Southern Italy Gastronomy

Work in progress
~ The food of the south ~ - La semplice cucina rustica meridionale, simply poor...simply rich -
Each region is loyal to its specialties and ingredients. Recipes change from the mountains to the coast, from the south to the north, and the mainland to the islands. Italy is also the home of the Slow Food Movement, which champions the cause of regional food and tradition. Indeed, the whole country is undergoing a nostalgia for regional cooking and for cucina povera ( the food of poorer southern Italy).

Introduction

Regional cuisine

Whats cooking this week

~The taste of traditions~

There are lands that can still narrate the flavor of

history and traditions. From the beginning, the Mediterranean Sea has been the channel of communication for Europe, sprinkling the territories that were to be the sea ports where civilization grew.

Nowadays it is still possible to taste the sensations of our historical roots. Hidden in peasantry hinterlands, the cultural paths of our forefathers survives.
The various regional cuisines all have something special to offer, from quick and easy pasta dishes to more elaborate delicacies such fish soups.

Abruzzo, Molise, Campania , Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia make up Italy's South, home to robust cucina povera ( peasant cooking), and a wonderful cuisine that was created from whatever was available: sun-riped vegetables and fruits, wheat for dried pasta and local cheeses.

Here are a few good reasons why rustic Italian regional cooking has been widely adopted worldwide.
Its easy, good, tasty, diverse and its healthy without even trying to be.

ABRUZZI e MOLISE - Formerly counted as just one region, these two

regions have an interior of mountains with river valleys, high plateau, densely forested areas, and a costal plain.
The cuisine here is deeply traditional, with local hams and cheeses from the mountain areas, interesting sausages with plenty of garlic and other seasonings, cured meats, and wonderful fish and seafood, which is the main produce of the coastal areas. Lamb features widely: tender, juicy, and well-flavored with herbs.

CAMPANIA - Naples is the home of pasta dishes, served with many variation of

tasty tomato sauce. It is where pizza was created.
Fish abounds, with frittura di pesce being a typic dish of the area along a variety of shellfish served with pasta.
Cutlets and steaks are usually served with strong sauces usually flavored with garlic, tomatoes and herbs with the famous 'pizzaiola', the all time favorite. Local fresh mozzarella is used to create the crispy 'mozzarella in carrozza' another trademark of Campania.
Very popular are also sweet dishes, often with flaky pastry and Ricotta cheese, seasonal fruit salads laced with wine or local produced liqueur.

BASILICATA - This is a sheep-farming area, mainly mountainous, where strong

wines are produced to accompany a robust cuisine largely based on pasta, lamb, pork, game and abundant dairy produce.
The salamis and cured meats are of course excellent. Lamb is flavored with herbs and grasses on which it feeds.
Wonderful thick soups - true minestrone-are produced in the mountains and plentiful eel and fish from the lakes. The unsophisticated tasty cheeses might not be an household name but are still produced following old customs and know how.

PUGLIA - The ground is stony but produces good fruits, olive groves, vegetables,

herbs, and from the sea, a vast amount of seafood.
I Pugliesi (the Puglians) are known to be big pasta eaters and many dishes are exclusive to the region.
Oysters and mussels are plentiful and so is octopus. Brindisi is famous for its shellfish, both the seafood salads and risottos are truly memorable.
The well known Pane di Altamura is a type of bread made from durum flour from the Altamura area in the province of Bari. It was granted PDO status within Europe.
By law, it must produced as to a range of demands, including particular varieties of wheat, certain specification of water and production method, and then have a final crust over 3mm in thickness, shape tends not to be important.

CALABRIA - This is the toe of Italy, where orange, lemon and bergamotto groves

flourish along with olive trees and a profusion of vegetables, especially eggplants which are cooked in a variety of ways.
Mushrooms grow well here and Calabria is Italy's biggest producers.
Fresh pasta comes with a great variety of sauces including baby artichokes, eggs, meat, cheese, mixed vegetables and the famous peperoncino (chili pepper) and the sweet onion of Tropea.
Famous are the salami such as the soppressata and the fiery 'Nduja from Spilinga a spreadable sausage used to as welcome snack or add flavor to any past dish.
The fish is excellent too and fresh tuna and swordfish are available, along with many other varieties. Like most southerners, Calabrians are sweet-toothed and many dessert are flavored with anisetta, honey, almonds and figs.

