Cooking Italian Food at Home
Many people love Italian food. They enjoy a dinner out at their favorite Italian eatery. But what if you could have that same experience in your own home? Cooking Italian food is fun and easy, and can be a lot easier on your wallet than numerous meals out. Before you can start cooking Italian food, you will need to stock the pantry.
Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil are commonly used in many recipes. Cheeses such as asiago, fontina, mozzarella, and provolone are also essential. Vegetables like tomatoes and peppers are often used, so be sure to visit your local farmer’s market. Arborio rice will be needed for risotto.
If you plan on making your own pasta, you will need some semolina wheat. Fresh herbs are another must, so you might consider starting an herb garden with basil, oregano, and rosemary. And don’t forget your favorite meats! For beverages you will need water, coffees, and of course a couple of different varieties of Italian wines.
The Tools
If you are totally new to cooking Italian food, you may need to have a few special tools in your kitchen to be able to prepare all of the recipes. An espresso machine is important if you like that after dinner cup. A garlic press, cheese grater, and pasta press will make cooking easier. For serving you will want a carafe for oil and vinegar, some fun serving ware, and a corkscrew for the wine.
Finding Recipes
Another aspect of cooking Italian food is getting together some authentic Italian recipes. You can try taking a class on Italian cooking or picking up a cookbook from your local library or bookstore. The internet is another great resource, since you can search online for just about any Italian recipe that you can imagine. Save your favorites in your own files so that you can access them again easily. As your cooking skills improve you can try more difficult recipes until you become your own proficient Italian cook. You can even consider asking friends to exchange their favorite recipes with you as well.
Many people start cooking Italian food with the basics such as pasta and pizza. However, another place to practice your Italian cooking skills is in the realm of desserts. Italian desserts range from gelato to cakes to the famous tiramisu. Many of these recipes are fairly simple and lead to spectacular results that your guests are sure to appreciate.
Going Further
If you have decided that you want to take cooking Italian food at home to the next level, you might want to consider taking an official class. There are online courses that you can take, as well as college cooking courses. If you can afford a trip to Italy, there is no better way to learn Italian cooking than from the Italians themselves. A trip to Italy can give you the chance to learn from the masters, as well as taste local cuisines that can inspire you to attempt new creations in your home kitchen.
Anna Fiori writes food related articles for the Italian Traditional Food website at http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Fiori
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This is a video primarily about the ‘rules of the table.’ It has been in VHS format since 1998 and it was entered on Amazon in April, 2000. It quickly became the top selling etiquette video on Amazon and it remains the No. 1 etiquette video that Amazon lists.
Please refer to the VHS information page of “American Dining & Entertaining Etiquette; Manners for the Table” for a more extensive review of this video.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars good but scarce and non-fully illustraded advice
The advice in this DVD is good: Ms. Kern spends most of the time filming a table, explaining in detail how to navigate your way in several table settings, what each utensile and plate is for, what is the correct order for glasses, how to hold the fork, etc. However, in that long sequence she is alone and the plates and glasses are empty. Thus, for instance, when she describes how to interact with the other guests at the table or deal with the food in front of you she is just describing what you should do instead of actually showing you what to do. Well a book can do that. I bought a DVD on etiquette expecting to see a display of good manners rather than, mostly, having them described to me. Nevertheless, I was not able to find a better DVD on etiquette so I would recommend this one.
5 Stars Interesting
This really was a helpful video on dining etiquette. Its interesting in that you go right into Ruth’s house and use her silver and china to work on your manners and presentation. Now, my one complaint was that the bulk of the video was on how the fork and knife were proportioned, napkin placed, etc. I was looking for a bit more on hostessing and entertaining, etc. You get what you pay for—you see how to set a table for luncheon, formal and dinner parties. What fork to eat with, which glass to drink from, etc. I was hoping for a more well-rounded video on all topics, as well as a greater time length. But I feel I have gained something. Try to see if you can rent it from somewhere and save your money! (Library? Video Store? Used off Amazon.com?)
5 Stars Better than VHS version!
This video on American dining etiquette is essentially the same video as the VHS version of the same name; however, it is a better value because of the ‘indexing.’
In other words, if you want to know ‘How to hold your knife and fork’ or ‘How to pass items at the table,’ you do not have to fast forward to get to the spot on the tape that explains that. You just have to click onto the proper index and voila, there you are.
The price of the DVD is the same as the VHS version ([$$]) but this DVD version is definitely a better value.
I am looking forward to Ms. Kern’s book, “American Dining Etiquette” which is supposed to include etiquette for party giving.
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