Most people see Italian food as being Olive Oil, Tomatoes, Parmesan and fresh herbs, which a lot of it is, it's easy to forget how diverse Italian cooking really is. It is quite a big country and in political terms hasn't been a single country for that long. It's a long way from North to South and teh regions that comprise it are old and distinctive.
It borders the South of France - another Mediterranean cuisine, but also Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia and is topped off by the Alps. This means that, a bit like India, the north is different from the south with dairy products - especially butter - often taking the place of the south's olive oil. It's worth looking at the cuisine of the north and the best way to do that is by getting hold of Anna Del Conte's The Classic Food of Northern Italy.
Give it a whirl!"
Everyone thinks their recipe is the best.
But they’re wrong. This is.
Rice. Lovely, sticky, deeply-flavoured rice. Lick the plate
Risotto is sold to cooks as a dark art that normal people can’t do – it’s all about timing, hot stock and standing around for 20 minutes while it comes together.
We all just love this! Just do it!
This is the original and easiest version using shop-bought pesto. It’s really nice and easy but not as nice as fresh pesto.
It's all about the Dimethyl Sulfide, stupid!
Basically when you cook cabbage it produces Dimethyl Sulfide which is that nasty smell and not a great taste. However all you need to do is cook it properly - either quickly or slowly. Anything in between is pants. I'll put another recipe on for cooking it quickly but this is lovely
Vinegary rabbit is not everyone’s thing
Umbrian Rabbit is from The Classic Food of Northern Italy (Anna del Conte). I love it but the vinegar hit, and the rabbit for that matter, are not to everyone’s taste so I’ve adapted it by using chicken instead of rabbit and wine instead of vinegar. It’s worth trying the original though.
Sometimes you just need to make stuff
This is it, no need to mess with it at all, but you can obviously
Easy-peasy Lemon (or orange or lime or whatever you want or vinegar for that matter) squeezy!
Ahh, it trips off the tongue but you'll never eat mint sauce out of a jar again! So is it just a posh version of mint sauce? Not really. It has basil and parsley as well as mint and can be eaten with anything: try it with fish, it is fabulous.
What a Pulava!
This started as a conversation with Meg about rice (I know).
Yes, I know it sounds weird: Bonkers but beautiful
This is adapted from a recipe in Sophie Grigson's Eat Your Greens - the only book on cooking vegetables anyone needs
This is a version of Puttanesca.
A puttana is a sex worker in Italian and it is thought to have been named because it was quick and easy for people with a "busy schedule" to cook and eat between appointments.
Can I have some more please?
Gruel? Really? That’s what this translates as? Blimey, I’ll have some of that!