Italians like structure in the way they eat. To them, the balance between the different courses of the meal is as important as the balance between the ingredients of each dish. In Italy, eating is far more than nutrition, it’s a moment of ... Continue reading
Category: Featured
The Magic of Autogrill – Highway Restoration, Elevated
If you are Italian, or if you have driven around Italy, you are probably familiar with “Autogrill” as a chain of restaurants that serve the highways all throughout the country. But even if you are unaware of Autogrill, every time you ... Continue reading
Pasta Names Explained
In this atypical post, we will go over some of the most common pasta cuts and describe the origins of their names. We will use the following template: Italian Name (Literal Translation) Photograph* (photos are at scale) The root word that ... Continue reading
Aperitivo – The Italian Pre-Dinner Cocktail with Accompaniments
Known in North America by the French name apéritif, an aperitivo is a drink meant to be had before the meal as an appetizer. To this purpose, the apertitivo is usually a moderately alcoholic cocktail based on vermouth, bitters or white wine. ... Continue reading
Rice Demystified – Which Rice Variety is Best for Risotto?
Rice plays an important role in Italian cuisine, especially in the North as the main ingredient of risotto, and may be found in timbales and soufflés. Rice is also an alternative to pasta in soups and salads, whereas rice flour is used to make ... Continue reading
Cooking Pasta 101
In the Pasta 101 article we went through the different types of pasta and the Italian traditions around it. Let’s now talk some more on how to cook pasta, and particularly dry pasta (‘pastasciutta’). Let’s start with quantities. ... Continue reading
Olive Oil Facts
Along with wine and pasta, olive oil is one of the food items Italy is most known for. Olive oil is the only oil extracted from the actual fruit, as opposed to grains or nuts, and is one of the most ancient manufactured foods. The production of olive ... Continue reading
Pizzoccheri della Valtellina
Pizzoccheri is a Northern Italian dish almost unknown in North America. It originates in Valtellina (known as Valtelline or Val Telline in English), a valley at the very top of Lombardy. Despite the name, Pizzoccheri has nothing to do with pizza. It ... Continue reading
