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PENS Topics : Cooking Italian
Introduction Many of us associate pasta with Italian cuisine. This is correct, but there is so much more to Italian cuisine than just pasta. Perhaps it is time that we gain a better understanding of the history and the traditional eating patterns of the Italian people. Understand, there is no one Italian food item that represents the country as a whole. Rather, there are many regional cuisines. Goal To increase the knowledge of university/college students about the traditional meal patterns and staple foods that are used in Italy. Educational Outcomes At the end of this session participants will gain an understanding of:
Suggested Background Reading for Presenters
Materials
Cooking ItalianHistory In ancient times, the majority of Italians ate mostly food items made from whole wheat along with vegetables. Staple foods for the poor may have been plain bread and chicory or an oily sandwich of bread and olive oil with tomatoes and garlic. Pasta was considered a luxury food for the poor and served only on special occasions. A thick vegetable soup-stew prepared when fresh greens was also served as a special meal. Regional Differences in Italian Cuisine (Overhead 2) Italy has been united for barely a hundred years. Before that, there was a tradition of small city states. Although separated by only a few miles, each region in Italy had its own individual method of cooking and its own specialities. There is, therefore, no Italian cuisine as such, but rather many regional cuisines. Although the cooking style and ingredients vary from region to region in Italy, some general statements can be made about the differences between the foods of northern and southern Italy. Italian regional cooking can be roughly divided into a dominance of milk, butter, rice and polenta (cornmeal) in the north; olive oil, wine and pasta in the south and a mix of both northern and southern foods in central Italy. Pasta is a common dish throughout Italy, but in the north it is usually made with eggs and is shaped into flat ribbons. In the south, the pasta is made without eggs, generally in a tubular form such as macaroni. In the north, pasta such as ravioli is commonly stuffed with cheese or bits of meat topped with a cream sauce, unlike the south, where it is usually served unfilled and covered with a tomato sauce. Other differences are that northern cuisine tends to use more butter, dairy products, rice and meat than the southern cuisines, which is characterized by use of olive oil, little meat, more beans and vegetables, such as artichokes, eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. Seasonings common to all of Italy are garlic, parsley and basil. The Staple Foods of Italy The staple foods of Italy revolve around cereals, vegetables and cheeses. Breads and pasta made from wheat, rice dishes and in some areas "polenta" made from corn are served at least once a day. A large variety of vegetables are available: staple root vegetables, fresh beans and peas, greens of many kinds, a variety of squash, eggplant, zucchini, artichoke and asparagus. Each area produces cheese specialties and favourite ways of nibbling cheese - as appetizers or snacks, topping dishes, fillings, savoury fried foods, sauces and even sprinkled into soups. Fresh dried bunches of herbs - parsley, myrtle, rosemary, sage, oregano, and basil are familiar in every kitchen, as are onions and garlic in varying proportions. Olive oil and butter are the favoured fats. Italy is Europe's largest producer of vegetables and pastas which are enjoyed "al dente" meaning literally "to the tooth" or chewy and not overcooked. Meats and products of the sea are served in smaller portions than is customary in other European countries because they are both expensive and less available. Fruits and cheese are the usual dessert items. Elaborate desserts are reserved for special occasions. Many regional wines of Italy are world famous. Italy has a high rate of alcohol consumption (and a low rate of alcoholism) because alcohol is considered an integral part of the meal. Traditional Meal Patterns of Italy Early meal patterns included two or sometimes three meals a day. JENTACULUM is a light breakfast based on bread or a type of pancake with cheese or honey and sometimes olives or dates, usually includes milk as a beverage. PRANDIUM, a type of lunch, is served infrequently but includes eggs, fish or pork, served with prepared vegetables or mushrooms and often fruit as dessert. Diluted wine is the meal's main beverage. The main, and most important meal of the day, is the evening meal called CENA. For many, this meal is actually served in the late afternoon and for the average family it includes a bowl of wheat porridge finished with milk and served with honey. For the wealthier, it begins with appetizers called "gustato" or "promulsio" which includes salads, fresh vegetable relishes, oysters, sardines or olives. After that, the meal proceeds through six or seven main dishes prepared from fish or meats with vegetables and served with white bread, ending with sweets and fruits in season. Occasionally, the cena for the poor includes vegetable soup and coarse bread. Modern day Italians have changed their routine slightly. Commonly throughout Italy, a hot morning drink of tea, coffee or hot chocolate, together with bread and jam or marmalade, form the most typical breakfasts. Lunch is the main meal of the day. Italian Main Meals The main meal of the day usually starts with antipasto, an appetizer course, such as ham, sausages, pickled vegetables and olives. Next is minestra (wet course), usually soup, possibly minestrone, thick vegetable soup, pasta in "brodo", small pasta shapes in broth or pasta "asciutta", which literally means dry pasta, served with a sauce or cheese rather than in broth. After the minestra, is the asciutta which is a dry course. It usually consists of pasta, rice or polenta (cornmeal). Spaghetti is commonly served. Ribbon noodles, called "fettucine", "tagliatelle" or "papardelle", are popular in central Italy. The larger ones ("ziti", "rigatoni" and "penne") made of wheat flour and water, are more popular in the south. Common also are lasagna noodles, wide strips of pasta; vermicelli, fine spaghetti; tonnarelli and tonnellini, match like noodles; bucatini, spaghetti tubes; and macaroni, which can mean short curved tubes of pasta or any of the many shapes of pasta in general. There are all the stuffed pastas made with fresh dough from the "ravioli" and "agnolotti", usually square, to the semi circular - "anolini", to the navel shaped "tortellini". Fillings for the stuffed pastas vary from meat to spinach to cheese. The main course is fish, meat, or poultry. Meat is often roasted, sometimes on a spit. Chicken may be cut into pieces and served in a sauce. Fish is often served roasted or baked. Salad, either plain or a mixture of lettuce, sweet ripe tomatoes, tender green beans and other vegetables, can be dressed by each person, with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper which are nearly always on the table. Spinach, green beans or cauliflower are often cooked, allowed to cool and served as a salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. Desserts are very simple; ice cream and especially water ices, are most common. Fresh fruit and cheese are often preferred. Pastries and ice creams are served on special occasions. Dinner is served at about 7 p.m. and is a lighter version of lunch. Wine usually accompanies lunch and dinner. Coffee or espresso is enjoyed after dinner. Cooking Demonstration [To get the full flavour of Italian cooking, one must sample a taste of Italian cooking. Today, we are going to prepare a recipe called Vegetable Pasta Salad as a way to end our tour of Italy.] (Overhead 3) Regional Differences in Italian Cuisine
Vegetable Pasta Salad
Method (Pare, J. Company's Coming: Pasta. Edmonton, Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1990.)
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