and people find it tasty and filling. Even those who sincerely want to reduce their waist line find it tempting to grab a fast food once or twice a week but, all the same, it is not good for health. Normally, fast foods are prepared with hydrogenated oil which is artificially made to increase its shelf life and effectively produces high levels of Trans fats which is dangerous for the human life and contributes to blood clogging in the artery. Another social aspect is employing underage workers for the fast food restaurants. If fast food can be avoided in its entirety, it is a good option to take foods that do not contain fat like onions, lettuce, tomato and mustard and low fat yogurt and at least balance the food.  The urge to eat fast food can be dampened if some tips are followed. Eating a little before going out will tend to resist taking fast food because a fully empty stomach tempts fast food. Alternatively, a small and healthy snack can be carried around while going out. Instead of taking a fast food that makes the stomach quite heavy, it is better to take five to six small meals every day. Looking at all the aspects, it finally boils down to the fact that fast food is undoubtedly harmful to the body. So, if health is important, it is sane to avoid fast food.

The author regularly contributes food and recipes to the popular blog http://www.foodandrecipes.info that has exhaustive info related to variety of foods and recipes from all over the world.
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Why Organic Food is Must for Humans

January 10th, 2010

Organic food is the food that has been prepared sans harmful chemicals, such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. A complete organic food also prohibits the use of anti biotic in feeding animals. Though the yields from organic farms are lower, the benefits of consuming organic food are multi fold higher than consuming conventional foods. Children and pregnant women are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of artificial fertilizers and it is worth spending a few more dollars on organic foods. Studies indicate that, in organic foods, the level of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are essential for the good health, are generally higher in content and organic food tastes better, too. The increasing awareness among the people about the diseases occurring due to the lingering effect of chemicals has made them to adopt organic food consumption. The organic foods are not only healthy but are also friendly to the environment because they are available in packs that contain only green materials and hence can be recycled easily.While conventional foods are chemically treated while still in the ground and thus exposing the soil to chemicals, organic foods are not done so .This helps to protect the soil as well as our environment and maintain in its natural state. Also, in the production of organic food, additives such as preservatives, sweeteners and hydrogenated fat that may cause toxins in the body are prohibited. Even agricultural workers are exposed to the toxins of fertilizers. The animal products like meat and dairy that claim to be organic are the ones got from animals that are given only organic food. Even though there may be a debate on the amount of benefits organic foods offer, it should be agreed that even very little benefit can contribute to great health effects in the long run. Organic food contains nutrients two to three folds greater than conventional foods. To get a well formulated balanced diet, careful planning is done and a diet plan is formed and followed. When such efforts are marred by using conventional foods that contain harmful fertilizers, the whole effort becomes futile. It is better to take organic foods and stay healthy and be free from the perils of diseases, by developing immunity. There is a social aspect also in consuming organic foods. The soil is a limited natural resource and when artificial fertilizers are used, it depletes the fertility of soil and makes them unusable for the future generations. So, it becomes our duty to switch over to organic food and encourage its production so as to preserve the fertility of the soil and also ensure a chemical free planet to live in. Hence, one small step towards an organic food is a giant step towards preserving the Nature and doing something great for the mankind.

The author regularly contributes food and recipes to the popular blog http://www.foodandrecipes.info that has exhaustive info related to variety of foods and recipes from all over the world.
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Popular American Foods and Recipes

