You'll find red wine risotto throughout Northern Italy; the name changes with location because so does the wine. In Piemonte it's risotto col Barbera or col Barolo, and in the Veneto region it's risotto col Valpolicella. The important thing is that the wine be dry ...
Mantecato means creamy, and this risotto certainly will be; it's a feast-day dish from the Val D'Aosta, specifically the valley floor and the sections closest to Piemonte. If you're really into cheese, you can also grate some Parmigiano over it, but I would find it superfluous ...
Northern Italy comprises eight regions: Liguria, Valle D'Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, and Emilia Romagna. Quick overviews of the cuisines, and links to regional recipes ...
If it's cold out, few things are as nice as Bicerin, a sinful drink prepared in Torino from coffee, cocoa, and whipped milk. A little goes a long way -- the word [i]bicerin[/i] means little glass -- and if you like it you'll be joining august company: Alexandre Dumas, Italo Calvino, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso were all Bicerin fans ...
Agnolotti (pronounced anneeolottee) are Piemontese stuffed pasta, and come in a great many different varieties, some filled with cheese, others meat, and others still meatless. They are, in any case square and small, about 3/4 of an inch to an inch on a side, and are made using very thin sheets of pasta. They also are often made from cooked meat, in other words, leftovers. Recycling can result in something both elegant and very tasty ...
Savoiardi are a Piemontese specialty similar to lady fingers, though they're about twice as thick. In addition to being eaten as is, they figure prominently in many desserts, including puddings and tiramisu. If you buy them in the store, be sure they're fresh because their shelf life is limited. They shouldn't be soft ...
Brasato al Barolo, beef braised in Barolo wine, is one of the classic, elegant Piemontese dishes, and really does require a hearty red wine, ideally Barolo, to come out right. Save it for a special occasion, and you'll be quite pleased with the results ...
The Neapolitan Christmas tradition is one of the richest and most glorious in Italy, beginning with a fish-based Christmas Eve feast and continuing through Santo Stefano, the 26th ...
Next month, on the 21st February, sees the two hundred and second Historic Carnival of Ivrea, (Storico Carnevale di Ivrea), in Piedmont ... The Carnival is famous for an exciting orange throwing contest and has its roots in the middle ages when beans were used in this battle. Apparently twice a year the feudal lord gave a pot of beans to the poor families who, out of disrespect, threw them into the streets. The same pulses were also used ... at carnival as fun ammunition to be thrown at the