Italian Lakes - Italian Culture and Holidays

Italian culture is celebrated multiple times throughout the calendar year. These celebrations include holidays, festivals, and feasts, many of which are observed in the rest of the world, however some of which are unique to just Italy. Many of these holidays celebrate saints, such as San Giovanni Battista, which takes place on June 24th and celebrates the patron saint of Firenze.

San Rosalia (patron saint of Palermo, celebrated July 15th), and San Petronio (patron saint of Blogona, celebrated October 4th) are examples of some holidays unique only to Italy. However San Gennaro, which celebrates the patron saint of Napoli on September 19th is widely celebrated throughout the world. Italy also celebrates Palm Sunday (Domenica delle Palme), Good Friday (Venerdi Santo), Easter, also called Pasqua, as well as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday (Martedi Grasso).
Many of these holidays are celebrated with elaborate vacations.

 The Italian lakes are considered a popular destination for these celebrations because of their unique beauty and the amount of entertainment offered. While some Americans are not familiar with the Italian lakes, many celebrities consider it a popular destination for their holidays and vacations. The popularity of the Italian lakes has grown immensely ever since celebrities have been spotted vacationing in the lakes district regularly.

Italian lakes holidays are some of the most relaxing and culture filled. With tons to do, including shopping, hiking, sightseeing, as well as eating and drinking lots of delicious food and wine, who wouldn't want to celebrate holidays with the Italian lakes as the main destination?
Most of the holidays in the Italian Lakes region revolve around food. Anytime you are in Italy, the food is going to be delicious, authentic, and there will be plenty of it.

However if you are there during a holiday celebration, there will be feasts upon feasts of amazing dishes, many of which that are prepared specifically for that celebration. Religious holidays, such as Christmas and Easter have special cuisines and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Another great part of about celebrating holidays in Italy is all the amazing parades and parties held during the celebration. Liberation Day and the Italian National Day are just a few of the holidays in which Italians celebrate their patriotism. Often times there will be parades on boats, such as in Venice, where these parades and celebrations add to the unique culture and variety of Italy. Italian lakes holidays are some of the best kinds of holidays, regardless of whether you are there celebrating a specific holiday or just on a relaxing vacation.

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Italian Wedding Soup With Tiny Meatballs and Parmesan Cheese

I've only attended one Italian wedding and it was a feast for the eyes and the appetite. The tables were lavishly decorated, with candied almonds at each place. Dinner was a production and lasted for hours. During dinner, guests paid money to dance with the bride, a stunning, smiling blonde.
This custom goes back centuries. Apparently the donations helped to defray the cost of the wedding. Dancing with the bride was also fun.

According to "Italian Weddings -- Customs and Traditions, Past and Present," an article on the Hudson Valley Weddings website, many modern weddings are continuing the custom. Cash and checks are deposited in the bride's satin bag. Food is the main focus, a psychological link between family and guests. The many courses symbolize good luck.

I don't remember all of the courses that were served at the wedding I attended, but I think the first was antipasto, followed by soup, pasta, the main course, and wedding cake.

Anita Logan discusses wedding customs in her article, "Traditional Italian Wedding," which is posted on the Life in Italy website. She says the antipasto course may include stuffed calamari and proscuitto. This course may also include a variety of cheeses, olives, and peppers. Successive courses include pasta, soup, salads, meats and fruits. "No one goes home hungry," she declares, and "most people feel as if they might burst."

Wedding soup is a common course. You can buy canned soup at the store, but I think it tastes manufactured and not homemade. The ingredients are simple: small meat balls, chicken broth, fresh spinach, diced carrots, tiny pasta and Parmesan cheese. I make tiny meatballs, about the size of a nickel, which cook quickly and are fun to eat. You can make smaller ones if you wish.

