Easy Italian Recipes

It was not just a coincidence that hundreds of chefs around the world, including those in Saudi Arabia, found themselves on their feet in their kitchens Sunday to simultaneously cook a traditional Italian dish, strictly according to its authentic recipe. The day, Jan. 17, has been observed for the past three years as the International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC), on which chefs and restaurateurs in over 50 countries prepare concurrently any one Italian dish that truly represents the authentic and evocative flavors of Italy in their bid to say “no” to the global forgery and counterfeiting of Italian products and cuisine. The official IDIC 2010 dish was the Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese - one of the most popular dishes of Italian gastronomy, and which apparently has nothing to do with the wrongly-called, but equally popular ‘bolognaise sauce’.
“If there’s a dish that represents the worst universal forgery of Italian cooking, it has to be the so-called bolognaise. It is prepared out of the most bizarre ingredients, often with overcooked spaghetti, sold in a can; stuff that has nothing to do with genuine original Tagliatelle al Ragù,” remarked Emanuele Esposito, executive chef of Italian restaurant Il VIllagio in Jeddah, one of the two restaurants in Saudi Arabia participating in the event.
Describing the IDIC as a “celebration of Italian flavors and culinary culture,” Esposito said the initiative is being promoted by Italian chefs abroad, “who must maintain the identity of Italian cuisine in international markets. Without this identity, it would be very difficult to sell ‘made in Italy’ food products abroad.”
The GVCI, Virtual Group of Italian Chefs - a network of over 900 Italian professionals in cuisine working in 70 countries, with the aim to “preserve and improve the standard of quality and authenticity of Italian gastronomy in the world” - is at the forefront of organizing the IDIC. Its Web site lists Roberto’s Restaurant in Al-Khobar, as the only other IDIC participant from the Kingdom.
Joerg M. Wickihalder, general manager of Il VIllagio, said the Sunday evening celebrations comprising about 90 guests were to “offer Saudi society a short journey to Italy.”
“Tonight Italian food enthusiasts round the globe celebrated authentic Italian cuisine with a special menu. The guests also interacted with the Italian chefs to discover more about it,” he said, adding that the objective was not to patronize or teach people, but to “show them what Italian cuisine is all about.”
Gastronomic aberrations in the name of ‘Italian’ food have been many. “In Jeddah, what they say is ‘Italian’ food is actually more American than Italian, which makes me very upset. For example, Italian Fettucini Alfredo made with cream or spaghetti Bolognese are not acceptable as Italian dishes. Though they may not taste bad, they don’t have anything to do with Italy,” said chef Esposito.
He added that for the restaurant, most of the ingredients are imported from Italy as “in Jeddah there is a problem finding good quality Italian products. With the help of our restaurant owner, Nashwa Taher, we try to promote and teach people better understand Italian food.”
According to Wickihalder, there has been a somewhat greater acceptance of Italian cuisine in Saudi society in the last two to three years. “The popularity of Italian food is not only limited to the upper class but is also gaining momentum among the middle class, which is because of a growing awareness among the masses of what comprises healthy and nutritious food,” he said. “Italian food is part of the Mediterranean diet, which is one of the healthiest – with all the fresh vegetables, fish, and the highest quality of fat, i.e. in olive oil. Moreover, it scores high on taste too.”
Commenting on a common food habit found in the Kingdom, the Swiss restaurateur said: “Here, people have an affection towards tomato ketchup and associate it with Italian cuisine.
Ketchup has a lot of sugar and very less of tomatoes. If you ask for ketchup with pizza in a restaurant in Italy, chances are the owner of the eatery will ask you to leave!” He added that the Italian government takes serious interest in preserving the authenticity of its cuisine, which is considered a part of the country’s cultural heritage. “Italian embassies and consulates fully support this event (IDIC). Last year’s IDIC event in Jeddah - which was the first time there was a participant from the Kingdom - was a huge success,” he said.
The last two IDIC events celebrated Italian delicacies Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Risotto alla MIlanese, respectively, in over 400 restaurants worldwide. “I, along with our pastry chef Vincenzo Raschella, wish to give Saudis the chance to learn Italian food through a soon-to-be-started free cooking course for young Saudis, a program that would be sponsored by the IFSE-WORLD and the Italian Consulate in Jeddah,” said Esposito. – SG

Text by Afifa Jabeen Quraishi
From: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010011960659

Le Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, la ricetta che spopola nel mondo non è quella italiana

Ma, il termine "bolognese" campeggia anche su strane confezioni di mortadella di tacchino e soprattutto è usato, in tutti i continenti, come condimento degli spaghetti secondo una ricetta che spopola nel mondo, ma che è del tutto sconosciuta in Italia.

