#colatura di alici fish sauce

[timetraveltasting]

IUS DIABONTANON IN PISCE FRIXO (c. 5th century)

My first Roman dish, the historical dish from Tasting History I tried today was Ius Diabontanon In Pisce Frixo, known in English as Sauce with Herbs for Fried Fish. While this dish, likely from the 5th century De Re Coquinaria of Apicius (a collection of Roman dishes), is fairly specific in preparation, it does contain the much-loved Roman herb 'silphium', which is said to be extinct nowadays (or perhaps growing in little-known places in the wild). Max suggests replacing the silphium with asafoetida, an herb which might be in the same family. This is one of those dishes that Max seemed to really enjoy, so I just had to make it. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from the Youtube description of the video.

My experience making it:

I made a change or two from the modern recipe below. I left out the asafoetida completely, partially because Max said it smells bad to store, and partially because it's hard to find. Further, I intended on frying the fish like Max suggests, but my largest frying pan wasn't wide enough to fit the length of fish I had, so I baked the fish instead. I also made two fish instead of one, without halving the rest of the recipe (turns out there was still plenty of sauce left, so this wasn't really an issue). In terms of other specifications, I used white wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried rue, fish sauce in place of garum or Colatura di Alici, and I reduced my own grape juice instead of using defrutum or Mosto Cotto. The type of fish I used was rainbow trout.

Having never made a whole fish before, I was a bit nervous for some reason, but they were actually very easy to season and cooked great in the oven (200 C/290 F for 20 mins). The herbs smelled absolutely amazing while I was crushing them together, and the grape juice reduced well to form the base of the sauce. The recipe took me about 30 minutes to make, and the sauce was one of the fastest parts. It didn't combine super well and there seemed to be too many dry herbs in there (which you can probably see from my photos), but upon serving, it didn't make a difference too much and seemed to dress the fish quite nicely. I did add an extra tbsp of olive oil to thin it out a little, as the white wine vinegar was quite pungent, and I wasn't sure if the German type I had bought was perhaps stronger than the ones in Canada I'm used to (and which are probably closer to Max's). Overall, I was super happy with the result - the fancy, well-dressed fish looked like Max's and, more importantly, looked pretty Roman!

My experience tasting it:

I served the fish with some boiled carrots, partially because I thought the carrots might go nicely with the sauce. My husband and I began the interactive adventure of carving the bones out of our fish. They were tiny and I definitely got a few mouthfuls of bones! The fish was delightful though - cooked perfectly and complimented so well by the sweet and sour herb-wealthy sauce. The sauce had a few chunks of dates, which balanced out the salt and pepper on the fish really well. I was quite worried the sauce would be too sweet, as there were several very sweet ingredients (honey, dates, and reduced grape juice), but the vinegar and fish sauce must have done a lot of work to balance that out. Max mentions that Roman dishes have some flavour combinations that are unexpected and unlike many modern flavours, and I definitely agree. It was a unique sauce, but in the best way. I will definitely make this dish again, and I can imagine it going especially well with red meats or perhaps stir-fried veggies. If you end up making it, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Mosto Cotto

Colatura de Alici

Asafoetida

Cumin Seed

Coriander Seed

Dried Rue

Ius Diabontanon In Pisce Frixo original recipe (c. 5th century)

Sourced from De Re Coquinaria of Apicius

Sauce with herbs for Fried Fish: Whatever fish you like, clean, salt, fry. Pound pepper, cumin, coriander seed, silphium root, oregano, rue, pound. Moisten with vinegar, add dates, honey, defrutum, oil, liquamen. Pour into a pot, let it boil, when heated pour over the fried fish. Sprinkle pepper and serve.

