Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Many people who are not Italian think Italian cuisine is limited to dishes like pizza and pasta. they tend to think that Italian cuisine revolves almost entirely around the
pasta.
Italian cuisine and cooking
However,Italian cuisine is very diverse. Only pasta and spaghetti, alone, are able to occupy a respectable place in kitchens around the world.
Italian cuisine is one of the largest and most popular cuisines in the world because of the
simplicity of the food and flavors. But contrary to  the common opinion, Italian cuisine is
diverse and rich in flavors.
The classic Italian meal is a celebration for the traditional Italian family. Usually the mother and
grandmother work for hours on the preparation of several dishes.
A traditional Italian meal consists of five main elements:  An appetizer and drink before dinner,
this can be a simple bruschetta, marinated olives, or one of their famous cheeses like mozzarella,
parmesan or gorgonzola. Next is the first course, which consists carbohydrates. This dish
is usually pasta, pizza or risotto and bread. The second course includes meat, fish or chicken.
Then there is a second portion, a platter of vegetables. The last course of the dinner is dessert;
this usually consists of biscotti, cakes, tiramisu, pudding or jelly. The Italians are also known
for their love of rich cream for dessert. A traditional Italian meal is very important to Italians.
They take great pride in cooking, serving, and the time devoted to dinner. Italians view meal
preparations as a craft. Italians have a tremendous passion for food. They put an emphasis on
freshness, spontaneity and rich flavors.
Most of us know how to make pasta and lasagna. In the past, in order to learn how to cook
properly a person had to sign up for a cooking class. Today, there are many cooking classes;
including Italian cooking workshop where you can learn the secrets of Italian cuisine. Beyond
that you can learn to upgrade your pasta, to diversify and enrich it. The workshops really help
to learn how to cook Italian gourmet cuisine. Italian gourmet food includes a variety of special
cheeses that add richness, and make them more satisfying.