Introduction to Italian Cookery

I have decided the best way to organise my blog will be to dedicate each month to a different type of cuisine, so July will be the month for Italian Cookery. This also seems to coincide with my first tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes in the garden, all of which we'll be using alot in our Italian recipes.

What personal experience do I have of Italian Cookery?

Well... it all started when I was about 13 years old with a trip to Italy for an Italian Cuisine Course as part of my Home Economics class. After a very long coach journey, my first memory of entering Italy was how hot, and dry the landscape was (it probably was around June or July time and we were visiting the popular tourist resort of Lido di Jesolo). As we had been travelling overnight, the bus driver headed for a service station where we all got off the coach to stretch our legs, and brush out teeth in the petrol station toilets (it was a modern comprehensive!). The first thing I bought was a litre bottle of Peach Juice, I had never seen it before and it was so thirst quenching and sweet and summery, the taste was wonderful and fragrant and completely refreshing. From that moment I knew I was going to learn alot about different flavours, textures and local delicacies, I was not going to be disappointed.

I will include some of the recipes we were shown back then, and explain a little bit about how the italians eat and our day trip to Venice, but I will also draw on more recent visits to Italy including a couple of business trips to Milan and a wonderful holiday in Lake Como.


I do know that I am very lucky to have travelled to these wonderful places and seen and tasted such a variety dishes, but I must point out that most of my foreign cookery experience comes on my annual two weeks holiday abroad, it is because of my love of food and cookery that I naturally want to find out more about local dishes. One of the highlights for any foreign trip is finding out about local ingredients and trying new recipes. Highlights for me can be a visit to a local market or even a trip to the local supermarket, as these are often not huge monopolised, clones as we have in this country, but local, convenience stores packed with local fresh fruit and veg and toursity specialiaties from the region.

I love Italian food and it makes a regular appearance in the food I cook during the week, mainly because I love tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines and lots of meditterean veg anyway, but also because it quick, simple, tasty and satisfying - all the things you need from a mid-week evening meal.