We Say Caffee, You Say Coffee

The words macchiato and cappuccino are as clear to you as any native Italian; more so in fact, some of us would even go so far as to dub these words music or poetry. But did you know that when you start your day off with this routine coffee shop singsong, you are speaking Italian? That’s right. Let’s say you beverage of choice is a cappuccino. You literally just ordered “white coffee” and as any barista knows, a cappuccino is a combination of the traditional espresso and foamed milk, thus turning the dark, rich color white.

However, if you are going to lighten your drink, make sure you do it before noon. After this time, espresso becomes sacred and it’s almost blasphemous to modify the flavor later in the day when you should have fully come to your senses. Traditional Italians also generally spurn the Americano or coffee that has been watered down to make it less strong. But whatever your preference, the importance really rests upon the bean and the way it is roasted.

Though most coffee beans are produced in the global South or more developing countries and continents, roasters are found internationally and especially in Italy. The Italian culture actually has a legacy of coffee from the moment they starting importing it from the Middle East and Africa. After importing the green beans, roasters honed their skill in selection and development, and passed their secrets down through their families. Examples of Italian brands include Illy, Segafredo Zanetti and Lavazza.

Once an Italian finds a good coffee, usually in his local piazza, he remains loyal. The same goes, too, for an espresso that is not so hot; a bad coffee can turn away a refined palate forever. But most Italians are confident in their local coffee bars and if not, are definitely confident in their own coffee-making skills. Rather than the usual American appliance, Italians usually use a stovetop, aluminum coffee maker. There are various types of coffee makers such as the Moka or the Napoletana, which both use boiling water though in different ways. The Moka uses boiling water to force steam through the grounds; whereas the Napoletana is flipped upside down to allow the water to seep through the coffee.

Whatever your preference and however you make it, the most important thing is that a good espresso complement your day and mood. The Italian tradition of food as a social event and a vital part of the day carries through to their beverages. A good espresso should prepare you for your day or join you in your company by adding an element that is just right for the time and place.

Proud to be an Italian American

As the fourth largest ethnic group in the United States, Italian culture has made significant contributions to American culture that are now intrinsic throughout the fifty states. Though Italians have played major roles in the development of the New World since its European colonization (Christopher Columbus among others), a major Italian movement to the US did not occur until the 19^th century when economic conditions in Southern Italy caused many people to emigrate.

Italian immigrants maintained significant familial and social connections and often planned on returning to Italy, which many were able to do. Nonetheless, major Italian neighborhoods were established in the Northeast, often coming to be called “Little Italy” for their distinctive language, food and music. The strong ties among Italian family are still common today though over many generations, Italian-Americans have been absorbed into this culture just like the other immigrant ethnicities.

People living in the Northeast, whether Italian or not, are probably very familiar with the Italian culture. New York is home to the largest segment of Italian-Americans—over three million. New Jersey and Rhode Island come in second and third, making these mid-Atlantic states distinctive in their heritage.

Italian Americans have broadly influenced entertainment culture through many famous icons tracing their lineage back to Italy and also by Italian-American stereotypes. Famous Italian Americans include Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese and Madonna. DeNiro and Scorsese also take part in portraying the Italian stereotype of organized crime in America in films such as The Godfather which remains a classic to this day. Other examples of Italian-American culture in popular entertainment include TV shows The Sopranos and Growing up Gotti.

Though these figures and films are wildly popular, probably the most recognizable and significant contribution to American culture has been through the culinary arts. Pasta and pizza are staples in Anytown, USA but real Italian strongholds take it even further. Famous for their multi-course feasts that last for hours and where the food never runs out, Italian celebrations in New York and Brooklyn occur yearly to highlight the panorama of authentic flavors. But even when Italian mammas do not have an official reason to celebrate, they are renowned for their culinary skills which incorporate traditional ingredients, such as mozzarella and the tomato. From social organizations to entertainment to food, the extent of Italian influence is wide. Generation to generation, the thread of Italian culture has been strongly and creatively woven into the fabric of American society.

Divino Brings in Award-Winning Italian Chef to Create Hallmark of Authenticity

Owners of Divino Restaurant have now decided to add another extremely cool feature to their authentic Italian dining creation… they recently flew in an award-winning Italian chef in order to help create the hallmark of true authentic Italian cuisine.

