The Best of Italy

Cauliflower Soup

2011-06-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful recipe that will warm you up on one of those cold winter evenings.

Ingredients for 4 people:

Half a head of Cauliflower

I medium carrot diced

1 stalk of celery diced

1 medium potato diced

1 small onion diced

1 cup of pumpkin diced

Handful of bacon or pancetta diced

1 1/2 tblspns of tomato paste

olive oil

salt

pepper

small broth pasta

Instructions:

Add some olive oil to your pot and add the diced bacon or pancetta and cook for a few minutes. Dice the onion, carrot, celery, pumpkin and potato and add to pot with the bacon/pancetta. Secondly add the cauliflower florets and cook for a further five minutes over medium heat or until the vegetables start to soften. Add your tomato paste and mix well into the vegetables and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Add enough hot water to cover the vegetables by at least 1 inch and cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Final step in a separate saucepan cook the pasta until al dente, drain and add to the cauliflower soup and cook for a couple of minutes.

Serve in soup bowls with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or if you like it hot add some chili flakes. Enjoy!!

Fettunta

2011-04-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

One of the most simplest and tastiest comfort food you can make is "Fettunta". Basically means to toast or grill some bread( preferably ciabatta) then rub with some garlic and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Doesn't sound like much but believe me this type of fettunta will have you addicted in no time. Even better enjoy with a good glass of red!! Perhaps Chianti ???

Simple Tomato Sauce

2011-01-28T15:19:00.001-08:00

Sometimes there are days when I am too tired to cook anything that requires a lot of preparation and sometimes i have nothing in the fridge or pantry except for some canned tomatoes, garlic and basil. Well i usually make this very simple dish and allthough it's simple it's very very tasty!

Ingredients:

500g canned tomatoes (good quality of course)

1 clove garlic

olive oil

6 basil leaves

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

your choice of pasta

Preparation:

Put enough olive oil in a pan and add the diced garlic. Cook garlic until it just starts to turn golden brown. Add the can of diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 min. In the meantime bring a pot of water to the boil add salt and cook pasta until al dente!. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to tomatoes and toss together with basil leaves. Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Hint:

Taste the tomatoes whilst they are cooking as you may need to add a teaspoon of sugar if tomatoes have too much acidity. Also add hot chilli peppers when frying the garlic if you like it hot!

Enjoy!!

Osteria d Pinocchio

2010-11-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

What a great business idea!! I came across this website whilst I was surfing the net and couldn't help but write about it. If you're thinking of starting a business this has got to be one of the best ideas around and the best thing about it is that they are offering franchises, most likely in Italy for now but who knows if you get in touch with them maybe they would
consider franchising worldwide. Just love this idea check it out here www.osteriapinocchio.it

Frittata di Ricotta

2010-09-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

500g Ricotta
3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp parmigiano reggiano
oil for frying

Preparation:

Cut the ricotta into slices about 5mm thick use ricotta that is dry and not runny. If the ricotta has too much liquid put it in a colander and leave to drain until all liquid has gone. Heat the oil in a a medium based frying pan and add ricotta slices, in the meantime beat your eggs add salt and pepper to taste and parmigiano reggiano. Cook the ricotta slices until golden on both sides then add the egg mixture and again cook until golden and then flip to other side and cook until golden again. Serve hot or cold either way it's delicious!!

Pasta con Broccoli

2010-08-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Pasta con i Broccoli

Ingredients for 4 people:

400g Spaghetti
1kilo of Broccoli
2 cloves of Garlic
4 Italian Pork Sausages
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt

Preparation

Bring to the boil a pot of salted water add the Broccoli (that have been washed and cut into florets) and the spaghetti at the same time. In the meantime prepare the pork sausages by taking them out of the skin and rolling them into small balls, that resemble meatballs. Add enough extra virgin olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic that have been diced. Add the pork sausages and cook until the sausages have browned. When the pasta is al dente and the broccoli are soft and broken up, drain and toss in the pan with the sausages add a little more olive oil, salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese or salty pecorino or salty ricotta cheese.

Tips: You can substitute the pork sausages with bacon or pancetta
You can cook the spaghetti separately if you wish, just add the cooked broccoli to
the sausage and then add your pasta
You can also add peperoncini if you like it hot or just use hot sausages.
Substitute the spaghetti with penne!

