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 | Yes indeed, spring is in the air, and it's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago much of Italy was hunkering down to brave record snowfalls. Now the fruit trees are in bloom, and spring vegetables are beginning to appear in the markets. While it's not yet time to take the winter coats to the cleaner's it is time to start thinking about lighter dishes to go with the sunny days that are coming. | |
Pasta? Yes, It Can Be Light.
Pasta, if you think about it, is a vehicle for the sauce. Make something like sugo alla bolognese or lamb ragu, and the dish will be warming, of the kind perfect for winter chills. Serve it with pesto sauce, and you'll be fine even if the asphalt's beginning to melt. And when the temperature is somewhere in between? - Pasta Con Le Sarde Grigliate
Though you might not think to grill sardines -- there are many much more glamorous fish out there that look much more impressive when served off the grill -- they are extremely tasty, and if you do grill them you'll discover that they go very fast, with your guests demanding more. In addition to serving them grilled, you can use them to make this tasty pasta with grilled sardines. - Pasta all' Ortolano
An Ortolano is a greengrocer, and this is a primavera sauce, wuth artichokes & zucchini. - Bucatini all'Amatriciana
This zesty pancetta and tomato sauce is commonly associated with Lazio and Rome, but is actually from the town of Amatrice, which was just over the border into the Abruzzo before Mussolini redrew the maps. - Tagliatelle Allo Speck
Cream sauces go beautifully with flat strips of pasta. But, left to their own devices, they can be bland. This cream sauce with speck, the smoked ham of the Tyrol, is anything but bland, and goes beautifully over tagliatelle or fettuccine.
| Risotto? Not as Light as Pasta, but Refreshing
Risotto is wonderful year round. As we come into the spring, with spring vegetables (and fruit) beginning to appear, wintery dishes such as mushroom risotto give way to: - Risotto con Gli Asparagi
One of the finest ways to celebrate spring! - Risi e Bisi
Risi e bisi (rice and peas) is a classic Venetian dish. In the past it was prepared only on the feast days decreed by the Doge (Venice's ruler), and though one can now prepare risi e bisi at any time, the dish really shines only when freshly harvested baby peas are available. - Risotto al Peperone e Gorgonzola
The combination of bell peppers and Gorgonzola cheese works surprisingly well, and is frankly libidinous in this recipe. - Risotto alle Fragole
Linda (I think?) posted a message on the Rec.Foods.Cooking newsgroup in which she lamented an overabundance of strawberries and wondered what else she might do with them. Were I faced with that problem I'd make a risotto.
| Eggs are Nice Too in the Spring
Wife Elisabetta's great uncle Dino, who was a farm foreman, once told me that eggs used to be almost entirely seasonal, appearing ain a great flood in spring, and then becoming progressively scarcer as the season moved into summer. It is possible, and eggs certainly are associated with spring. - Frittata con le Cipolle
Of all the many frittata recipes out there, onion frittata is one of my favorites, especially if it's made slowly, giving the onions time to caramelize in the pan before adding the eggs. - Uova Al Pomodoro - Italian Tomatoes and Eggs
Quite tasty, and a wonderful foil for crusty bread! - Asparagi in Salsa Gialla
Asparagus in Yellow Sauce, or Asparagi in Salsa Gialla, is a simple Florentine way of preparing asparagus. As is often the case in Italian recipes the proportions are up to you, and you can also use the sauce on other vegetables. - Sformato Made with Amaretti, and Smothered with Zabaione
A tasty dessert from The Art of Eating Well, my translation of Pellegrino Artusi's La Scienza In Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiar Bene.
| Elsewhere on About: Salsicce!
That's sausages, and though I am usually quite happy with Italian sausages, which, if very fresh, are even nice squeezed from their casings and spread over bread -- a very Italian way of eating sausage many non-Italians blanch at. But sausages are much wider universe, and it's still cool enough to make them now, or enjoy them if osmeone else has made them. Some ideas: - Sausages
"There are four main categories of sausages: fresh, cooked and smoked, cooked, and semi-dry and dry," says Linda, and proceeds to list them. Handy. - Polish Kielbasa Sausage
Step by step instructions, beginning with grinding the meat and ending with boiled or smoked sausage. Does take planning, but will be nice. - 12 German Sausages
Everyone makes sausage, but the sausage passion and variety one finds in Germany is unmatched elsewhere. - Introduction to Spanish Chorizo
Spanish sausages, many of which look rather similar to what one will find in italy. - Light Sausage
A set of lighter than normal sausage reicpes, for those who want to reduce their fat intake. - Cooking Lop Cheong, or Chinese Sausage
There are a few steps to take.
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