January 9th, 2010

Some of the best foods found in America are due to the influence of various cultures. There are many cuisines to choose from and some of the finest Italian restaurants and best pizza chains are found in America. The standard of food in American is good and each city has its own particular kind of cuisine. Cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco have the most fabulous restaurants. Boston and New Orleans are known for seafood and Miami for Spanish flavors. New York steaks are a favorite among the visitors and almost any type of food is available due to the mixture of a variety of cultures. Boston people consume a large quantity of sea foods like lobster and crab and since most of the restaurants in Boston are owned by the families there, the standard of food is guaranteed to be of high quality. There are a very large range of food varieties at very affordable prices, not only in big cites of America but also down south in Louisiana and South Carolina. American food boasts for value for money because it caters to the needs of all kinds of people who want a square meal as well as a smaller budget meal, without compromising on the taste. Even for people who are on diet, special foods are served. The burgers are offered with fries and high calorie foods like fried French onions, bacon and cheese. The American desserts are legendary like the Pecan pie and Mississippi -mud pie. Tourists in the Deep South can enjoy the gumbo soup and jambalay. New England’s specialty foods are simple and of high quality, too. Similarly, New Haven is known for creating hamburgers as back as a century ago and is a necessity in an American food. Maine is reputed for its lobster and exports them too. San Francisco celebrates a crab season since it has some of the world’s best crabs. California offers a range of foods including artichoke, avocadoes, goat’s cheese and other green produce. An additional bonus is the Napa valley wine which is the best wine that the state has to offer. So, America has the variety of cuisine that is diverse and differs from state to state that is unique to them.But American food is notorious for processed foods and junk foods are quite common in America. It is an understatement that junk funds have very bad effects on the health of a person. It is a bad habit that has to be controlled. America is mainly responsible for spreading the fast food culture and the result is that a majority of the American people are obese today. But the consoling news is that there is an increasing awareness among the people about the harmful effects of fast food.

The author regularly contributes food and recipes to the popular blog http://www.foodandrecipes.info that has exhaustive info related to variety of foods and recipes from all over the world.

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Marinara Sauce, or “sailor Sauce” it is a Simple Italian Sauce Flavored With Tomatoes, Garlic & Herb

January 9th, 2010

There are several different variations of this sauce, and they are easy to make, and just as popular. There is a Cacciatore sauce and, a Pizzola sauce which I are at the bottome of this recipe.

The ingredients you will need: 2 Tbps of a good olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, or as one of my chef instructors would say toes of garlic 4-5 lbs of fresh tomatoes, the best and ripest you can find, cut into 1/2″-3/4″ pieces 1/4 – 1/2 c up fresh basil depending on your taste or love of basil, chopped, or chiffonade Salt and Pepper to taste = the level of salt or pepper you want in your sauce

Lets make Sauce: In a large sauce pan you will heat your olive oil over a medium heat. When the oil is starting to shimmer in the bottom of the pan you will add your garlic and saute for around 15-30 seconds, do not burn your garlic. It will make your sauce taste bitter. You want a very small amount of color, or it to look translucent. Add your tomatoes with all of the juice from them, and stir with the garlic. You will bring to a simmer, which is a very low bubble in the pan if at all. You will stir occasionally to make sure it is cooking evenly, and not sticking to the bottom of your pan. You do not want to burn the sauce. After about 30- 40 minutes you will taste for salt and pepper content, and this is when you will add them to fit your taste. Then you will add your fresh basil and stir. If you want to garnish your sauce on top of your favorite pasta, then save some of the basil, and add after you plate your pasta dish. Some Parmesan cheese as garnish on the top would go well with this sauce if you prefer.

If you would like to put a full meal together. I suggest while your sauce is simmering, add a pot of water to the stove and start over a high heat. Bring the water to a boil, and before you add the pasta you prefer add a generous amount of salt to the water. Add your pasta, and stir to keep it from sticking. While your pasta is in the boiling water you will have about 7-10 minutes of free time to get a salad ready and possibly some garlic toast. I hope that you enjoy this recipe it its very easy, and it is fresh, and much better than a jar sauce. It will show those that matter most, that they are special, and that you cared enough to make a great family meal. Enjoy.

I am going to list 2 other variations of this sauce one is a Pizzola, and the other is a Cacciatore.

This is a Pizzola Italian sauce and will be great for any type of pasta dish. It is very simple to prepare and will be a definate hit for a family meal.

