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COOKING

of Parma and Reggio nell’Emilia where

it is produced. Aged at least two years,

Parmigiano-Reggiano has a nutty, earthy

flavor. Use the rind in soups and sauces to

add flavor. Parmesan is the key ingredient in

Alfredo, a mixture of butter, cream and freshly

grated cheese served with fettuccine for a

grown-up’s versions of macaroni and cheese.

Pecorino is the name given to all Italian

cheeses made from sheep’s milk. (The name

comes from “pecora” — the Italian word

for sheep.) Younger versions are softer

and whiter; aged versions develop a brittle,

hard texture and a yellowish rind. Pecorino

Romano is traditionally made in Sardinia.

Originally from southern Italy’s Basilicata

region, provolone is now also made in

northern Italy. The younger version of this

cow’s milk cheese has a pale-to-golden-

yellow rind, firm texture and mild, tangy

flavor. As the cheese ages and ripens, the

color deepens to a richer yellow and the

flavor grows stronger. Young and aged

provolone are both sometimes smoked.

Creamy ricotta is rich, fresh, slightly sweet

cheese made from whey, a by-product of the

cheese-making process. It can be made with

sheep, cow, goat or water buffalo milk whey.

The texture is similar to cottage cheese.

Taleggio is a type of rind-less Italian cow’s-

milk cheese known as a stracchino.

It comes from the Lombardy region,

where it’s been made since at least the 10th

century. Taleggio has a semi-soft texture.

Younger versions are milder and often sweet

and nutty; aged versions are richer.

GUANCIALE & PANCETTA

Carbonara

, a classic Roman sauce made

with cheese, eggs and pasta water, is the

creamiest of the Italian sauces, despite

having no actual cream in it. The trick to

this sauce is using authentic ingredients

like Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-

Reggiano and

guanciale

, which is made

with cured pork cheek or jowl (the word

guancia

means “cheek” in Italian).

Pancetta

sometimes used as an acceptable substitute

for the fattier guanciale. Pancetta is often

referred to as Italian bacon. Both are made

with the

pancia

or belly of the pig, and both

need to be cooked before eating. But while

bacon is smoked, pancetta is salted and

spiced with pepper, fennel seeds, coriander,

rosemary and juniper berries, then air cured.

The Italian Garden

BASIL

— Italian sweet basil is the main

ingredient in pesto, the traditional Geno-

ese sauce made with garlic and pine nuts.

BEETS

— Sweet, earthy, meaty beets are

one of Italy’s largest crops. They add great

color to risotto, a northern Italian rice dish

usually served

a primo.

BITTER GREENS

— Cooking local favor-

ites like mustard, turnip and collard, and

Italian rapini (or broccoli rabe) with Italian

olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes helps

remove their bitterness.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

— Though they’re

named for Brussels where they were first

widely cultivated, these sprouts date back to

ancient Rome. Great roasted with olive oil

and pancetta (Italian bacon).

CITRUS

— New Orleans was once

the second biggest port for the Sicilian

citrus fruit trade in the United States.

Lemons add brightness to seafood, chicken

and veal

Milanese

and are the crucial

ingredient in

piccata

, a pan sauce made with

white wine and capers.

FENNEL

— Fennel seeds add flavor to

Italian sausage, but all parts of this licorice-

flavored member of the parsley family are

edible. The raw bulb is sweet and crisp but

mellows and softens with cooking.

FIGS

— Fresh figs have grown wild in Sicily

since the earliest times. They’re perfect

paired with prosciutto, an Italian ham.

GARLIC

— Garlic is far more popular in

Italian American cooking than Italian

cooking — you can’t make Mosca’s

Chicken á la Grande,

cacciatore

or Shrimp

Mosca without it.

EGGPLANTS

— Eggplant Parmesan is one

of the classic dishes of southern Italy. Use

salt to remove some of the bitterness before

making a parm or fried eggplant. Slice and

layer in a colander, sprinkling each layer

with coarse salt.The salt will extract some of

the liquid making them less bitter and keep

them from absorbing too much oil when

they cook.

TOMATOES

— More than 300 varieties of

tomatoes are grown in Italy. You can use any

type of ripe tomato for Caprese, a salad of

fresh tomato slices, mozzarella, basil and

olive oil.

PUMPKIN & SQUASH

— The English

zucchini actually comes from

zucca

the

Italian word for pumpkins, gourds and

squash. Try zucca in

risotto

or grate and add

gnocchi