Monday, December 26, 2011
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Friday, December 9, 2011
Italian Foods to Try When You Travel to Italy
If you ask us, the best part of traveling to Italy is sampling all the different Italian foods. Every region of Italy has it's own cuisine and local specialties, which you can try everywhere - from street vendors to Michelin-starred restaurants.
The next time you travel to Italy, here are some dishes you should sample:
Roman specialties.
Rome is best known for rustic cooking that's rich, meaty, and comforting on a cold, winter night. Braised beef and roasted suckling pig - porchetta - are very popular. But there's also lots of fresh produce so vegetarians can eat well in Rome too. Artichokes, known in Italy as carciofi, are available everywhere in spring. They're prepared many different ways, and they're absolutely delicious.
Zucchini flowers, zucca, are abundant in late summer and early autumn, when they're stuffed with cheese and anchovies and deep fried. You can sample both by ordering a Fritto Misto or mixed fried appetizer.
Rice croquettes, which are also deep fried, are another good choice for vegetarians. There's often a little square of cheese in the center that melts during frying. Gnocchi made with potatoes or semolina is often made without meat.
Two of Italy's most famous pasta dishes come from Rome - Bucatini All'Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The first is made with tomatoes, onions, and pancetta, the second with eggs, pancetta, and Parmesan cheese.
Veal Saltimbocca is stuffed with sage leaves, ham, and cheese, then lightly breaded, sautéed, and baked. Adventurous eaters can sample organ meats at traditional Roman restaurants. Whatever you order, save room for the Roman version of cheesecake, Torta di Ricotta.
Neapolitan specialties.
When most Americans think of Italian food, it's southern Italian cooking that comes to mind. The cuisine developed around Naples features plenty of tomatoes, cheese, garlic, fresh herbs, and onions. The city of Naples serves the best pizza in the world. In fact, Neapolitan pizza is regulated by the Italian government, like Parma ham or Chianti. If you're traveling in Campania, as the region is called, eat pizza often.
Seafood is another good choice. In most cases, it's fresh from the Mediterranean and simply prepared - quickly grilled or sautéed, and finished with olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Shellfish, including squid, shrimp, and mussels are often served in pasta dishes. And swordfish is wonderful here.
Meat is less popular here than in Rome, and cheese is a key ingredient in many dishes. It's used to fill pasta dishes like lasagna, cannelloni, or ravioli, and to top dishes like Eggplant Parmesan - Parmigiana di Melanzane. Mozzarella made from water buffalo milk is very popular.
Sfogliatelle is a wonderful dessert that combines ricotta cheese, almond paste, and puff pastry. What's not to like? The area around Sorrento is famous for its lemons and one of the best known products is Limoncello. Served ice cold, it can be enjoyed before or after meals.
Sicilian specialties.
An island off the west coast of Italy, Sicily has a tremendous history. Over the centuries, it's been ruled by many civilizations. And each had an influence on Sicilian food, which features bold, pungent flavors. Subtle, it's not. Fresh seafood, including swordfish, tuna, and sardines, is on the menu daily. And there are vegetables aplenty. One of the best-known Sicilian dishes is Caponata, a spicy blend of tomatoes, olives, onions, and peppers. It's delicious served on fish. Another local favorite is Panelle, which is made from fried ceci or garbanzo beans.
Sicilian desserts are some of the best in Italy. Cannoli, light pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, and Almond Biscuits are sold in bakeries all over the island. And the Sicilian Cassata - a cheescake made with ricotta and candied fruits and nuts - should not be missed.
Tuscan specialities.
Florentine cuisine is the simplest in Italy. The country's best beef comes from here. And no visit to Florence is complete without trying Bistecca alla Fiorentina - a thick, local steak that's been marinated with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, and then charcoal grilled. Beans, called fagioli, often accompany grilled meats and vegetables. And no Tuscan meal is complete without a glass of local red wine, such as Chianti or Montepulciano.
Game like boar, rabbit and duck are delicious braised in the wine. And cured meats, including Parma ham, are first rate. Salt Cod, or Baccala, is combined in an earthenware pot with tomatoes and garlic and baked until tender. Bread salad, Panzanella, and tomato soup, Pappa al Pomodoro, are popular at lunch. Bologna, in the northern part of Tuscany, is best known for its hearty meat sauce. For dessert, try lemon tart or the dense spice cake known as Panforte.
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Sunday, December 4, 2011
Notes From the Couch - A Taste of Home Arrives in the Lowcountry (Cont)
After many years spent working the nightclub circuit in Charleston, Jo Meli grew tired of the grueling lifestyle. He longed to open a smaller establishment with more manageable hours, and with his Boston upbringing, he sorely missed good Italian food. He thought of Davide Davino as the most natural choice and the ideal man to share his vision of a small, family style Italian restaurant where customers are treated like friends, encouraged to peek inside the kitchen to chat with the chef and ask questions, and place personal requests should they experience a special hankering. Meli and the rest of the staff clearly accomplished this goal, as certain regulars have gone so far as to bring their own homemade sauce into the kitchen for the chef to taste and critique, often lingering for hours over dessert and homemade Limoncello in the cozy dining room surrounded by racks of Italian wine as the soft glow of candlelight casts shadow across the buttery colored walls.
