We Went To Mama'esh!Jan.3.2020
There are few cuisines around the world as well known and as well-loved as Italian food. It’s so popular that not only has it been adapted for better or worse in many other countries (we’re looking at you, America), but it also the birthplace of the world’s favorite food: PIZZA. So many of us, though, claim that Italian is our favorite cuisine based on a few of our favorite dishes like Lasagne, Bolognese, Pizza, or Calamari. Italy has much more to offer though, so here are a few of my favorite Italian dishes that you’ve probably never heard of:
(Credit: greatitalianchefs.com)
A quintessentially autumnal dish from the Lombardy region, Tortelli di Zucca is also known as Pumpkin Ravioli. Like most Italian dishes, the exact recipe will vary from town to town within the region but my favorite recipe includes pumpkin, amaretti biscuits, apple preserve, and cheese!
(Credit: theguardian.com)
From Lombardy in the far north of the country our next stop is the far south, Sicily. Caponata is a delightful dish, perfect for vegetarians, which combines sweet and sour flavours to embellish any of the local vegetables. Although aubergines are a common choice to start, there is much debate around what exactly should or shouldn’t be used in making the perfect Caponata.
(credit: greatitalianchefs.com)
Hailing from the less-touristy region of Calabria, Melanzane Ripieni is an authentically Italian dish also known as “stuffed eggplant”. Of course, the eggplant is crucial to the dish, but the contents are up for a lot more debate. My favourite is the more ‘Southern’ way of making it; stuffing the eggplant with stale bread and pecorino (an Italian cheese). Whatever your filling, you’ll want to make sure that the dish is finished off by shallow-frying the whole filled eggplant and served with a rich tomato-based sauce. Yum!
(credit: ilgattopasticoine.net)
After filling your stomach with these mains, you’ll be wanting to gorge on dessert. Of course, you could go for a more well-known Venetian Tiramisu, but we’re here to try something a bit different! Instead, try Sbriciolata alle Pesche, a delightful peach crumble that makes apple pie looking quite boring!
