Simple and Delicious Regional Italian Food

If you think that Italian food is all about pasta, sauce and pizza, then it's time to think again. Some of the most fabulous foods in the entire world are Italian dishes that most people have never heard of. These dishes are most often regional in nature and often take on the characteristics of the regions and countries bordering the area of Italy where they originate.
The trouble with ordering food in an Italian restaurant, like ones in the US, is that the manager of the restaurant needs to cut down the number of dishes they can serve so that the food can be ready in a timely fashion after you order. What happens often, then is the food that is distinctive but not so well-known gets left off the usual menu.
And because Italy is full of small but very diverse areas, this means that most of the great regional dishes simply are never available on the menu. A great case in point is food from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area. This is a place right next to the border of the former Yugoslavia and when you mix that culinary influence in with the Italian love of cooking, you get some fabulous dishes that most people outside of Italy have never been able to sample.
Because this region shares a border with the former Yugoslavia, the Italian food here is strong with Austrian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and Croatian influences. One of places that this is most apparent is in the beer halls of the area, places you might more typically associate with Germany or Austria. Here they feature such dishes as Viennese sausage and goulash.
Goulash, which originated as a Hungarian dish, has taken on a distinct Italian taste here and can often be found in fine Italian food restaurants both in and out of Italy. Goulash is very popular in this region and is a thick stew of beef and local vegetables such as onions and red peppers. It is very thick and seasoned with paprika and can be served with pasta. Another dish that makes a frequent appearance at the beer halls in this area is Bohemian stew made with either rabbit or beef.
But, the meat used most often in dishes form this region is pork. And if you are ever visiting this are, make sure you sample one of their world famous San Daniele del Friuli hams. These hams are a staple meat of the local Italian food. The whole region is known for their spicy bacon and sausages. In fact there is a local dish called jota that is unique to the region and is a stew dish made with beans and bacon. But this is so very different from the kind of dish served in the southern areas of the United States. The pork in this area is spicy and this may come as a bit of a shock to foreigners not familiar with this brand of Italian food. The pork is often cooked over an open hearth instead of being roasted, and is seen in many dishes even if it is not the main entree.
There are so many kinds of Italian food that are not pasta with tomato sauce, that it is hard to be able to try them all in one lifetime; but you could certainly try. Because good food is meant to be good fun.

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Traditional Italian Pizza at Pepe's, New Haven, Connecticut, Home of the Original Clam Pie

Let's face it, when you go to Pepe's Pizzeria, in New Haven, Connecticut you expect a quality pizza. You know your pizza will contain top quality ingredients. You realize your pizza will be cooked in a coal fired oven. You understand your are getting a traditional Italian Pizza, New Haven Style. There is no question, you are in a for a positive pizza experience.
So when 11 pizza fanatics descended on Pepe's we were expecting nothing less than an over the top pizza experience. And Pepe's did not disappoint us.
Because of the diversity of the group (both ethnically and ethically) we decide on three different pizzas.
For the seafood lovers (hey, everybody in the group was a seafood fan), we ordered the original clam pizza. This was Frank Pepe's signature pie.
The standard clam is not made with "motz" (mozzarella), just a sprinkling of Parmesan. This pie just oozes with clam taste. You won't find cherry stones or steamers on this pie. This pizza is made with fresh quahogs. These are big, juicy clams, found in New England waters. Overcook these babies and you get a tough rubbery mess. If done just right the clams seem to jump off the pizza into your mouth.
Next for the wannabe vegetarians, we ordered the original tomato pie. This is a plain pizza with cheese. The rationale here was to let the taste of the crust to shine through.
Our third pizza was a loaded to the brim bacon and sausage pizza. Strips of hearty Italian bacon are mixed with a nice Italian sweet sausage.
The verdict:
Due to a miscue, our server brought out our first clam pie with mozzarella on it. Not what we had ordered but we were given the pizza anyway. Everyone was pleasantly surprised. The taste of the mozzarella blended well with the clams. Everyone gave this pizza a positive review.
The original tomato pie was excellent. Indeed the taste of the crust came shining through. The vegetarians of the group felt this was a perfect blend of sauce, cheese and crust. The original, was in a word outstanding.
Out came the bacon and sausage pizza. The bacon strips were thick and meaty. The sausage had a pleasant melding of meat and spices. The pizza was finished in an instant.
Finally our clam pizza (sans mozzarella) appeared. It was not only a visual delight but the taste was just incredible. No one and I mean no one can match a Pepe's clam pizza. Frank Pepe invented the clam pizza many years ago. Sure many have tried to recreate it, However, the taste of this pizza is beyond description. Simply amazing.
It was interesting to compare and contrast the taste of the two clam pies: one with motz, the other made without it. While I won't be ordering the clam with "motz" anytime soon, it was nice to be able to contrast the two very different pies.
Again, Pepe's did not disappoint. We all will be going back soon.

