| Fresh ingredients: | | | | something as simple as a bruschetta (toasted garlic |
| Cooking Italian recipes depends upon one basic fact: | | | | bread) with a variety of toppings to a more |
| the freshness of the ingredients. No processed foods | | | | sophisticated dish made with zucchini flowers and |
| are used in the creation of these delightful, elegant, yet | | | | grated parmesan cheese. By the way, when |
| deceptively simple meals. | | | | pronouncing Italian words, the 'ch' sounds like a 'k,' so |
| Olive oil and garlic: | | | | the word bruschetta is pronounced bru-sketta. To get |
| Staples of an Italian kitchen are olio d'oliva (olive oil) and | | | | the 'ch' sound in Italian, put two c's together as in Gucci. |
| aglio (garlic). Always choose extra virgin olive oil and | | | | Following the antipasti, the primi piatti, or first course is |
| fresh garlic. You will not see any garlic powder or | | | | served. This is usually a pasta course, but can also be |
| garlic salt in a traditional Italian kitchen. Another | | | | a soup, crepe, polenta, rice, or gnocchi. Pasta is also a |
| common ingredient when in many Italian dishes is | | | | staple in Italian recipes, and you will usually find a pasta |
| pomodori (tomatoes), which are used fresh in sauces, | | | | dish set on the table for every evening meal. Explore |
| served in the antipasti or starter as a garnish over | | | | the Italian cookbooks for your favorite pasta or other |
| toasted bread, or in salads. Olive oil is used when | | | | starchy dish for your primi piatti. |
| Cooking Italian recipes for frying, sautéing, | | | | The next course is the main course, or the secondi |
| dressing on salads, and every other place where we | | | | piatti. This is a meat course, served with a contorni or |
| would usually use shortening or vegetable oil. | | | | side dish. Beef, pork, veal, fish and poultry are all |
| Italians love their mealtime, and they take a long time to | | | | served and eaten with relish in Italy. Side dishes, or |
| get through the entire meal. Dinner typically starts | | | | contorni, are sometimes salads, but often are starchy |
| around 8:00 PM and is over around 10:00 PM. Family is | | | | dishes like potatoes or beans. |
| key to Italians and you will often find children in the | | | | Desert is not to be forgotten as a sweet, but not too |
| kitchen, learning to cook right along with the adults. The | | | | sweet, end to your cooking Italian recipes experience. |
| family comes together over the meal and large, | | | | One of my favorite Italian deserts is contuccini. |
| boisterous meal times are not uncommon in an Italian | | | | Contuccini is a small version of the popular Italian |
| household, with lots of shouting, laughter and good | | | | cookie called biscotti. These sweet, but hard, little |
| natured teasing accompanying the pasta. Cooking | | | | almond cookies are served after a typical Italian meal |
| Italian recipes is something the Italians take very | | | | with a sweet desert wine. Set shot glasses in front of |
| seriously. | | | | your guests, fill each one with the desert wine and |
| The courses in an Italian meal: | | | | instruct them to dunk the contuccini in the wine before |
| The antipasti, or starter course mentioned earlier | | | | eating it. Delicicio! |
| comes to the table on platters family style. It can be | | | | |