Modern Recipe

Based on De Re Coquinaria of Apicius and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

1 whole fish or filet

salt for seasoning

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp coriander seed

½ tsp optional asafoetida powder

1 tsp fresh oregano, add only half if you want to use dried

½ tsp dried rue, add twice the amount if you want to use fresh rue

3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

3 minced dates

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Mosto Cotto or reduced grape juice (reduce by half)

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying

1 tbsp fish sauce or Colatura di Alici

Method:

Clean and gut the fish, then make several diagonal slices on each side and season with salt.

Add 1/2 an inch of oil to a frying pan and heat it over medium high heat. Then set the fish in and fry on one side, undisturbed. Then flip and fry the other side. Once browned, place on a wire rack to drain.

For the sauce, grind and mix the herbs, then add the remaining ingredients.

Transfer sauce mixture to a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat until boiling.

Serve hot and sprinkle with pepper.

[allwayshungry]

Braised Cabbage with Tomato and Feta

We often talk about the braised eel and cabbage we ate in Comacchio, Italy, and wanted to include that recipe in this book. But we wondered, Where in the hell are people going to get eel? Mashama is like the MacGyver of cooks, so she decided that we’d give you a recipe that mimics the flavors of that dish with ingredients that are a lot easier to find.

Ingredients

½ Cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 head Savoy cabbage, shredded

1(28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

¼ Cup Colatura di Alici fish sauce (you can buy it online)

Preparation

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onion and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes.

Add the cabbage and tomatoes to the pan, crushing each tomato with your hand. Dump the tomato liquid from the can into the pan as well, season with salt and pepper, cover, and braise for 30 minutes.

Stir the paprika into the cabbage mixture. Remove from the heat and stir in the fish sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and have at it.

[raticus76]

I'm finally giving the modern and ancient Roman fish sauces a go. The colatura di alici on the left is pretty fishy but not overpowering, like a really fishy caesar salad dressing. The modern recreation of the ancient garum on the right starts a little salty but then becomes an outright umami bomb when paired with some cheese. Happy so far. #garum #colaturadialici (at North Richland Hills, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVg4vMMLdak/?utm_medium=tumblr

[thenotoriousafrokat]

Know any obscure (ancestral) fermented foods that are worth a try?

There are some listed below.

Ancestral foods that I can think of (the usual suspects, plus some more obscure ones):

Natto (bacteria inoculated (soy-)beans)

Tempeh (mold inoculated (soy-)beans)

Kefir (bacteria/yeast inoculated milk/plant (milk)/water )

Sauerkraut/Kimchi (cabbage and other vegetables lacto-fermented)

Miso (yeast fermented (soy-)beans)

Sourdough breads (wild yeast fermented bread)

Red yeast rice (name says it all)

Chao (lacto-fermented tofu) / Stinky tofu (mold inoculated)

Fish sauce/ Colatura di alici (juice of fermented fish)

Alcoholic beverages: mead, wine, beer etc.

Chocolate

Black garlic (carameli

doushi (fermented black beans)

submitted by /u/monsieur_lulu [link] [comments] from Nutrition https://ift.tt/3ATExi4

[silvernutrition]

Pasta With Bottarga Is an Effortlessly Elegant Weeknight Meal

Seafood is a prominent feature of Italy's regional coastal cuisines. While there's no shortage of unique seafood dishes that can only be found in specific villages at a certain times of the year, there's also a lot of overlap of culinary techniques and principles. Grilled fish at a restaurant on the Amalfi coast will look pretty similar to grilled fish in Ostia, even if the kind of fish used might be different; odds are it'll be a whole fish, stuffed with sliced lemon and herbs, and it'll be filleted table-side.

For pastas, one of the tried and true templates for incorporating seafood is tossing a dried long pasta like spaghetti with aglio e olio e peperonciono (olive oil, garlic, and chile) and a briny regional delicacy. That specialty item could be tiny "vongole veraci" clams for spaghetti alle vongole, or colatura di alici, a fish sauce from the town of Cetara, for spaghetti con la colatura di alici. Or, if you're in Sardinia, it could be bottarga, for, you guessed it, spaghetti con la bottarga.

