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Home , Mixed grill, Summer pudding, Wiener Schnitzel

KEEP TALKING VIA ROMA 60 UDINE The Definite Article S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I S S U E 3 5 DECEMBER 2011 INTEREST:

 Regional  World Pitina, a regional speciality by Alessandro Franco  A quiz to test your knowledge of British food The Pitina is a nugget of should be stored in a cool, the alpine region above the smoked originally from dry place, away from light and western plains of Friuli, in the  Some language Tramonti di Sopra, where it heat. territory between the Tagliamento tips used to be made exclusively and Piave rivers, a production area  A word from Kip from sheep, goats, or wild which is limited to only three mountain grazers such as roe valleys: the Valcellina, a winding  Prize Article! deer and chamois. gorge, Val Colvera, a fascinating To prepare it, the meat is cut canyon with vertical walls, and the into small pieces and then stunning Val Tramontina. These minced. The mixture is then places are still wild and unspoilt, I N S I D E mixed with sea salt or rock now an ideal place for lovers of THIS ISSUE: salt, pepper, garlic, wine and trekking, mountaineering and herbs, including juniper, paragliding, but where once life Pitina 1 cumin, fennel, marjoram and Pitina was very hard, and survival could Austrian 2 rosemary. The mixture is depend on what one had in the Food then formed into spherical The taste is intense and pantry. balls about 10 cm in characteristically smoky, Pitina tastes great by itself, served Entertaining 2 diameter, which are pressed strong but pleasant. Once with sauerkraut, brovada, potatoes Friends and then coated in cornmeal. dried and stored they can be or beans, but it can also become Then follows the phase of eaten cooked, after at least the basic ingredient of many other I Love Food 3 , which can last up to 15 days, or raw, after at least dishes. It is used to flavour soups and Food four days, using the smoke three weeks. Outside their or risottos and seasoned potato Loves Me from the burning of sawdust color can vary from golden to dumplings. The patina is browned or wood that can be beech, very dark brown, depending in a pan with salt and pepper, then A Peruvian 4 hazel or hornbeam. The on the length of ripening. mixed with an egg and stale nuggets are then dried. This Inside the color ranges from soaked in water to make gnocchi, A Vegetarian 5 phase can last from two to bright red to burgundy, with which can be cooked in salted eight days. Finally we pass to the outer layer darker due to water and served simply with Future the maturing, which lasts for exposure to the air. melted butter and grated smoked A Taste of 5 a minimum period of eight Today it is still produced in ricotta. Other days. Once dried, the pitina the province of Pordenone, in Cultures In Praise of 6 English Food Food Art 6 Kip Talking Food as 7 Culture, I think I will have to admit Saturday evening: made sloe lemon thyme (perfect with fish). Food as that, as the years go by and gin (a delicious liqueur) and Sunday afternoon: made Language as the kilos go on, food and went out for dinner with smoked bacon/truffle paté A Festive 7 drink are an important part friends (excellent cooks). (forget that diet) and rosehip of my life. This was last Sunday morning: made syrup (rich in vitamin C!). Autumn 7 weekend - mango (great with Food Saturday lunchtime: went Indian poppadoms or So I am really looking forward My Love of 8 into the country and picked ). to reading all the articles which Asian Food sloes (a kind of berry). Sunday lunchtime: went for a Emma has chosen for this Saturday afternoon: went walk on the beautiful Carso edition of the Definite Article. shopping for food. and picked rosehips and