Tampa Bay, June 24, 2009 -- Spaghetti, probably the first image that comes to your mind when you hear “Italian food.” For some, it may be the extent of their knowledge of cuisine from the Mediterranean nation. It’s easy to oversimplify traditional courses when you’re in the melting pot of the world. But what then is authentic Italian food? Piero Caramella, a veteran Italian restaurateur and his partner, Dmitry Lisovitsky, recently flew in an award-winning Italian chef from Italy to help create the hallmark of true authentic Italian cuisine for their new venture, Divino.

Chef Paolo Re is a true Italian, who doesn’t speak a lick of English and has never been to America before. Caramella has devised a detailed plan to have his assistant chefs learn from the Italian award-winning chef, while helping Chef Re learn about the American culture concurrently. By having the understanding of both cultures, the Divino experience will appeal to authentic Italians and Americans alike.

According to Caramella, authentic Italian cooking offers a full sensory experience. Even when the ingredients are combined, you can taste each element. You can taste the tomato. You can taste the olive oil. You can taste the basil. When you eat it, it’s all very genuine.

“The Italian likes to taste each element, not cover it up. That’s the art in Italian cooking, says Caramella. “A good Italian chef can put together five or six ingredients and you really appreciate the fact that you can taste each of them.” Both Divino owners say bringing that level of art to Tampa Bay is their passion.

To see the latest video update on Divino before its official opening, visit www.divinorestaurant.com

Make Me a Match

Anyone who has seen images of an Italian vineyard or heard of its wine country probably has had at least some fleeting desire to know a bit more about wine than they do currently. Sitting down at a solid oak table, swirling the wine, scenting the flavors and finally enjoying all of the nuances of a fine-crafted Lambrusco or Chardonnay seems to be the epitome of a vineyard experience. But there is no reason that you can’t improvise and learn how to select a wine to match your food within the comfort of your own zip code. For those of us without a vineyard close by, here are some tips for wine selection to go with your Italian meal.

The most important thing to remember in anything dealing with Italian food and flavors is that taste is everything. A fancy label or a romantic name doesn’t mean anything when it comes down to the key question: are you enjoying it? Don’t feel the need to be restricted by hard and fast rules; think of everything as guidelines in the personal exploration of your own palate. A simple maxim to keep in mind is the idea of light wines accompanying lighter food and heavier wines accompanying heavier food. Because of today’s diversity, this does not necessarily mean red vs. white. Instead, become familiar with terms commonly used to characterize flavors such as full-bodied, off-dry (slightly sweet) or earthy.

Whether or not you consider yourself an amateur or rather experienced when it comes to selecting wines, it is almost always beneficial, interesting and fun to ask your waiter, chef or local wine importer for their advice and suggestions. When it comes to Italian food, another trick to use is to try to match the region of the dish with the region of the vino. The distinct areas of Italy each have their own unique culture and trademark flavors. When eating authentic fare, the characteristics of local ingredients complement the characteristics of the local vines, producing a holistic and complementary meal. For example, tagliatelle con ragu is a trademark of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northwest Italy. Ribbon-like pasta combined with a world famous meat sauce makes a perfect Italian dish. Also from this region, we have Sangiovese red, which would complement this rich meal.

But remember that regional matching is a basic guideline. Because this is the land of diversity, we in America tend to have a bit more flexibility when it comes to matching wines with food. For the easy, simple spaghetti con le polette di carne or spaghetti with meatballs, you have several choices. You could go with a nice, strong Barbaresco from the Piemonte region in the Italian northwest or something a little lighter like a Valpolicella. The bottom line is for spaghetti with meatballs done American style, every wine practically can suit because with a heavy sauce, the taste of wine is not essential. The wine itself should be pleasant, but it is not going to be such a delicate process with this particular recipe.

It really depends on what you expect from the dish. If you would like to have a quick meal, the wine selection may not be that important. However, if you would like to enjoy a more complex meal of steak or fish, then the approach should be more careful. Fortunately, there are plenty of selections to choose from, so experiment, sample and enjoy!

A New Recipe from Piero Caramella

I was asked if I would share some of my favorite recipes with everyone who is following the opening of my new restaurant and I thought that this was a wonderful way to share my love of Italian food with my friends. Try making this at home and then let me know how it turned out and if you liked it.

Buon appetito!