Kids will enjoy rolling meatballs and will eat the soup if they helped make it. You don't need to attend an Italian wedding to enjoy this classic recipe. Serve the soup with crusty bread and a glass of wine and you'll feel like you're at a party. This soup tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients
1 pound 90% lean ground beef

1 large egg

1/4 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 1/2 quarts reduced sodium chicken stock

2 cups fresh spinach, thinly sliced

3/4 cup diced carrots

1 cup tubetti (little tubes) pasta

Method
Combine ground beef, egg, egg substitute, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and onion powder in a bowl. Shape into small meatballs. Pour chicken stock into soup kettle. Add meatballs, spinach carrots and tubetti. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are done and the pasta is al dente. Cut open a meatball and make sure the inside is no longer pink and cooked through. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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Would You Like to Make Healthy Italian Sausage at Home in Ten Minutes?

I doubt if one could find an Italian menu that doesn't have the word sausage on it somewhere. The word sausage derived from the Latin word for salt. Since sausage making is even mentioned in "The Odyssey" by Homer, we know that sausage making has been around for over 2000 years!

Back before the days of refrigeration, generous amounts of salt were added to the meat to "cure" it. This was a form of preservation to keep the meat from spoiling as rapidly as it would without the salt. As time went by, new spices were discovered and added to the mix and dry sausage was born which lasted even longer than the simply salted variety. This was primarily developed in the southern areas of Europe where the weather was hotter. Northern Europeans had the cool weather on their side to help preserve their meats.

Sausage making is considered an art form by many chefs. There are thousands of varieties made daily around the world and different countries prefer different kinds. Although there are over 200 varieties made in the U.S. alone, the hot dog remains extremely popular. However, if you travel to Asia you will find many types of seafood sausages. Sausage is such a popular fast food in Finland, that they have an expression that a Finn is never too full to eat a bit more sausage. It is served everywhere you go and is always spiced with good homemade mustard.

Many people who try to eat healthy Italian food tend to steer away from sausage for a number of reasons. First of all, many sausages tend to have a high fat content. Secondly, one can only guess at what parts of the animal were used to make the sausage. Although many people don't want to mess around with making their own sausage and stuffing it in casings, it is really quite easy to make your own homemade bulk sausage that will result in a healthy Italian meal.

I recently read a post online from a young man in Japan. He said that he loved to make pizza for his friends, but the price of Italian sausage where he lives is the equivalent of $13 US dollars per pound. He was thrilled to learn how to make his own bulk homemade sausage so he could continue with his pizza making hobby without breaking the bank.

Would you like to see how easy making your own healthy Italian sausage can be? I'll share my recipe with you. I usually make two pounds at a time and freeze some for later use, so have two pounds of lean ground pork ready. I always mix my spices together before adding them to the pork.

Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, thyme and sage, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder and fennel seed, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of paprika. Using your hands, incorporate this mixture into your pork until completely blended. Now place the mixture in the frig overnight so that the favors marry and you are ready to make your healthy Italian meal.

Mangia Bene!

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Italian Calzone - The Tasty Alternative to Pizza

Calzone is a great food for pizza lovers because it is made from a pizza dough crust, folded over and stuffed with all kind of goodies, including meat, cheese, vegetables, and herbs.
The word "calzone" is Italian for trouser or stocking and you can get calzone from a lot of pizza outlets since the two foods are closely related. Calzone is similar to pizza but folded over and closed, to make a semi circle shape.

Small calzones are served whole and eaten with the fingers but bigger ones are usually cut in half before serving. One big calzone can feed several people.

Yummy Fillings for Calzone
Mozzarella and ricotta are the most popular cheese used in calzone, although provolone and parmesan can be used too. Salami, ham, vegetables, and egg are other popular fillings and you can serve calzone with a dipping sauce, such as marinara sauce or chili sauce, on the side. Top the calzone filling ingredients with parsley and garlic infused olive oil and you have a wonderful and traditional Italian treat.

You can get calzone in Pizza Hut and it is known as P'zone, but this delicious Italian food is easy to make yourself. Try the following recipe and you will not be disappointed.

Easy Tuna and Spinach Calzone Recipe
This recipe serves four people. Although making a pizza dough recipe is pretty straightforward, the following calzone recipe uses readymade pizza dough to save time.
You can vary the ingredients if you like, using any kind of cooked vegetables and perhaps using cooked meat or chicken instead of the tuna. You can use any type of pizza sauce, else make your own sauce. Mushroom sauce is another nice one to serve with this homemade calzone, as is marinara sauce.

