Wednesday, July 31, 2013

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Did You Know?

The name Italy comes from the word italia, meaning “calf land,” perhaps because the bull was a symbol of the Southern Italian tribes.
Italy is approximately 116,400 square miles (including Sicily and Sardinia), which is slightly larger than Arizona.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Short Italy Jokes

Q: Why did the Mafia cross the road? A: Forget about it.

Q: What do you get when you cross an Italian and a Jew? A: Olive Garden
Q: How can you tell if an Italian is in the Mafia? A: His favorite dish is broken leg of lamb.
Q: What is a four-letter word in Italian for goodbye? A: "BANG"!
Q: What do you call an Italian who marries someone Polish? A: A social climber.
Q: What do you call an Italian hooker? A: A pastatute.
Q: How does every Italian joke start? A: By looking over your shoulder.
Q: Whats the difference between a smart Italian and a unicorn? A: Nothing, they're both fictional characters
Q: Did you hear about the winner of the Italian beauty contest? A: Me neither.
Q: Did you hear about the Italian chef that died? A: He pasta way.
Q: What do you call a Roman with a cold? A: Julius Sneezer
Q: Why wasn't Jesus born in Italy? A: He couldn't find 3 wise men or a virgin.
Q: Why don't Italians have freckles? A: Because they slide right off.

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/worldjokes/italyjokes.html

Risotto with Vegetable

Risotto con Verdurecookbook: Lidia's Favorite Recipes

recipe

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serves: 6

When making risotto, choose any vegetable that is in season. It is a wonderful way of creating exciting new combinations of flavors that will be yours to pass on. It can become a spring pea risotto, an autumn squash risotto, a winter beet risotto, or a summer corn risotto. This risotto is also a wonderful way to use leftover vegetables.

1/2 pound broccoli (about 1 medium-sized stalk)
1 cup blanched fava beans or frozen lima beans
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced scallions, greens included, (about 6)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 1/2 cups hot vegetable stock or chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup freshly grated grana padano, parmigiano reggiano, or pecorino romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the broccoli florets from the stems, keeping them small enough to fit on a spoon (you should have about 1 ¼ cups). Peel the stems with a small knife or vegetable peeler, then cut them into 2-inch pieces, steam the florets just until bright green, about 1 minute. Steam the stems until very tender, about 4 minutes. Reserve the steaming liquid.

Transfer the stems to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. You will probably have to add some of the steaming liquid to make a smooth mixture. Scrape out the puree into a small bowl, and set the florets and puree aside.

If using the baby lima beans, cook them in a small saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain them thoroughly and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole or pot over medium heat, add the scallions and shallot and sauté until translucent, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add the rice, and stir to coat with the oil. Toast the rice until the edges become translucent. 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, and stir well until evaporated. Add ½ cup of the hot stock and the ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until all of the stock has been absorbed.

Continue to add hot stock in small batches—just enough to completely moisten the rice—and cook until each successive batch has been absorbed. After the risotto has cooked for 12 minutes, stir in the broccoli purée and the favas or limas. About 3 minutes after that, stir in the broccoli florets. Stir constantly, and adjust the level of heat so the rice is simmering very gently while adding the stock, until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente. This will take about 18 minutes from the first addition of stock.

Remove the casserole from the heat. Whip in the butter first, until melted, then the grated cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and pepper. Serve immediately, ladled into warm shallow

bowls.

Monday, July 29, 2013

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Watch What You Eat In Italy!

I want to share with you a picture from my personal photo book taken in Spoleto last year. I was with my wife Heather - yes, she is American - and I had a little bit of trouble in translating what the two signs say. I will try with you this time: on the left, Le Palle Del Nonno is a local specialty salame (as in sausage) whose name can be translated with Granpa' Balls! Yes, you got it, those balls! The second specialty salame has a similar name, Coglioni Di Mulo, where Coglioni is just a more vulgar version for balls! So, this time I will translate with Mule's Balls! We definitely like to be picturesque in Italy but these specialties are very good despite their names! AP

Eating Out in Italy - How and Where to Dine

By Martha Bakerjian, About.com Guide

Pasta at Club Culinario Toscano da Osvaldo, Florence, Italy

Martha Bakerjian

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Eating and ShoppingEating in Italy:

Eating a leisurely Italian meal is one of the pleasures of traveling in Italy! Italians take food very seriously. Each region, and sometimes even a city, will have regional specialties that they are very proud of. Your experience might be enhanced by telling your waiter that you want to try the specialties. Understanding how Italians traditionally eat will help you get the most out of your travel experience.