For the uninitiated, bottarga is a fish's roe sac—most commonly grey mullet—that is salted, massaged to expel air pockets, then pressed and dried. As Sho notes in his excellent guide to bottarga, it's not just a delicacy in Italy—known as karasumi in Japanese, and butarkah in Arabic, it's highly valued in cuisines across the globe. In Italy, mullet bottarga, or bottarga di muggine, is a specialty of Sardinia, where the roe sacs were traditionally sun-dried after salting. With a texture similar to cured egg yolks or a firm pecorino cheese, bottarga is perfect for grating, which unlocks its delicate but assertive mineral flavor and aroma. It's an ingredient made for pairing with pasta.

This simple dish starts by browning a couple of smashed garlic cloves in plenty of olive oil (you could also mince the garlic and gently cook it, or keep it raw as in my spaghetti con la colatura recipe). Once the oil is infused with the toasty allium aroma, the garlic comes out (you can rub the garlic on toast, repurpose it for another dish, or discard it) and chiles go in to bloom. I then remove the skillet from the heat and stir in a heaping handful of grated bottarga. Cooking bottarga is a no-no, seeing as high heat mutes its punchy flavor, but steeping the grated roe in warm olive oil coaxes out its best qualities.

[trebaolsmovingcastle]

Liquamen would be better substituted by colatura di alici, as liquamen is a form of garum. So using the italian fish sauce would get it a hair closer.

The First Celebrity Chef and the First Cookbook

Today our media is filled with the exploits of celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain,  Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, and many, many more.  The history of celebrity chefs goes way back in history, even thousands of years to the world of Ancient Rome.  One of the first celebrity chefs was a man named Marcus Gavius Apicius, a gourmet who seemed to be a popular man in the Roman world.

A lover of food and luxury, Apicius was certainly in good company as many of his friends and acquaintances were the richest and most powerful people in the Roman Empire, including famous Romans such as Sejanus, Drusus, Seneca, Maecenus (adviser to emperor Augustus),  Junius Blaesus and Lucius Antistius Vetus (Roman Consuls), and of course the Emperor Tiberius.  

In the first century AD Apicius made another contribution to culinary history, one of the first cookbooks ever published. Called De re coquinaria (on the subject of cooking,) it was written in the early 1st century AD and features 10 chapters on housekeeping, ground meats, vegetables, ingredients, soups, poultry, pastries and baking, red meat, and seafood.  While Apicius was not the direct author of the book, the cooking styles and recipes contained within are attributed to him.  Interestingly De re coquinaria  was not written in Classical Latin but in Vulgar Latin (commoners speech), demonstrating that it was to be used as a common kitchen tool.  Despite this, De re coquinaria clearly was a manuscript of gourmet foods consumed by the wealthy, as it uses rare ingredients such as goose liver, flamingo tongue, and dormice (edible mouse).  Over time several translations and editions were printed.  Today modern English translations of De re coquinaria can be easily found on Amazon and other book sites. 

A Recipe by Apicius: Pullus Fusilus (Stuffed Chicken)

Ingredients

1        fresh chicken (approx. 1-1.5kg)

300g     minced meat (half beef, half pork)

100g     oats

2        eggs

250ml    white wine

1 tblsp  oil

1 tblsp  Lovage (can substitute with celery leaves)

¼ tsp  ground ginger

¼ tsp  ground pepper

1 tsp    green peppercorns

50g      pine nuts

Liquamen (white wine and salt) or salt to taste

Instructions

Ground pepper, lovage, ginger, minced meat and cooked oats. Add eggs and mix until you have a smooth mass. Season with Liquamen, add  oil , whole peppercorns and pine nuts. Fill this dough into the chicken. Cook approximately 1 hour at 220 deg C in the oven.

