History of italian food

While some of the most popular dishes associated with the Italian culture include a tempting slice of pizza and a heaping plate of pasta, there is much more to the world of Italian cooking. Throughout the many regions in Italy, the distinctive cuisine of the Italians shines through in a wide-range of eating habits, styles of cooking, and selection of local ingredients. The changing of the times has also influenced Italian food, as the meals served in the pre-Roman era possess both similarities and differences in the cuisine of today.

Italian cuisine has evolved extensively over the centuries. Although the country known as Italy today had not officially formed until the 19th century, the cuisine can claim roots going back as far as 4th century BC. Through various influences throughout the centuries, including neighboring regions, conquerors, high-profile chefs, political upheavals as well as the discovery of the New World, a concrete cuisine has formed to what is known today as one of the premiere cuisines in the world. Italian food history, however, reaches far beyond the country's borders.


Italian cuisine is not only highly regional, but is also distinguished by being very seasonal with high priority placed on the use of fresh, seasonal produce.In the last few decades Italian cuisine has altered as a result of rapid and profound changes in lifestyle. The involvement of industry in the food sector and the subsequent improvements in preparation, conservation and distribution has led to modifications of the old system and a raising of food standards but perhaps at the cost of a certain loss of flavour in meats and freash vegetables. Italian cooking, with its adaptability in preparation, has remained resistant to this, as well as keeping up with the pae of 20th-century life. Italy therefore remains a country with a noble culinary tradition and is renowned abroad as such.

Spices have been used in Italy since Roman times. Nowadays spices are used in smaller quantities but they are present in many dishes. The following list describes those spices most frequently used in Italian recipes.

SPICES:-

CORIANDER [coriandolo]
Crushed coriander seeds are used in various meat dishes, particularly lamb and pork.

GINGER [zenzero]
This spice is rarely used in Italian cooking, except in the region of Apulia and Basilicata in southern Italy, where it is very popular.

NUTMEG [Noce moscata]
The Italians are fond of this spice, both in sweet and savoury dishes. Ground nutmeg has none of the fresh flavour and aroma of the freshly grated kind. Nutmeg is a common ingredient in ravioli and dishes which contain spinach or cheese.





PEPPER [pepe]
Black peppercorns should always be used. Grind them fresh at the time of cooking or serving; never use ready-ground pepper.

SAFFRON [zafferano]
This is used mostly in risotto and in fish soups and stews. Saffron is very expensive and therefore used sparingly. Saffron threads are probably the easiest and most economical way of using saffron: they should be steeped in a little warm water until the color and aroma are extracted; the water should then be strained and added to the dish.

SALT [sale]
Sea salt is used throughout Italy. Coarse sea salt rather than table or cooking salt is the type to use.

VANILLA [vaniglia]
Vanilla is a popular flavoring in sweet dishes, and vanilla sugar sold in sachets is frequently used with ordinary sugar to give flavor to cakes and pastries. The Italians use vanilla pods (beans) rather then essence (extract).

HERBS:-

Herbs are an important flavouring in Italian cooking and fresh ones are normally used, because most Italians either grow their own or have easy access to fresh herbs. In the winter months home-dried herbs are used. Herbs can be grown easily in pots on the windowsill or in the garden - they should be picked in the summer at the height of the growing season, then stored in the freezer or hung up to dry in a cool, airy place away from damp. Once dry, they should be stored in airtight containers.


Basil (basilico)
There are numerous varieties of this spicy, aromatic herb, but sweet basil and bush basil are the most common. It is used mostly in dishes that contain tomatoes, and in salads, soups and on pizzas. Freshly chopped basil should be used whenever possible, as dried basil makes a poor substitute. If buying dried basil, however, always choose the sweet kind; its flavour is much less pungent than other varieties.

Bay Leaves (lauro)
Bay leaves are used as a flavouring for casseroles, soups and sometimes roasts.

Borage (borragine)
Borage has a flavour not unlike cucumber. It grows all over Italy, and is used both as a flavouring and as a vegetable. Ravioli is stuffed with borage in Genoa. Borage leaves are also served like spinach or dipped in batter and deep-fried as fritters.

