Italian dishes can be some of the tastiest dishes in the world and cooking Italian recipes might be temting. But what is Italian Cuisine all about?

What makes for a traditional Italian meal? Find out here.

When we think of Italian cuisine, the first thought that comes to mind is Pizza.

Yes,

Italian Pizza is renowned the world over.

But there are other culinary delicacies from Italy that also linger on our palates. Italian cooking also changes with the regions of Italy.

For example, the Pizza crust in Rome is thin, while in the Neapolitan and Sicilian regions is thick.

In Italy, each province has its own style of cooking based on the region’s crops. In Northern Italy, the food is prepared with lots of butter, cream, risotto, fresh egg pasta and Southern Italian cuisine makes use of Mozarella cheese, olive oil, dried pasta and tomatoes.

In Rome they prefer to use a lot of pecorino or sheep milk cheese, while in Tuscany they prefer white beans, meat and unsalted bread. North Italy is well known for various types of stuffed pastas like lasagne and tortellini while Naples is known for Pizza and mozzarella. In Calabria, they prefer using a lot of hot pepper and capsicum. Sicily is famous for its gelato or ice cream, and their cuisine also uses lemon and pistachio and fish. Sardinia is famous for its lamb dishes.

A traditional Italian meal will consist of the following courses:

• Anti-Pasto: This consists of hot and cold appetizers.
• Primo: This has dishes like pasta, risotto, or even soup. This is the first course.
• Secondo: This contains the main dish of fish or meat.
• Contorno: This is the side dish of salad or vegetables. A traditional Italian menu will feature salad after the main course.
• Dolce: This is the dessert course.
• Caffee: Here you will be served a cup of espresso.
• Liqueurs: This course is also referred to as the “Coffee Killer” course where you will be served grappa or amaro.

Italian cooking is based on wheat products such as bread and pasta and the food is prepared in such a way that their natural taste is preserved. This makes the food light and healthy.

There are several cooking techniques used to make this wonderful Italian food .

But most of all the stress in Italian cooking was to keep the cooking style simple and easy to prepare. Italian cuisine, therefore does not need a lot of attention and can be made fast.

Foods such as pastas and rice are cooked in hot water. If vegetables have to be fried, they are sauted in oil or fat. Sometimes, food is browned in hot fat and then cooked in flavoured liquids like broth or wine. Italian cooking also uses a lot of aromatic vegetables and seasonings – the most well known being Oregano. Food is also grilled over a charcoal fire.

Food in Italy is thus cooked depending on the regional foods available and the prevalent customs of cooking. The cuisine thus depends on the people and the regions of Italy.

By Madhavi Ghare

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While it is very similar to American ice cream, there are a few differences.

Gelato, plural Gelati, is made from milk and sugar which are combined with other flavors. The ingredients are stirred while freezing in order to break up ice crystals as they form.

As in high-end ice cream, gelato is very dense and is less than 35% air.

Typically, gelato is made with fresh fruit or a variety of other ingredients.

Some common flavors include chocolate, nuts, small cookies or candies, or biscuits. When chocolate is included, it is typically pure chocolate in a flake or chip form.

If gelato is made with water and not dairy products, it is known as sorbetto, or sorbet.

Historically speaking, milk-based gelato was common in Northern Italy while the fruit-and-water based sorbetto was common in the warmer climes of Southern Italy.

American style ice creams typically contain between 10% and 18% butter fat while dairy gelato contains between 5-8% butterfat. The variation depends on the ingredients used. As in high-end ice cream, good gelato combines milk and cream, soy milk, or water with high quality ingredients. Unlike in other forms of ice cream, gelato is not homogenized. This means that gelato melts more quickly than regular ice cream.

Historically, some gelato recipes have called for the use of eggs. This practice, however, is being phased out though as the Italian gelato culture becomes more homogenized. In addition, mixes and stabilizers are readily available, pre-made, and already in use. As a result, eggs are being phased out as emulsifiers.

Because the word “gelato” is so similar to “gelatin,” many people are of the belief that gelato is related to gelatin. They think that gelatin is an ingredient in gelato. This belief, and its spread, chases away vegetarians and other people who try to avoid having gelatin in their diets. While some rogue gelaterias may actually use gelatin, traditional gelato recipes do not require gelatin. The majority of gelato is not made with gelatin. In actuality, gelato comes from the word for “freeze” or “frozen.”