Ingredients you will need:2 T of Olive Oil ,2 Cloves of Garlic , 4-5 Lbs of the freshest Tomatoes you can find , 2 T of fresh Basil for garnish , 2-3 T of dried Italian herb mix= Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano , 1 tsp of crushed Red Pepper flakes , 1/4-1/2 shredded Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Lets make Pizzola sauce: In a large sauce pan you will heat your olive oil over a medium heat. When the oil is starting to shimmer in the bottom of the pan you will add your garlic and saute for around 15-30 seconds, do not burn your garlic. It will make your sauce taste bitter. You want a very small amount of color, or for the garlicit to look translucent. Add your tomatoes with all of the juice from them, and stir with the garlic, and add your dry herbs and spices. . You will bring to a simmer, which is a very low bubble in the pan if at all. You will stir occasionally to make sure it is cooking evenly, and not sticking to the bottom of your pan. You do not want to burn the sauce. After about 30- 40 minutes you will taste for salt and pepper content, and this is when you will add them to fit your taste. If you want to garnish your sauce on top of your favorite pasta, then save some of the basil, and add after you plate your pasta dish. Some Parmesan cheese as garnish on the top would go well with this sauce if you prefer.

The Cacciatore sauce is just another variation of the Marinara sauce. If you have looked at my Marinara recipe the cooking principles are the same, other than a few additional ingredients.

The ingredients you will need: 2 Tbps of a good olive oil 2 cloves of garlic sliced thin, or as one of my chef instructors would say toes of garlic. 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, thin sliced with the stem and pith removed, no seeds. 1 can of slices button mushrooms, or 4-6 ounces of fresh button mushrooms if you prefer fresh ones. 1-1/2 to 2 tsp of dried Italian spice blend which is oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary. 4-5 lbs of the freshest tomatoes you can find cut into 1/2 – 3/4″ cubes with all of the juice. 2 T of fresh basil, thin slices or chiffonade. Salt and Pepper to taste = the level of salt or pepper you want in your sauce

Lets make Sauce: In a large sauce pan you will heat your olive oil over a medium heat. When the oil is starting to shimmer in the bottom of the pan you will add your bell peppers, and mushrooms and saute for around 3-4 minutes, do not burn them just lightly saute. Then add your garlic, and saute for around 15-30 seconds. If you burn them it will make your sauce taste bitter, so be careful not to over cook. You want a very small amount of color, or them to look translucent, or tender. Add your tomatoes with all of the juice from them, and your herbs and stir. You will bring to a simmer, which is a very low bubble in the pan, if at all. You will stir occasionally to make sure it is cooking evenly, and not sticking to the bottom of your pan. You do not want to burn the sauce. After about 30- 45 minutes you will taste for salt and pepper content, and this is when you will add them to fit your taste. If you want to garnish your sauce on top of your favorite pasta, then add some of the 2 T. of basil from your ingredients list, on the top of the sauce, on your pasta dish. Some Parmesan cheese as garnish on the top would go well with this sauce if you prefer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelley_Pogue

http://www.chefshelleypogue.com

Chef Shelley Pogue is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate from The Texas Culinary Academy located in Austin, Texas. Chef Pogue graduated with honors of cum laude with a GPA of 3.71. Shelley went to work for The Hills Fitness Center in Westlake Hills after graduation and stayed the for one year as the Executive Chef. She then left The Hills and went to work for a company Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. CHef Pogue is currently developing sauces and meal concepts for large retail markets in the US. Chef Pogue lives in Austin, TX, and is also a personal chef and caterer, and also working on developing a recipe and cook book.
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Living La Dolce Vita: Experiencing Italian Desserts

