That's Italian?
Sunday March 9, 2008
People tend to associate specific dishes with specific areas -- Lobster with Maine, for example, or pizza with Naples. However, there are also dishes one comes across unexpectedly.
Take cuscus, for example. It's Arab, and since Sicily was an Arab province for centuries finding it there makes sense. However, finding it in Livorno may seem odd unless one knows that it is also a Jewish dish, and that Livorno was settled by Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Another example?
Goulash, which brings Hungary to mind. And well it should, but Hungary and Friuli Venezia Giulia were both provinces of the Austrian Empire until 1918, and in Friuli they make it with venison, or simply with potatoes. The northeast has many other unusuals, including bean-and-sauerkraut soup, and strudels, both savory and sweet.
One needn't look to cultural crosstalk in all cases, however. Panzanella is a classic Tuscan way of dealing with stale bread that has become too hard to chew (especially in the summer months), and though it's extremely refreshing it does take people by surprise the first time they encounter it. Spaghetti with meatballs are thought by many (including many Italians) to be an Italian-American invention, but they're not; one can find versions in the south and Ada Boni gives one in the Talisamno della Felicita'. And there's simply ingenuity in using what's at hand; for example in Sicily roasts, especially pork, are often accompanied by orange salad. Then there are unusual mixtures of ingredients, chocolate and game, for example, or fennel and sardines (over pasta).
The bottom line: Italian cooking is tremendously varied, and a never-ending source of surprise and delight. Check out some more recipes, including lots of more usual stuff!
Winding down, some ideas for Lent:
Take cuscus, for example. It's Arab, and since Sicily was an Arab province for centuries finding it there makes sense. However, finding it in Livorno may seem odd unless one knows that it is also a Jewish dish, and that Livorno was settled by Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Another example?
Goulash, which brings Hungary to mind. And well it should, but Hungary and Friuli Venezia Giulia were both provinces of the Austrian Empire until 1918, and in Friuli they make it with venison, or simply with potatoes. The northeast has many other unusuals, including bean-and-sauerkraut soup, and strudels, both savory and sweet.
One needn't look to cultural crosstalk in all cases, however. Panzanella is a classic Tuscan way of dealing with stale bread that has become too hard to chew (especially in the summer months), and though it's extremely refreshing it does take people by surprise the first time they encounter it. Spaghetti with meatballs are thought by many (including many Italians) to be an Italian-American invention, but they're not; one can find versions in the south and Ada Boni gives one in the Talisamno della Felicita'. And there's simply ingenuity in using what's at hand; for example in Sicily roasts, especially pork, are often accompanied by orange salad. Then there are unusual mixtures of ingredients, chocolate and game, for example, or fennel and sardines (over pasta).
The bottom line: Italian cooking is tremendously varied, and a never-ending source of surprise and delight. Check out some more recipes, including lots of more usual stuff!
Winding down, some ideas for Lent:
- Pesce al Sale, Fish Roasted in Salt
There are all sorts of elegant ways to prepare fish. However, if the fish is absolutely top quality and very fresh, one of the nicest ways to cook it is in salt: the salt seals it, keeping the juices from escaping as it cooks, while the skin keeps the salt from penetrating the fish. The result is extraordinarily tasty and tender.
Salmon with Fava Beans and Asparagus
Fava beans and asparagus are blanched to crisp tenderness and served with pan-fried salmon topped with a light lemon dressing.
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