Fennel (finocchio)
Fennel is used in three ways in Italian cooking. The bulb, known as Florence fennel or finocchio, is used whole, sliced or quartered as a vegetable, and either braised or baked au gratin. It is also chopped raw in salads. Wild fennel stems (finocchiella) and the frondy leaves, which have the slightly bitter tang of aniseed, are used in cooking to flavour sauces, particularly in fish and sometimes pork dishes. They are also chopped and added to mayonnaise, eggs and cold fish dishes. Fennel seeds are a common flavouring in spiced sausages and other cooked meats, Finocchiona salame being the best known of these.

Juniper (ginepro)
The berries of the juniper bush are used in pork and game dishes and in marinades. If they are to be included in a dish such as a stuffing they should always be crushed first. Use juniper berries sparingly as their flavour can be bitter if used in too large a quantity.

Marjoram, Sweet (maggiorana)
This herb is sometimes used in soups, stews, vegetable and fish dishes. If necessary it can act as a substitute for oregano.

Myrtle (mirto)
The Sardinians make full use of myrtle to flavour meats, particularly when spit-roasting young animals. This herb is used elsewhere in Italy, but not to the same extent.

Oregano (origano)
This is also known as wild marjoram. It is an essential ingredient in many Italian dishes, including pizzas, sauces and casseroles, but its flavour differs slightly from one region to another.

Parsley (prezzemolo)
Italian parsley is the flat-leaved variety as opposed to the curly "moss" variety common in Britain and the United States. Flat-leaved parsley can usually be found at continental stores, where it is often called "continental parsley". Its flavour is far more pungent than curly parsley, and for this reason it is generally used as a flavouring in Italian dishes rather than as a simple garnish. For Italian recipes where parsley is specified, try to obtain the flat-leaved variety; other parsley can be used as a substitute, but the flavour of the finished dish will not be quite the same.

Rosemary (rosemarino)
The Italians are very fond of flavouring lamb and suckling pig with rosemary. It is also used liberally in soups and stews. However it is wise to treat this herb with a little caution, since its distinctive flavour can easily overpower ingredients with more subtle flavours.

Sage (salvia)
Sage is commonly used in liver and veal dishes.

Furthermost offerings of natural world - Porcini

A loaded, fleshy mushroom is what Porcini stands for. Each year while September draws closer, the value of mushrooms tends to slip down.

Even though the systems necessitates a licence and legalize the quantity of bags and places where choosing is allowable, mushroom stalking persists to be a breathtaking way to expend a day in the woods. It's quite trouble-free all you necessitate are a pair of good quality shoes, a storage bin, and a stiletto. The recompense can be porcini: a mushroom that is incredibly resourceful, flimsy enough to add elegance to a graceful dish, and up till then has an enormous sturdy essence.

What one bear in their minds is that not at all scoff untamed mushrooms except an connoisseur has acknowledged them. Noxious mushrooms may look a lot like other enviable species, and some of them, such as Amanita muscaria, contain a deadly neurotoxin.

Porcini are extremely valued and esteemed mushrooms. They have a even, fleshy texture and a burly woodsy flavor.
It can weigh up from an ounce to more than a pound, and their caps can range from one to twelve inches in diameter. You will infrequently hit upon them unsullied in the United States, but you may seek coming across for them in departmental make markets in late spring or in the fall. Some grocery provision stores sooner or later bear traded in frozen Porcini. The dried up variety of this mushroom is readily obtainable, nevertheless. Porcini mushrooms also arrive conserved in oil.

Exposure to air or drying is a old manner of safeguarding feral mushrooms to benefit from them year-round. Dehydrated mushrooms will remain for months exclusive of refrigeration.

Decide mushrooms that are a tan to pale brown in color; shun those that are flaky. Dried up porcini have got to be make softer in boiling water for at slightest 20 minutes before by means of.
As a rule of thumb, one ounce of dried mushrooms will reconstitute to six to eight ounces. Once softened, the mushrooms may be wedged, hacked, or left whole, as per the recipe.

Then reconstituted mushrooms must be added by the side of commencement of cooking. This agrees to their exceedingly concerted flavors to pervade the complete dish. Also, in general, cooks add the drenched water to the preparation for more flavors

Since clean porcini are not often instituted in the United States, usually are surrogated by a arrangement of dried up porcini and further familiar unsullied mushrooms, such as chanterelle

Gnocco

Expression gnocco in Italian means “a stupid person.” These induce some food writers to announce that gnocchi, the dish, is responsible for the association. But gnocchi are anything but a stupid dish. Consequently these days all gnocchi made of flour and water are measured “pasta” while all dumplings made of special ingredients are called gnocchi. Gnocchi can be made with the most diverse ingredients, such as squash, bread, and semolina flour; and they can be flavored amalgamating the dough with spinach, saffron, and even truffles. They are boiled in water or broth and like pasta they can be dressed with many sauces such as pesto, tomato, butter and cheese.