The Italian Menu:

Traditional Italian menus have five sections. A full meal usually consists of an appetizer, first course and a second course with a side dish. It's not necessary to order from every course, but usually people order at least two courses. Italian meals may last one or two hours or even longer. Italians often go out for a long Sunday lunch with their families and restaurants will be lively. It's a good chance to experience Italian culture.

Italian Appetizers - Antipasti:

Antipasti come before the main meal. One choice will usually be a plate of the local cold cuts and there will probably be some regional specialties. Sometimes you can order an antipasto misto and get a variety of dishes. This is usually fun and can be more food than you'd expect for the price! In the south, there are some restaurants that have an antipasto buffetwhere you can select your own appetizers.

The First Course - Primo:

The first course is pasta, soup, or risotto (rice dishes, especially found in the north). Usually there are several pasta choices. Italian pasta dishes may have less sauce than Americans are usually used to. In Italy, the type of pasta is often more important than the sauce. Some risotto dishes may say minimum of 2 persons.

The Second or Main Course - Secondo:

The second course is usually meat, poultry, or fish. It doesn't usually include any potato or vegetable. There are sometimes one or two vegetarian offerings, although if they are not on the menu you can usually ask for a vegetarian dish.

The Side Dishes - Contorni:

Usually you will want to order a side dish with your main course. This could be a vegetable (verdura), potato, or insalata (salad). I sometimes order only a salad instead of the meat course.

The Dessert - Dolce:

At the end of your meal, you will be offered dolce. Sometimes there may be a choice of fruit (often whole fruit served in a bowl for you to select what you want) or cheese. After dessert, you will be offered cafe or a digestivo (after dinner drink).

Drinks :

Most Italians drink wine, vino, and mineral water,acqua minerale, with their meal. Often the waiter will take the drink order before your food order. There may be a house wine that can be ordered by the quarter, half, or full liter and will not cost much. Coffee is not served until after the meal.

Getting the Bill in an Italian Restaurant:

The waiter will almost never bring the bill until you ask for it. You may be the last people in the restaurant but the bill still doesn't come. When you are ready for the bill, simply ask for il conto. The bill will include a small bread and cover charge but the prices listed on the menu include tax and service. You may leave a small tip (a few coins) if you want to. Not all restaurants accept credit cards so be prepared with cash.

Where to Dine in Italy:

If you just want a sandwich, you can go to a bar. A bar in Italy is not just a place for drinking alcohol and there are no age restrictions. People go to the bar for their morning coffee and pastry, to grab a sandwich, and even to buy ice cream. Some bars also serve a few pasta or salad selections so if you just want one course, that's a good choice. A tavolo caldo serves already prepared food. These will be fairly fast.
More formal dining establishments include:
osteria - this used to be a very casual eating place but now there are some more formal ones.
trattoria - also a more casual eating place but may be the same as a restaurant.
ristorante - restaurant

Italian Meal Times:

In the summer, Italians usually eat fairly late meals. Lunch will not start before 1:00 and dinner not before 8:00. In the north and in winter, meal times may be half an hour earlier while in the far south in summer you may eat even later. Restaurants close between lunch and dinner. In large tourist areas, you may find restaurants open all afternoon. Nearly all shops in Italy are closed in the afternoon for three or four hours, so if you want to buy a picnic lunch be sure to do it in the morning!

Night at the Museum

27.07.2013 - 28.12.2013

A moonlight stroll to visit the best of Italy's archaeology and monuments

Palazzo Ducale - Mantua

Beginning Saturday, July 27th, the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MIBAC) hosts “Night at the Museum” every last Saturday of the month until the end of this year. Various State archaeological areas and museums (38 sites in total) will be open during these special Saturday evenings from 8PM to Midnight.
The project was conceived and realized in collaboration with the Directorate for Valorization that, together with MIBAC, was able to create a pilot plan with the goal of making “Night at the Museum” a regular event. Its objective is to cultivate a more ample cultural offering that will leave tourists in particular (but not only) with unforgettable memories of their experience in Bell’Italia.

“I have worked hard on this project,” declared Massimo Bray, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, “and it brings our museums closer to European standards. We intend to call the public’s attention to the importance that these places possess, particularly as a promotional vehicle for Italy’s economic development. Both citizens and tourists will now have the opportunity to learn about and admire Italian cultural heritage ‘after hours.’”
The event will run until September 2013 at participating archaeological sites, and until December 2013 in participating museums.