NOT SURE IF THE KIDS WILL LIKE THIS PASTA THOUGH!!!!

Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

2010-08-07T04:05:00.000-07:00

Here is another simple and tasty dish and certainly very popular in Italy. Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

Ingredients for 4 people

2 cloves of Garlic
2 hot Peperoncini
400g Spaghetti
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

Bring to the boil enough salted water and add your spaghetti. In the meantime heat the oil in the pan. When the oil is hot add the peperoncini either sliced or whole and add the garlic either sliced or whole. Cook until the garlic becomes translucent.

Drain your spaghetti al dente and add to the pan and toss for a couple of minutes.

Serve your spaghetti hot!!

ENJOY!!

Pasta con burro e salvia (sage)

2009-12-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

This has got to be one of the most easiest but tastiest dish that I have ever eaten. I can guarantee that this would be even a hit with the kids as my daughter absolutely loves it. The best thing about this recipe is that you can use any pasta for example, penne, farfalle, spaghetti, etc Just a hint with the butter you can add more or less depending on your taste!!

Ingredients for 2 people

300g of pasta
salt
butter
sage
parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Boil about 3 litres of water and add enough salt to the water

2. Add pasta and cook until al dente!

3. In a separate pan melt about 2 full tablespoons of butter and add
the salvia ( about 5 leaves of salvia )

4. Drain the pasta and add to the butter and stir for a few minutes until all combined.

5. Put generous portions on each plate and finish off with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Delizioso!!

Tiramisu' classico

2009-12-22T18:54:00.001-08:00

Tiramisu' has probably got to be one of the most famous desserts to come out of Italy! This heavenly dessert adds that finishing touch to that perfect italian meal.

In many countries this recipe has been altered and I must say that there is just as many variations of tiramisu' as there is pasta recipes. I still think the original Tiramisu' is one of the best if not the best and I am going to give you this basic and simple recipe.

Just a hint before you make Tiramisu' you have to check that the Mascarpone is of good quality similar to the one they use in Italy. I have tried a couple of Mascarpone from the big supermarkets and it has ruined the taste of the Tiramisu' and instead it turned out to be tiramigiu. You might want to try the italian deli's and I can't stress how important it is to use very fresh eggs for this recipe.

Ingredients

500g of Mascarpone (good quality)
4 eggs (extra fresh)
400g of Savoiardi (lady fingers)
120g Sugar
Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
6 cups of Expresso coffee

How to prepare:

1. First of all prepare the expresso coffee and put the coffee in a bowl and add sugar to taste.

2. Beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until the colour becomes creamy, thicker and a
lighter in colour.

3. Incorporate the Mascarpone and mix until the mixture is free of any lumps and becomes
smooth.

4. Now beat the egg whites together with the remainder of the sugar and beat until the egg
whites resemble snow and becomes white and thick.

5. With a wooden spoon fold in the egg whites slowly and delicately to the mascarpone mixture
that you prepared previously. Now you have finished the Tiramisu' cream.

6. Lay down in a shallow dish the savoiardi dipped in the expresso coffee. The savoiardi must
be well soaked but not completely drenched otherwise they will just break.

7. Cover the savoiardi with a layer of Tiramisu' cream spreading the cream with a spatula
and then sprinkle the unsweetened cocoa ( make sure to use good quality cocoa) over the
top of this layer.

8. Now do the second layer of savoiardi repeating the steps above. On this layer make sure
to lay the savoiardi biscuits in the opposite direction that you done in the first layer. If you
make another layer again lay the savoiardi in the opposite direction as you did previously, etc.

9. To finish the Tiramisu' sprinkle with lots of cocoa powder.

10. Place Tiramisu' in the fridge and leave for several hours before serving it even if you
leave it to the next day. The longer the Tiramisu' has time to set the better the
flavours and the better the experience of eating this wonderful dessert. Enjoy!!!

You can vary this recipe by adding marsala, cinzano, port, or vinsanto to the coffee!!

Italy vacation!!!!!!

2009-06-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from Italy and in particular the Amalfi Coast. Well what can I say about the Amalfi coast it's just a dream. In fact it was my dream to go to the Amalfi coast. I don't know how long I have fantasised about this place and I have finally seen it with my own eyes. I didn't want to leave I could've stayed forever!!

