We all know that Italian Food is the best in the world, but have you ever wondered where it came from. As both a trained chef and a avid genealogist I’ll help to shed some light, and even a few recipes. I’m sure that most of you growing up loved the smell of the Italian Food cooking on a Sunday morning. Depending on what part of the US you come from, there was always a big pot of sauce/gravy percolating on the stove. Most of our food comes from someplace else, we just happened to make it much better! Be sure to check the two family recipes at the bottom. I hope to have a page of recipes soon.
The first “Italian Food” comes from the Etruscans and ancient Romans. The relied mostly on beans and ancient grains for protein, with some fish and game used when available. Faro, was used to create soups and porridge-like dishes. In fact, the Roman soldiers carried faro on long marches.
Imperial Rome also relied on beans and grains, fish from the Tiber and figs. Garum, made from pressing anchovies in salt was used as a condiment. The Aristocrats dined on exotic meats, sweet wines and dishes made with honey, A Roman by the name of Apicius is credited with writing the first cookbook in the 4th century BC!
In the north of Italy, after the fall of Rome, the cuisine was mostly roasted meats and whatever could be grown and harvested locally. Even today the northern Italian food differs from the south. In the south, and mostly Sicily the cuisine was much different. The Arabs introduced spices and techniques from North Africa and the Middle East. We still see this in today’s Italian food. Almonds, citrus, and ices are still the tradition.
The big powerful city states like Florence, Siena, Milan and Venice started to have sumptuous banquets with the food flavored by honey, nuts, garlic ( yeah ) and other exotic spices. Noodles were not introduced to Italian Food by Marco Polo as we were all taught. Pasta, was most likely introduced to Italy in the 8th century by the Arabs. Marco Polo may have brought rice back from China instead. Here’s a link to some Medieval Italian Recipes.
Here’s where we get all the good stuff from. Italian sailors brought back potatoes, tomatoes, maize, peppers, coffee, tea, sugar cane and spices. Peppers where incorporated quickly, however tomatoes were not widely used until the 19th century. Cornmeal replaced faro in the north and polenta was born. Spices allowed cooks to preserve meats and sugar was used to candy fruits and nuts. The history of the tomato in Italy.
The sophisticated Italian Food was brought to France ( HA ), by Catherine de Medici in the 16th century when she became Queen of France. She brought the French lettuce, truffles, artichokes and frozen desserts, and table manners also. Two centuries later, France and Austria imparted some of their cuisine to the North. The history of gelato.
I think the general consensus is that Italians try to always use the best and the freshest ingredients. Also, our staple ingredients, such as, basil, olive oil, rosemary, garlic etc. are aromatic and very flavorful. But, I think the love of food, the passion of the cooks and chefs, and pleasing our family has a lot to do with the Italian Food traditions. My mom and aunts put a lot of love in the meals they served.
Pizza Dolce was a staple in the Nicoletti family. We always referred to it as “cheesecake” but it’s actually more like a flan. Lots of eggs, ricotta and sugar. Use lemon rind, not that bottled crap, and you can use Sambucca or Anisette. Give it a try.
I know the celery seems odd, but it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. Butter yikes! It adds richness, I sometimes use fresh mozzarella instead. You can add a bit of wine also. Trust me on this one, you’ve never had sauce like this.
To see my recommended cookbooks, visit my books page. For my families home recipes click here. Or my main blog page for other great info on Italians.
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