How to Make Easy Calzone
You will need:

• 10 oz can refrigerated ready to rise pizza dough


• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese


• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed


• 1 teaspoon dried basil


• 1 teaspoon dried oregano


• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


• 8 oz can pizza sauce


• 1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes


• 9 1/4 oz can tuna, drained and flaked


• Pam spray


• Cornmeal (optional)

How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and unroll the chilled pizza dough on to a floured board. Cut it crosswise into 2 pieces. Roll each one into a 12 inch circle.

Squeeze the water out of the spinach and chop it finely. Sprinkle spinach, tomatoes, tuna, cheese, and seasonings over the bottom half of each dough circle, keeping them within an inch of the edge.
Moisten the bottom edge of the dough and fold it over the top edge, crimping it with a fork or pinching it closed with your fingers. Spray the dough top lightly with Pam and sprinkle some cornmeal on top, if you want to.

Put the pair of stuffed calzones on a baking sheet and cook for about 25 minutes or until the outside is golden brown. Heat the pizza sauce in a pan. Cut the calzones in half and serve them with the pizza sauce spooned over the top.

Your eyes you can almost smell and taste it, now it conjures up such vivid images of the best tasting pizza imaginable. All Great pizzas have some things in common, no matter who makes your favorite pizza. These include two main things, get these right and you are most of the way towards the best pizza on earth. They are great pizza dough and a wonderfully rich, thick, and lively pizza sauce.

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Planning an Italian Christmas

If you are looking for an alternative to the Christmas ham this year, why not celebrate the season with some Italian Christmas food? Not only are these dishes delicious, but they will leave you plenty of time to hang out and have fun with family and friends. No matter the style of the party, here are some ideas of traditional Italian dishes that can be enjoyed by all of your guests.

Crostini
Prosecco is Italy's version of champagne, and will work well for all of your Italian Christmas toasts. A good appetizer to go along with this sparkling beverage, or other alcohol of your choice, is crostini. Crostini is basically small pieces of toasted bread that can be topped with a variety of options. Some of the favorites include chicken and liver pate, thin slices of salami, and lardo di Colonnata, a type of cured pork fat. If you are pressed for time, try coating them in olive oil, garlic, and sea salt.

Bruschetta
Another popular snack for your Italian Christmas party is bruschetta. This appetizer is made of slightly larger pieces of sliced, toasted bread. Usually topped with a combination of fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and basil, there are many varieties that you can choose for a tempting treat to serve to your guests.

Figs With Prosciutto
For an unusual combination of sweet and salty, figs with prosciutto are a tasty treat that is simple to prepare. You will need fresh figs and good prosciutto, also known as Parma ham. You can also choose to add cream cheese or ricotta to the mix. Add a small dot of cheese to the fig, wrap in a strip of prosciutto, and secure with a toothpick if needed. These treats can be easily eaten with one hand during your Italian Christmas party, allowing guests to hold their beverage in the other or participate in party games.

Party Dip
Vegetables and dip are common party appetizers, but if you are looking for something different for your Italian Christmas party, you could try making some bagna caoda. This dipping sauce is made with garlic and anchovies, and is best served hot for dipping the vegetables into. Another alternative is to make insalata Caprese, a fresh Italian salad made with mozzarella, tomato slices, and fresh basil and then seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Sweets
No Italian Christmas party would be complete without some sweet treats as well. Of course you will want to serve panettone, a light Christmas cake. For a richer sweet, panforte di Siena is another popular choice. Pecorino cheese drizzled in honey is also popular, and biscotti is delicious for dipping in your after dinner drinks. You can make many of these yourself, or else check out your local Italian grocery for high quality store bought versions to save yourself some time. A little planning and a little time in the kitchen and you can have a spectacular Italian Christmas party that your friends and family will be talking about for years to come.

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Florence, Italy Cooking Classes

Some of the best food in Italy comes from Tuscany. And as the region's most visited city, Florence is the center of Tuscan cuisine. Unlike the food from Southern Italy, the cooking here doesn't rely on tomatoes, cheese, and other ingredients that Americans link to Italian food.