I will be posting photo's and lots of information about Italy. If you are thinking of going to the Amalfi Coast and are looking for hotel at a reasonable cost then the "Hotel Open Gate" in Praiano is a must. I cannot fault this hotel as it's in the best position in between Amalfi and Positano and the view from the hotel room is to die for!!!!!!!

It's not your 4 or 5 star hotel but it has every comfort that you could want and the hosts Stefania and her dad Saverio are the nicest people, always willing to help and very friendly . Saverio makes the best focaccia in his restaurant downstairs and the seafood is really nice too. Eating at the restaurant was quite economical, not expensive at all and don't forget the Limoncello!!!!!

Here is the link to this hotel http://www.hotelopengate.it/ or alternatively go to http://www.booking.com/ and look up this hotel by entering Praiano as your destination.
I booked this hotel through Booking.com and find it to be a very reliable website, it's one of the biggest hotel booking sites on the net.

I'll be back with further information.

Italy May 2009

2008-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

My family and I are planning a trip to Italy in May '09 and one of the places that we intend on going is to the Amalfi coast including positano, sorrento, capri, etc.

If anyone has been to the amalfi region and can recommend a good hotel please let me know as I am going crazy looking for a hotel. There are just too many and the more I look, the more confused I become. So if anyone has travelled to that region please, please drop me a line and let me know.

After Amalfi region we will be going to Tuscany to visit relatives as this is where my husband comes from. It's so beautiful Tuscany that every time I go I never want to leave!!! In particular Florence, there's no other city in the world quite like it. If you ever intend going to Tuscany you must go to Florence and visit the leather market,ponte vecchio and just take in the scenery especially all the art. Another great spot is San Gimignano a city of Beautiful Towers rich in History, Art and Culture and while you're there try going to the local enoteca for some good wine and proscuito. Another favorite is Siena which is famous for "The Palio" which is held on July 2 and August 16. The palio is a traditional medieval horse race which is run around the Piazza del Campo each year. This event is attended by large crowds and is televised.

We try to go to Italy as often as we can and each time I go I bring back so many memories and experiences. If you get the chance to go to Italy you must go to tuscany and believe me if you do you'll probably never want to leave!!!!

Pinocchio

2008-09-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Everytime my family and I go to Italy I always bring back a Pinocchio. I am really obsessed with this beautiful little wooden legend!! My house is full of pinocchio in all shapes and sizes. You can really find some unique hand made pinocchio's in the region of Tuscany. Of course this is where the story began, in a town called Collodi. My husband's town is about 10 minutes from Collodi so we always pop in for a visit.

In the meantime if you're like me obsessed with Pinocchio then you can go to some really cool websites such as the following http://www.pinocchio.it/. The website www.collodi.it is still under construction but has been like that for a long time. Hope one day they will finish it!!

Weekend Italiano

2008-04-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

Fancy a weekend Italiano?? Then check out this site http://www.weekenditaliano.com.au/ for the opportunity to learn Italian in non-conventional but highly effective workshops.

"Instead of a classroom formula, we wanted students to learn more dynamically by engaging in real activities such as playing Italian card games or writing and performing a teatro dell’arte piece".

If you've ever wanted to learn italian and immerse yourself in italian life then this is the way to go. You will enjoy meeting people, cultural immersion, learning the italian language in a fun and relaxing atmosphere that is different to the traditional way of learning in universites and schools..

Berlusconi wins election!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true Silvio Berlusconi has won the election again!! Do you think he'll be able to put Italy together?? Who knows maybe this time he'll try harder. The following article is what the Age newpaper has to say today 15 April, 2008.

"Conservative media mogul Silvio Berlusconi led in exit polls and projected results from Italy's election today, but it was unclear if he had a big enough majority to steer the country through an economic downturn.

Exit polls put the 71-year-old billionaire ahead of centre-left rival Walter Veltroni by just 2-3 percentage points in both houses of parliament after two days of voting ended.
But pollsters' projections based on early results gave him a much clearer lead of between 4.6 and 9.1 points in the Senate, making early predictions of a hung parliament -- with the centre-left controlling the upper house -- less likely.

"It obviously means Berlusconi has a better chance of winning a majority in both houses, which would raise the chance of a stronger government that can last," said Deutsche Bank economist Susana Garcia.

