ITALIAN CUISINE 2

This is a continuation from my previous Italian cuisine post. I have given here some of the recipes I featured on my last radio show. And the sources are listed below each recipe.

1) Struffoli are small fritters glued together with honey and decorated with sprinkles. It is a Neapolitan dish made of deep fried balls of dough about the size of marbles. They are crunchy on the outside, light inside and are traditionally served with honey, bits of orange rind and chopped nuts. They grace the table at Christmas and Easter and are perfect when served warm.

RECIPE:

6 eggs

6 tbsp. cooking oil

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup dry sherry

Flour

Shortening or oil for deep frying

METHOD:
Mix first 6 ingredients. Add enough flour to make a consistency to roll. Dough should be somewhat sticky. Shape into small balls, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Deep fry in oil or shortening until golden brown.

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups honey

1 tbsp. orange zest

Mix all ingredients on low heat until sugar is dissolved. Dip each roll into mixture and remove. or you could make the glaze in a wide-mouthed pot and put the fritters into it. Stir to coat all of them and transfer them to serving dishes before decorating with sprinkles.

recipe courtesy: italianfood.about.com

2) Frico - It is simply fried cheese, mainly Montasio cheese. Being a simple dish it has been around for a long time. And being made of cheese, this is one recipe that I might never try on my own. Both me and VC run away from cheese:-D heh heh heh But I hope to visit Italy some day and while there, I hope to taste this too. Can't get much fresher than that.

Ingredients:

10 ounces (250 g) fresh or moderately aged Montasio cheese, grated
scant pound (400 g) potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup unsalted butter or olive oil

Preparation:

Heat the fat in a skillet and sauté the potatoes for a few minutes, or until they begin to soften and brown, then add the cheese and continue cooking, shaking the pan every now and then so the cheese gets to the bottom of the potato mixture; once the bottom of the mixture has begun to brown carefully slide it out onto a plate using a spatula (you don't want to break the frico), then invert the frico back into the pan so you end up with the browned side up (as you would while flipping a frittata). Continue cooking the frico for a few minutes more, until the underside is also brown; it should have a crunchy skin and a soft inside. The total cooking time of the cheese will be about 12-15 minutes.

Note: If you cannot find Montasio, use young Grana Padano cheese.

Hope somebody out there who's not afraid of cheese will try this and like it. Afterall cheese is one of the best comfort foods and thus brings warmth to your tummy and grins to your face.

recipe courtesy: italianfood.about.com

photo courtesy: google images.

No copyright infringement intended.

ITALIAN CUISINE

Let me begin by saying that I believe Indian Cuisine is the best. That was how I started yesterday's show and I know it to be true. Indian vegetarian cuisine is best, both in taste as well as nutritionally. But that does not mean we should restrict ourselves to just Indian food all the time. We as in foodies and Indians in general, should explore other cuisines as well. And here in the good ole' USofA we have the oppurtunity to do just that.

So my choice of cuisine for the show was - Italian. One thing I would like to mention here is that restaurant food is not exactly the aunthentic fare that one might experience in the country itself. But even if you visit Italy (r any other country for that matter) these days, most restaurants sport generalised menus that cater to the tastes of tourists. So to taste aunthentic food, you might have to walk off the beaten tourist path. Try going into the hidden alleys and out of the way taverns. That is where one will find a piece of authenticity waiting to be savored by the truly hungry foodie. Some of the recipes I mention here are ones you will not find in any Olive Garden or Johnny Carino's. Hope you try them and like 'em too.

As with any cuisine, Italian was influenced by cultural, political as well as geographical influences. Even though Italy seems to be a small country, it has twenty different regions, each with its own distinct food - dishes and cooking techniques. More significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World. Italian cuisine as we know it today, was much influenced by the introduction of items like potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize. These are an important part of the cuisine today, but weren't widely used till the 18th century. Ingredients and dishes vary by region and some regional dishes have become national. Many dishes have regional variations across the country. Cheese and wine play an important role in Italian cuisine, as does Coffee, and more specifically Espresso.

Meals in Italy will have at least 3-4 courses. In many Italian homes today, the traditional menu is reserved for special occasions and daily meals are limited to 2 courses, a side dish and coffee. Traditionally the menu would look like this:

Apertivo - Aperitifs enjoyed as appetizers before a heavy meal. These include Campari, Prosecco, Spritz, Vermouth etc.

Antipasto - It means 'before the meal' and consists of hot and/or cold appetizers.

Primo - The first course, usually a hot, filling dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi or soup.

Secondo - The second course, consisting of meat or fish.

Contorno - Means ' side dish' and is salad or cooked vegetables.

Formaggio e Frutta - 'Cheese and Fruits' which is the first dessert. Local cheese makes an appearance here in addition to Antipasto or the side dish.

Dolce - Of course 'Dessert', like cakes and cookies.

Caffe

Digestivo/Ammazzacaffe - Liquors/liqeurs like Amaro, Limoncello, Sambuca which are sometimes referred to as Ammazzacaffe meaning Coffee killer.

Italians consider meals as a time to spend with family anf friends. As such the lunch or dinner may be longer than in most Western cultures. And it is as it should be. Hard earned food should be savored with much loved family. (Sigh!) I wish that all of us were granted with that bit of happiness. Well tomorrow is Saturday so I can aim for the happiness of making and eating some Italian food with my family. So come back day-after and I promise to post those recipes by then. Ciao and Xin Fu to you !