Le Basi, Or: Italian Cooking 101
By Kyle Phillips, About.com Guide to Italian Food
Italian cooking is a rich, and varied subject. Much richer and more varied than I thought when I started working on this site many years ago. However, once you have the basics it's quite straight forward. And infinitely variable; there's something for every setting and occasion.
- Italian Cooking: Basics
- Cucina Regionale, or Regional Cuisines
- Tecnica, or Technique
- Festività: Holiday Menus
- Illustrated Recipes
- Italian Cooking Videos
- Ingredienti, Or Ingredients - Vegetables, Spices...
- Ingredienti, Or Ingredients: Meats, Fish, and Cheese
Italian Cooking: Basics
In Italy, the main meal of the day is usually lunch, and (on a work day) usually begins with a first course (pasta, soup, risotto...), followed by a second course (meat, fish, egg...) which is accompanied by a side dish and (perhaps a salad), and fruit to finish up. Festive meals will follow the same pattern, but be more elaborate, while dinners are light -- pastina in broth, a piece of fruit, or a mug of caffélatte.
- Never Cooked Italian? The Organization of an Authentic Italian Meal
- Never Cooked Italian? What You'll Need To Prepare an Italian Meal at Home
Cucina Regionale, or Regional Cuisines
Though people outside of Italy talk about Italian cooking, Italians in the Peninsula are quick to distinguish among the various cucine regionali, or regional cuisines, and within the regional cuisines distinguish too -- the mountain cooking of the Lunigiana, towards Lucca, for example, differs considerably of the mountain cooking of the Casentino, towards Arezzo, though both are Tuscan. In short, though Italy is one country, it might better be seen as a collection of tiny states, each with its own history, culture and cuisine.
- Italian Regional Cooking: An Overview
- North Italian Cooking: An Overview, and notes on specific regions
- Central Italian Cooking: An Overview, and notes on specific regions
- South Italian Cooking: An Overview, and notes on specific regions
- Italian Island Cooking: An Overview, and notes on specific regions
- Italian Cuisine Truisms: True or Not?
Tecnica, or Technique
To be honest, there aren't many exclusively Italian foods and cooking techniques: People also make pasta elsewhere, and others also sauce it or stuff it. Everybody grills, and most everybody enjoys gelato, though they might call it, say, ice cream. But there is an Italian flair to what's made in the Peninsula, and here are quick looks at some of the techniques Italians use to prepare their foods.
- Making Pasta At Home: Takes a Bit of Effort, But is Worth It
- On Cooking and Serving Pasta: Some General Rules
- Ravioli and Other Stuffed Pasta: An Ancient Tradition
- Gnocchi, Potato and Otherwise: Delightful Changes of Pace
- Making Risotto: It's Much Easier Than You Might Think
- Polenta: The Staple Food of the North
- Pizza: The Most Popular Food On The Planet
- Preparing Live Clams (or Mussels)
- How to Chop a Chicken: Quickly, With a Knife
- How to Bone a Bird: The Starting Point of Many Festive Dishes
- Salumi: Making Italian Cold Cuts, For Summer and Winter
- A Fuoco Vivo: Italian Grilling
- L'Arrosto Morto: Italian Stove Top Roasting
- Stuffing Vegetables: An Italian Tradition
- Olive Oil: It's Central To Italian Cooking
- Sotto Aceti: Making Pickles of All Kinds
- Conserve, or Jams: Setting Aside Summer For The Winter Months
- Gelato and Sorbetto: To Cool The Heated Breast
- Siroppi: Flavorings for Gelato, Italian Ices, and Ice Water Too
- Biscotti: Twice-Cooked Delights
Festività: Holiday Menus
Natale Con I Tuoi e Pasqua Con Chi Vuoi, Italians say: Christmas with the Family and Easter with Whomever You Please. And there is some truth to the saying, but not much -- holidays are an occasion for family and friends to gather around the table, and people eagerly do. It would be impossible to list all the holidays observed in Italy, but here are some ideas for the major ones.
- Roasting the Bird: Around About and Around the World
- La Vigilia Napoletana: Neapolitan Christmas Eve - and Day - Ideas
- Il Natale in Dalmazia: Vanishing Traditions from the Far Northeast
- Il Natale in Altamura: Celebrations in Apulia
- Il Natale in Toscana: Tuscan Traditions
- Ideas for the Seven Fishes Dinner
- Panettone and Pandoro: Making and Stuffing the Cake
- Other Italian Christmas Cookies and Treats
- Carnevale: Treats to Celebrate the Depths of Winter
- Lenten Recipes: Simple Ideas For A Time of Renewal
- Auguri Per San Valentino! Or, Valentine's Day Ideas
- La Pasqua Napoletana: Neapolitan Easter Recipes
- La Pasqua Romana: Roman Easter Recipes
- Favorite Italian Easter Recipes
- Felice Pesah! Or, Italian Recipes for the Seder
- La Vigilia di Yom Kippur
- Felice Purim!
