The central position of cuisine in Italian traditions cannot be over-stated. In Italy, the mealtime is the time to relax with family and friends, and not just a time to eat. So Italian meals last longer than elsewhere and can sometimes go on for several hours.
Traditionally an Italian meal is made up of four courses; primo, secondo, contorno, digestivo, translating as first course, second course, side dish and digestive. In more formal situations, for example a wedding (or Easter or Christmas) a meal will have up to nine courses.
The conventional Italian evening out with friends would start with the aperitivo. This is a light alcoholic drink such as Vermouth, Campari or Prosecco wine, or perhaps a non-alcoholic fruit juice. This is often taken at a separate bar with friends, prior to going on to the meal. An Italian meal comes served in smaller portions and on more plates. This is a major difference from restaurants in the USA, Canada and northern Europe.
The meal proper more often than not starts with a hot or cold eaten appetizer known as the antipasto.
The first course (the primo) typically consists of something hot such as broth, risotto or pasta.
The main plate of an Italian meal is the secondo (second course). This is customarily a cooked meat such as chicken or pork. Veal too is well-liked.
A side salad or plate of grilled vegetables, known as the contorno, is served separately or if requested, with the secondo.
The final course is quite diverse. It could be a sweet dessert (such as panna cotta) or just cheese and fruit.
The meal is rounded-off by one of Italy's celebrated coffees and a liqueur. The liqueur acts as a digestive.
Let's Not Forget Pizza
Pizza is the quintessential Italian dish. Indeed it was invented in Naples (Napoli) to celebrate the visit to Naples of the Italian Queen Consort Margherita of Savoy in 1889 by chef Raffaele Esposito. His first creation was named 'Pizza Margherita'. To symbolize the white, red and green of the Italian flag he used tomato (red), mozzarella cheese (white) and basil (green). Prior to the Margherita there had been versions of food using a basic dough which was much favored by the locals.
Let's Not Overlook Pasta
Another food category Italy is celebrated for is pasta. Pasta is a general name for a collection of foods that are made out of dough made from wheat and water and sometimes with vegetable extracts and eggs. Pasta comes in a huge range of shapes, sizes, lengths, textures and colors. Accordingly pasta can be used in a lot of assorted ways. Some of the most common kinds are spaghetti (thin sticks), lasagne (sheets), macaroni (small tubes) and fusilli (small swirls of pasta).
And Now – Wine
Another main part of Italian culture is wines. Italy is recognized for its wine and produces and exports more wine than any other country on the planet. Vino cotto is a form of wine created in central Italy, made for private use and not sold commercially. The wine is cooked in a copper vessel until the volume is reduced to going on for half. This wine is left to age for a few years, each year a a small amount of wine is added to make up for evaporation.
Stretch out your dough in the shape of a circle. Decide how thick or thin you want your pizza base to be.