E’ quanto afferma la Coldiretti in occasione della Giornata Mondiale delle Cucine Italiane (International Day of Italian Cuisines – IDIC) del 17 gennaio dedicata alle tagliatelle alla bolognese, dopo le precedenti due edizioni dedicate rispettivamente agli Spaghetti alla Carbonara e al Risotto alla Milanese.
Un evento che – sottolinea la Coldiretti – coinvolge centinaia di cuochi, in oltre 70 paesi, impegnati a cucinare simultaneamente il famoso piatto, per dire no ai taroccamenti e alle falsificazioni della cucina e dei prodotti italiani nel mondo. L’elenco dei partecipanti alla Ola delle Tagliatelle al Ragù bolognese è aggiornato continuamente su www.itchefs-gvci.com.

Dedicare la giornata mondiale delle cucine italiane alle tagliatelle alla bolognese ("tagliatella day") significa riaffermare l’identità storica di uno dei piatti più gustosi della tradizione emiliana le cui origini risalgono al medioevo, ma anche – precisa la Coldiretti – fare definitivamente chiarezza su una invenzione per stranieri, molto diffusa all’estero ma completamente sconosciuta in Italia, come gli spaghetti alla bolognese, che indicano un condimento con sugo di pomodoro e polpettine (meatballs).
Un combinazione inesistente nella realtà gastronomica nazionale che tuttavia è molto gettonata all’estero come negli Stati Uniti o in Inghilterra dove gli spaghetti alla bolognese sono stati addirittura indicati come piatto preferito, secondo un recente sondaggio su 700mila persone effettuato dal sito www.tourchlocal.com.

Il campione della tagliatella (che riporta le misure esatte, secondo la tradizione) è depositato dal 16 aprile 1972 alla Camera di Commercio di Bologna e prevede che la larghezza della tagliatella bolognese "cotta e servita in tavola" corrisponde alla 12270ma parte dell’altezza della Torre degli Asinelli e, precisamente alla misura di circa 8 millimetri.
Tale larghezza a cottura corrisponde alla larghezza di millimetri sei e mezzo-sette al momento del taglio, a seconda della durezza della pasta. La ricetta del ragù alla bolognese è custodita dal 17 ottobre 1982 presso la Camera di Commercio di Bologna e nel documento ufficiale si riporta che la Ricetta del Ragù Classico Bolognese prevede le seguenti componenti e quantità: cartella di manzo (300 grammi), pancetta distesa (150 grammi), carota gialla (50 grammi), costa di sedano (50 grammi), cipolla (30 grammi) e salsa di pomodoro (5 cucchiai) oppure estratto triplo (20 grammi), vino bianco secco (mezzo bicchiere) e latte intero (un bicchiere).

Se una certa flessibilità rispetto alla ricetta storica è senz’altro tollerata, il rischio è quello delle degenerazioni con la diffusione di miscugli che non hanno nulla a che fare con la realtà culinaria tradizionale: dalla pasta ottenuta con grano ucraino al pomodoro concentrato cinese. Nei diversi continenti, dall’Australia agli Stati Uniti fino all’Europa, la Coldiretti ha scovato pseudo ragù alla "bolognese" ottenuti con i piu’ svariati ingredienti.
Insieme alle tagliatelle alla bolognese tra i piatti più taroccati nei ristoranti italiani ed esteri ci sono – precisa la Coldiretti – la cotoletta alla milanese preparata con carne di pollo o maiale, fritta nell’olio di semi al posto della carne di vitello fritta nel burro, gli spaghetti alla carbonara con prosciutto cotto al posto del guanciale e formaggio grattugiato al posto del pecorino romano.

