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Italian Cuisine . Characteristics . 1. Simple- colorful, lovely, interesting and varied. 2. Fresh high quality ingredients. Shop daily 3. Many herbs and seasonings – dried and fresh 4. Fresh fruits and vegetables
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Characteristics • 1. Simple- colorful, lovely, interesting and varied. • 2. Fresh high quality ingredients. Shop daily • 3. Many herbs and seasonings – dried and fresh • 4. Fresh fruits and vegetables • 5. Prepare on the top of the stove by simmering/ frying. (fuel is expensive) or often use wood brick ovens • 6. Invented the double boiler • 7. Staple foods – pasta, rice and seafood • 8. Large family meals
Italian Staple foods • Pasta – any pasta made from wheat flour, dried into various shapes. • Rice – risotto (cream based) • Seafood- anchovies, sardines, mackerel, tuna, squid, octopuses, shellfish, oysters, clams , mussels, shrimp, crayfish.
Nutrition • High in calories, cholesterol, fat and sodium. • Not a lot of meat • Pasta and rice- good source of cho – low in fat and calories • Preparation- concern over amount of frying – use a lot of cheeses, creams, butter , and sauces. • * leads to weight problems, heart disease. • High cholesterol
Italian Ingredients: Meats and Fish • Meats : expensive • Italian sausage • Lamb • Salami • Chicken • Rabbit • Veal • Prosciutto – uncooked unsmoked ham • Pancetta – bacon cured in salt • Fish/ shellfish: • Anchovies • Sardines • Squid • Octopus
Italian Ingredients: Vegetables and Rice • Vegetables: • Eggplant • Zucchini • Mushrooms • Olives • Rice: • Risotto – raw rice sautéed in butter and broth.
Italian Ingredients: Sauces and Eggs • Sauces: all bases are cream, tomato, or oil. • Pesto • Alfredo • Red • Eggs: • Frittata – baked egg dish with pasta • One dish meal • Served in the evenings
Italian Ingredients: Oil and Beans • Oil: • Green • Olive • Extra Virgin • *green olives – unripened, usually stuffed • Beans: • Kidney beans: red or white • Black • Pinto • Chick peas = protein
Italian Ingredients: Soups and Desserts • Soups • Many varieties: • Broth base • Minestrone- big meal soup.* most popular • Desserts: special occasions, very elaborate and high in calories • Granita– Italian ice • Tiramisu – lady fingers, coffee flavor, whipped cream • Ice Cream: spumoni (green, red, white) • Biscotti: cookie
Italian Ingredients: Beverages • Beverages: flavored coffees are popular • Mocha • Cappuccino - mornings • Espresso • Caffe • Macchiato- espresso top with steamed milk and foam
Italian Ingredients: Bread • Bread: big eaters of bread. At every meal. Usually heavy and dense. • Whole wheat bread- most common • Focaccia – flat bread with olive oil and seasonings. • Brushetta- used as appetizers- slice of bread with variety of toppings • Bread Sticks- both hard and soft. • Ciabatta
Italian ingredients: Bread • More breads • Gnocchi- Italian dumpling. Potato, spinach, and cheese. Served as 1st course with sauceor in soups • Polenta – cornmeal porridge. Served at breakfast or evenings. Cooked by frying , baking, and boiling . Eaten with butter and cheese.
Pizza! • Flat bread with light sauce and cheese • Originated in Naples • Pizza Margherita - invented in 1889, create a pizza in honor of Queen Margherita – • a pie swathed in the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella)
Shapes of Pasta • 1. Long and Narrow • 2. Flat noodle • 3. Tubular shapes • 4. Filled shapes • 5. Specialty shapes • Most pasta dishes are named for shape of pasta.
Pasta Facts • Good source of carbohydrates and fiber • Low in calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol • B-vitamins and iron. *enriched – stripped in processing and put back into product. • B- vitamins; thiamine, essential for good appetite, good digestion and steady nerves. • Riboflavin- important to growth and good vision. • Niacin- essential to the efficient use of protein in the body. • One gram of fat provides approx. 9 calories carbohydrates and provides only 4 calories. …?
How to Cook Pasta • Bring water to a boil • Add pasta slowly • Check for doneness by tasting (al dente) • Drain – only rinse if using in salads • Pasta should double in size • Meat in sauce is American • Pasta does not swim in sauce