[binoynazareth]

Binoy Nazareth and the Italian Connection

Are you consumed by the power of wanderlust which takes you to places unknown, where you immerse your soul in the ethereal fantasies of Nature and discover the art of passion? I was led by my intuitive sense of adventure which took me to seek the treasures of history, culture and revel in a journey of the most talked-about cuisines of the world. With all roads leading to Rome, I was captured by the spirit of wanderlust as I ventured into the realms of Rome to seek hidden treasures surrounded by myths, mystery and mesmerizing facts of the much-visited tourist destination of Italy.

I was totally overwhelmed by Rome which is the capital of Italy with a history of almost 3,000 years of art, architecture and a haunting background of the Roman Empire. As a much-anticipated trip and a dream vacation, I set out on my Italian Connection tour by taking the sights and sounds and sensations of Rome with St. Peter’s Basilica which was first on list followed by the eye-opening artistic Vatican Museums. The Sistine Chapel was a glorious entrée into the architecture of times gone by and an eternal ode to the celestial and captivating art of the 1400s. After a filling and satisfying ‘prima colazione’ which consisted of fette biscottate, caffè latte and cookies, I joined the merry band of adventurers to explore the treasures of Rome.

The City of Rome Makes an Offer You Can’t Refuse

I just loved the atmosphere and the warmth of the sun as it filtered through an ambience of immortality and filled the traveler’s soul with all things everlasting. I absorbed the Roman environment at the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Palace of Justice and the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II which reverberated with the culture of a charismatic time. I was just waiting to explore the taste of a Roman holiday and revel in the much-talked of Italian dishes. I enjoyed the famous Bruschetta which is a popular antipasto or appetizer, Supplì or fried rice croquettes stuffed with mozzarella and beef ragout and a pasta dish called Bucatini all'Amatriciana and of course, who could resist trying out the delicious gelato, Tiramisu and Panna Cotta?

While Rome had cast a spell over me, I was still raring to explore the romance and the dream-like sequence of gliding through the canals of Venice. Yes, I did try out the gorgeous gondola ride which was every bit like the guide books said they were. Being every traveler’s dream, Venice unrolled spectacular sights and experiences as I walked in awe through St. Mark's Cathedral, San Marco Square and the Doge Palace. The islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello held a special interest for me with their incredible glass making crafts while displaying the lifestyle of the Venetians. Fascinating and ethereal, the gorgeous canals of Venice rendered a surrealistic feeling and it was natural to try out flavors of seafood being surrounded by water. I relished the delicious Sarde in saor, a sweet sour dish with fried sardine fillets, Risotto al nero di sepia, a seafood based rice dish and Baccala mantecato

or creamed dried cod including other fabulous specialties which consisted of game meats and the famous wines of Italy at the osterias and trattorias. Delighting the Palate with the Flavors of Italy Created for the fashionista, Milan as I expected was as fashionable as ever and chock full with famous boutiques and high-end designer outlets. I had read extensively about the historical sights of Milan and made it a point to visit the much-talked of grand Gothic Duomo. My gastronomic journey went on a flavorsome tour with Risotto alla Milanese textured to perfection, Cotoletta alla Milanese or veal cutlet, Cassouela made with

pork and Savoy cabbage stew and many other delicacies. I discovered tranquility and peace at the picturesque and picture perfect, Cinque Terre which means Five Villages and was transported into an ambience that was centuries old with colorful houses and vineyards clinging precariously to the sides of rugged cliffs. With harbors which were chock-a-bloc with fishing boats and trattorias with seafood cuisine, I marveled at the famous pesto which is a sauce from the Liguria region.

