Tasting Italy North and South: Piedmont and Sicily

Today is a celebration: pull up a chair! This sums up Italian philosophy---It’s important to gather at the table to enjoy good food, wine, family and good friends.

Perhaps more than any other culture,  the Italian approach to life is to savor every moment. And it’s reflected in their joy-filled food. It’s no wonder that Italian cuisine is a favorite almost everywhere, as the cooking of the Italian peninsula was the first fully developed cuisine in Europe.

Ancient Romans drew culinary inspiration from their travels to Asia Minor, and combined the Asian reverence for culinary artistry with native ingredients grown at home. This enabled Italy to teach France---and the rest of Europe---the fundamentals of kitchen arts.

Italian cuisine traveled north with Catherine de’Medici, who left Florence for her marriage to the future king of France, King Henri II. Catherine and her kinswoman Marie, who also married into the French monarchy, brought teams of expert cooks to France as part of their dowries.

Although Italian cuisine was the model for sophisticated, upscale meals at the royal courts, the food of the common people has also been cherished over the centuries. Pasta, polenta, beans and rice star in dishes both humble and dressed up.

From peasant to royalty, people of Italian heritage share the love of good food and celebrating life at the table together. From every region come dishes that showcase the best from Italian kitchens. We focus here on foods of the Piedmont and Sicily.

Piedmont, in the mountainous northwest, enjoys a tradition of lavish, sophisticated cuisine developed by aristocratic families of this region. Piedmontese menus are rich with beef, cheeses, rice and the region’s pride: elusive, extraordinarily expensive truffles.

    • Celebrating some of the best ingredients of the region, Piedmontese Beef Barola stars tender beef, herbs and spices simmered into a mouthwatering stew with a rich, regional red wine.

    • Somehow both rustic and sophisticated in its straightforward simplicity, Cannellini Bean and Tuna Salad makes a stylish starter for a pasta or grilled meat menu.

    • Showcasing the Italian way with pastries, thin slices of Hazelnut Fig Tart are dense with spices, lemon and dried figs. This perfect meal ending is best served with a strong cup of espresso or a glass of fiery grappa.

Sicily, the large island off the southwest coast of Italy, has been a crossroads for centuries between the Mediterranean and Africa. The contrasting flavors of Sicily---- sweet, sour, savory—reflect the influence of a series of invaders from Phoenicians to Arabs to Moroccans. The sea provides an abundance of fish for this crossroads cuisine.

White wine, tomatoes and bay provide the straightforward flavors for simmering Sicilian Swordfish steaks. The fresh flavors are punctuated with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper.

Rustic picnic fare on the island might include a Sicilian Loaf with Salami and Romano. Fresh yeast dough is stuffed with salami, cheese, eggs and anchovies for a hearty loaf that hits the spot after a hike among Grecian ruins on the Sicilian hillside.

As a lively between-courses refresher, or as a frozen before-dinner aperitif, shave frozen Lemon Ginger Granita for a true Sicilian treat.

Buon appetito!