Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
at kiosks and street fairs for
fritole,
fried dough studded with golden raisins and sprinkled with confection-
ers' sugar, and
zeppole
(also called
bigné di San Giuseppe
), chewy doughnuts filled with ricotta or
zucca
(pumpkin), rolled in confectioners' sugar, and handed over in a paper cone to be devoured dangerously hot.
»
Viennoiserie
Italy's colonisation by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century had its upside: a
vast selection of sweet buns and other rich baked goods. Standouts include cream-filled brioches and
strudel
di mele,
an Italian adaptation of the traditional Viennese
apfelstrudel
.
Less is more: most of the recipes in Ada Boni's classic
The Talisman Italian Cookbook
have fewer
than 10 ingredients, yet the robust flavours of her osso bucco, polenta, and wild duck with len-
tils are anything but simple.
Lunch & Dinner
Italian food culture directly contradicts what we think we know of Italy. A nation prone to
perpetual motion with Vespas, Ferraris and Bianchis pauses for
pranzo
(lunch) - hence the
term
la pausa
to describe the midday break. In the cities, power-lunchers settle in at their
favourite
ristoranti
and trattorias, while in smaller towns and villages, workers often head
home for a two- to three-hour midday break, devouring a hot lunch and resting up before
returning to work fortified by espresso.
Where
la pausa
has been scaled back to a scandalous hour and a half - barely enough
time to get through the lines at the bank to pay bills and bolt some
pizza al taglio
(pizza
by the slice) -
rosticcerie
(rotisseries) or
tavole calde
(literally 'hot tables') keep the har-
ried sated with steamy, on-the-go options like roast chicken and
supplì
(fried risotto balls
with a molten mozzarella centre). Bakeries and bars are also on hand with focaccia
,pan-
ini
and
tramezzini
(triangular, stacked sandwiches made with squishy white bread) provid-
ing a satisfying bite.
Traditionally,
cena
(dinner) is lunch's lighter sibling and cries of 'Oh, I can hardly eat
anything tonight' are still common after a marathon weekend lunch. 'Maybe just a bowl
of pasta, a salad, some cheese and fruit…' Don't be fooled: even if you've been invited to
someone's house for a 'light dinner', wine and elastic-waisted pants are always advisable.
But while your Italian hosts may insist you devour one more cream-filled
cannolo
(surely you don't have them back home…and even if you did, surely they're not as
good?!), your waiter will usually show more mercy. Despite the Italians' 'more is more'
attitude to food consumption, restaurant diners are rarely obliged to order both a
primo
and
secondo,
and antipasti and dessert are strictly optional.
