Italian Food

Food of Sicily

By: Hannah Fetter

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea. It is just off the end of the Italian boot. In sicily is mount Etna. The fertile, volcanic soil allows foods, such as, lemons, olives, almonds, blood oranges and other fruits to easily grow. Most pasta in Sicily is served with a spicy tomato sauce. Popular meats served in Sicily consist of lamb, pork, veal, and rabbit. Some locals claim to have invented the meatball, called the Polpetti.

Many know Sicily best for its Caponata or its veal Marsala. Sicily’s Caponata is dish made of a mixture of vegetables and sweet sour mixture of sauces. The main vegetables you find in the dish are eggplants, peppers, olives, celery, capers and pine nuts. There are many variations of the Caponata in Sicily. Places that the Caponata come from are Palermo, Catania, Trapani, Agrigento, and Messina. The recipes have many of the same ingredients, especially the vegetables and the sweet sour taste. Some differences are in the seasonings. Some of the variants of the caponata contain raisins and almonds. Some are only eggplants. The true recipe of Sicilian caponata is the one with eggplants only.

Marsala is a wine produced in Sicily. Mushrooms are sliced and sautéed in butter or oil with garlic and onions. The wine is added to the cooked vegetables. Wine is absorbed by the other ingredients and the amount of liquid for the sauce is reduced. Veal is then added to the marsala sauce to make it less thick. Veal is meat the comes from a young cow. It is tasteful, tender, and has little fat. The small amount of fat sometimes increases the chances of the meat drying out. It is usually served with a sauce, like in the veal marsala.

Bibliography Boelcke, Allison, and Bronwyn Harris. “What Is Veal Marsala?” wiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, September 17, 2019. https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-veal-marsala.htm. Mancuso, Rosalba. SICILY ON WEB, July 12, 2019. https://www.sicilyonweb.com/sicilian-caponata/.

Schwartz, Sara. “Italian Food by Region.” Delish. Delish, March 14, 2018. https://www.delish.com/cooking/a1206/regional-italian-food/.

Food of Emilia-Romagna and Campania

By: Hannah Fetter

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna

In Northern Italy is a vast and wealthy region called Emilia-Romagna. Emilia-Romagna is best know for its Parmigiano Reggiano, tortellini, Bolognese sauce, and Balsamic vinegar of Modena. This region is rich with meats and super-eggy pasta. Curing meat is common among people in Emilia-Romagna. The most well known meat product, Prosciutto di Parma, originated from Bologna. It was named “king of cheeses,” Parmigiano Reggiano. Naples, Campania

Naples Campania is known best for its origin of pizza, buffalo mozzarella, calzone, and limoncello liqueur. Campania is a region is southern Italy with fertile volcanic soil. It is perfect for growing tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, salad greens, figs, and lemons. Modern pizza is a descendant of the first pizza that originated in Naples. It was made of fresh mozzarella, sweet tomatoes, and bread. Modern pizza is also one of my personal favorite Italian dishes.

Bibliography

Schwartz, Sara. “Italian Food by Region.” Delish. Delish, March 14, 2018. https://www.delish.com/cooking/a1206/regional-italian-food/.

Colón-Singh, Rose Y. “How To Store Parmesan Cheese In Three Easy Steps.” Fine Dining Lovers, April 3, 2017. https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/how-store-parmesan-cheese-three-easy-steps.

“Bufalina Pizza – Campania Style.” Unilever Food Solutions. Accessed October 18, 2019. https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.pk/en/recipe/bufalina-pizza-campania-style-R0068744.html.

Italian Food

By: Hannah Fetter

Almost 60 million people reside in Italy, although it is barely larger than the state of Arizona. Italy has 20 different regions, each very diverse. The cuisine is as equally diverse. Most Americans recognize Italy’s food by the red sauced pasta, like spaghetti. With Italy’s wide ranged climate, coastline, and terrain, neighboring countries have a large variety of cuisine.

Florence, Tuscany

Some may know Florence, Tuscany better for their fine olive oils, sheep’s milk cheeses, and meat dishes. Tuscany is known best for Pecorino cheese, steak alla fiorentina, and Chianti wine. Bread baking is also common in this region. The bread is baked in large loaves, free of salt, perfect to incorporate in many salads and soups. A common salad served is called panzanella. It consists of crumbled bread, tomatoes, onions, and basil. A common soup with bread in it, served in Tuscany, is called ribollita, which is a vegetable soup.

Lombardy

Below Switzerland is a region called Lombardy. Many know Lombardy for its risotto and osso bucco. In Lombardy, rice and polenta are more popular than pasta, butter, and lard from olive oil. Large amounts of meat are consumed in this region. Lombardy has geographic features of lakes and hills. Northern Italy is considered a paradise for some cheese lovers. It is also referred to as the birthplace of many cheeses, such as, firm Gran Padano, blue-veined Gorgonzola, soft, ripe Taleggio, tangy Provolone, and creamy Robiola.

Cites used

Schwartz, Sara. "Italian Food by Region." Delish. Delish, March 14, 2018. https://www.delish.com/cooking/a1206/regional-italian-food/.

Cameron, Sally. "A Foodcentric Life." Accessed October 12, 2019. https://afoodcentriclife.com/ribollita-hearty-tuscan-vegetable-soup/.

www.AFeastfortheEyes.net, Debby -. "A Feast For The Eyes." A Feast For The Eyes, April 22, 2012. http://afeastfortheeyes.net/2012/04/osso-bucco-seduction-dinner.html.

"7 Ways to Eat Like a True Italian." Food Com. Accessed October 12, 2019. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/italian-cooking-basics/italian-food-traditions.