ITALIAN FOOD

Italy! Mama Mia!!!!!!!!

Italian cuisine has developed over the centuries and is a Mediterranean cuisine full of ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula since antiquity, and later spread around the world together with waves of Italian diaspora. Today, you can find Italian cuisine all over the world and it is one of the best in terms of taste, flavours and ingredients.

"The most popular ones: Pizza, Pasta, Risotto, Bruschetta, Focaccia Bread & Panzanella..."

Pizza! It was first bread with oil and herbs. It wasn’t until later that mozzarella and tomatoes were added. The modern pizza, as we know it today, became popular in the late 18th century.

Pasta! The common belief is that pasta is a culturally Italian food however, it is likely the descendent of ancient Asian noodles. History tells us that pasta was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century.

Risotto! According to "cuisine at home" website regarding the origin of the risotto, rice was introduced to Sicily and Spain in the 14th century by the Arabs. Rice cultivation continued in Naples and eventually extended to northern Italy via the marshes of the Po river valley. The Mediterranean climate with high humidity was conducive to growing short- and medium-grained rice. The city-states and elites of Milan, Venice, and Genoa were buoyed with profits from this new commodity. Combined with the influx of spices from the East, it accelerated risotto's popularity throughout the region.

“I know once people get connected to real food, they never change back.”– Alice Waters

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread similar in style and texture to pizza; in some places, it is called "pizza bianca". Panzanella or panmolle is a Tuscan chopped salad of soaked stale bread, onions and tomatoes that is popular in the summer. It often includes cucumbers, sometimes basil and is dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

Tiramisu! An Italian dessert.

Probably the most famous of all Italian desserts, Tiramisù is a powerful layering of coffee-soaked savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits) and a rich cream made with mascarpone cheese, eggs and sugar, sometimes spiced up with a drop of liqueur.

BEST RECIPE FOR A GOOD TIRAMISU!

Ingredients:

• 568ml pot double cream

• 250g tub mascarpone

• 75ml marsala

• 5 tbsp golden caster sugar

• 300ml strong coffee, made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 300ml boiling water

• 175g pack sponge fingers

• 25g dark chocolate

• 2 tsp cocoa powder

Tiramisu preparation and method!

STEP 1Put the double cream, mascarpone, marsala and golden caster sugar in a large bowl; STEP 2 Whisk until the cream and mascarpone have completely combined and have the consistency of thickly whipped cream. STEP 3 Pour the coffee into a shallow dish. Dip in a few of the sponge fingers at a time, turning for a few seconds until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these in a dish until you’ve used half the sponge fingers, then spread over half of the creamy mixture.

STEP 4Using the coarse side of the grater, grate over most of the dark chocolate. Then repeat the layers (you should use up all the coffee), finishing with the creamy layer. STEP 5 Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Will keep in the fridge for up to two days. STEP 6 To serve, dust with the cocoa powder and grate over the remainder of the chocolate.

(Recipe source: BBC Food Network).

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