Further predictable type of gnocchi includes the Roman recipe for “semolina gnocchi” topped with cheese and baked and the “gnocchi gaudy” (naked gnocchi” from Tuscany made of ricotta cheese and spinach.

Nowadays gnocchi are principally made with potatoes, which have become conventional in Italy. In spite of the long description, gnocchi are very easy to prepare. They can be claded with many sauces, but are especially good with pesto, Americana sauce, Ragu', four cheeses, butter and fresh tomato sauce, or very simply butter and sage as in our arrangement. The taste of the butter - sage dressing is very delicate and will enhance the taste of the potato dumplings. They are also one of the most refined dishes, worthy of the most complicated menus.

Small dumplings are one of the oldest preparations in the history of food, recorded as far back as cookbooks of the thirteenth century. In a fragment of a book of the 1300s there is a recipe for gnocchi written in the Tuscan dialectal language (1).
“If you want gnocchi” reads the recipe, “take some cheese and mash it, then take some flour and mix with egg yolks like if you make dough. Place on the fire a pot of water and when starts boiling place the mixture on a board and slide them in the pot with a spoon. And when they are cooked place them on the plates and top them with a lot of grated cheese.”


Gnocchi gnudi
(naked gnocchi) from Tuscany made of ricotta cheese and spinach
Tin order to make potato gnocchi and achieve the best results, it is important to choose the right type of potato. The potato needs to be floury, with minimum water content. The best are old Russet potatoes, low in water and high in starch. Round (white or red) or Yukon potatoes would be too waxy, which would make the gnocchi either too heavy or too gummy, or would cause them to break apart in the boiling water. The addition of egg to the dough, not always necessary, serves the purpose of holding the preparation together better. The choice of the right potato potentially makes the use of the eggs optional.

Potatoes can be baked in the oven, but more often are boiled. In this case do not peel them but boil them with the skin on. This will avoid absorption of excess water. For the same reason, don’t break or pierce them. Too much water will cause the preparation to absorb too much flour and make the gnocchi too heavy. Potatoes for gnocchi can also be baked or cooked in the microwave.

Opt for potatoes free of green spots, sprouts, and “eyes”. Remove them from the potatoes if they are present because they can be toxic. Peel the potatoes while they are still hot. Don’t add egg if you are confident of the result: the dough will be softer. Don’t overdo the dough and don’t add too much flour.

Gnocchi will not keep for long after they are prepared and they must be cooked soon. They can be kept covered on a floured cloth for few hours. Soon after they may start releasing their moisture content and become gummy and sticky. Placing them in the refrigerator will not help since the humidity present there may cause additional damage.

Gnocchi instead can be easily frozen. Drop frozen gnocchi directly in the boiling water without defrosting: they will be ready when they surface like indicated in the recipe

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Zucchini lasagne is made by replacing lasagne noodles with zucchini to make this delicious, and a light dish.

What you need-

* 2-1/2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 medium)
* 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I use 1 lb.)
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 2 small tomatoes, cut up
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (or low fat or fat free ricotta)
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided)
* 1 tsp. flour





Way to prepare-
Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Slightly beat the egg. Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.

In a baking-roasting pan, arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top it up with remaining meat and zucchini.Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so that it gets firm.

This is delicious and this is an understatement.

Zucchini Lasagna

What you need-

* 2-1/2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 medium)
* 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I use 1 lb.)
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 2 small tomatoes, cut up
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (or low fat or fat free ricotta)
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided)
* 1 tsp. flour



Way to prepare-
Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Slightly beat the egg. Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.

In a baking-roasting pan, arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with
half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top it up
with remaining meat and zucchini.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with
remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so that it gets firm.

This is delicious and this is an understatement.

Zucchini Lasagna

What you need-

* 2-1/2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 medium)
* 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I use 1 lb.)
* 1/4 cup onion, chopped
* 2 small tomatoes, cut up
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/8 tsp. pepper
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese (or low fat or fat free ricotta)
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use 8 oz. divided)
* 1 tsp. flour



Way to prepare-
Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Slightly beat the egg. Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.

In a baking-roasting pan, arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top it up with remaining meat and zucchini.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so that it gets firm.

This is delicious and this is an understatement.