Many people like to travel, enjoy the country and its people and, of course, the regional foreign cuisine. Therefore it would be good to know what local specialties are or what the dishes mean one can find in the local menu. Especially Italian food lovers know that Italy has much more to offer then Pizza and Pasta, so as fantastic meat and seafood dishes.

Likewise, such knowledge is certainly important and helpful at home in foreign restaurants. For this purpose and a little personal training, I have put together the most important terms in a small test. Today is Italy’s turn and soon followed by Spain. France was posted last week already.  First the question and further down a short explanation with a picture. As an example scalopini in Marsala.

    Scallopine alla Marsala.
Sometimes called veal Marsala, this is the classic Italian dish made with thinly sliced veal scalopini.
Scallopine is the Italian plural of scalloppa. In English we use scallopini (one p or pp).
A recipe typical of Sicily, where the best Marsala comes from – in my opinion.
Served with a Truffle Risotto – it’s one of my all time favorites (on the sweeter side) of Italy.
And of course serve with plenty of bread to mop up the sauce.
If this dish is made right, sometimes with mushrooms, it all melts in your mouth – FANTASTIC.
Click on the pic to enjoy the mouthwatering scallopini.

Which Italian classic is this?

You will find three to five of the most important ingredients of a recipe and one or the other hint. How well do you know the Italian cuisine ?  Guess the particular dish ?

1. A starter to start with. For this you need: veal, tuna and capers. The food is served cold. What could that be?
Carpaccio
Salsiccia
Vitello tonnato
Brasato

2. A salad. This dish was originally a kind of leftover meal because there is not a second chance for all fresh bread. In addition to bread you need ripe tomatoes, onions, vinegar and olive oil. What’s the name of this salad?
Caprese
Panzanella
Bruschetta
Insalata mista

3. A main course. For this main course you need veal schnitzel, as well as prosciutto and sage. What is the talk about?
Saltimbocca
Focaccia
Ossobuco
Orecchiette

4. A vegetable classic. This dish belongs to the vegetable classics of the Italian cuisine. You need eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. What is it’s name?
Caponata
Involtini
Parmigiana di Melanzana
Ciambotta

5. A pasta dish. There are many Italian pasta dishes. But one thing many people around the world really love. You need bacon, egg and cheese for the sauce. What could that be?
Pasta alla Carbonara
Penne al forno
Pasta alla panna
Arrabbiata sauce

6. Pasta again. For this dish you need except noodles especially anchovies, tomatoes, peperoncini, olives and capers. Which recipe is it?
Pasta alla norma
Arrabbiata sauce
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Spaghetti all Bygole

7. From Sicily. A well-known recipe from Sicily can be prepared with these ingredients: rice, peas, minced meat, breadcrumbs. What is it’s name?
Arancini
Uovini
Melini
Pallini

8. A braised dish, not to be missed. For this you need, inter alia, veal shank (slices of veal leg), casserole vegetables, wine, tomatoes from the tin. What can it only be?
Bistecca
Ossobuco
Involtini
Brasato

9. Something sweet. The ingredients for this classic are: Sponge biscuit, Mascarpone, coffee, Amaretto, cocoa powder. Do you recognize it?
Cassatelle
Zabaglione
Zuppa Inglese
Tiramisu

10. A cake. Yes, the Italians can also bake. And their cakes not only sound good, they also taste good. For which of the following classics do you need shortcrust pastry, lots of yolk, vanilla and pine nuts?
Torta di Mandorle
Torta della Nonna
Torta mimosa
Torta al limone

  Vitello Tonnato.

1. This can only be the famous Vitello Tonnato: poached, cooked or oven-cooked veal, thinly sliced ​​and covered with a tuna sauce containing, among other things, capers and anchovies – the recipes vary widely. The dish comes from Piedmont and is served cold as an appetizer.

   Panzanella.

2. The Tuscan tomato and bread salad is called Panzanella and tastes especially in the summer very well. The recipes vary a lot. Some add peppers or cucumbers, others leave one or the other, or both, and love it as simply as possible. Often basil is added.

    Saltimbocca.

3. Saltimbocca is a specialty of Roman cuisine and is literally translated as „jumping in the mouth“: small, thin veal escalopes, topped with a slice of parma ham and a sage leaf, fried in butter and blotted with wine.

    Parmigiana di Melanzane.

4. A Parmigiana di Melanzane can be prepared with zucchini, artichokes or other vegetables, but the Parmigiana di Melanzane, so with eggplant, is the best known variant. That dish is mainly distributed in southern Italy.

   Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

5. Even if they are often made with cream outside of Italy. The real Spaghetti alla Carbonara get along without them. This simple dish comes from Lazio, the region in the middle of the „boot“ where Rome is located. According to legend, it is said to go back to the charcoal burner, who should have prepared in their break penne with fried bacon and hard sheep’s cheese.

   Spaghetti alla Putanesca.

6. Olives and capers provide the crucial clue, otherwise it could also be the penne all’arrabbiata – it’s the Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. By the way, that translates spaghetti of whores (Huren spaghetti). However, what the easy ladies have to do with the recipe and where the name actually came from is not known.

   Arancini.

7. The dumplings filled with minced meat and peas from Sicily are called Arancini. They’re called that because their shape reminds of oranges. The rice balls are filled, then breaded and deep-fried.

   Ossobucco.

8. Literally translated Ossobuco means „bone with hole“. The veal shanks are turned into flour, fried in butter and then slowly stewed with vegetables in wine or broth.

   Tiramisu.

9. Literally translated Tiramisu means „pull me up“. No wonder with these ingredients – sponge biscuits are drizzled with coffee and alcohol, usually Amaretto, sometimes Marsala or brandy before being covered with a Mascarpone cream. The dessert comes from Veneto.

   Torta della Nonna.

10. There are countless recipes for the Torta della Nonna, probably as many as there are grandmothers. Because „Nonna“ is the Italian word for grandma. Common to all Tartes is the delicious vanilla cream on short crust pastry – and the pine nuts.

In case you like to have one of the above recipes, just call in. Enjoy the Italian Cuisine.