After visiting Pisa with its unique Leaning Tower which is also known as the Piazza dei Miracoli", or the "Square of Miracles", I traveled to explore the tourist destination of Sorrento, taste the famous Limoncello, relax at the  Marina Grande and absorb the bustling downtown which seemed like an everyday carnival. Being an adventurer at heart, I had decided to explore the ruins of Pompeii which had been destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

 Crafting the Art of an Italian Romance

Known as a popular backdrop for films and a great tourist destination, the Amalfi Coast delighted me with its pastel-colored fishing villages, sheer cliffs with lemon groves and dotted with appealing beaches which stretched across a rocky shoreline along the Tyrrhenian Sea. My taste buds were raring to go and I sat down to experience a combination of seafood and other great dishes with Scialatelli, a pasta in seafood sauce, ’Ndunderi, a type of pasta, Sarchiapone made with stuffed pumpkin, Pigniatello all’ amalfitana, a blend of seafood, Colatura di alici, a fermented fish sauce and a delicious dessert, Sfogliatella.

  I just loved the dashing town of Positano with its dramatic yet luxurious ambience. Painting a picturesque sight with its cliff-side village which cascaded with terracotta and pastel colored houses, this great tourist destination displayed fabulous shopping outlets, hotels shaded with hanging wisteria and awesome restaurants. Bringing the rich harvest of the ocean to satisfy the taste buds, the restaurants in Positano served an amazing array of the local dishes and I reveled in a feast of seafood fit for Neptune. Delighting the palate with a wide range of both gourmet and local tastes, the cuisine of Positano ranged out mouth-watering Spaghetti with mussels, Boiled Octopus dishes, Tubetti with Totani which squid, Linguine with Fresh Prawns, ravioli, Gnocchi, pasta and spaghetti with flavors divine washed down with Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino,  Falerno del massico and other great Campania wines. cheese and liquors.  

As my Italian sojourn drew to a close, I was determined to bring alive the flavors of gorgeous Italy to tickle the taste buds which you will be delighted to read in my next adventure posting.

Binoy Nazareth Invites You to Delight the Taste Buds with the Flavors of Italy

[rubinirossi]

Stefano doesn’t make requests very often but, when he does I am quick to oblige. From my Tuscan kitchen, I made Chicken and Prawns Pancit. This is the only way I can get him to eat veggies without a complaint. I was out of Patis. Luckily, I was given Colatura di Alici. Guess what? It is basically the same thing. Both are fish sauces. However, the Italian version is made from anchovies from Cetara. Its flavor is a little milder without the zeal of the Asian version! #rubinirossi #mytuscankitchen #frommytuscankitchen #foodforfoodies #foodstagram #eat #letscookitalian #italiancomfortfood #tuscancomfortfood #formycookbook #food #foodblogger #italianfood #onmytable #goodeats #foodgasm #foodphotography #foodie #buonappetito #eatwell #lamiacucinatoscana #contikitchen #mytuscanlife (at Vicchio) https://www.instagram.com/p/B00aYDdlj3f/?igshid=yxtafmyujho4

[tart-pastry]

Colatura di alici is the Italian equivalent of Southeast Asian fish sauce.

[easytravelpw-blog]

Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/the-top-12-things-to-do-in-salerno-italy/europe/

The Top 12 Things to Do in Salerno, Italy

01 of 12

Visit the Salerno Duomo (Cathedral)

HaizhanZheng/Getty Images

Originally erected on this site in the 11th century, the Duomo di Salerno has been rebuilt and renovated a number of times. In the 1930s it was finally restored to its Neapolitan Baroque and Rococo style. Gorgeous and imposing, its most notable elements are the Byzantine bronze door, the 12th-century bell tower, the atrium with columns procured from the nearby ruins of Paestum, and a tomb holding the relics of St Matthew (circa 954) — the patron saint of the city to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

  02 of 12

Marvel at the Ruins of Paestum

Konrad Wothe / LOOK-foto/Getty Images

Paestum, one of the most important ancient Greek sites in southern Italy, is comprised of three temples: the Temple of Hera I (6th century BCE), the Temple of Neptune (5th century BCE), and the Temple of Ceres/Athena (circa 6th-century BCE). The adjoining museum displays an extensive collection of finds that tells the story of the city and its mystical cults and rituals.

