ITALIAN FOOD MEMORIES December 1, 2004 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

I'm home from the homeland. For my recent ? birthday, Mother took me back to the scene of my conception, Italy. This trip was much more enjoyable than my first visit.

Food was one reason I enjoyed this trip. I've always loved pasta, presumably due to my conceptual influences. So it seemed only natural to check out the real stuff. I was not disappointed.

My favorite meal was the first evening of the trip. Our Italian tour guide took us to a small restaurant in Rome where she said the locals ate. Local folks waiting in line are a good indication that the food is authentic and tasty. However, there were no locals in line . . . or anywhere to be seen. Italians typically do not eat dinner till about 8 p.m.; our group was always in and out by that time.

The meal began with antipasti. Literally, antipasti means "before the pasta"; it refers to an assortment of hot or cold hors d'oeuvres. When I've had my family over for Italian food in the past, I have often put together for them what I called an antipasti tray. Mama mia, was I way off! My version doesn't begin to hold a candle (or is it a salami?) to the Italian version.

This antipasti included diced salami in olive oil; a salami you sliced yourself; roasted bell peppers dressed with olive oil; fried zucchini; fried eggplant; pickled cabbage; a mixture of tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers cooked in olive oil; fresh mozzarella cheese; fresh ricotta cheese; a vegetable omelet; and bread. And this was just the first course.

I especially liked the salami in olive oil and the roasted bell peppers. FYI, Italians call roasted bell peppers "pepperoni." Don't make the mistake in Italy of ordering pepperoni on your pizza if you're expecting meat.

The fresh cheeses were amazing compared to what we get in this country. The mozzarella came to the table as balls of cheese floating in a bowl of water. It was more moist and delicately flavored than our American counterpart. I'm going to have to find a source for fresh cheese; I don't think my neighbors would approve of my getting a cow.

I can't say much for the pickled cabbage. It will not be appearing with any antipasti I put together.

Then came the main event - pasta. We were served penne in tomato sauce, bow ties in Alfredo sauce, and cheese stuffed ravioli dressed with olive oil. All were wonderful.

Italian pasta dishes differ from ours in the amount of sauce. We apparently have sauce with pasta; they have pasta with sauce. I'm changing over to their way.

After eating pasta Italian style, the term "dress the pasta" that I've heard from Martha Stewart makes more sense to me. We Americans typically put a serving of cooked pasta on a plate and then cover it generously with sauce. To "dress" pasta, you put all the pasta in a serving bowl, add about one-third to one-half of the sauce you've prepared, and mix well. The hot pasta will absorb the sauce and pick up its flavor. The remaining sauce is put in a small bowl and passed for those who want to add more.

Somewhere in the meal, we had a green salad that came lightly dressed with olive oil and vinegar*. I'm switching over to this technique too. You can really taste the salad when it's not swimming in dressing. (* The Italians use balsamic or wine vinegar that is softer tasting than our cider vinegar.)

The Italians are very serious about their under-dressed salads. One evening when Mother and I were too tired to go out for dinner, we went to a grocery store near our hotel and picked up an assembled take-out salad. Then we went looking for the aisle with the salad dressings. There was no such aisle.

Next came dessert. I chose chocolate cake. The Italians should leave this dish to us. Their version ranks with their pickled cabbage . . . not very good.

The finale was espresso and a lemon liqueur called lemoncelli that was served straight from the freezer.

Now please don't think the Italians live on pasta; they do eat other foods. I also enjoyed pork roast and roasted "leg of chicken," as they call it, with string beans, green peas, carrots, and potatoes.

In Florence, we had a great beef dish from a special breed of cattle grown only in that area. I've found the recipe for the dish for you (see it below) in the "real" Italian cookbook I bought over there. The cookbook added considerable weight to my suitcase, but it's going to be well worth it.

I could go on and on about the wonders of Italian food. As I've told you before, I am a "food-oholic." However, I now prefer the Italian term for such a person - "a good fork." So it's time for this fork to end by answering the "P" question.

Before I left, I wrote that I wanted to try Parmigiano-Reggiano, pesto, and prosciutto. How did I do?

I definitely had lots of Parmesan cheese. Whether or not it was Reggiano, which is considered the best, I do not know. Whatever I had was very good.

I did not have pesto. I discovered that Italy has regional foods just as we do. Pesto is popular in the Genoa area where we did not go. Ordering pesto in Rome would be as futile as ordering grits in North Dakota.

As for prosciutto, "yes" and "no." I discovered through ordering sandwiches at bars (not like American bars, I promise) that there are two kinds of prosciutto in Italy. One kind is "plain," more like the ham we use in sandwiches. The other kind is cured and resembles our country ham. The Italians refer to it as "cruddo." This is the kind I've had here at home.

Since I had only eaten the plain version in those sandwiches, I purchased some vacuum-packed prosciutto cruddo at a grocery store to bring home. I wanted to try the real Italian stuff even though it is just as expensive as what we get here; I had anticipated it would be less expensive.

So I very carefully packed my prize only to have it confiscated by American customs. This "good fork" almost cried.

One final note - if all roads lead to Rome, they end in Robeson County. Our American tour guide turned out to be married to a guy who grew up in Fairmont - in the tobacco warehouse business. It is a small world after all.

Wash and dry arugula; slice it finely and set aside. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef slices, 2-3 at a time, by dropping them into skillet and turning them immediately. Cook for only a minute or two. (I say cook beef longer if it suits your taste buds.)

When all the beef is cooked, arrange the slices on a heated serving platter; sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the arugula. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper again and drizzle with the oil and lemon juice. Toss the arugula and serve at once.

Yields 4 servings. (Italians, that is; Americans will probably want more meat, and according to our Food Guide Pyramid, a little more meat would be okay.)

Recipe from Italia in Cucina, McRae Books.

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E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

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Date Created 12/13/04