Discover The Secrets of How You Can Start a Pizza Business Now Discover tips to get into the pizza business. Includes a link to The Ultimate Pizza Business Guide: The Pizza Business papers.

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Fashionable Men's Italian Suits

Not just the men who belong to the elite class but also people in the lower rung of society need to wear a suit at least on certain special occasions. A suit is deemed as a status symbol and the wearer is better appreciated by society at large. Italian suits are widely acknowledged as well-cut and neatly tailored suits. Italian suits have today come to represent some of the best quality work in men's tailoring, and bring respectability to the wearer.
An Italian men's suit, handmade or otherwise, is extremely elegant and the manufacturers, it is believed, use some magic formula. Most of the Italian men's tailoring houses that produced these suits are family run, and that sometimes makes a lot of difference. Each Italian suit maker family has its own secrets to quality which it guards jealously.
Italian men's suit tailors are hugely successful because they make efforts to hide all the flaws in a wearer's physique, while making a suit. The armholes are deliberately designed higher, the overall shape is more streamlined, and the coat proportioned to improve the wearer's appearance. From the placement of the waist to the width of the lapels and the cut of the collar, every aspect of the Italian men's suit is tailored to flatter the wearer. Some of the most expensive Italian suits are painstakingly hand made by an increasingly scarce breed of veteran tailors. These tailors know how to make suits that hide physical flaws and highlight attributes, without sacrificing comfort.
Not every one is privileged enough to get a customized suit made, but there is a range of suits which is nearly as good. With made-to-measure suits, it is possible to achieve a degree of customization because most tailors takes up to 25 measurements of an individual body, and these are then sent to the factory. Here, a lot of time is spent in order to achieve the best fit possible.
Special requests like providing extra pockets, specific fabrics and linings, and a certain design and style and color can always be accommodated. Some of the best fabrics, threads and interlinings are used, which helps guarantee a quality suit. But the production is assembly line, and many tailors work on the suit at different stages of production which is bit of a negative factor.
Italian men's suits are available in different qualities to suit a wide range of budgets. Any buyer of Italian suits is bound to be confused confronted by too wide a choice. The Italian Off-the-shelf Men's Suits are considerably cheaper and the other advantage is instant purchase without agonizing trials and waiting indefinitely for the suit to get ready. You can still make a wise purchase if you shop around for the right size, cut and look. What is more, off-the-shelf suits are good for those who are looking for variations, for different types of fabrics and styles.
The inherent merit of an off-the-shelf Italian designer suit lies in its ability to change from season to season. For those in the media, advertising, or culture where dress is serious matter, these suits come handy. For these professionals suits have become more a matter of requirement than taste, and off-the shelf suits fit the bill. Being the most economic, an average buyer can comfortably fill his wardrobe with quite a few suits.
For an Italian, the worst insult is wearing a badly tailored suit as that means he is cutting a sorry figure. It is therefore the intention and effort of most Italians to dress up so as to cut a good figure. It is this obsession that has proved a blessing and Italian suits have acquired a look of classical, timeless elegance.

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What Is Farro? An Ancient Italian Grain - Sorting Out the Confusion