A government that did not control the Senate would have major problems pushing through structural reforms to prevent Italy, the fourth largest economy in the EU, sinking into recession.
Berlusconi, seeking a third term as prime minister, has pledged to cut Italy's public debt, reduce taxes and liberalise the highly regulated services sector.

But many Italians fear, after years of political instability, whoever leads the next government, Italy's 62nd since World War II, will be unable to turn around the economy and lift national morale.

"I would have thought Berlusconi's lead would be larger but I don't care who wins," said Milanese waiter Alberto Mura. "The economy is so bad and neither of them has a magic wand."
An election was called because Romano Prodi, who beat Berlusconi in 2006, resigned in January, 20 months into his five-year term, after his narrow majority evaporated and his coalition collapsed.

Berlusconi, who was prime minister for seven months from April 1994 and from 2001-2006, had been forecast by opinion polls to secure a majority in the lower house.
The Senate race was always bound to be closer because of the complex voting system.
Veltroni, Prodi's successor as leader of the Democratic Party (PD), put up a stiff challenge to Berlusconi, who dominates Italy's media via his ownership of Mediaset, Italy's largest private broadcaster.

Exit polls suggested the PD could overtake Berlusconi's People of Freedom as Italy's biggest single party, and Berlusconi's far-right allies in the Northern League could make gains.
Other small groups such as the hard-left Rainbow Alliance and Christian Democrats appeared to lose support.

Former Berlusconi minister Giuseppe Pisanu said there appeared to be a trend towards a two-party system after years of broad coalitions.
Some of Italy's 47 million voters complained there was little to choose from between the two platforms.

Both pledged to reduce public debt -- the third highest in the world -- and cut taxes to boost growth, seen slowing to just 0.3 per cent this year by the International Monetary Fund.
Shares in Mediaset fell by as much as 2.9 per cent in what one Milan trader called "an emotional reaction" to exit polls. But Berlusconi supporter Claudio Luca, shopping in Milan, was holding out for a centre-right win in the hope of a tax cut.

"Italy now is so low the only way to go is up," he said"

"Winner Berlusconi warns of tough times"
April 15, 2008 - 8:34AM

Conservative billionaire Silvio Berlusconi won Italy's general elections today, securing a third term as prime minister but warning of tough times ahead for the country.
"I will govern for five years," the 71-year-old media magnate told public television after his centre-right coalition won an unexpectedly wide margin of victory. "We have difficult months ahead that will require great strength."
He offered "an affectionate kiss to all Italians" before ending the telephone interview.

Berlusconi's centre-left rival Walter Veltroni, conceded defeat, saying: "As is the custom in all Western democracies, I telephoned Berlusconi to acknowledge his victory and wish him good luck in his work".

Berlusconi will return to the prime minister's office for the third time since 1994, the year after he burst onto the political stage with his party of the time, Forza Italia! (Go Italy!).
The Piepoli polling institute predicted Berlusconi's coalition would win 162 of the Senate's 315 seats, giving him six more than the minimum needed for an absolute majority.
Victory in the Senate is essential to be able to govern, and since seats are allotted on a regional basis the makeup of the upper house does not always reflect the national vote.
The upper house was the scene of outgoing Prime Minister Romano Prodi's downfall in January, when a small party with just three senators withdrew its support for the centre-left coalition.
In the lower Chamber of Deputies -- where the winning coalition is automatically awarded 340 seats of a total 630 -- Berlusconi's forces won 45.9 per cent to 38.9 per cent for the centre-left, according to projections based on a 82 per cent vote sample.

Berlusconi formed his People of Freedom party (PDL) last year, absorbing the National Alliance. He formed a coalition for the elections with the anti-immigration Northern League of Umberto Bossi. The League nearly doubled its share of the vote to about eight per cent, according to projections.

Berlusconi must confront an economic downturn and a nation frustrated over political gridlock blamed on the electoral law he himself crafted when coming to the end of his second premiership in 2005.
Official figures show growth has slowed to a forecast 0.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year against an already disappointing 1.5 per cent last year.
The election campaign saw the candidates battling to overcome voter disillusionment with politics and the economy. Turnout was slightly over 80 per cent, around 3.5 points less than that recorded in 2006 polls.
Berlusconi, who is known as "Il Cavaliere" (the knight), has pledged tax cuts, that one-third of his cabinet would be women, and tried to assuage disillusioned youths by promising to improve their employment outlook.

