TRY A DISH FOR EVERY REGION -(Part one) NORTHERN ITALY
Are you ready to embark on a journey through the 20 Italian regions? Don't leave your appetite at home!
This series will be divided into three parts, starting with part one in northern Italy, and working our way down the boot through central Italy, and finally to southern Italy.
(Part One)
Valle D’Aosta, Capital city: Aosta
FONDUTA VALDOSTANA
There is only one ingredient in this typical fondue, made with Fontina cheese. This world renowned dish is prepared inside a special pot called caquelon and usually served with bread, originated in the Alps between the Aosta Valley, Piedmont and Switzerland.
Piemonte, Capital city: Torino
BAGNA CAUDA
Bagna Cauda is a Piedmontese specialty prepared with anchovies, oil and garlic, it can be enjoyed as a soup or as a dip for fresh autumn vegetables.
This hearty dish can be either a full meal for one, or can also be served as an aperitivo, if you are in a group.
Liguria, Capital city: Genova
PESTO GENOVESE
While there are a variety of different variations both within Italy and abroad, for Italians Pesto is synonymous with Liguria. The original, and some would say only Pesto, is composed of fresh basil, pecorino and parmigiano cheese, pine nuts, salt and olive oil. These ingredients are carefully ground together using a marble mortaio (mortar), to produce a paste which is then combined with certain types of pasta; traditionally trofie, linguine and bavette.
***Pesto is a cold sauce and should never receive direct heat during preparation, just added to pasta once drained, the pesto will be gently heated by the pasta’s residual heat***
Lombardia, Capital City: Milano
OSSOBUCO
This classic dish dates back to the Middle Ages, characterized by using the often overlooked veal or beef shank. It is cooked at a relatively low temperature for a long time, becoming extremely tender. Another distinctive feature of Ossobuco alla Milanese is the gremolada, a seasoning made of chopped parsley and garlic, flavored with lemon peel that perfectly complements the veal. Ossobuco is an atypical dish in Italian cooking, in the sense that it is often served in the same dish along with risotto or polenta.
Trentino Alto Adige, Capital City: Trento
POLENTA
This dish has very ancient origins but the version we know today, made from corn flour, only originated after Europeans arrived in America and brought back corn. For many centuries Polenta was a staple dish of the poorest classes of society, it can be served similarly to corn meal, baked and served as a sort of bread, or fried, and often topped with some sort of sauce like a ragu or mushroom sauce.
Veneto, Capital City: Venezia
BACCALA ALLA VICENTINA
Cod was always in abundance on the Adriatic sea, so it is prepared in many ways in the regions on its coast, one of the most famous of these recipes is Baccala alla Vicentina. Salt preserved cod is prepared three days prior to cooking it, by leaving it under water for three days, to decrease its intense saltiness then left to dry for a night, all this before being combined with onions, sardines, olive oil and flour and cooked for about 5 hours.
Friuli Venezia Giulia, Capital City: Trieste
JOTA TRIESTINA
This dish was originally conceived by peasants in order to use all of the leftover and unused ingredients before they spoiled, this tasty soup made with beans, pork, potatoes, sauerkraut and aromatics like carrots and onions. While this recipe originated in Trieste, there are many variations through northeastern Italy and reaching into Slovenia.