Farro
- a delicious slightly nutty tasting grain is enjoyed widely throughout Italy. Less known in the U.S.A. it is also a source of some confusion.When I was first introduced to Farro in Tuscany I was told by the organic farmer offering it to me that is was called "spelt" in English. But it seemed different than the spelt I'd had in the states. I also observed that it was prepared quickly with no pre-soaking involved. It was plump, appetizing and chewy. My curiosity was piqued.
Because of my passion for this region of Italy with its glorious, pristine, Tuscan fields and long, sunny summer days, I imagined this "spelt" was different because of optimal growing conditions. Alternately, I was suspicious that perhaps this farro had been processed or pumped up with "steroid" like chemicals. Eventually, after much research, including a visit to one of the first organic farms in Italy, the confusion dissolved. But describing "what is farro?" is still not easy.
Many sources will explain that Farro is an ancient or "heirloom" grain known to have sustained the Roman Legions as they marched across Europe. First cultivated as early as 10,000 BC in Ethiopia it eventually migrated through the Mediterranean Region and into Europe. Farro is early on the evolutionary chain of wheat - beginning with Einkorn and ending with contemporary Durum Wheat. The most common claim is that the biological name for Farro is "Triticum Dicoccum" and that it's similar to what we call "Emmer" in English. Furthermore, "Triticum Dicoccum" or Farro is the precursor to "Triticum Spelta" or "spelt" which evolved centuries later.
But not so fast! Further research uncovers some dispute about the actual evolution of these ancient grains. The accurate origin and taxonomy of spelt is controversial. Different varieties of T. Dicoccum or Emmer are grown throughout Italy including some wild, non-domesticated versions. Further, it turns out that Italians actually refer to any hulled wheat (with a husk) as "Farro". And the literal translation of the word "farro" into English is "spelt". So emmer or spelt or einkorn are all interchangeably called "farro" in Italy. Thus the confusion!
However - rest assured! As Farro becomes better known in the U.S. we can be confident that most product sold here is actually "Triticum Diccocum". Sold both as "whole grain farro" which retains its outer husk and "Farro Perlato" - which is the plump, chewy grain I first enjoyed in Tuscany. The word "perlato" refers to the removal of some of the tough, outside husk as in "semi-pearled". Despite the removal process Farro Perlato retains its highly nutritious properties. And grain sold as "Spelt" is a harder, smaller grain that needs to be pre-soaked before cooking and is preferably used for breads, flour and pastas.
The distinguishing feature of these hulled grains is the tough husk that needs to be partially removed or pre-soaked to be edible. The Tuscan farmers I know say "even the cinghiale (wild boar) won't eat farro because of the tough husks". As a result, farro lost favor over the centuries due to the development of modern wheat - without the husks - which required less processing and produced higher yields. Unfortunately the cultivation of modern wheats also culled out many of the nutritious properties of the ancient grains and increased the amount of gluten now present in today's durum wheat.
Now it's our good fortune that organic Farro Perlato is available in America semi-pearled making it very quick and easy to cook. It has high protein, high fiber, is non-GMO, highly nutritious and has a low glycemic index of 40 when compared to other grains. Because it retains many of its ancient properties its gluten content is low and is often tolerated by people with wheat allergies. Versatile and delicious it can be served as an entrée, side dish, salad or even as a hot breakfast cereal. It's now easy to cook delectable farro dishes like those served in homes all over Italy and to enjoy the taste of Farro in fine restaurants throughout the United States.

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The History Of Italian Wine

You can find expensive Italian wine and not so expensive Italian wine and they are both as delicious as the other. It is pretty hard to go wrong with Italian wine, as they are all pretty much near perfect. The history of Italian wine is a history that is fascinating to say the least.
Italian wine is a culture all its own. For generations upon generations Italian wine has played a large part in Italy's society. As long as four thousand years ago the people who lived in Italy, the prehistoric people, were making and drinking wine. They would take the grapes still used in Italian wine today and press it in order to get the juice out. This grape juice would ferment as it sat waiting to be drunk and thus the first Italian wine was created.
Italian wine only grew and evolved from there until it got to the stage it is at today. In time the whole Italian wine making process changed and got to be more efficient. In the nineteenth century Italian wine makers learned to process the grapes better to produce better wine and to bottle this wine.
The bottling of this Italian wine made shipping it easy leading to even more popularity of Italian wine. In what seemed like no time at all Italian wine makers were able to ship their Italian wine all over the known world. Italian wine was shipped to other parts of Europe and even to America.
In all of the years that people have been drinking Italian wine it has been refined and new varieties have popped up. Each of the new Italian wines are better than the last and this is only helping Italian wine to grow ever more popular in the wine market. No matter where it is that you live you will be able to get and enjoy some find Italian wine. You can simply stop in at your local liquor store to get some of the best Italian wine or you can contact a wine merchant.
If you are interested in collecting Italian wine then you will want to talk to a wine merchant. They are a great way to get the finest of all Italian wine. These Italian wine merchants will also be able to tell you some of the things that you should know about wine and Italian wine in particular. These tips can help you to store your Italian wine properly in order that it can last for years to come.

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What Makes Good Italian Food and a Great Italian Restaurant?