SICILY - This is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the cuisine is based

mainly on fish and vegetables.
Fish soups, stews,and salads appear in unlimited forms, including tuna, swordfish, mussels and many more; citrus fruits are widely grown along with the red oranges, almonds and pistachio nuts, and the array of local wines, including the dark sweet Marsala. Meat is often given a long, slow cooking, game is plentiful and cooked in sweet sour sauces containing local black olives. Pasta abounds with more unusual sauces as well as the old favorites. Sicilians also have a weakness for sweets, especially ice creams.
Cassata and other ice creams from Sicily are famous all over the world, and the huge variety of flavors of both cream ices and granita makes it difficult to decide which is your favorite.

SARDINIA - A beautiful island crowned with a wealth of flowers in spring, but the

landscape dries out in the summer under the hot sun.

The national dish is suckling pig or new born lamb cooked on an open fire spit, and rabbit, game, also popular a variety of meat dishes.
The sweet dishes are numerous and delicate, and for non sweet-eaters there is plenty of fresh fruit.
Fish is top, with excellent sea bass, lobsters, tuna, mullet, eels and mussels.
The island has a hunting aroma which drifts from kitchens-it is myrtle, a local herb which is added to anything and everything from chicken to local liqueur; and along with the wonderful cakes and breads of Sardinia, myrtle will remain in your memory long after you have left the island.

Find out ( cosa bolle in pentola) what's cooking this week >>>

By Giovanna Bianco - Calabria

~ Batter-fried salted cod bites - Bocconcini di baccalà in pastella ~

SERVINGS : 4

Salted cod needs to soak in water for 2 to 3 days, discarding the water and replacing it at least twice per day. It is suggested using the thickest part of the fish.

~ Ingredients at glance ~

Cod	Flour	Beer	Egg	Salt

A versatile idea, it can be a bite-size snack, an appetizer or a second course fish dish.
These batter-fried salted cod bites are really tasty.

My mother prepares these savory delights often and they are always present on our holiday table.

We cook the soaked and boiled fish in a wide variety of ways, most commonly with potatoes

and onions in a casserole, as croquettes, or as battered, deep-fried pieces.

Selected song (for that Italian mood).

Get started

500 gr previously soaked salted cod

150 gr flour

2 cups beer

1 egg white

Salt

Fast-rising yeast

Freshly ground black pepper

Peanut/vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

1) Rinse the fish under running water, dry off the excess water using a paper towel. Remove the skin, the bones and cut it into cubes.

2) Place the flour in a bowl with some salt and gradually add the cold beer. Carefully fold the egg whites beaten to stiff peaks into the batter.Add some freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of the yeast.

3) To keep the batter cold, place the bowl in a larger bowl which contains ice. Place the cod pieces in the batter.

4) Fry them in a sufficient amount of very hot oil. Drain the pieces on paper towel, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Any suggestions?

Buon Appetito

Please visit Giovanna's blog for more creative recipes

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Our primary objective is to promote typical Southern products in a global marketing context, and at the same time propose our land as a tourist alternative, well aware that the success of one is essential to the success of the other.

La vetrina ideale per promuovere i vostri prodotti e servizi sul mercato Nord Americano ma che potrebbe essere un punto di visibilità anche nei vari mercati internazionali.

AZIENDE - PRODUTTORI - STRUTTURE RICETTIVE
GUIDE TURISTICHE - TOUR OPERATORI

Paesi di provenienza dei visitatori in ordine numerico.

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Typical Southerners products :

Abruzzo	Molise	Campania	Basilicata


Apulia	Calabria	Sicily	Sardinia


mustaccioli calabresi	cured meats	pasta and pizza	Bergamotto


soft cheese	sea products	sweets	pasta making


soft drinks	olive oil	liqueur	wine