03 of 12

Get a Bird’s Eye View From Arechi Castle

Mattatoio5/Wikimedia Commons

Perched nearly 985 feet above sea level, there's some dispute whether parts of this medieval castle (Castello di Arechi) were constructed in the late Roman period or in the 6th century. What everyone does agree on, however, is that it has the most stunning views of the Gulf of Salerno anywhere.

04 of 12

Count Artifacts at the Archaeological Museum

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Museo Archeologico Provinciale of Salerno has a huge collection of archaeological finds unearthed in and around the province of Salerno, beginning from the prehistoric period through the late Roman era. The museum frequently hosts children's workshops and special events — check their website for more information.

Continue to 5 of 12 below.

05 of 12

Hike in Parco Naturale Diecimare

Maria Antonietta De Sio/Wikimedia Commons

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate this natural area with its four hiking trails: Sentiero Natura (nature trail), Sentiero del Falco (falcon trail); Sentiero del Bosco (woods trail), and Sentiero dei Due Golfi (trail of the two gulfs), from which you can see both the gulfs of Salerno and Naples. Managed by WWF Italia, the park also didactic areas with information about the region's flora and fauna.

06 of 12

Stroll the Promenade Trieste

A lovely spot for a leisurely evening walk, Lungomare Trieste (Promenade Trieste) is a pedestrian path that parallels Salerno's picturesque seafront. The two-kilometer path, one of the longest in Italy (and ever expanding), stretches from the city's historic center to the Piazza della Concordia at the harbor.

07 of 12

Smell the Roses at Minerva’s Garden

  ValerioMei/Getty Images 

Salerno's botanical garden, the Giardino della Minerva, was the first of its kind in Europe to cultivate plants for therapeutic purposes. The garden was built in the 14th century by Matteo Silvatico, an esteemed physician at the nearby medical school, it contains 382 species of plants, a variety of fountains,​ and shady terraces beneath vine-covered pergolas.

08 of 12

Get a Tan on an Area Beach

  Raffaella Torre / EyeEm/Getty Images

There are several nice, smallish beaches near Salerno, reachable by public buses that ply the twisty, curvy coastal roads. Any one of them makes a great half- or full-day trip from Salerno. La Baia is one of the only sandy beaches on the Amafi Coast, while La Crespella overlooks a 15th-century tower and the sea stacks. I Due Fratelli (the Two Brothers) at Vietri sul Mare looks out on two rock formations jutting out of the sea. 

Continue to 9 of 12 below.

09 of 12

Visit the Salerno School of Medicine

The Scuola Medica Salernitana — a medieval medical school — was once the most important source for medical knowledge in Western Europe. Today, the museum uses the latest audio-visual technologies to provide visitors with a fascinating and fun way to tour the museum. It's located in the restored Church of San Gregorio in the old city center.

10 of 12

Buy Majolica Pottery at Vietri sul Mare

Franz Marc Frei/Getty Images

Artisans in this pretty little fishing village have been producing handmade majolica ceramics in vibrant greens, blues, and yellows since Roman times. You can see their handy work everywhere, but most notably lining the dome and bell tower of the church of San Giovanni Battista. Learn more about the history of pottery making by visiting the ceramics museum in nearby Raito. 

  11 of 12

Pet a Water Buffalo at Tenuta Vannulo

When it comes to cheese, none is more revered around these parts than mozzarella di bufala (water buffalo mozzarella), a soft, velvety fresh mozzarella. Just a short distance from Paestum, you'll find Tenuta Vannulo: a farm where you can witness first-hand the cheese-making process, meet the animals, and end your tour with a tasting of products made from their buffalo milk, such as chocolate, yogurt, and gelato.

12 of 12

Sample Salerno’s Gourmet Treats

Sample local delicacies like colatura di alici, a fish sauce made with anchovies, or pick up salted tuna or mackerel preserved in a jar to take home as a souvenir. On hot days, cool down with a tangy lemon granita (shaved ice and sugared lemon juice), or if you're in the mood for something sweet, try chocolate-covered citrus peels, a flaky babà pastry or a nut-filled praline. 

