Italian Cuisine

National Features

Italian cuisine is extremely varied (with culinary influences

from Greek, Roman, Gallic, Germanic, Goth, Norman,

Lombard, Frank, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arab and Chinese

civilizations)

Each area has its own proud specialties, primarily at regional

level, but also even at provincial level

The high priority placed on the using of fresh and seasonal

produce distinguishes the cuisine of Italy from the imitations

available in most other countries

20 regions- 20 regional differences

Roman cuisine (using a lot of pecorino - sheep milk cheese, and offal)

Tuscan (cooking features white beans, meat, and unsalted bread)

Piedmont and Lombardy each grow their own different kinds of rice, which are used to make risotto

Emilia-Romagna is known for lasagna and tortellini (stuffed pasta), mortadella, prosciutto, and parmigiano

The North of Italy is the home of polenta

Italian Cooking Styles: North vs South

Northern Italy

more butter and creams

polenta, mascarpone, grana

padano, and parmigiano

cheeses, risotto, lasagna and

fresh egg pasta

Southern Italy

more tomato and olive oil

mozzarella, caciocavallo,

and pecorino cheeses, olive

oil, and dried pasta

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Traditional Menu Structure antipasto - hot or cold appetizers

primo ("first course"), usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup

secondo ("second course") usually fish or meat

contorno ("side dish") may consist of a salad or vegetables. A traditional menu features salad after the main course.

dolce ("dessert")

caffè ("coffee") (espresso)

digestivo which is liquors/liqueurs (grappa, amaro, limoncello) sometimes referred to as ammazzacaffè ("Coffee killer")

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Pasta The legend of Marco Polo's

importation of pasta from

China

Pasta comes in many

different shapes and sizes

Pasta is served with simple

tomato sauce and

amatriciana and carbonara,

pesto and ragù alla

bolognese, often paired with

fresh vegetables or seafood

Risotto

Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with a suitable variety of rice (arborio, carnaroli)

It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy

“Risotto alla Milanese” is made with chicken or beef stock and saffron

“Risotto al Barolo” is made with red wine, both with vegetables and meat

Lasagna Lasagna is both a form of pasta in sheets

and also a dish, sometimes named

Lasagne al forno (meaning "oven-cooked

Lasagne") made with alternate layers of

pasta, cheese, and sometimes ragù

The word "lasagna" is derived from the

Greek word "lasanon" meaning chamber

pot

“Lasagne alla Bolognese” is the classic

sort of lasagne with using of parmigiano

regiano

Italian Coffee

Espresso is a strong coffee

prepared by forcing boiling

water through finely ground

coffee beans

Caffè macchiato is a topped

with a bit of steamed milk

or foam

Cappuccino is mixed or

topped with steamed, mostly

frothy, milk

Italian Wines

Italian cuisine cannot be

separated from Italian wine.

Most Italian wines of great

renown are produced in three

main Italian regions :

Piedmont (Barolo)

Veneto (Amarone, Pinot Grigio,

etc.)

Tuscany (Chianti, Brunello)

Puglie (Primitivo)

Gelato… Same as ice cream???

Gelato vs Ice Cream Gelato

• 5-7% fat

• Churned at a slower

speed than ice cream

• Denser because not as

much air is whipped into

the mixture

• Contains about 25 to 30

percent air

• Typically stored and

served at a slightly

warmer temperature, so

it's not quite completely

frozen

Ice Cream

• 10% fat

• Contain as much as 50%

air

• Typically stored and

served frozen

Italian Menu Project • Working in pairs, use the provided websites and other

credible sites of your choice in planning a complete menu

(minus digestivo) that focuses on either Northern or

Southern Italian styles.

• Teams will present their menus to the class and we will

vote on what course each team will prepare for an Italian

buffet that will include the following: antipasto - hot or cold appetizers

primo ("first course"), usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup

secondo ("second course") usually fish or meat

contorno ("side dish") may consist of a salad or vegetables. A traditional menu features salad after the main course.

dolce ("dessert")