Here, the emphasis is on seasonal local ingredients like wild boar, asparagus, truffles, and rabbit. And, of course, many dishes are prepared with the excellent wines from the region. Most of the dishes are easy to make, full of flavor, and designed to stick to the ribs.

If you'll be in Florence for a few days, and you'd like to learn more about Tuscan cuisine and how to prepare it, half- or full-day cooking classes are a fun way to meet others, have a good meal, and acquire some new skills. Several classes are taught in English most days of the week.

One of the best-known cooking schools is the Culinary Institute of Florence, which falls under the Apicius International School of Hospitality. Students can take everything from a one-day course to a masters degree program here. If you have the time, the one-week program includes individual and group lessons, wine tastings, markets visits, and more.

Silvia Maccari is a well-known Italian cookbook author and food expert who teaches classes in her lovely apartment. The day starts with a tour of the San Lorenzo market, where student pick up what they'll use to prepare their meal. Back at the apartment, the class makes four courses, and then enjoys them together with wines that Silvia has selected to go best with the dishes.

The Scuola de Arte Caulinaria Cordon Bleu has been in the center of Florence since opening in 1985. Travelers who want to learn something specific, like making chocolates, pastas, or appetizers will find a wide variety of courses at this cooking school, ranging in length from one day to three months.
Well-known chef Giuliano Bugialli has been teaching classes at his Cooking in Florence since 1973. The school is located in Bugialli's 15th-century farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside. At the week-long course, students learn to make about 35 dishes, and enjoy dinners at local restaurants, wine tastings, and visits to area food producers.

Claudio Piantini teaches at the luxurious Relais Torres Guelfa in Figline Valdarno. One of the best parts of taking a class here is touring the beautiful cook's gardens that Piantini keeps and using the fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits for the meal. When the weather is nice, dinner is served on the pool-side terrace.

Californian Judy Francini started Divina Cucina after moving to Italy in the 1980s. She offers one-day and one-week classes to a mostly American clientele. On Mondays, classes include a tour of the market and lunch at a charming Florence trattoria. On Wednesdays, classes are held at a friend's villa in the country.

Like Italian food? Check out http://cirrusculinnaire.com link.

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How to Make Genuine Southern Italian Polpetta - The Italian Meat Ball

For this fantastically tasty recipe, you need the following ingredients.

• 500 grams ground beef
• Two eggs
• A medium sliced loaf of white bread
• Salt (To Taste)
• Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• Extra Virgin olive oil
• One chilli Pepper (optional)

This recipe was given to me by my Italian Mother in Law, who is from the town of Messina in Sicily. The recipe has been used in her family through the generations, and was taught to her by her mother. This is a typical Southern Italian Dish, and there are a great deal of variations on this recipe, but I have to say that in fifteen years of living in Southern Italy, I have not tasted better.

The secret of great Polpetta (Meat Balls) is in the meat. Most Southern Italian housewives will not go to a Supermarket and buy just any type of minced beef; they will go to the Butcher, select the cut, and watch him mince it. The best cut of meat is personal taste, but I suggest a frying beef, that has a little bit of fat on it. Of course, you can make this dish with minced Pork or even Lamb.

Step One. Take the loaf of bread and place it in a bowl. Saturate the bread with water, and leave to soak in. While the bread is soaking, place the minced beef into another bowl and add the two eggs. Mix together and leave to stand.

Step Two. Add the Bread to the Beef and Egg mixture, add salt, and add the grated Parmesan cheese into the Mixture. How much Parmesan that you use depends on your taste, but I would not put too much in the first time as it can be overpowering. With your hands, mix together and separate into small balls onto a plate. If the mix is a little bit too wet, then you can add a little flour to make it more malleable.

Step Three. Fry gently in olive oil until cooked.
There is a slight variation, which I like to try from time to time, and this is to slice up a red Chilli Pepper and add to the mixture. This gives the Meat Balls an extra bite, and is great if you enjoy spicy food.

Great Southern Italian Polpetta, can be eaten separately as a second Dish, or added to Tomato sauce, and eaten with spaghetti. These little Meat Balls taste better cold the day after cooking, and are generally irresistible.

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