Do you need help or suggestions about italian recipes,food pruducts,wines and olive

[AlterEgoItaly]

oil? I would love to aswer to all your questions and curiosities about that!

Ciao

Mik

[phatch]

Why don't you post your authoritative opinions and info in essay form and see what questions and responses pop up?

Phil

[AlterEgoItaly]

SOrry...but...what do you mean? And How can I do that?

Mik

[phatch]

Pick a topic. Write about it. Post it here. Point out what's good, bad and WHY it is so.

Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, cheese, Italian wine, tomatoes and the sauces, Sofrito Plenty of things to write about.

[AlterEgoItaly]

I understand what you mean right now, but you know? It's not what I want! I mean....There are a lot of informations about that and in the way you said, on the web! Instead, what I want is a direct suggestion, a direct answer to a specific question. Can You understand?

Ciao

Mik

[Jim]

Let me get you started... tell me what you know about Italian cheeses!!

[AlterEgoItaly]

Ciao Jim, wow...that really a short question that needs a long long answer! Will you have time to read all the fallowing words? (hehehe) and also will you be pretty patiencefull to accept,understand and interpret my "personal english"?
Okay, let's start:

In Italy there are more then 350 different varieties of cheeses,that are produced in all the territory,from the mountains to the seaside. There are cheese by cow's milk,goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo's milk, and by a blend of different milks. In the north is mainly used goat and cow's milk,in the center and the south cow and sheep's milk. Buffulo's cheese is typical of Campania and Lazio (buffalo mozzarella cheese). The most important (maybe is better say known) italian cheeses are PArmigiano Reggiano and Mozzarella named also Fior di latte (made of cow's milk).The first one is pruduced in a "small" area beetween Lombardia and Emilia and it's a DOP product(means that to be named PArmigiano Reggiano has to respect severals rules(pruduction area,limited production quantity, the way the cows are feeded, time way of seasoning ecc.). Mozzarella is instead produced almost everywhere,except for montainous areas of the north of Italy. Buffalo mozzarella cheese is instead another of the 30 DOP cheeses. The other DOP are: Asiago (North,cow),Montasio(north,cow), Monte Veronese(north,cow),Bitto(North,bled of goat and cow),Bra soft and hard(North,blend),Murazzano(north,blend of sheep and cow),Pecorino Romano(center,sheep),Pecorino sardo(Sardegna Island,Sheep),Pecorino siciliano(SIcilia Island,sheep), Pecorino Toscano(center,Sheep),Caciocavallo Silano(South,cow),Canestrato(south,sheep),Provolon e(north,cow),Quartirolo(north,cow),RAgusano(Sicili a,cow),Caciotta di Urbino(my Umbria,blend of cow and sheep),Raschera(north,blend), Taleggio(north,cow),Robiola(north,blend), Toma(north,cow),Castelomagno(I love it,North,blend of cow,sheep and goat),Fiore sardo(Sardegna Island,Sheep),Fromadzo(north,blend)Fontina(My American gild used to say that it stinks...hehehe,North, cow), Casera(north,cow),Formai de mut(north,cow),Gorgonzola(similar than roquefort or blue stilton,north,cow), Grana PAdano(North,cow).considering the consistence the can classify them in:Fresh cheese(mozzarella),Grana kind(parmigiano e Grana padano)Soft(Crescenza,Hard made of sheep's milk(all the pecorino kinds,Fiore sardo e Canestrato), Blu kinds(we say Erborinato,Gorgonzola),hard and half-hard(Asiago,Montasio e Fontina)...

Sorry but I have to go now......Is it enough or you need more?

Mik

[wuzzo87]

hi Mik,

Where can i get information or can u tell me about traditional italian breads by their region? like names, type or special characteristics?

THX!!!

