A Taste of Italy: 100 Favourites

Let us start with a brief introduction about Italian food. Yummmm ! What can I say ? I've been a major fan of Italian food all my life. I grew up in a village that was full of Italian families, and sampled Italian food at the homes of my friends many times. During the last 10 years I have decided to explore the cuisine much further. Whether it be pizza, pasta or meat dishes, I love them all. Just about every place in the world has an Italian restaurant somewhere. In London alone, there are over a thousand Italian restaurants - doesn't that tell you something ? This is a revelation of the different Italian foods that I have enjoyed over the years. I really have to thank the following families for my gastronomic Italian experiences – the Catenas, Cescuttis, Ciceros, Elleros, Fontanas, Govettos, Ioppos, Marzianos, Mazzaros, Moros, Pizzos, Passeros, Resentes, Rosettos, Scarpas, Zans. Thank you – I salute you all ! I'm sorry if I have left anyone out. It doesn't matter whether the dishes originated in Bologna, Calabria, Florence, Genoa, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Parma, Perugia, Rome, Treviso, Turin, Tuscany, Venice, or Verona, they all taste great as long as they are made according to the original recipes which have been passed down from generation to generation. A typical gastronomic Italian meal can consist of a number of stages, and below I have outlined the ones that you may encounter : Aperitivo – This is usually a drink that can be enjoyed before a large meal. Typical examples are Campari, Aperol, Prosecco, etc. Antipasto – Literally, this means “before the meal” and consists of a small portion of an appetiser, either hot or cold. Primo – This is the “first course” of the meal – it may be a pasta dish, a risotto dish, soup or gnocchi. Secondo - This is the “second course” of the meal. It is usually the main dish, and is either fish or meat. Contorno – This is a side dish that can be served as an accompaniment to the first or second course. It can be a salad or a portion of vegetables. Formaggio e frutta – Literally known as “cheese and fruits”. Not every Italian meal includes this section. Dolce – These are the sweets that may be served after the main courses of the meal and can consist of cookies, cakes, ice cream or tarts. Caffe – The different types of coffees such as espressos, lattes, cappuchinos, macchiattos, etc. Digestivos – These are liqueurs or aperitifs, and may very well be the last item of consumption in your gastronomic meal. Some examples are grappa, amaretto, limoncello, etc.