E ancora ci sono – continua la Coldiretti – la tipica caprese servita con formaggio industriale al posto della mozzarella di bufala o del fiordilatte e i casi di pasta al pesto alla ligure proposta con mandorle, noci o pistacchi al posto dei pinoli e con il formaggio comune che sostituisce l’immancabile parmigiano reggiano e il pecorino romano.

Un inganno che colpisce anche la tradizione siciliana con la pasta alla norma preparata spesso con semplice formaggio grattugiato al posto della ricotta salata. E tra i falsi culinari più spacciati lungo tutta la penisola durante l’estate figurano anche – conclude la Coldiretti – il tiramisù con la panna al posto del mascarpone.

Fonte: http://diodatobuonora.blog.tiscali.it

Class Gastronomy

The region made up of Emilia, which spreads across the Po River valley to the west, and Romagna, which extends eastward to the Adriatic coast, is among Italy's most famous gastronomic centers. This is the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, aged balsamic vinegar, and sweet prosciutto di Parma. The rich, sophisticated cuisine of the capital, Bologna, has given the city the nickname la grassa, "the fat one." Pork, veal, milk, cream, butter, and cheese are the hallmarks of the region's cooking, along with fresh eggand-flour pasta, hand-rolled with a long pin and cut into tagliatelle (the loca) name for fettuccine), layered in sheets as lasagne, or stuffed and folded to make tortellini. Cured meats and sausages are the pride of Emilia-Romagna, from salami and coppa to the famed mortadella of Bologna, from which boloney gets its name, and the stars of many antipasti platters. Along the Adriatic coast, fish and shellfish are featured in brodetto, the richly flavored loca) seafood stew, or simply grilled with olive oil and herbs. Among the EmiliaRomagna's best-known wines is Lambrusco, a young, delicately effervescent red made in the frizzante style, which goes well with the salumi and other rich, hearty foods of the region.

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmigiano-Reggiano starts with milk from grass-fed cows, which is heated in copper vats with natural whey and rennet to coagulate the curds. The whey from this process was traditionally fed to pigs raised to make prosciutto di Parma, adding to the famed ham's distinctive flavor. Formed into giant wheels, the cheese is aged for twelve to thirty-six months. Look for the words Parmigiano-Reggiano stenciled on the rind. The cheese is ideai for grating and is excellent served in chunks as part of a cheese course.

Balsamic Vinegar

A world-renowned specialty of Modena, dark, sweet balsamic vinegar varies in quality and price. True aceto balsamico tradizionale di modena is something else altogether. Thick, syrupy, and complex, it is aged in successively smaller barrels made from a variety of woods as it evaporates and thickens in open-air lofts. It must be at least twelve years old, and is often aged for twenty-five years or more. In Emilia-Romagna, it is used sparingly as a table condiment to anoint everything from meats, fish, and salad greens to chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano and strawberries.

Regional Specialties

Mortadella large sausages, often weighing thirty pounds (15 kg) or more, made from puréed pork, studded with bits of pork fat

Prosciutto di parma world-famous air-cured ham of Parma

Culatello among the most prized of all salumi, delicate, pink culatello is made by salting and air curing a tender section of the pig's hind leg Piadina a griddled flatbread that is folded over prosciutto or other fillings

Gnocco fritto fried dough puff served as an antipasto, often with sliced salumi

Tagliaiene alla bolognese me segnature pasta of the region paired with its famous meat and tomato sauce, which is often enriched with milk or cream

Tortellini stuffed pasta generally eaten in brodo (in broth) or al burro (with butter and Parmesan)

Zampone and cotechino a specialty of Modena, zampone is a pig's trotter stuffed with ground pork and traditionally eaten with lentils on New Year's Eve; the same filling is also made into cotechino, a sausage

Grana padano a hard grating cheese similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano

Photo: Wedges of Parmigiano-Reggiano and bottles of syrupy, aged balsamic vinegar, both famous products of the Emilia-Romagna region, are now common in kitchens around the world.