[AlterEgoItaly]

CIao Wuzzo, there are a lot of different kinds of breads in each region,here in ITALY!ANd there are 20 regions!!! So, I can suggest you the most important and known ones.Okay?
LEt's start.... BREZEL, is a typical bread from the regions of the northern Italy(TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE AND FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA),and It's similar(and I think it comes) to a AUSTRIAN BREAD NAMED BRETZEL.It's salty on his surface and scattered with poppt seeds.its shape is like an 8 and it's made of regular flour, water,salt,pork fat(STRUTTO),and malt flour.The compose is boiled(FIrst) and then cooked in the oven.The rise starts during the cooking phases.
COPPIA FERRARESE:it's typical of FERRARA,located between EMILIA and Lombardia.The classic shape is a X, and it's made of regular flour,EV olive oil,pork fat,water,salt and yeast.This bread needs a very long rise(24 hours)
FRISELLE are typical from the south,mainly in CALABRIA,and it's like a half ring shaped.It rises during the cooking phases and it's a dry bread used to be eaten with seasoned fresh tomato.
MICHETTA is typical from MILANO and it's made of flour,malt,water,salt and yeast,It has teh shape of small breads with an incision of a star over the top.
PANE CARASAU....it's a really thin bread,like a sheet of paper,crispy and for this reason called also music paper.It need of triple rises and a very high temperature of cooking-It's made of flour,water,salt,yeast and bran.This bread is typical from SARDEGNA ISLAND
PANE DI ALTAMURA...typical from PUGLIAand its shape is similat to a big hat with a range of weight from 1 to 5 kilos.It's made of "hard grain" flour,yeast, salt and water and it's cooked in the ovet at 250°C for about 70 min and then dried with the oven open.
PANE DI VELLETRI....typical from the ROME AREA.Its characteristic is that inside is empty.It needs a double rise before give it the shape and then another one.It's made of flour,water,salt and yeast

Well,now I have to go to work.....my resaturant is calling me back! By the way...if it's not enough or you needs more......i'll wait for you
ciao

[phatch]

Brezel is common throughout the German speaking lands. A bready pretzel. Thick on one side for chewiness, and thin on the other end of the folded strand for crunchiness.

Phil

[wuzzo87]

Thanks for the info Mik!

Now i know more about italian breads, other than the the typical ones we usually hear about.
For the moment, i don't have any questions..yet ... ...if something crosses my mind, i'll let you know.

I saw the COPPIA FERRARESE on the internet just now, and i thought it was giant 4 legged tarrantulas.. haha... No offence Mik!

I have been to Italy once, last year. But sadly, i wasn't interested in breads at that time and i just passed by the bakeries without a 2nd look. Now i'm really regretting it!!!! *sob *sob...

Ciao!!

[AlterEgoItaly]

We use to say that never is too late to start doing something new.
I love bread making.In my restaurant everyday I make 3-4 differt kinds of breads... Th eTuscan kind,Altamura, With corn flour,and aromatized.It's one of the things that my costumers prefere!

Ciao

[tigerwoman]

What part of Italy are you located in and what are the specialities of your region?

I looked at your website but don't understand enough Italian to make out any details.

I did notice you also offer catering. Is that at your restaurant (on premise) or do you also bring food to the clients venue (off premise)?

What are some of the catering trends in Italy now?

[deltadoc]

Ok, I have some questions.

1. I know how to make fresh ricotta cheese, but how does one make fresh buffalo mozzarella?

2. What are some basic "real" Italian tomato sauce recipes? Maybe like lasagna sauce, spaghetti sauce to go with meatballs, spaghetti sauce to go with hot Italian sausage, etc? (I've seen how Fat Clemenza makes Italian sauce in Godfather 1: First you fry up some garlic, then you add your tomato sauce and tomatoes, then the meatballs and sausage, a little wine, a little sugar, and there you are (sic)!!

Thanks!

Ciao!

doc

[AlterEgoItaly]

Ciao Tiger,
You're definitly right....infact i'm just making an ENglish version of my website...please,be patienceful a litle bit more,okay?
About catering...yeah,we also offer this service, but in Italy catering service means only "off promise".We can prepare foods in our restaurant and then bring it to our client.Or, we also can rent a "special location" to our customer (like MEDIEVAL castles or ancien villas that we have as convention with the owners),and there prepare and serve meal and drinks.But we are also specialized in buffet decoratings,and gala baquetting.
In Italy in the last ten years catering services develloped a lot.... mainly for marriage banquets but also business openings,special events....

ANd you? what do you do?

Mik