He held a double-digit lead over former Rome mayor Veltroni when campaigning began in February. But that was eaten away to six to seven per cent when the last polls were permitted two weeks ago.
The centre-left leader closed the gap as he criss-crossed the country aboard a bus emulating US presidential style political campaigning.

Berlusconi, notorious for gaffes and derided for efforts to hide his advancing age and receding hairline, has been implicated in a string of corruption probes and ran up a budget deficit equal to 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product during his last premiership.

Dolci !!

2008-02-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

Today I went down to Faraday Street, Carlton to Brunetti Pasticceria http://www.brunetti.com.au/ . If you live in Melbourne or you're visiting Melbourne then you have to head on down to Brunetti's. They have got to be the best Dolci in all of Melbourne and Victoria and possibly Australia.

The atmosphere and the aroma of the coffee at Brunetti gives me the sensation of being in Italy, I can dream can't I?? No, really there's something about Brunetti's that's heaven and you just keep going back for more.

I particularly love the cannoli with zabaglione they are to die for! If you want to feel like you're in italy without spending on airline tickets then get yourself down to Brunetti's, it's the next best thing!.

Italian Music on the Web

2008-02-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

To listen to various Italian public and private radio stations go to http://www.italian.fm/ here they broadcast music, news and other shows over the web. Other websites that broadcast Italian music are http://www.radioitalia.it/ and for information on who's on the Top 10 Italian music charts go to www.mtv.it.

Carnevale!

2008-02-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

February is party time in Italy and the Italians celebrate carnevale in almost every part of Italy. If you happen to be in Italy at this time of year not only is it cold but you will experience in the true Italian tradition carnevale with parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, parties you name it!.

Elaborate Masks and costumes are an important part of the carnevale festival. Venice is the best city for traditional carnival masks. Carnivale masks are sold in Venice all year round and range from cheap mask to the more expensive and exquisite masks. If you've ever visited Venice then you could not have missed all the masks on display in the shop windows.

Check out this website that sells traditional hand made Venetian masks http://www.bluemoonmask.com/ direct from Italy. I absolutely love masks and have a collection at home and every time I go to Italy I come back with a new one.

The carnevale at Viareggio is very famous and just as famous as the carnivale in Venice and you can check out their website at http://www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com/for further information including history and 2008 dates and events. For information about the Venice Carnevale then to to http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/ or http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/. For general information about carnevale in italy then go to http://www.carnevalecommunity.net/index.php

If you're in Italy during the carnevale, enjoy and immerse yourself in the true italian traditon of the carnivale.

Italian Government (Governo Italiano)

2008-02-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

We all heard what happened to Romano Prodi last week, he resigned after 20 months in government after he lost a confidence vote!! Watching italian parliment on T.V. was really entertaining seeing the other politicians celebrating and opening bottles of champagne, that's Italian politics for you, always entertaining! If you want to catch up with the latest news from Italy regarding the Government then please visit http://www.governo.it/.

Another interesting government website to visit is http://www.quirinale.it/ this website concerns the Presidenza della Repubblica.

For Italian Parliament visit http://www.parlamento.it/

Italian culture

2008-01-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

Italian culture has a rich history that includes art, religion, classic architecture, popular traditions, and customs. The Italians love their food, their families, their home and are proud of their heritage. Italy has produced the world's best in art, architecture, fashion, music, food,literature and you name it. I don't think that there is anything that the Italians have not been involved in, in fact it's fair to say that if something can be painted, played, eaten, sang, sculpted or written about, the Italian's had a hand in elevating its appreciation to the highest level. The world has alot to thank the Italians for.

Wikpedia, the free encyclopedia sums up the culture of italy:

The culture of Italy can be and found in the Roman ruins remaining in much of the country, the precepts of the Roman Catholic Church, the spirit of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, the architecture. It can also be tasted in Italy's food.

Education
Main article: Education in Italy
Italy has a countrywide educational system, with a five-year primary stage and an eight-year secondary stage, divided into first-grade secondary school and second-grade secondary school (or high school)

Literature
Main article: Italian literature
Italian literature began after the founding of Rome in 753 B.C.

