Food History Archives - L'amore Italian Restaurant

January 3, 2021 by Kim Abbott

What Are The Top Italian Dining Traditions?

If you are thinking about having an Italian dinner, then you need to stay up-to-date on the top Italian dining Traditions. When people think about Italian food, they commonly think about delicious pasta, unique pizza, and meals that are bursting with flavor. At the same time, so truly get the entire Italian experience, it is a good idea to think about a few Italian dining traditions. What are a few of the top points to keep in mind?

Bread And Pasta Do Not Go Together

First, it is important to highlight the role that red plays an Italian mule. Obviously, Italy is known for its delicious bread. At the same time, bread is also meant to be eaten first. Bread is a starch. Famed Italian pasta is also a starch. Therefore, they should not be eaten together. Bread should be eaten first. Once the bread is gone, the main course can be brought out. Be sure to eat bread like an Italian. This usually means with a soup or salad course.

Coffee Is Only Allowed After Dinner

In Italy, coffee is seen as a way to help you digest your meal. Therefore, drinking it with the main course is seen as misguided. Therefore, coffee is always reserved for after the meeting. There are lots of variations on coffee including espressos, cappuccinos, and more. All of them are meant to be consumed after the meal is done. Furthermore, the caffeine in these drinks can help you stay awake if your body is tempted to fall asleep after eating a delicious Italian dinner.

Italians Share Their Dishes

When you go to a restaurant in the United States, you are probably used to ordering a dish that is meant for you. This is not how it is done in Italy. An Italian dinner is meant to be shared. The goal is to try as many different dishes as possible. Therefore, Italian dishes are usually served on large plates that are meant to be passed around. This will also help facilitate conversation during dinner. Never try to eat all of the food on a single platter. This will be seen as rude.

Eat Dinner Like An Italian

These are a few of the top traditions and etiquette tips to keep in mind when it comes to eating an Italian dinner. There is something special about Italian food. It is always packed with flavor. Make sure that you enjoy it like an Italian as well.

November 5, 2018 by Kim Abbott

You can Thank the Italians for These 5 Cheeses

When you think of Italian food, pasta certainly comes to mind but so does cheese. The Italians are famous for their variety of delicious cheeses that have made their way into the American diet. Read on to learn about five of the best cheeses to come out of Italy.

1. Parmesan Cheese

This cheese is named after the area around Parma, where it originated. Parmesan cheese is a hard cheese with a grainy texture, a strong aroma and sharp, savory flavor. In fact, it is considered to be the cheese of all cheeses according to cheese connoisseurs. It tastes best sprinkled over pasta and used as an ingredient in soups and risottos. Italians love to munch on it as a snack, as well.

2. Gorgonzola Cheese

Hailed from the Gorgonzola region, this cheese is soft and crumbly. It can be made into a sharp or mild flavor, depending on its age, and has a nutty aroma. It’s an "old-world" blue-veined cheese made from unskimmed cow’s milk and takes up to four months to create. Serve it with red wine and your favorite pasta dish.

3. Mozzarella Cheese

Originating from the regions of Puglia, Molise, Abruzzo, and Campania, this famous Italian cheese is semi-soft with a stringy texture. It’s white in color and has a milky flavor and aroma. In the past, mozzarella cheese was made from buffalo milk but today it is made from cow’s milk. Unlike most cheeses, mozzarella cheese doesn’t need to age. It’s eaten fresh. It tastes great on salads, meats, and with fish and vegetable dishes.

4. Provolone Cheese

From the Po valley Region, provolone cheese is firm and grainy with a mild or sharp buttery taste and pale yellow color. As an artisan cheese, provolone is semi-hard with a pleasant aroma. It has high amounts of calcium and protein but is also high in salt. Provolone goes wonderfully with red wine and served with fresh, homemade bread still warm.

5. Ricotta Cheese

This fresh Italian cheese is made from either sheep, cow, goat, or buffalo milk whey that is left over after making other types of cheese. It’s smooth, tastes sweet, and is high in protein but low in fat. It goes well with many Italian dishes such as lasagna, cheesecake, pizza, clazone, ravioli, manicotti, and more. Ricotta can also be used as a sauce thickener.

October 1, 2018 by Kim Abbott

5 Foods You Probably Didn’t Know are Italian

Every culture around the world has its own authentic cuisine, delicacies, and everyday food. Italy is no exception. In fact, Italian food is one of the most famous types of cuisine found around the world, often with a local adjustment made.