#travel #airlinetickets #airtickets #cheapairfare #planetickets #travelinsurance #travelquotes #travelblogger #traveller #travelling #travelocity #travelodge #vacation

[themomsandthecity]

9 Italian Pantry Staples Giada De Laurentiis Uses For Easy Dinners

When Giada De Laurentiis isn't busy filming a Food Network show or writing a new cookbook, she's doing "regular" things - you know, like grocery shopping. The busy mom and Italian guru is no stranger to finding the time for quick weeknight dinners, and she's mastered the art of finding the perfect pantry staples to do so. In a new video on her lifestyle site Giadzy, Giada shared her favorite cooking staples that she always picks up at her local Italian store, which you can find in some grocery stores and online, too. Giada takes a tour around the aisles to talk about her go-to ingredients, including her favorite dried pasta, her favorite kind of tomato puree that acts as a "blank canvas" for an easy pomodoro sauce, and the best canned cherry tomatoes to use in a quick tomato sauce or on fish, chicken, pasta, rice, and more. She also shares one of her favorite dessert ideas: sweet cherries in syrup for ice cream. "They also make great gifts," she says. "When I'm done with the jar, I wash it out and I put flowers in it for my bathroom." Related Giada De Laurentiis's 20 Most Popular Pasta Recipes You Need in Your Life Check out the list of Giada's top nine favorites below, then watch Giada's full shopping video on Giadzy. As Giada says, "Stock up on these essentials and you'll be ready to throw together an authentically Italian meal in a snap!" * Rustichella d'Abruzzo Orecchiette * Mutti Salsa Pronto Di Parmigiano Reggiano * Mutti Passata (tomato puree) * Mutti Pomodorini (cherry tomatoes) * Tutto Calabria Crushed Hot Chili Peppers * Amarena Fabbri Cherries * Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil * Paesano Extra Virgin Olive Oil * IASA Colatura Di Alici Di Cetara (anchovy extract) http://bit.ly/2gOSUO6

[binoynazareth]

Binoy Nazareth and the Italian Connection

Are you consumed by the power of wanderlust which takes you to places unknown, where you immerse your soul in the ethereal fantasies of Nature and discover the art of passion? I was led by my intuitive sense of adventure which took me to seek the treasures of history, culture and revel in a journey of the most talked-about cuisines of the world. With all roads leading to Rome, I was captured by the spirit of wanderlust as I ventured into the realms of Rome to seek hidden treasures surrounded by myths, mystery and mesmerizing facts of the much-visited tourist destination of Italy.

I was totally overwhelmed by Rome which is the capital of Italy with a history of almost 3,000 years of art, architecture and a haunting background of the Roman Empire. As a much-anticipated trip and a dream vacation, I set out on my Italian Connection tour by taking the sights and sounds and sensations of Rome with St. Peter’s Basilica which was first on list followed by the eye-opening artistic Vatican Museums. The Sistine Chapel was a glorious entrée into the architecture of times gone by and an eternal ode to the celestial and captivating art of the 1400s. After a filling and satisfying ‘prima colazione’ which consisted of fette biscottate, caffè latte and cookies, I joined the merry band of adventurers to explore the treasures of Rome.

The City of Rome Makes an Offer You Can’t Refuse

I just loved the atmosphere and the warmth of the sun as it filtered through an ambience of immortality and filled the traveler’s soul with all things everlasting. I absorbed the Roman environment at the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Palace of Justice and the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II which reverberated with the culture of a charismatic time. I was just waiting to explore the taste of a Roman holiday and revel in the much-talked of Italian dishes. I enjoyed the famous Bruschetta which is a popular antipasto or appetizer, Supplì or fried rice croquettes stuffed with mozzarella and beef ragout and a pasta dish called Bucatini all'Amatriciana and of course, who could resist trying out the delicious gelato, Tiramisu and Panna Cotta?