Like many other treats, the best gelato is made fresh daily. Gelato in the United States is served from a different type of freezer than American ice cream. Forced air freezers keep the gelato at between 0 and 6 degrees Fahrenheit. This permits the gelateria to serve the gelato immediately after the gelato is extracted from the gelato machine. The “forced air” blowing around the gelato keeps the gelato at a consistent temperature.

When served, it is typically scooped from a special freezing tray that ensures a thicker, more flavorous consistency. It is possible to serve ice cream out of a gelato freezer but not gelato out of an ice cream freezer – the gelato would become too frozen.

Author: Joseph Devine

For more information on gelato and other Italian desserts, please visit http://www.cdkitchen.com.

Joseph Devine

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

Cooking Italian Recipes

Here are a selection of top favourite italian recipes

Famous pizza recipes

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How To Make A Birthday Cake

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Coconut Ice Cream Cake

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Coffee Is Best In Ice Cream Form

I really love birthday cake ice cream from my local ice cream shop! 

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Do know the history of the cone? Do you think you have an idea?

Debates have swirled over these topics for centuries.

Here, we’ll present the facts on this frozen treat and on ice cream cone history and you can decide who you think invented one of the world’s most popular treats.

There are many myths and legends and other documented stories concerning who invented ice cream.

Some are true; others are just plain myth. Ready for some entertaining reading?

The following blurbs are fun and would be a great conversation piece as you serve up your next bowl of homemade frozen goodness as the perect complement to a  traditional italian recipe dish . So, can you decide what is true or not? Picture these fascinating scenes…and you decide! Just who invented ice cream?

History Myth, Folklore…and Truth?

* During the 400s B.C., people were already eating frozen treats! Royalty from Persia enjoyed ice mixed with various flavors and fruit.

* Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) is well known for his love of eating snow that was flavored with honey and nectar.

* Nero, a powerful Roman emperor (54-68 A.D.), had snow and ice brought to him from the hills by slaves. Nero was so intent on getting his beloved treat, that if it melted before it got back to him, he would execute the slaves! Nero also had rooms built beneath his palace in order to store what the slaves brought back. He would top his frozen treat with some juicy fruit!

* During the 1500s, Mughal emperors had horsemen bring them ice so that they could make fruit sorbets.

* In 1533, the French King Henry II married the Italian Catherine de’ Medici. Her Italian chefs that she brought with her to France were able to make sorbets through their special ability to flavor ice. So, the idea was in France and it spread to Italy. But how did it get to France?

* There was another famous king who loved to eat flavored snow: Charles I of England. Since this treat was so precious to King Charles, he sought to keep it a royal treat. He bribed the chef with money in order to keep the recipe a royal secret. What happened when King Charles died? You guessed it! The chef spread it like wild fire!

What about the History of the Cone?

The cone. Who invented it? Just like with who invented ice cream, cone history is disputed. Again, I’ll present what is reported and you decide!

Italo Marchiony is credited with inventing a dish you can eat that was made for holding this frozen favorite in 1896. This may not have been a cone, though.

David Avayou insists that he was the one to whom credit should go for making the cone popular in St. Louis in 1904 at the World Fair. He saw how the frozen desserts were served in paper cups in France, and sought to improve upon the idea. After experimenting, he made the cone.

Charles Menches also wants some recognition…but why? His claim may seem to be plausible, but what is it?

The same is with Ernest Hamwi. Many historians credit him with the invention.

So who invented ice cream and the ice cream cone … may remain a mystery for many years to come. But maybe you enjoyed your meal with this great conversation piece!

Author: Jenn Fraiser

…but is he the true source of ice cream cone history? What is the most likely story for who invented ice cream?

Jenn Fraiser is passionate about ice cream.

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

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Super Lime Ice Cream

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The ingredients that are the basis of the  pizza as a culinary dish have their roots firmly founded in the sunny climate of Southern Italy around the city of Naples. This was historically a Greek colony rather than Italian.

Pizza is first mentioned in Roman literature around the 3rd century by Cato the Elder who records a flat and round piece of dough that was dressed with a combination of olive oil, herbs and flour with cheese and honey. This was cooked upon stones, according to translation.