When it comes to Italian food, however, we automatically think of spaghetti, pizza, and minestrone soup, for example. But there is more to Italian food than meets the eye. Read on to discover five foods that you probably didn’t know are Italian in origin.

1. Calamari

This yummy appetizer is served in many restaurants in the United States, not just Italian ones, but did you know that calamari is an authentic Italian dish? Calamari it typically sauteed in lemon and oil. Some restaurants add hot or banana peppers to add extra flavor to the squid, which comes in deliciously shaped rings or tentacles.

2. Cow’s Face

Cow’s what? Yup, that’s right – cow’s face. In Italy it’s called “Muss’ e voooi” and is considered a delicacy in the south. You can find it sold by vendors and restaurants, especially during festivals, and can be eaten in a sandwich. Maybe so you don’t see its face?

3. Sea Urchins

You know those black prickly creatures you try not to step on when reef snorkeling? Well, Italians love to eat them. In fact, the spikes we are so afraid of are the best part to eat of the sea urchin. It’s prepared baked or steamed to get at the meat inside the shell. Add a dash of lemon for extra flavor or add it to your spaghetti sauce for an authentic Italian meal.

4. Eel

Known as “Vigilia di Natale,” eel is another favorite dish in Italy. Eel is prepared roasted, grilled, or fried and is considered a cherished traditional Italian dish served on Christmas Eve.

5. Rabbit

Rabbit meat is eaten throughout Italy. On the Island of Ischia off the coast of Naples, rabbit in white wine sauce is a favorite. In Tuscany, they tend to eat hares, which are bigger than rabbits. No part of the rabbit goes to waste, with Italians consuming the kidneys and even the brain, along with the rest of the rabbit’s organs. The meat is a great addition to a spaghetti sauce or served grilled.

While there are likely many more Italian food you have never heard of or simply didn’t know are traditionally Italian, the five listed above can doubtless be found in any Italian restaurant in Italy.

September 4, 2018 by Kim Abbott

4 Things You Probably Don’t Know about Italian Food

italian pasta lamore restaurant Unless you are used to eating grandma’s homemade cooking from Italy, chances are the food you order in most Italian restaurants in the United States isn’t as authentic as you may think. In fact, many Italian eateries in the States have food on their menus that is not eaten in Italy.

Aside from this, there is also some confusion about how to eat some favorite Italian foods. So, the next time you visit an Italian restaurant or go to Italy to sample Italian food straight from the source, keep your eye out for these Italian foods.

Read on to discover four things you probably don’t know about Italian food.

1. Use Bread to Mop up Sauce

Ok, so bread is a staple of the Italian diet and an authentic part of the meal, however, what most people don’t know is that bread should be eaten at the end of the meal instead of as an appetizer while you wait for your entree. Traditionally, bread is used as a sponge to mop up any leftover sauce from your meal, though this may be seen as crass in some of the more expensive, fine-dining Italian restaurants.

2. Peperoni is not Meat

While in Italy or at an authentic Italian restaurant in the States, it’s important to know the difference between pepperoni and peperoni. The former is a popular meat for pizza toppings, while the later is actually a pepper.

3. Spaghetti and Meatballs and Fettuccine Alfredo are NOT Italian Dishes

If you’ve been to Italy and tried to find Fettuccine Alfredo or spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, you were probably left scratching your head. These foods are actually considered American cuisine you won’t find anywhere in Italy. However, if you really want pasta with cream sauce, look for the Italian word for cream (panna) on the menu. For spaghetti and meatballs, you can expect to have the meatballs served separately in a bowl. If you decide to mix them together, don’t be surprised by some weird looks from Italians dining near you.

4. Italians Eat a Small Breakfast

Overall, Italians shun a big breakfast. In fact, the favorite choice for breakfast in Italy is an espresso and sweet pastry or croissant. A big American style breakfast is practically unheard of in Italy. Instead, Italians like to keep it small for breakfast while eating bigger meals for lunch and dinner, which are usually quite festive, full of laughter and conversation, and can last for hours.

What Are The Top Italian Dining Traditions?

You can Thank the Italians for These 5 Cheeses

5 Foods You Probably Didn’t Know are Italian

4 Things You Probably Don’t Know about Italian Food

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