National Italian Food Day

February 13th

It was not until the 1700’s that tomatoes were first found in Italian dishes.
The ‘essential’ ingredients in Italian food include: olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiana, capers, tomatoes, sausage and of course pasta
An average Italian meal is divided in two parts, primo piatto & secondo piatto; the primo include a pasta or risotto; the secondi includes any meat and fish meals, complemented by a contorno, a side dish of vegetables.
The Italian dessert, Tiramisu, (ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with mascarpone cheese and egg yolks then flavored with liquor and cocoa) roughly translates to “pick-me-up.” Did you know that this dessert did not appear until the late 1960’s and in the U.S. by the early 1980’s.
Italians prefer their pasta cooked ‘al dente’ literally meaning “to the tooth.” The pasta should be a bit firm, offering some resistance to the tooth, but tender.