January 9th, 2010

With its decadent flavors and rich traditions, Italian food ranks as one of the finest in the world. On a global scale, only a handful of dishes could par with the standards set by Italians. What could rival the ubiquitous pizza, the savory pasta, and its famous espresso and cappuccino? Fact is, it is almost impossible not to have an Italian restaurant or an Italian specialty store within your place of work or in proximity from where you live. But when desserts and pastries come into play, Italians stood out and excelled; thus providing the rest of us with a chance to savor the sweet life.
So with your sweet tooth intact and your diet thrown out of the window, let us take a bite and experience la dolce vita.
Gelato
Can one imagine Italy without gelato? Gelato is a frozen dessert akin to an ice cream. And like most other Italian culinary works of art, the secret to perfect gelato comes from the quality of its ingredients. Though richer than the typical American ice cream, this fact really does not stop individuals from taking a taste of the sinfully decadent frozen treat. When in Italy, you will find a plethora of flavors ranging from your typical chocolate and vanilla to the not so typical rose and basil flavored gelato. It may be awkward to the auditory nerves but not to the taste buds.
Tiramisu
If you have a sweet tooth, have a taste for coffee, and is not into dieting, then tiramisu is the ideal dessert for you. Tiramisu is a layered dessert alternating a coffee-soaked sponge cake and cream topped with chocolate shavings or (more) cream. Traditionally, Italians use lady-fingers (biscuits shaped like, well, fingers). These biscuits are soaked in coffee and layered with a mixture of mascarpone cheese, custard, and whipped cream. (Talk about rich dessert!)
Biscotti
This is probably the most famous Italian cookie, not just in its hometown but as well as into numerous kitchens around the world. This crunchy cookie is good for a midday snack or midnight nibble. There are a variety of elements that goes into one of these tasty treats, and this too evolved and changed; adding in new ingredients and making it soft and chewy—adjusting everything to suit one’s palate. Though the basic dough may include almonds, chocolate chips, candied fruits or flavored with lemon, cocoa, or even coffee.
Panettone
This is sweet bread traditionally eaten during the advent season. This particular bread originated in Milan most likely in the fifteenth century and has been a traditional treat ever since. The dough may contain raisins and other candied fruits, and finished by dusting confectioner sugar over the top. With its recognizable dome shape and delightful taste, munching on one would easily satisfy your sweet tooth during the Christmas season.
Torrone
Another advent staple is the torrone. Though you need not wait for Christmas to get a taste of its almond nougat goodness (it is available all year round). This candy may be made using variety nuts (usually almond) and candied fruits. Also, it can be flavored with chocolate, vanilla or pistachio. This is sweet, and that is still an understatement. You may want to schedule a trip to the dentist after filling yourself with this yummy treat.
These are a few of the sweet treats that Italy has presented to the world. Choosing just one will prove to be a tough decision. But with your sweet tooth, you simply need to let your senses guide you. If you follow your senses, it will surely lead you to la dolce vita.

A brief history of Italian Comedy

January 8th, 2010

The traditions of Commedia dell’Arte and Greek theatre are still continued in Italian comedy today.

Commedia dell’Arte (literally translated as ‘Artistic Comedy’), dates back to the 16th century. It can be described as a comical theatre presentation performed by professional actors who travelled around Italy. The travelling acting groups performed mostly in city streets, and sometimes in court venues. The more famous troupes such as the Fedeli and Confidenti, even performed in palaces and reached international acclaim. The Commedia dell’Arte’s style of comedy used types of music, dance and witty dialogue, and it’s style spread throughout Europe and still lives on today in present day theatre.

In the past, ongoing themes in Italian comedy films were that of sickness, poverty, hunger, and old age, the idea being to highlight the ironic absurdities in tragic situations. A classic example to illustrate this is Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful (La vita e` bella). The film is set in the second world war in a nazi concentration camp, but somehow through the tragedy, Benigni still makes us laugh. Modern comedies today still laugh at the absurdities of modern life, although the themes of the past of sickness, old age etc aren’t that common.

Italians also appreciate jokes about life in general, and also enjoy jokes about politics e.g. there is a comic tradition of political cartoons called vignetta that can be found on the front page of Corriere della Sera, and in Naples there is a cartoon character of a chicken called ‘Gino’ who makes mini cartoon clips and songs about politics and pokes fun at political situations in the world today.