Jo and Davide first crossed paths approximately ten years ago through the Charleston culinary scene, where Jo came to believe in Davide's special talent. Authentic Italian cooking is Davide's birthright and a passion for culinary excellence runs through his veins. As a small boy growing up in Naples, Italy, he was raised in the restaurant business. As a boy he observed his mother, Michela, in the kitchen preparing family favorites like Eggplant Parmesan and Fritto Misto for the traditional Sunday dinner. By the age of fifteen he was working at his uncle's restaurant, tasting sauces, learning about flavors and slowly perfecting his own unique style. Davide's uncle still owns a thriving restaurant in Naples and will soon be featured as the guest chef at Cuoco Pazzo for a private dinner later this summer, when approximately 45 family members and friends will come together to enjoy a very special array of Napoli delights. Two things are certain: Italian wine will flow like water and waves of laughter will fill the cozy establishment as dusk fades into night and the golden hue of candlelight descends upon the dining room like a warm winter blanket.
Davide first considered Charleston as a potential destination after a friend from Naples, who also worked in the restaurant business, settled in the lowcountry. However his life took him in a different direction first. His uncle back in Naples had a friend at Marino Ristorante in Los Angeles where Davide spent 6 years cooking for the rich and famous, offering a taste of his Naples heritage to the likes of Joe Pesci, Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke. In the likely event that you should catch Davide for a tableside chat (Davide and Carlo emerge from the kitchen periodically to mingle with the customers), be sure to ask him about his boxing matches with Mickey Rourke back in Los Angeles. Jo Meli, who appears to have enormous respect for Davide, commented on how the veal at Cuoco Pazzo is so tender you can cut it with a spoon. Meli joked, "Davide used to spar with Micki Rourke; now he beats up on the veal."
Davide left Los Angeles in 2005 to settle in the lowcountry, where he soon crossed paths with another friend from Naples by the name of Carlo Colella. It is amazing how fate works. As boys Davide and Carlo rode motorcycles together back in Naples. Now years later, they are a professional team bringing a taste of their homeland to the Charleston community. If you had the chance to read my previous column, you are probably aware that Carlo is the second "crazy chef" and culinary talent behind the scenes at Cuoco Pazzo. Carlo started cooking at the age of 18 and also learned the business from family- mainly a cousin who had a restaurant in Naples. He moved to Charleston in 1996 and found work at Bella Napoli on Dorchester Road in North Charleston, where he worked together with Davide for a year before heading back home to his family in Italy. He returned to Charleston in 1999, the same year as Davide, and took a job at La Fontana on Sam Rittenberg in West Ashley. However his time there was short lived and he left town again before finally settling back down in Charleston in 2007. Carlo is accompanied by his wife, Melinda, who is a friendly and attentive waitress at Cuoco Pazzo.
When I asked Jo Meli about his experience working with Davide and Carlo, he could not say enough positive things about the two men. He spoke of their strong Italian work ethic, claiming that he has to literally force them to take a day off. "They come in the morning, prep, leave for a short time, then come back and work until closing time. Watching them work in the kitchen is like watching a well choreographed ballet," Meli stated. When I inquired with Davide and Carlo about the secret to good Italian cooking, they spoke of the virtues of "fresh ingredients", "simplicity", "old style", and "real Italian". According to Carlo, the true secret to an authentic Italian dish is "finding someone who knows how to make it."
On my most recent visit to Cuoco Pazzo, I actually tasted Zucchini for the first time in my life. This is not to say I have never eaten Zucchini, because I have, but I have never really tasted Zucchini. I have always found zucchini to be soggy, flavorless and quite frankly, a waste of time and space. That is, until I tasted Zucchini so delicious that I still crave the stuff. It was sliced paper thin, marinated in olive oil and spices and sautéed to a golden brown. I would return to Cuoco Pazzo for a plate of sautéed zucchini and a glass of Montepulciano, not to mention the other fine dishes that landed on my table- tender veal and fresh asparagus sautéed in a lemon butter sauce, chicken with sliced mushrooms, and pasta with a perfect Carbonara sauce. The sautéed pancetta is present but not overpowering and the dish is creamy and smooth, rich but not overly heavy, with a subtle kick of peppercorn to balance out the flavor.
For dessert, I simply cannot get past the sinfully rich gelato, which sends me right back to age twenty one, standing in the middle of a crowded marketplace in Rome in the blistering summer heat with a spoonful of pure heaven melting on my tongue. Yes, certain flavors and aromas certainly can conjure up powerful memories. At Cuoco Pazzo, two hard working chefs are here to share their own treasured memories of a Napoli heritage; a heritage rich with warm family gatherings and colorful plates overflowing with mouth watering delights created from years of tradition and a whole lot of love.
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
Chapter 11 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan - Italian Style
The core of a Mediterranean diet meal plan is made up of foods from plant sources form, while foods from animal sources form the fringe. Men drink one or two glasses of red wine a day, primarily with meals. Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet would not be as protective against chronic disease if moderate wine consumption was eliminated from the diet. Drinking red wine in moderation is a beneficial and integral part of the Mediterranean diet and should be considered, unless it would put an individual at risk.
