TRADITIONAL ITALIAN CUISINE

Although Italians are known throughout the world for pizza, pasta, and tomato
sauce, the national diet of Italy has traditionally differed greatly by region. Prior
to the blending of cooking practices among different regions, it was possible to
distinguish Italian cooking simply by the type of cooking fat used: butter was
used in the north, pork fat in the center of the country, and olive oil in the
south. Staple dishes in the north were rice and polenta, and pasta was most
popular throughout the south. During the last decades of the twentieth century
(1980s and 1990s), however, pasta and pizza (another traditional southern
food) became popular in the north of Italy. Pasta is more likely to be served with
a white cheese sauce in the north and a tomato-based sauce in the south.
Italians are known for their use of herbs in cooking, especially oregano, basil,
thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage. Cheese also plays an important role in
Italian cuisine. There are more than 400 types of cheese made in Italy, with
Parmesan, mozzarella, and Asiago among the best known worldwide. Prosciutto
ham, the most popular ingredient of the Italian antipasto (first course) was first
made in Parma, a city that also gave its name to Parmesan cheese.
Italians generally eat three meals a day. Adults eat a light breakfast (la prima
colazione), often stopping at a coffee shop on their way to work for a caffellatte
(coffee with milk) or cappuccino with bread, butter, and jam, or cake. Lunch and
dinner are similar meals. They consist of an antipasto (an appetizer based on
cold meats), a pasta or rice dish (depending on the region) such as risotto, a
main meat or fish course, a salad, and cheese and fruit. Lunch (il pranzo or la
seconda colazione) is the main meal of the day for many Italians and is eaten
between noon and 2 P.M.
Whether eating at home or in a restaurant, Italians take food seriously. They
prefer to dine in a leisurely fashion, savoring their meals over a bottle of wine
and conversation. Wine and bread are always served during main meals. Even
children are often allowed a taste of wine. In southern Italy, where people take
a long break during the hottest part of the day, dinner (la cena) is served later
than in the north, often after 7:30 P.M.
In addition to their main meals, Italians have two traditional snack times.
Spuntino (midmorning snacks) and the mid-afternoon merende. Both usually
serve a type of bread dough with toppings. Some typical merende are
bruschetta (usually a long loaf of bread, cut into slices and topped with
seasonings), focaccia (an Italian flatbread), and crostini (fried slices of polenta).
The government in Italy controls much of the agriculture of the country. It
controls how much wheat can be produced, for example, and how much wheat
can be imported. The government was not successful during the 1990s in its
efforts to increase agricultural production. Italy imports about one-half of its
meat.

MEAT RICE BALLS

INGREDIENTS (With these doses you will get about
twenty meat rice balls):
1,300 kg super thin arborio
rice
Approx. three liters of meat
broth
or vegetable broth
1 onion
100 g of butter
2 sachets of saffron
250 g grated Parmesan
cheese
200 g diced primosale cheese
Corn oil for frying
abundant breadcrumbs

For the meat sauce:

400 g of minced beef meat
1 onion
100 g tomato paste
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
200 g fresh peas net of skins
Extra virgin olive oil
glass of white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Prepare the risotto about twelve hours before making meat
rice balls (it must be cold)
Prepare the broth in which we will melt the saffron. Saut the finely chopped onion in a large
saucepan (it must not get brown), add the rice and toast it, then, constantly stirring, add the
hot broth little by little and cook the rice. Get off the fire and add the grated Parmesan cheese
and the butter . Cook until creamy for a few minutes, then pour it into a large plate and let it
cool.

2. Prepare the meat sauce

Gently fry the onion with olive oil in a pan . Add the minced meat then simmer with white
wine. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves and the tomato paste and, when cooked, the
Parmesan cheese. Cook the peas and add them to the cold meat sauce.

3. Make the meat rice balls

Take a spoonful of rice and put it on the palm of the hand. Put a spoonful of meat sauce and in
the center, a cube of primosale cheese. Take another spoonful of rice and cover the meat
sauce very well. Shape the meat and roll them into the breadcrumbs. Proceed until you run
out of the ingredients. Fry the meat balls in abundant hot oil until they are golden brown

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA
INGREDIENTS (4 PEOPLE):
8 aubergines
1 kg ripe tomatoes
2 onions
100g pecorino or caciocavallo cheese
1 small bunch of basil
extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt

PREPARATION:
1. Prepare the tomato sauce with the chopped onions, tomatoes
and basil
2. Slice the aubergines lengthways, without removing the skins,
and soak in salted water for a few hours. Drain thoroughly, rinse
and dry
3. Fry the aubergines on both sides in a pan with plenty of hot oil
4. Spread a few tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of a
baking dish
5. Alternate each layer of the fried eggplant with the sauce,
grated cheese and basil leaves
6. Cover the final layer with the sauce and cheese, and bake in a
very hot oven for approximately 40 minutes, until a golden crust
forms.

PANELLE
INGREDIENTS:
375ml water
125g chickpea flour
50g Italian parsley, chopped
oil for frying
salt
pepper

PREPARATION:
1. In a saucepan, mix the chickpea flour in the water.
2. Stir faster and faster until the mixture is completely firm. Stir
in the parsley and, a moment before it begins to simmer, remove
from the heat.
3. Quickly pour the mixture onto a marble slab and quickly
spread using a wooden spoon to form a thickness of
approximately 7 mm.
4. Allow to cool. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares.
5. Fry the fritters in hot oil until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oil, drain thoroughly and place on paper
towel. Add salt and pepper if you wish.

PIZZA
INGREDIENTS:
250/300ml warm water
500 g flour
1 die Yeast of beer
glass of oil
1 spoon of salt
1 spoon of sugar
tomato
mozzarella

PREPARATION:
1. Start melting the yeast with some water, sugar and a
tablespoon of flour for 10/15 minutes.
2. Mix the flour and water with the Yeast of beer.
3. Add the water with oil and the salt until you get a soft and
homogeneous mixture.
4. Stretch it in the oven plates and leave it to rise 2 or 3 hours,
according to the temperature.
5. Season pizza according to your taste and bake it in the warm
oven 200 / 220 for 15 -20 minutes.