Juliana de Angelis is a travel writer about Italy…read more articles, travel guides and information about Italy, its people and culture at her website: http://www.madaboutitaly.com/Book flights, hotels and shop for Italian products at http://www.italianshopsonline.com/Copyright © 2006 Juliana de Angelis – please inform author if using any articles.
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Hello From Sicily – An Italian Cooking Class

January 8th, 2010

I had thoroughly enjoyed my personal Sicilian history lesson provided by Alessandro Adorno, the Founder and Director of the Babilonia Language School. In addition he suggested that I attend one of the cooking classes organized by Babilonia that gives Italian language students an opportunity to create Sicilian delicacies first-hand.
Just a minute and a half from the language school is the home of Aurelio and Angela Ferrari, a couple who regularly host language students as part of the homestay program of Babilonia. Currently the couple have three language students staying with them, and they provide them with comfortable accommodation as well as three home-cooked meals a day.
Aurelio, now retired, has spent a life-time in the hospitality industry. He has lived and worked in different hotels and resorts in Rome, France and England and has held a wide variety of positions in the tourism business, including work in various hotel and restaurant kitchens and has gained a wide variety of operational and managerial experience. After all the years abroad during his international career he returned to live in Taormina, in the house where he was born. He said he loves living here, it’s beautiful, and it’s very safe since there is virtually no crime.
He explained that he loves Sicilian cooking and that he truly enjoys sharing his knowledge. Lessons are taught three times a week and they focus on Sicilian home-cooking, using all the fresh locally grown ingredients that this fertile island has to offer.
Today Aurelio and his two culinary charges, Marjolein from Holland and Takashi from Japan, were going to produce a wide assortment of Sicilian specialties:
- Pasta alla Eoliana
- Pesce all Messinese
- Pomodori Gratini on Crostini
- Caponata Siciliana stile Arabo
- Aciughe marinate
- Formaggio Fritto
- Insalata di menta con olivi
- Mele al Agrodolce
As you can imagine a proper Sicilian meal always consists of multiple courses, and after all the preparation the students, the master chef and his family get to enjoy the meal together. Aurelio, a real character, added that students often sing, or play the guitar or the piano which is located on the main floor of his four storey house. He also added that he always makes sure to ask his students whether they have any food preferences or allergies or whether they are vegetarian.
Tonight was going to be a real feast for the palate with two main dishes: Pesce alla Messinese, a local fish specialty, and Pasta alla Eoliana – pasta Eolian Islands style. Both dishes require a basic sauce made from tomatoes and eggplants, flavoured with local staples such as onion, garlic, olives, capers, mint, basil and oregano. Aurelio refers to these herbs as the “profumi di Sicilia” – the fragrances or aromas of Sicily. The fish, cut in rectangular pieces, is cooked for only 10 minutes on the stove inside the sauce to make sure it’s nice and tender. To round out the taste a bit of red wine is added to the sauce at the end.
Pasta alla Eoliana starts with the same base and Aurelio explained that the pasta that is added is called “spacciatella”, a type of pasta that is not normally available in supermarkets. Any type of longitudinal hollow pasta should be able to substitute for this pasta variety.
Several aromatic side dishes were to accompany our meal: Pomodori Gratinati (gratinated tomatoes), according to Aurelio, are a great way to use up old bread. You simply cut a breadstick into slices, create a mixture called “pane saporito” – breadcrumbs flavoured with parsley, garlic, salt, all mixed thoroughly in a blender, and spoon the mixture on top of the tomatoes and add pecorino and parmesan, topped off with some anchovies, and bake the small pieces of bread in the oven for ten or eleven minutes to arrive at a delicious side dish.
Sicily’s multicultural heritage manifested itself in the next dish: the “Caponata Siciliana Stile Arabo” – a sweet and sour culinary relic of the Arab period in Sicilian history. The ingredients for this dish include raisins, pine nuts, sugar, balsamic vinegar, onions and eggplants cut in small cubes, all of which come together to form a deliciously fragrant vegetable relish that makes for a flavourful slightly sweet addition to any meal.
Aurelio and his two enthusiastic cooking students continued with the next side dish: “Acciughe marinate” are anchovy slices that are marinated for at least two hours in vinegar, lemon and salt with an addition of hot peppers, parsley and oil.
For the cheese lovers among us Aurelio prepared “formaggio fritto”: ricotta slices, breaded in beaten egg and flour and then pan-fried on the stove top. With the leftover egg he created an omlette, adding that nothing ever goes to waste in a Sicilian kitchen.
A mint salad consisting of mint leaves, with an addition of “pane saporito” (the savoury breadcrumb mix), olives, oil and vinegar was next before our chef and his two assistants created the dessert: “Mele al agrodolce”: sweet and sour apples. For this dish apple slices were covered with lemon juice and sugar and topped with sweet prunes, a sweet and sour way to cap off an assortment of healthy dishes prepared from fresh local ingredients. Sicilian cuisine is very healthful, with lots of fish and vegetables and very little animal fat. Aurelio’s eight-course meal was a perfect example of the focus on simple yet flavourful local ingredients that come together to form a fascinating array of aromas.
After the meal was cooked we all carried the numerous containers two floors up to the covered rooftop terrace which featured a long table that could hold at least 10 to 12 people. Aurelio, always with a big smile on his face, graciously introduced all the dishes on camera, and all of us sat down to taste this smorgasbord of Sicilian cooking.
Aurelio and his wife Angela talked to us about their families and about life in Sicily, which they both greatly enjoyed. The entire evening and the cooking class was conducted in Italian, another opportunity for exposure to the Italian language and the cordial hospitality of a real Italian family. After a delicious dinner Marjolein and I left this wonderful get-together and stepped out into a warm, moonlit night. We spent a few minutes on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and both commented what a special experience this time in Taormina has been before we left for a night of rest and another day of language studies.