INVOLTINI DI VITELLO RIPIENI (STUFFED VEAL ESCALOPES)

PREPARATION:

Thin the meat out.

Cut the basil and the mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and olves into cubes.

Put salt on one side of the meat and sprinkle basil on it.

Separate the mozzarella, tomatoes and black olive (all cut into little cubes).

Wrap the meat around them and tigh it in a roll.

Lightly flour the rolls.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the involtini.

Add a little garlic, rosmery and cook it for few minutes while turning the involtini over and over.

Pour (vin santo) a sweet wine, let it sit with low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve in its own juice.

You can also do this with chicken, veal or turkey.

Authenticly Italian: How to Spot It

Spaghetti: a simple Italian-American staple. Also, probably the first image that comes to your mind when you hear “Italian food.” For some, pasta and spicy meatballs may be the extent of their knowledge of cuisine from the Mediterranean nation. Frankly, it’s easy to oversimplify traditional courses when you’re in the melting pot of the world. But what then is authentic Italian food?

For starters, Italians don’t eat pasta all day. No spaghetti in the cereal bowl, thank you. Breakfast is typically a cold meal; most start out with espresso and a pastry, both available from eateries at the local piazza, a square that functions as the social center for the entire town. Espresso, as you will find, is actually a vital part of the Italian way of life. It can be quite bitter, so traditionally a little bit of chocolate is used as a complement.

After this light meal, Italians are ready for something more substantial. Lunch is usually warm and can consist of two or three courses along with wine. It’s a crime to drink water while you are eating Italian food, so you should drink at least a glass of wine. This is an eating culture, so lunch is not hurried as in other places. People take their time, enjoy the food and talk to each other. In America, it’s the opposite: you have a warm breakfast like eggs, sausages and a very fast lunch, usually cold, like a sandwich or salad.

Dinner is the grand finale, with varieties of courses and dishes intermingling to create the perfect meal. There are, however, two key elements that set authentic Italian apart from imitators: its freshness and its simplicity. That’s the difference between a meal that is merely so-so and wonderful. You could have the same pasta dish, but it would be the fresh tomatoes that make the experience wonderful. Fresh means not frozen, canned or jarred in any way; just picked fresh from the market.

This offers a full sensory experience. Even when the ingredients are combined, you can taste each element. You can taste the tomato. You can taste the olive oil. You can taste the basil. When you eat it, it’s all very genuine, not sauce that has been boiled and had many items added to it over the hours to take away the acidity. Canned sauces tend to contain a lot of sugar which make the meal solid and heavy. Instead, you can feel satisfied when you’ve had something fresh and know exactly what you’ve eaten, without feeling overfull. The Italian likes to taste each element, not cover it up. That’s the art in Italian cooking. A good Italian chef can put together five or six ingredients and you really appreciate the fact that you can taste each of them.

The Love of the Italian Piazza!

Before there was New York, there was pizza. Before there was pizza, there was Italy. And before there was Italy, there was the piazza. Italian for “square,” an open area surrounded by buildings, piazze have been the nuclei of Italian culture for thousands of years. An Italian goes to the piazza for company, coffee, shopping, news, debate, food, religion, family: anything and everything.

A piazza is a place where you can eat well, but also a place where the warmth of family and comradery is strongly felt. Every town in Italy has a piazza. It is the central point of the town, accessible not by just one or two roads, but many. Unlike the American grid system, it is instead like a sun with radiating avenues.

And just like the sun, the day starts and ends there. When you go to the piazza in the morning, you’ll see the older people arrive first to enjoy espresso and morning conversation. As the day goes on, everyone joins at some point or another, whether for lunch, dinner or relaxation throughout the day. Almost all piazze have a café and a bar, with living space above, and a church. In between is where the people live: shopping in the regularly held markets and talking politics near the fountains.

Locals argue about the football (soccer) game or they argue about the Prime Minister or the President; it looks as if they are going to fight, but they never do. Italians are very passionate and expressive, so to an outsider, it may look like they are going to hit each other at any moment. To a local, it indicates there is something interesting to hear about. Each person has their own opinion and they all know about politics; they all have their own solutions. Italians have very strong ties, so it’s easier to trust the family.

Through this passion and debate, the food and the families, the fabric of Italian culture is strengthened. Everyone should experience the Piazza way of life at least once… nothing is too serious that can’t be mended by espresso, wine and pasta.