The Italian Table - Italy - page 1847

Italian Menu 101
The cameriere (waiter) leads you to your table and hands you the menu. The scent of slow-
cooked ragù (meat and tomato sauce) lingers in the air and your stomach rumbles in anti-
cipation. Where might this culinary encounter lead you? Unfurl that tovagliolo (napkin),
lick those lips, and read on…
Tomatoes were not introduced to Italy until the 16th century, brought from the Americas. The
word 'pomodoro' literally means 'golden apple'.
Antipasti (Appetiser)
The culinary equivalent of foreplay, antipasti are a good way to sample a number of differ-
ent dishes. Tantalising offerings on the antipasti menu may include the house bruschetta
(grilled bread with a variety of toppings, from chopped tomato and garlic to black-truffle
spread) or regional treats like mozzarella di bufula (buffalo mozzarella) or salatini con
burro d'acciughe (pastry sticks with anchovy butter). Even if it's not on the menu, it's al-
ways worth requesting an antipastomisto (mixed antipasto), a platter of morsels including
anything from olive fritte (fried olives) and prosciutto e melone (cured ham and canta-
loupe) to friarielli con peperoncino (Neapolitan broccoli with chilli). At this stage, bread
(and sometimes grissini - Turin-style breadsticks) are also deposited on the table as part of
your €1 to €3 pane e coperto ('bread and cover' or table service).
Don't believe the hype about espresso: one diminutive cup packs less of a caffeine wallop than
a large cup of French-pressed or American-brewed coffee, and leaves drinkers less jittery.
Primo (First Course)
Starch is the star in Italian first courses, from pasta and gnocchi, to risotto and polenta. You
may be surprised how generous the portions are - a mezzo piatto (half-portion) might do
the trick for kids.
Primi menus usually include ostensibly vegetarian or vegan options, such as pasta con
pesto - the classic Ligurian basil paste with parmigiano reggiano (Parmesan) and pine nuts
- or alla norma (with basil, eggplant, ricotta and tomato), risotto ai porcini (risotto with
pungent, earthy porcini mushrooms) or the extravagant risotto al Barolo (risotto with high-