What makes good Italian food and a great Italian restaurant? This is what I think.
Italy has a wonderful tradition of fine food. Italian food's importance to Italian culture cannot be overstated. It is one of the central elements, and why shouldn't it be? Think about Italy's geography for a second:

• It runs a long way from north to south. Therefore, it has a wide array of growing seasons and soil types. This means a rich diversity of ingredients for food.
• It is a peninsula, meaning it is nearly surrounded by the sea but also connected to the great Eurasian land mass. There is an abundance of fresh seafood and foreign ingredients from neighboring lands.
• It sits between Europe and Africa in the Mediterranean. All Mediterranean cultures have excellent food traditions from North Africa to Lebanon and Israel, France, Greece, Spain and, of course, Italy.

When you think of noodles and pasta, you probably think of Italy, but those wonderful inventions came to Italy from China thanks to Marco Polo. It tells you a lot about Italian food culture that something so basic became associated with Italy even though it did not originate there.
Anyway, food is a key element of Italian culture. Therefore, the food is the most important part of the restaurant. Of course, a great Italian restaurant will have a great wine list, a clean and elegant decor, and wonderful service, but a good Italian restaurant can get by on great food alone, even if they have a crummy wine list, poor service, and a dingy decoration scheme.
By the way, if you leave an "Italian" restaurant hungry, it's definitely not authentic. A white tablecloth and high bill do not a great bistro make. Frankly, I can't stand those fancy Italian restaurants in Manhattan that charge you $400 for a morsel that makes you want to stop for a slice of pizza on the way home. A great Italian ristorante will leave you full, not stuffed, but full.
The second aspect of a great Italian restaurant is the service. The service will be warm and professional, but not overly friendly. After the orders are taken and the meal gets rolling, the service should be nearly invisible. Run -- don't walk -- from any Italian restaurant where the waitperson address the table like this:
"How you guys doin' tonight?" when ladies are seated at the table. This is most un-Italian of them. An Italian would never call a woman "guy." Even in spaghetti-and-meatballs-type places, the waiter might say, "How is everyone this evening?" The won't tarry with small talk in the white-tablecloth places, not the good ones, anyway. It is all about the meal and your comfort.
The third aspect of a great Italian restaurant is the ambiance. I don't know what it is, but Italians seem to be able to create a wonderful atmosphere anywhere. I have eaten at places in strip malls in the suburbs of Denver -- as un-romantic a setting as there is -- that come close to great. A truly outstanding Italian restaurant will just have a certain feeling from the minute you walk in the door, a warmth and a glow that can't really be described.
So the priorities are food first, service second, and a ambiance third. If all three are met, you have found a great Italian restaurant.

If you are in Queens, NY, please check out the best Italian restaurant you'll ever experience. I guarantee that you will enjoy it.

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Panettone - Taste the Italian Flavor

Planning a get-together? Want to plan something different for your guests? Plan something special this one. Why not try something traditional which would add a touch of tradition and brilliance to the seasonable celebrations. If you are seeking a blend of the best tradition in the world, then there would be nothing better than adding panettone to your celebrations this time around.
In fact panettone is common during several special events and celebration like the Christmas. Panettone is popular in all over Italy and is commonly prepared during the Italian Christmas celebrations. It is a popular sweet which comes from Milan and offers you a refined taste of the Italian tradition and custom. Apart from the traditional flavor, you can also find other flavors of this sweet to pick your chosen flavor. For instance, Panettone is available in chocolate flavor without the usual candied fruits.
Panettone is usually served in vertical slices and can be enjoyed with sweet wines, hot cocoa, sweet liquors like the amaretto. The Italian Panettone offers a distinct taste which adds to the attraction of any celebration, whether a Christmas event or a birthday party. If any major event or celebration is round the corner, then you would definitely look for the best gifts for your loved ones. Get hold of an exclusive Italian sweet hamper that includes some traditional sweets.
When you consider the best of traditional Italian sweets then you are bound to go for Italian panettone and toroni. These are highly popular not only in Italy but all over the world during the festive season like Christmas. Made up with special care, you have more reasons to add some of best favored Italian specialties into your gift hampers. Be rest assured that you would definitely make the person happy who would be receiving the hamper.
If you are based in the US or in the UK and seeking exquisite quality Italian panettone or Italian sweets, then your best option would be to search the various online Italian websites that specialize in serving diverse delicacies. Expect to get a stock of the most distinct and exquisite quality Italian hampers from the most experienced dealers available for customer base in different parts of the world.
The holiday panettone is also a popular choice. Your best option would be the dealer that specializes in sourcing ingredients directly from Italy and also enjoys a credible delivery schedule. You can be on track to get the most distinctive and exclusive Italian hamper for the season. Like most other traditional Italian sweet products, holiday panettone is popular and can be considered among the most exclusive gifts for one to pick for the dear and near ones no matter what might be the occasion.

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