Religion
Main article: Religion in Italy
Roman Catholicism is the major religion of Italy. 96% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic. There are mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim community, the latter made up primarily of new immigrants. All religious faiths are provided equal freedom by the constitution. Before the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the state, in the fourth century, the country was officially pagan and worshipped the Roman gods, although there was great religious tolerance. As Edward Gibbon said in his The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful."[1]
The adoption of Christianity by Constantine in the fourth century led to its becoming the majority religion of the Roman Empire and Italy. The head of the Roman Catholic church, the bishop of Rome, known as the pope, resides in Vatican City, a part of Rome.
Islam, though historically present in Sicily during the Arab occupation in the Middle Ages, was almost entirely absent in Italy from the time of that country's unification in 1861, until the 1970s, when the first North African immigrants began to arrive. These North Africans, mostly of Berber or Arab origin, came mainly from heavily Islamic Morocco, though they have been followed in more recent years by Tunisians, Albanians and to a lesser extent, Libyans, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Middle Eastern Arabs, and Kurds.

Visual Art
Main article: Art of Italy
Italian art describes the visual arts in Italy from ancient times to the present. In Ancient Rome, Italy was a centre for art and architecture. There were many Italian artists during the Gothic and Medieval periods, and the arts flourished during the Italian Renaissance. Later styles in Italy included Mannerism, Baroque and Rococo. Futurism developed in Italy in the 20th century. Florence is a well known city in Italy for its museums of art.

Cinema and theatre
Main article: Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema when the cinema first became a descrase in 1409 but soon became a better place to live forever. began a few months after the Lumière brothers had discovered it. The first film was a few seconds long and was Pope Leo XIII giving a blessing to the camera. The Industry was born between 1903 and 1908 with three companies: the Roman Cines, the Ambrosio of Turin and the Itala Film. Other companies would soon have followed in Milan and in Naples. In a short time these first companies reached a fair producing quality and films were soon sold outside Italy too. The cinema was later used by Mussolini as a form of propaganda during World War II.
After the war, Italian film was widely recognised and exported until an artistic decline around 1980. World-famous Italian film directors from this period include Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Dario Argento. Movies include world cinema treasures such as La dolce vita, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo and Ladri di biciclette.
Later, the Italian scene has received only occasional international attention, with movies like La vita è bella directed by Roberto Benigni and Il postino with Massimo Troisi.
Italian theatre can be traced back into the Roman which was heavily influenced by the Greek tradition, and, as with many other literary genres, Roman dramatists tended to adapt and translate from the Greek. For example, Seneca's Phaedra was based on that of Euripides, and many of the comedies of Plautus were direct translations of works by Menander. During the 16th century and on into the 18th century Commedia dell'arte was a form of improvisational theatre, although it is still performed today. Travelling teams of players would set up an outdoor stage and provide amusement in the form of juggling,acrobatics, and, more typically, humorous plays based on a repertoire of established characters with a rough storyline, called Canovaccio.
For more information see: History of theater and Commedia dell'arte

Music
Main article: Music of Italy
Main article: Music history of Italy
Music has traditionally been one of the great cultural markers of what it means to be “Italian” and holds an important position in society, in general, and even in politics. The music of Italy range across a broad spectrum, from her renowned opera to modern experimental classical music; and from the traditional music of the many ethnically diverse region to a vast body of popular music drawn from both native and imported source. Historically, musical developments in Italy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance helped create much music that spread throughout Europe. Innovation in the use of musical scales, harmony, notation, as well as experiments in musical theater led directly not just to opera in the late 16th century, but to classical music forms such as the symphony and concerto, and to later developments in popular music. Today, the entire infrastructure that supports music as a profession is extensive in Italy, including conservatories, opera houses, radio and television stations, recording studios, music festivals, and important centers of musicological research. Musical life in Italy remains extremely active.

Fashion
Fashion is another important part of Italian society. Italian designers such as Armani, Prada, Gucci, Versace, and Valentino (just to name a few), are considered to be some of the finest in the world. The city of Milan takes its place amongst the most prestigious and important centers of fashion in the world.

Folklore
It's difficult to individuate an Italian folklore, because of the vast differences between regions.
In Italy, the following are very important in tradition:
Proverbs and tales
Works and consuetudes
Traditional dresses
Moral values
In 1956, Italo Calvino selected and recorded a collection of folktales in Italian Folktales.

