It's been a wonderful week in Italian food. I saw so many great Italian recipes this week it was really hard narrowning down the top 10. Eating Italy is full of more food porn from around the boot, and Upcoming Food and Wine Festivals has information on Christmas festivals (yes, Christmas already) in Northern Italy. I've added, only temporarily, a section for contests because I've found another great Italy contest this week that I wanted to let you know about. I hope you enjoy this week's round up. Buon Appetitio Tutti!
My choics for Top 10 Italian Recipes from around the Web:
Involtini di Bietole (Chard Roll Ups) from Briciole
Maria Liberati suggests this Sicilian-inspired dish as a first course (primo) Lemon CousCous
Fabio from Fabiolous Cooking Day has inspired me with Artichoke Ravioli served in a Parmesan Bowl
The Sicilian classic Pasta alla Norma from Magda Gagliano on Snooth
Tuscanycious is funghi crazy this week. A recipe for one of my absolute favorite sauces and so perfect for the season, Boscaiola Sauce (Mushroom Sauce). Then they link to their pics for Top 5 Mushroom Recipes (One of them is mine!)
Paula gives us a step-by-step tutorial on making the classic Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Risotto) Bellalimento
A hearty dish for when you need to be warmed from within Spezzatino - Stewed Pork from La Tavola Marche
Recipe for the Northern Italian Christmas sweet - Torrone from La Cucina Italiana
This dessert looks both light and luscious - Meringue Cake with Whipped Cream and White Wine Filling (Torta Meringata con Crema alla Panna e Vino Bianco) - Recipe is in both Italian and English from Dulcis in Furno
Deb from Italian Food Forever makes an elegant Cinnamon Panna Cotta with Spiced Pears
Eating Italy:
Here's a peak inside the Vucciria Market in Palermo -- One of three of the oldest markets in Palermo - well-known for vendors who yell at you to buy their goods (just an FYI -The vendors at all markets in Sicily yell at you.) - from Sicily Guide
Eat Your Heart out Tuscany This "taste of the Tuscan table" and their peak into The Making of a Great Brunello has me looking for flights to Tuscany - from Uncornered Market
Beautiful story and photos of the San Miniato Terroir and the making of Beconcini wines - from Native Food & Wine
Rubber Slippers in Italy gives us a glimpse into one (of the many) Italian chestnut festivals this month in Castagnata in Coimo
"Diets hurt your soul." I couldn't agree more with Aurelio the Tuscan Cook - He says this while showing us a succulent slab of Tuscan Cinta Senese Steak
Upcoming Food and Wine Festivals in Italy:
The Alba Truffle Festival celebrates the famous white truffles of Alba every weekend beginning October 9 until November 14
Every Sunday in October the Ottobrata Zafferanese Festival (in Zafferano near Catania in Sicily) holds a festival celebrating the local food and wine of the area
Chestnut Festivals Galore throughout Italy in October - from Italy Magzine
In Antillo, a city near Taormina in Sicily, there is a Chestnut Festival (Sagre della Castagna) on October 30 and 31 and a Pig and Wild Boar Festival (Sagre del Maiale e Chingale) Deceber 4 and 5
Starting this weekend: Chocoholics in Italy: Eurochocolate in Perugia October 15-24
Four days of food celebration in Turin at the Salone Del Gusto October 21-25
List of Fall Food Festivals in Emilia Romagna
La Bonnissima - Festival Del Gusto celebrates the products of Modena from October 22 to 24.
Learn about and taste the wines of Campania at The Campania Wine Gala on October 31 - information on NapoliUnplugged
More chocolate for us chocoholics: Cioccolato in Piazza, a chocolate fest in the town of Carpi November 5-7
The candy Northern Italians associate with Christmas, torrone, has its own festival - Torrone Festival in Cremona is November 19 - 21
Christmas markets are a Germanic tradition, but in Northern Italy, you can find some Christmas markets with an "Italian Flavor." Live Travel Mountains provides information on 2010 Christmas Markets in the South Tirol and Trentino Regions of Italy
Another Christmas Market in the North of Italy - The Milan Christmas Market is from December 5 to 8
A magical event that I would recommend attending at least once in your life, Carnevale di Venezia happens from February 26 - March 8, 2011
Contests - Win Trips/Lodging in Italy:
CiaoBambino is giving away a one-week stay at an apartment in Tuscany. If you'd like to enter head on over to CiaoBambino and comment (Enter by Wednesday, October 20, 2010)
The Venice Italian School is giving away a week in Venice and Italian lessons for two! (Enter by Friday, November 19, 2010)
Related Posts:
Cacio e Pepe in a Parmesan Bowl Inspired by Roma Sparita
Cicheti and Ombra - Little Tastes of Venice
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Sorry, I don't have time to comment. I'm hungry and have to go start cooking ;-)
Posted by: Paula | October 17, 2010 at 03:20 PM
Fantastic post. Love the mushoorm sauces. We had a wonderful mushroom and sausage sauce at Pandemonio in Florence earlier this month. Absolutely delicious. We haven't been able to replicate it since our return home despite trying 3 or 4 different versions (tomato and cream based) off the internet.
Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2010 at 06:23 AM
Paula - I hope you had a great time making any/all of the dishes above.
Mike - When I've had a great dish while traveling, I always try to recreate when I come home. It's a passion (some might say obsession) of mine. The one problem is that the tomatoes in Italy are better than in the US, and you had the dish at the perfect time -- that brief moment when both the tomatoes and porcini were in season together. My cousins made Boscaiola sauce for me, in Sicily, so their recipe is a little different than the Tuscan classic, but theirs had cream added at the end. And, instead of white wine, they used Marsala wine (Marsala, and Madeira, make mushroom magic when cooking them). You might want to try some of those combinations and see how close you get to the dish you had in Florence. Buona Fortuna!
Posted by: Kathy | October 20, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Kathy: Yes, we're enjoying playing with different combinations. Thanks for the details about the tomatoes. Hopefully we'll come close one of these days.
Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2010 at 02:46 PM
What dish is on the photo right bellow title? Thanks
Posted by: Eva | December 26, 2010 at 09:40 AM
Eva - That is cavatelli with eggplant, tomatoes and basil, a dish I had in Sicily.
Posted by: Kathy | December 29, 2010 at 06:13 PM