- Ossa DeI Morti: Bones of the Dead, (Almost) for Halloween
- Italian Ideas For Celebrating Thanksgiving
- Felice Hanukkah!
Illustrated Recipes
Most recipes are text-based, and in most cases that's all you'll need. However, cooking is an intensely visual experience, and it's nice to see how things are supposed to come out, and what happens to the ingredients along the way, especially with recipes that are new or different.
- Guido's Stinco Arrosto, or Roast Veal Shank
- Aunt Emma's Gnocchi alla Romana Lite: An Illustrated Recipe
- Ossibuchi al Sugo, or: Stewed Veal Shanks with Meat (Bolognese) Sauce
- Making a Cheese Basket For Risotto, Pasta, or... (Perfect for a Romantic Meal)
- Scottadito alla Diavola, or Grilled Lamb Chops Alla Diavola
- Leonardo's Chickpea and Pasta Soup -- This is Also How To Make Pastafazool
- How to Make A Piadina Romagnola: Tasty Romagnan Flatbread For All Occasions
- How to Fry Zucchini or Squash Blossoms: A Summer Treat!
- Pasta al Forno, or: Lasagne alla Bolognese - A Festive Winter Dish
- How To Bake Pizza In A Wood-Fired Oven
- How to Stuff and Cook a Boned Chicken: Easy, and Good Hot or Cold
- Peposo: The Town of Impruneta's Answer to Chili. And Good Eating It Is, Too
- Oh, Fiorenina! How To Cook And Serve A Steak The Italian Way
- Michela's Gnocchetti Cimbri with Leeks, Pancetta, and Cauliflower
- How to Make Mostarda, A Wonderful Condiment For Bland Foods
- How To Make Panigacci and Focaccette, Hearth Breads From Lunigiana
Italian Cooking Videos
As is the case with illustrated recipes, cooking videos allow one to see how a procedure is performed. Here's a quick selection:
- How To Make Meatballs
- How To Fry Calamari
- How To Make Polenta
- How to Make Bruschetta
- How to Make Risotto: In Bianco, Simple and Satisfying
- How To Make Pasta At Home
- How To Make Salsa Verde, For Fish, Boiled Meats, Or Vegetables
- How to Roast Bell Peppers Under a Broiler
- Chopping Bell Peppers: A Surprisingly Easy Technique
- How To Roast Garlic: Roasted Garlic Has Many Uses
- How To Make Biscotti, Classic Italian Dipping Cookies
Ingredienti, Or Ingredients - Vegetables, Spices...
Even if you have been using an ingredient daily for years, there are probably things you don't know about it. At least this has been my experience, and as a result I often find myself updating the articles I have written on various ingredients. Here is a selection of some of my favorite notes on various ingredients. If I have omitted something, please let me know.
- Andar Per Olio: About Olive Oil
- Aglio! (That's Garlic)
- Asparagi: Delights of Spring
- Bell Peppers: Peperoni, in Italian
- Broccoli Raab: A Favorite Southern Vegetable
- Cachi, or Persimmons
- Carciofi: Artichokes, in English
- Cavolfiore: Cauliflower
- Castagne, or Chestnuts: How to Select and Roast Them
- Cipolle: Onions Are Both Herb and Vegetable
- Finocchio: Bulb Fennel is a Wonderful Winter Treat
- Funghi Porcini: Marvelous Mushrooms!
- Fagioli: On Beans
- Melanzane: Eggplant
- Piselli: Peas
- Patate, or Potatoes: The Glorious Tuber
- Radicchio Rosso: The Marvel from Treviso
- Walnuts: Fruits of Fall, and Well Loved by the Romans
- Zucchini: A symbol of Summer
- Zafferano: Saffron, a Gift of the Gods
Ingredienti, Or Ingredients: Meats, Fish, and Cheese
Even if you have been using an ingredient daily for years, there are probably things you don't know about it. At least this has been my experience, and as a result I often find myself updating the articles I have written on various ingredients. Here is a selection of some of my favorite notes on various ingredients. If I have omitted something, please let me know.
- Agnello, Abbacchio e Capretto: Italian Lamb and Kid
- Baccalà: Unexpected delight from Salt Cod
- Camosci, Caprioli, Cervi, Daini, Stambecchi... Furred Game, in Short
- Formaggio Grana and Parmigiano Reggiano: King of Cheeses
- How To Select A Fish and Estimate Its Cooking Time
- Pecorino Romano: An Ancient Cheese