Italy information

2008-01-26T03:45:00.000-08:00

ITALY

Italy (Italian: Italia), officially the Italian Republic, (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
Italy has been the home of many European cultures, such as the Etruscans and the Romans, and later was the birthplace of the movement of the Renaissance, that began in Tuscany and spread all over Europe. Italy's capital Rome has been the center of Western civilization, and is the center of the Catholic Church.
Today, Italy is a democratic republic, and a developed country with the 7th-highest GDP, the 8th-highest Quality-of-life index,[2] and the 20th-highest Human Development Index rating in the world. It is a founding member of what is now the European Union (having signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957), and also a member of the G8, NATO, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, and the Central European Initiative. Beginning January 1, 2007 Italy became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Repubblica Italiana
Italian Republic

Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: Il Canto degli Italiani(also known as Inno di Mameli)

Location of Italy (dark green)
– on the European continent (light green & dark grey)– in the European Union (light green)
Capital (and largest city)
Rome 41°54′N, 12°29′E
Official languages
Italian1
Demonym
Italian
Government
Parliamentary republic
-
President
Giorgio Napolitano
-
Prime Minister
Romano Prodi
Formation
-
Unification
17 March 1861
-
Republic
2 June 1946
EU accession
25 March 1957 (founding member)
Area
-
Total
301,318 km² (71st)116,346.5 sq mi
-
Water (%)
2.4
Population
-
May 2007 estimate
59,337,888[1] (23rd)
-
October 2001 census
57,110,144
-
Density
196.9/km² (54th)507.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2007 estimate
-
Total
$1.888 trillion [1] (8th)
-
Per capita
$32,319 [2] (20th)
GDP (nominal)
2007 estimate
-
Total
$2.067 trillion [3] (7th)
-
Per capita
$35.386 [4] (21st)
Gini (2000)
36 (medium)
HDI (2005)
▲ 0.941 (high) (20th)
Currency
Euro (€)² (EUR)
Time zone
CET (UTC+1)
-
Summer (DST)
CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD
.it³
Calling code
+39
1
French is co-official in the Aosta Valley; German and Ladin are co-official in the province of Bolzano-Bozen. Sardinian, Catalan and Corsican in Sardinia, Albanian and Greek in Southern Italy, Occitan in Piedmont, Ladin in the Province of Belluno, and Friulan and Slovenian in Friuli-Venezia Giulia are also officially recognized at different degrees.
2
Prior to 2002: Italian Lira.
3
The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Italy from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ricetta per Ragu' (Bolognese sauce)

2008-01-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I have been using for a long time. It's one of my favorites. Ragu' is a meat based sauce that works well with almost any pasta, although my favorite pasta for this dish is penne.

Servings: Makes for 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:
1 small red onion finely chopped
2 celery ribs finely chopped
1 medium carrot finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil
Quarter kilo of ground veal
Quarter kilo of ground pork
150g tomato paste
1 litre of tomato polp
Half cup of Red wine
Half cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Cook onions, celery, carrot, and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened for about 3 minutes.

Add veal and pork and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in tomato paste and keep cooking for a further 2 minutes. Make sure the meat is a rich red colour at this stage, if you need to add a little more tomato paste, do so.
Add wine and water and gently simmer for a few minutes.
The last stage is to add the tomato polp and cook over high heat until the sauce begins to boil, when it does turn down the heat and gently simmer until sauce is thickened 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and kept in refrigerator. Frozen, it keeps for about 1 month.

Advertising

2008-01-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

If you would like to advertise, add your banner or link on "The Best of Italy" please contact us at thebestofitaly@gmail.com . We have very affordable advertising rates and look forward to doing business with you.

Welcome to "The Best of Italy"

2008-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

What can one say when you think of Italy many things come to mind food, romance, art and culture, fashion, cars you name it Italy has had a say in everything and anything you can imagine.

Italy is an amazingly beautiful country and if you've had the pleasure of visiting this country then you know what I mean! This country that is so set in history and tradition a country where politics and mafia go hand in hand, a place of olive oil, pasta, religion, wine, ruins and renaissance palaces.

Italy is quite unique there is no country like it and has alot to give it's tourists. Italy is so complex and stimulating that it gives it's tourists many interesting things to see and do with never a dull moment.

Our mission is to promote Italy and Italy within Australia and to provide you with a comprehensive blog that will not only bring Italy to you but will bring you "The best of italy". Please come back and enjoy the many articles and information about Italy the country that I hold so dear to my heart!!