Cooking Brochutto – A Great Italian Recipe

January 8th, 2010

The most exciting thing about Italian cooking is that there are so many delicious dishes to choose from and are a lot of fun to create. Most people have at least one favourite dish. You may have one yourself. If you don’t already know how to prepare it, or you would like to really perfect it, you may consider looking through cookery books or online for more information. If you are really enthusiastic you could look into cookery classes that specialize in this kind of cooking or even in this particular dish.
Or, perhaps you would like to know if it is available in any shops or restaurants locally.
Whatever you do be assured that Italian cooking brochutto is great to prepare and can be a rewarding pastime.
You may have tried this wonderful dish in a restaurant or it has been served to you by a friend or member of your family and now that you have tasted it the need to recreate the experience is great! Italian cooking brochutto is a memorable dish that once tried needs to be repeated. If this is the case for you there are many ways to get all the information you need for this type of cooking at your fingertips.
The best place to source information for Italian cooking brochutto is one the internet. There are countless recipes for you to try. To create your own unique recipe may take some experimentation on your part. You might like to add various ingredients here and there until you create your own individual recipe for Italian cooking brochutto.
The internet is not the only resource available to you. There are excellent bookshops that have a comprehensive supply of cookery books to suit every taste, ethnicity and culture. You may even try your local library which has a wealth of information for you to browse. All this information may inspire you to take your cooking to a new level and to try out many different styles of cooking. You may discover that you have a talent that has never been revealed before.
If your heart is set on replicating the perfect Italian cooking brochutto why not visit a favourite Italian restaurant and try their version of this great dish. You may love the way it tastes and be able to decipher what particular ingredients were used in its creation. It could be a challenge for you to prepare this dish at home later using your memory of the one you had ordered in the restaurant. It could be great fun to prepare and interesting to see how it actually turns out.
Perhaps you have all the information and the enthusiasm but lack that little bit of confidence to try Italian cooking brochutto without some guidance. In this instance it is worthwhile attending a cookery course that offer classes that are devoted to Italian cooking Brochutto. Your teacher will have perfected the dish many times over in her classes so will be the ideal person to instruct you exactly how to perfect it for yourself. There may be many different variations of the way this dish is prepared and possibly a few techniques that you haven’t heard of before. Going to cookery classes is a great way to get you on the road to becoming an expert in Italian cooking brochutto.

