Healthy Italian Cooking Made with Care
It’s true Italian cooking traditions, the building blocks of the Mediterranean Diet, favor simple ingredients like fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish pasta and just the right spices, all prepared with care. But don’t forget two of the cuisine’s cornerstones: olive oil and bread.
You’ll always find olive oil on the Italian cook’s table, sprinkled over vegetable and salads, added to soups, pastas, and sauces or paired with balsamic vinegar as a dip for bread.
And the freshly-baked bread…dipped in fresh herbs and spices, toasted for garlic and foccacia bread, used for flavorful stuffing and bread crumbs, or just drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Bread is fundamental to Italian cuisine, and there are many varieties from which to choose. Try a slice of Sicilian panelle bread, a rounded loaf perfect for oil dipping or as an accompaniment for soup. It has a real brick oven taste to it and may be hard and crusty on the outside, but is soft and firm on the inside. You may also enjoy a long baguette topped with sesame seeds, known as a French loaf in Italy.
Steer clear of the grocery store’s spongy white “Italian bread” when selecting a quality, freshly-baked variety. Look instead in bakeries where authentic, Old Country recipes may be used. A luscious appetizer or snack can be made with extra virgin olive oil and spices, but the bread must be of an appetizing quality. There is a bread for every taste, including such varieties as Tuscan, Ciabata, Panelle, French, and Baguette.
bread dipping, Italian food
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