Pompeii, the infamous doomed city that was devoured by the ash and smoke of Mount Vesuvius, also had the remains of several buildings resembling modern pizzerias.

Roman Pizzas

Pizzas back in Roman times were very little like modern day pizza in the least. The bread would have been more likened to the modern focaccia bread still popular in Italy and around the world, and tomatoes weren’t known to them as they were not imported from the Americas until centuries later. Instead it is recorded that pigs blood and honey were popular pizza toppings, a pretty horrible thought in today’s times!

Pizza Following the Introduction Of Tomatoes

Tomatoes originated in the Americas and were brought to Europe in the 16th century. For a long time the European public was nervous of the tomato thinking it to be in some way poisonous! However, by the 18th century the poor areas of Naples in Italy began using them to bulk up their bread and to add flavour. This was the humble beginning of  the modern day pizza.

It became popular for visitors to Naples to venture into the poorer districts in order to try out the local’s new dish.

The Pizzeria Emerges

The popular way to sell pizzas before the 1830’s had been by means of street stands outside of or near to the pizza bakeries. Naples, not surprisingly, saw the very first pizzeria. It was called Antica Pizzeria Port’ Alba. It was described in those days as the food of the humble people in Naples and consisted of bread, oil, tallow, lard, cheese, tomato or anchovies. Today’s pizza is very removed from those days and the choice of toppings is huge. Glad to say the use of tallow and lard have ceased down at your local pizzeria!

By: Stevie Jones

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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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.

The culinary history of Italy established a reputation more than 2,000 years ago, which includes an illustrious movement during the Roman Empire. Culturally, food preparation was quite important in the past where flashes of significance have been captured in the only surviving cookbook (Apicius), which dates back to the first century BC.

The spread of Italian food diversity began after the fall of the Roman Empire when individual city states began to uphold separate identities and traditions. Each region began to display its own unique way of cooking, right down to the formation of a meatball to the characteristic cheeses and wine produced in a locale. The north developed Tuscan beef, while black truffles were very popular in Marches. Provolone and mozzarella cheeses developed in the south, as well as a host of interesting citrus fruits.

Diverse types of bread, variations in pasta, and varying food preparation techniques also differed according to region. The southern regions of Italy embrace hard-boiled spaghetti, while the north often prefers a soft egg noodle. Milan is known for their risotto, while Bologna has a deep history regarding tortellini, and Naples is famous for their pizzas.

Over the years, Italian cuisine has greatly evolved in part because of a wealth of outside influences that have added to its characteristic flavor and appeal. In the beginning, ancient Greek cookery became an integrated part of Italian cuisine. Eventually, a wealth of imports found their way into the kitchens of early Italians, who sent Roman ships to collect a variety of important foods, including wheat, wine, exotic ingredients, and fine spices from around the world. Some ships even traveled to faraway locations, such as China, to bring back edible resources that catapulted the depth and  variety of Italian cooking styles .

Coastal regions are known for their developments in delicious fish and seafood dishes. For example, the island of Sardinia supplies a more traditional and simple style of cuisine, which often incorporated delicacies, associated with the sea. Swordfish, lobster, anchovies, sardines, and other Mediterranean treats represent Italian cooking of the area. In Sicily (another island region), a great deal of the cooking drew heavily from North African influences. An Arab influence also affected cuisine on the island and within the rest of the south, especially with the introduction of various spices and sweets, such as the Sicilian ice cream cake called cassata.

As for one of the most popular Italian dishes, while the history books often state that pasta was a product of the Chinese brought back by Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, it was actually a rediscovery of a food item eaten during Etruscan and Roman times. It is believed that the first pasta in Italy was made similar to the noodles of today – from the same durum wheat – which was cooked in ovens instead of boiled in water.

Today, the differences in Italian cooking still show through in the distinctions between the north and the south. Each region still carries their own traditions in cooking that reflects deep history and culture with a never ending supply of main courses, appetizers, and desserts that continuously tempts the taste buds.

By: Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more interesting food facts and great meal ideas and a free menu planning report visit MenuPlanningCentral.com Watch for a great meal planning offer and let me – The Menu Mom – help you take care of dinner tonight!

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