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How To Shop For Food On Holiday In Italy

January 7th, 2010

So you’ve booked a self-catering holiday in Italy on a farm in Tuscany or by a beach in Liguria? Enjoy exploring the flavours of Italy with this basic guide to help you enjoy food shopping as part of your holiday experience.
Traditionally Italians shop every day for what they want to eat that day, as freshness is a big concern to them. You won’t find huge fridges in most Italian kitchens, so decide every day as you shop, what you want to eat that day, according to what looks freshest and most appetising in the shops. The shop keepers are quite used to selling just two slices of perfectly sliced prosciutto, or a small piece of pecorino cheese. You can of course just head to a supermarket and fill your trolley for the week, but shopping the traditional way in all the little shops is an experience not to be missed and you will gain more cultural understanding this way, than any amount of museum visiting will provide.
Follow your nose first to the Forno, for crusty white bread, rolls and salty focaccia, a soft olive oil pizza bread cut into squares, that the school children often stop by for as a morning snack. Pane integrale is wholewheat bread and becoming more easily available. If you don’t acquire the taste for the traditional, unsalted bread you can ask for pane salata – salted bread, which is sometimes available as a speciality bread.
Next drop by the fruttaverdura – the greengrocers. Italy has a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables and you will find whatever is in season and at its best. Italians are distrustful of imported food, the more locally grown the better, so most of what is on offer won’t have been subjected to cold storage and other indignities. May brings strawberries and cherries piled high and bright. Peaches and nectarines follow with melons of all varieties. By the time you reach autumn these have been succeeded by heaps of glistening grapes, luscious figs and juicy pears. Watch the local signoras carefully selecting their fruit and veg and you will get an idea of what is at its best and what should be left another week until it is truly in season, ripe and delicious.
The alimentari now- the general grocers store. You will probably be following the same group of signoras from shop to shop as they do their morning round. Everything is here, from tins piled high, to packets of pasta, with a counter of cheeses and salamis to be sliced to your requirements. You can ask for two slices of prosciutto crudo – cured ham, thinly sliced or buy sliced meats and cheeses by the etto – a generally used term for 100g (about 3oz). If you want to have a taste before you decide to purchase, just ask and a sliver of cheese will be passed over the counter for you to pronounce judgement on. There will also be containers of herby olives and sundried tomatoes to buy by weight. Bottles of mineral water and wine will rub shoulders in a corner.
For a treat stop by the pasticceria for a tray of delicious creamy pastries, which will be wrapped in paper and ribbon until they are worthy of the Christmas tree.
Now head off for a picnic lunch in an olive grove with your spoils, or treat yourself to a long lunch in a restaurant and keep your shopping for a delicious, no-cooking, light supper on the terrace of your apartment.
Copyright 2007 Kit Heathcock

Dreaming of an Italian Wedding

January 7th, 2010

More and more foreign people dream of a wedding “Italian style”.American and Australian couples choose to make their wishes come true in the most beautiful Italian locations. Japanese and English brides don’t stand still and plan to set their special day in ancient Tuscan villages, in seaside villas close to Amalfi, in Verona like Romeo and Juliet, among the Roman monuments to catch some drops of Dolce Vita.Why? Because Italy has long been rightly considered one of the most romantic countries in the world: medieval hill towns set in gorgeous landscapes, bringing you back in time, and making you feel part of an ideal Renaissance painting.The foreign couple that had got married in Italy were thrilled by what Italy did to their five senses: nostrils tickled by the sweet scents of lemon groves and Mediterranean herbs: eyes lulled by the sight of gently rolling hills, shades of green and blue in appealing sea water, and famous works of art; skin caressed by the gentle sea breeze and balmy summer nights; ears enticed by warm sea waves overlapping on soft sandy beaches; and the food, the delicious Italian food, the generous Italian wines, made them want to forget of ever having tasted any precooked food.Any advice for couples planning a wedding abroad: most importantly, make sure you find a reputable company to help you organise everything an be prepared to do a lot of planning via email. There are special agencies that provide weddings in Italy in the most exclusive venues and romantic places. They could also take care of honeymoon periods, suggesting a moonlight ride in Venice, relaxing days in Sardinia or a cruise to Aeolian Islands. If it’s time to tie your knot you could arrange your perfect day with the best wedding planners.If possible make a trip out to visit the people arranging the wedding and check that all your documentation is in order before you travel.Finally enjoy everything, especially the wedding day.

J.Sachs, born in the US, loves Italy and Italian culture. He is an expert wedding planner and he tries to make his best for the couples bring him in.
He is interested in cooking, traveling, reading, watching movies and, obviously, weddings.
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