It seems as if there are so many terms denoting Italian and you can hardly tell which from which. For instance, there are Sicilian restaurants. They are still Italian but somehow, they are called differently. You also have Venezian restaurants which are as Italian as the former, but most of the time both restaurants have very different dishes. This is because although we know all these restaurants as Italian, Italy has a number of regions. For every region, they have developed a certain way of cooking their food and they prefer their dishes in a different way that their neighboring regions. This numerous regional cuisines make up for a diverse Italian cuisine which can be both fun but confusing at the same time.

One of the famous regional cuisines is Tuscan cuisine. No doubt you have actually seen yourself staring at a restaurant that included the word Tuscan. From this region comes the city of Florence or Firenze in Italian. This city, aside from being the site of the world renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa, is also known for its local cuisine. Just like the general theme of the region’s cuisine, Firenze cuisine is very simple. In the city, there is no prize waiting for experimentation. The Florentines like their food just the way their forefathers did.

If you enter a Firenze restaurant, you probably will see the word “ribollita” on the menu. This dish is a local variation of the dish called minestrone. The soup includes the freshest produce like carrots, potatoes, black cabbage and the Italian Cannellini beans (white kidney beans).  This is soup is boiled twice to make it thicker and more flavorful, and is usually served with croutons or Tuscan bread. A nice drizzle of Olive Oil on top completes the very hearty soup.

Another Tuscan specialty is the “bistecca alla florentina” or the Florentine style beefsteak. This dish is made with either a T-bone or porterhouse steak which was traditionally obtained from the cattle of Chianina or Meremmana. This large piece of steak is seasoned with nothing else but salt, black pepper and olive oil, and then grilled using either wood or charcoal. Because this steak is too big for one person, with its standard weight being 1200 grams, this dish is usually shared among two people. The steak is traditionally served rare with a side dish of Tuscan beans and enjoyed with red wine.

Article by David Miller

Italian regional cuisine may not be immediatly associate with Los Angels but this is a city made up of people from nearly every country there is.

Italian cuisine is probably the most popular of all international cuisines. A slew of immigrants from Italy who wanted to seek their fortune in America brought with them the Italian passion for good food. As the crosses the ocean, they brought with them countless recipes of what would be favorites like pasta and pizza. But we may think that just because we are eating spaghetti day in and day out from those fast food chains that we are experts in Italian cuisine already. On the contrary, those foods are Americanized versions of the original dishes. The so-called Italian food we eat everyday are packed with additives and seasonings that were not part of the original recipes.

Italian cuisine, unlike what most Americans are used to, is all about balance and restraint. The dishes are not seasoned with too much garlic powder, but rather the unique flavors of the individual ingredients are enhanced without one ingredient overpowering the other. Everything has to be balanced, even adding the salt and pepper. Because the Italians wanted to preserve the different flavors and even appearances of their ingredients, they only used the freshest produce and the choicest meats. Although the south has been creating dry pasta for centuries, the north developed the art of making fresh pasta. Now, a lot of authentic Italian restaurants serve their homemade fresh pasta which tastes lighter and crunchier than the dried, commercial ones. These homemade varieties soak up much sauce and are crunchier than the dried pasta. The result is you do not find a pool of sauce in your bowl and you do not get that heavy, bulgy feeling after eating an entire serving.

One thing to remember with Italian cuisine is that everything there is no general theme when it comes to the dishes or the flavors except probably the balance flavors and the crispness of ingredients. Italy was only unified as a country in 1861. Prior to that, Italy had a number of regions which were even republics during their peaks. These regions had different cultures and styles of cooking. So, you will find Italian dishes that may be at opposite poles like the very simple Tuscan style of cooking and the elaborate Bolognese cuisine. But the main thing that binds all these dishes together is that all flavors are intended to be just right and not too much. It is this delicate balance in every ingredient that best describes Cucina Italiana.

Venezian Restaurants

They say that Venice is one of those cities you must visit at least once in your lifetime. And with its unspeakable beauty, I think everyone should take a ride on those gondolas during one of those romantic full moons. Truly, the “City of Water” has this unmistakable charm that is seems gay and merry which is at the same time melancholic and haunting.  But one thing is for sure, it is not just the poetic veneer of Venezia that has made the world its admirer; it is the city’s cuisine that has captured not just the minds of brilliant people in the past but also their hungry stomachs.

An understanding about Venice’s cuisine will have to start with a little bit of history first. Like all the other empires that rose in the past, their cuisines have also been generously blessed by success. Such is the case of Venice.  During Venice’s peak, it was a thriving merchant city that played a very important role in the trading of the East and West. This powerful position in trade made Venice a place where a number of merchants frequented and that included the Arabs. From the many gossips and exchange of stories came a foreign recipe for a kind of rice dish which was later changed by the Venetians into their very own “risotto”.

“Risotto” is a traditional rice dish that is cooked in stock and often added with fish, peas and meat to create variety. The Italians have very specific qualifications of determining a “risotto” from a simple rice dish. For a dish to be considered a “risotto” it has to be cooked with high-starch rice such as Arborio rice. This specific kind absorbs the stock easier so that it is more flavorful than ordinary rice. “Risotto” is extremely popular and you will, more often that not, see this dish in most Venezian Restaurants.

The Venezian diet reflects its natural resources. Fish is commonly consumed as the lagoon is very rich in different fishes. The Venezian marketplace is always abudnat with fresh fishes. Venezian cuisine also holds high quality vegetables with much esteem. Fresh beans and legumes are often cooked in dishes like Pasta fagioli or simply pasta and beans. Unlike its neighboring Tuscany, Venezian cuisine is famed for its rich dishes that are seasoned with a variety of spices and sauces that yield interesting and unique flavors that uncommon with the other dishes.