Olive oil is the regions traditional fat. Olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, lowers the bad cholesterol or LDL, while animal fats and partially hydrogenated fats can increase bad cholesterol. Olive oil also contains substantial amounts of antioxidants which prevent bad cholesterol deposits from forming and blocking arteries. If you want to follow a Mediterranean diet meal plan, olive oil should be used in place of other fats. Fresh minimally processed foods are also a factor in maintaining protective levels of antioxidants and micro-nutrients.
Traditional southern Italian cuisine is one of the best types of healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet meal plan. However, beware of contemporary northern Italian cuisine. Northern Italian recipes tend to use more butter, meat and dairy products in their cooking. Southern Italians use very little meat, olive oil and more legumes, fruits and vegetables. Compared to northern Italians of the same economic class, southern Italians consume one third-less beef and veal, and four-fifths than their northern counterparts. Southern Italian diets also contain one-fifth more bread, pasta, vegetables and fruit and twice as much fish.
What to eat on the Mediterranean diet meal plan:
One popular misconception is that Italian food is all pasta and pizza. Fresh vegetables like broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, leafy greens, mushrooms, potatoes, legumes, zucchini and more are the heart of the an ideal southern Italian diet. Pasta is nearly fat free and served as an appetizer, while chicken or seafood make up the main course. Dessert is usually fresh fruit. Although people in Mediterranean cultures eat up to three times as much bread as Americans, they rarely use butter. The Mediterranean diet meal plan could also be modified by implementing the use of whole grain pastas and breads.
What to avoid while following a Mediterranean diet meal plan:
Many Americanized chefs add heavy cheese, meat and cream based sauces along with fatty or deep-fried meat and fish to their Italian recipes. It is a good idea to say no to extra Parmesan cheese, one tablespoon will add two grams of fat and half of that is saturated fat. Stay away from the cannelloni, lasagna, ravioli and tortellini. These dishes are usually stuffed with heavy cheeses and/or fatty meats. Other dishes to avoid are antipasto, fritto misto (fried seafood and meat), and fried calamari. Some other obvious exclusions would be heavy sauces. Alfredo and carbonara sauces are incredibly high in saturated fat. Avoid capiccola (smoked pork), prosciutto, salami, pepperoni and sausage; these are high in fat and sodium.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Misto 5064706 The Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer Floor Display
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Monday, November 21, 2011
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Friday, November 18, 2011
Make Sure You Choose The Best Italian Salami And Sausages
Italian sausage and salami is amazing. Every bite of fresh Italian salami is a flavour sensation, it takes a cheese sandwich to a new dimension; if made with Italian cheese it really blows the roof off!
Added to a tomato sauce and left to cook for a couple of hours either Italian salami or Italian sausage can add a real twist to a meal and transform a tomato sauce into something much more varied and deep.
Italy is famous for its varieties of sausages and salamis many of which are famously produced in the Lombardy region of Italy.
Around Pavia, south of the River Po, are a number of villages where sausages are still smoked in the traditional way.This is the area where salame di Varzi is made. Only the finest pork is used to make this Italian sausage, and only wine, pepper, salt, and saltpeter are added. The sausage is matured for three to four months. This comparatively long maturation brings out the flavour. A whole salame di Varzi as sold is a medium sized, coarse-grained sausage weighing about 2 pounds (1 kilogram).
Salame di Milano is a very fine textured Italian salami made from pork, pork fat, beef, and spices is matured for about 3 months and weighs up to about 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms). It has an essential place in any antipasto misto starter of mixed Italian sausage, and is popular well beyond its place of origin. It is probably one of Italy's best-known food products along with Parma ham. The imitations available elsewhere do not necessarily do justice to the original. Salame di Milano is a king of Italian sausage.
Sausages called salsiccia luganega are usually of fresh meat, and cooked or heated in water before serving. The meat is a finely ground mixture of fat and lean pork, flavoured with pepper and spices. Luganega is an example of this type. The meat is filled into long casings, divided into sections and sold by length rather than weight. Luganega is often served with polenta in northern Italy. It can be fried, broiled or braised as well as boiled. A delicious Italian sausage to cut up into bite size pieces to make meat balls and added to a basic tomato sauce.
Cacciatorino is a small well hung variety of Italian salami consisting of two thirds lean pork, tender veal, and various types of fat. It was originally devised as a convenient type of Italian sausage for those working out in the forests to take with them as supplies. That may be the source of the name, cacciatorino which translates as small hunter.
Salametto is a small, well-hung sausage, similar to cacciatorino. It is ideal as a lunch time Italian salami or to be taken on picnics as it is easily carried. This is a beautifully delicate Italian sausage which is perfect to be eaten on its own.
Italian sausage and salami do taste that much different to those of other countries and do lend themselves to being added to Italian meals, such as pizzas and pastas. If cooking an Italian meal and trying to make it as authentic as possible be sure to add Italian salami or Italian sausage.
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Friday, November 11, 2011
Part 1 - Walden by Henry David Thoreau (Ch 01)
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