While Rome had cast a spell over me, I was still raring to explore the romance and the dream-like sequence of gliding through the canals of Venice. Yes, I did try out the gorgeous gondola ride which was every bit like the guide books said they were. Being every traveler’s dream, Venice unrolled spectacular sights and experiences as I walked in awe through St. Mark's Cathedral, San Marco Square and the Doge Palace. The islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello held a special interest for me with their incredible glass making crafts while displaying the lifestyle of the Venetians. Fascinating and ethereal, the gorgeous canals of Venice rendered a surrealistic feeling and it was natural to try out flavors of seafood being surrounded by water. I relished the delicious Sarde in saor, a sweet sour dish with fried sardine fillets, Risotto al nero di sepia, a seafood based rice dish and Baccala mantecato or creamed dried cod including other fabulous specialties which consisted of game meats and the famous wines of Italy at the osterias and trattorias. Delighting the Palate with the Flavors of Italy Created for the fashionista, Milan as I expected was as fashionable as ever and chock full with famous boutiques and high-end designer outlets. I had read extensively about the historical sights of Milan and made it a point to visit the much-talked of grand Gothic Duomo. My gastronomic journey went on a flavorsome tour with Risotto alla Milanese textured to perfection, Cotoletta alla Milanese or veal cutlet, Cassouela made with pork and Savoy cabbage stew and many other delicacies. I discovered tranquility and peace at the picturesque and picture perfect, Cinque Terre which means Five Villages and was transported into an ambience that was centuries old with colorful houses and vineyards clinging precariously to the sides of rugged cliffs. With harbors which were chock-a-bloc with fishing boats and trattorias with seafood cuisine, I marveled at the famous pesto which is a sauce from the Liguria region.

After visiting Pisa with its unique Leaning Tower which is also known as the Piazza dei Miracoli", or the "Square of Miracles", I traveled to explore the tourist destination of Sorrento, taste the famous Limoncello, relax at the  Marina Grande and absorb the bustling downtown which seemed like an everyday carnival. Being an adventurer at heart, I had decided to explore the ruins of Pompeii which had been destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

 Crafting the Art of an Italian Romance

 Known as a popular backdrop for films and a great tourist destination, the Amalfi Coast delighted me with its pastel-colored fishing villages, sheer cliffs with lemon groves and dotted with appealing beaches which stretched across a rocky shoreline along the Tyrrhenian Sea. My taste buds were raring to go and I sat down to experience a combination of seafood and other great dishes with Scialatelli, a pasta in seafood sauce, ’Ndunderi, a type of pasta, Sarchiapone made with stuffed pumpkin, Pigniatello all’ amalfitana, a blend of seafood, Colatura di alici, a fermented fish sauce and a delicious dessert, Sfogliatella.

  I just loved the dashing town of Positano with its dramatic yet luxurious ambience. Painting a picturesque sight with its cliff-side village which cascaded with terracotta and pastel colored houses, this great tourist destination displayed fabulous shopping outlets, hotels shaded with hanging wisteria and awesome restaurants. Bringing the rich harvest of the ocean to satisfy the taste buds, the restaurants in Positano served an amazing array of the local dishes and I reveled in a feast of seafood fit for Neptune. Delighting the palate with a wide range of both gourmet and local tastes, the cuisine of Positano ranged out mouth-watering Spaghetti with mussels, Boiled Octopus dishes, Tubetti with Totani which squid, Linguine with Fresh Prawns, ravioli, Gnocchi, pasta and spaghetti with flavors divine washed down with Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino,  Falerno del massico and other great Campania wines. cheese and liquors.  

As my Italian sojourn drew to a close, I was determined to bring alive the flavors of gorgeous Italy to tickle the taste buds which you will be delighted to read in my next adventure posting.

Binoy Nazareth Invites You to Delight the Taste Buds with the Flavors of Italy