P A G E 2 Austrian Food by Milena Serra

I was brought up with the that even though I agree well-browned and tender. absurd idea that Italian my with parents about the Moreover, they use some food is the best in the high quality of Italian wonderfully tasty spices world. My , I don’t share their mixture that are the icing parents taught prejudices towards foreign on the cake! me that when food or its taste. When I I still remember the you go abroad go abroad I enjoy sampling extraordinary “mixed grill you cannot the local cuisine and for two” that my husband expect to eat usually I really appreciate it and I ate during a short satisfactorily, - but I must admit I’ve holiday in Millstatt: an you just need to never tasted English food! enormous dish with lots of adapt and be As my journeys to everything, where content with became more frequent, everything means four what you get. probably because of the different types of meat, The perfect low prices during the ski Frankfurters and Wiener example was season, I quickly got tired on a bed of fries, nearby Austria, of Wiener Schnitzel and boiled rice, mushroom There’s more to where you absolutely began trying new dishes. I sauce, vegetables and even Austrian food than could not expect to eat discovered a new world! ! It was all delicious. Wiener Schnitzel! well, they said! As a Usually I’m not very fond My husband ate a lot and consequence of these of meat, especially of me too (I was pregnant, so repeated lessons, the first grilled meat, because in I could eat much more times I travelled to Austria either you get it rare, than usual), but we I didn’t venture beyond a which doesn’t suit my couldn’t manage to clear “Wiener Schnitzel mit taste, or you get it tough. the plate. More than a “Receiving guests Pommes frites”, which is Austrian cooks know the dish for two, it could also one of the most popular incredible knack of be considered a mixed grill means organizing dishes you can find there. perfectly roasting meat, for four! As I grew up, I realized that’s at the same time their life for three

days… but you don’t

know if you will be

able to satisfy their Entertaining Friends by Maurizio Costantini appetite.”

world means mozzarella that I finished organizing their life for off with aromatic olive oil three days. You know and basil. The soup them, so you know what produced a relaxing their cultural necessities atmosphere and the guests are. You know which are recovered their good the best sites to visit, but mood and their lost you don’t know if you will strength. We completed be able to satisfy their the meal with a sweet appetite. homemade fruit I cooked a vegetable soup, paired with a typical white a nice hot dish for friends wine from Friuli. A warming winter who had driven for four We all spent a wonderful It was a very pleasant and hours through the fog in weekend together!! table. incredibly busy the heavy traffic. They weekend…. appreciated it more than Receiving guests and the classic cold dish with welcoming them into your salad and tomatoes with

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE I S S U E 3 5 P A G E 3

I Love Food and Food Loves Me by Marzia Molino

I travel a lot for work and so, sometimes with mushrooms, of course, I have tried different they drink beans or chestnuts. In cuisines from around the sake, tea and, winter, “polenta” and world - Bulgaria, Romania, less often, game. Croatia, Austria, Germany, beer. Usually Algeria, Syria, Morocco, they leave the My favourite Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, and restaurant restaurants. P so on. They’ve all been great very quickly What can I say about experiences to remember, to because they Fruit and rice in an Asian my favourite R repeat and sometimes to eat very fast. restaurant restaurants? First of I forget… all, I prefer local Z Arabic Countries (Sirya, restaurants and I don’t like luxury Restaurants, hotels, pubs, Algeria, Morocco) restaurants where the waiter stands E bistros, taverns, private The Arabic cuisine is behind the customers all time. Then houses, cafés, pizzerias, vans characterized by its use of usually my choice is for a “frasca”. A parked in the street in town various spices and herbs. “frasca” is a typically Friulan tavern A centres, street food – it’s with chicken, , where it’s the owners who grow the R possible to eat almost lamb, vegetables, and a fruit and vegetables and who raise T anywhere, depending where in lot of spicy sweets and the animals on their land, cooking the world you are. cookies. In Arabic Countries the things they produce. Finally, the I many people drink “frasca”, in my opinion, is the best C I’d like to tell you soda, Coke, example of Slow Food. about some of my Seven-Up, orange L experiences. juice and My Best experience. E My best experience was in pomegranate ! North-Eastern juice. Arabic Singapore, when I ate a big crab. Its Europe people like take- real name is “Pepper Crab”, it was (Germany, away food and an enormous crab Austria, Bulgaria, street food. For covered with black Romania, Croatia) example, in Syria pepper and Absolutely soups, there were a lot cooked in a big meat and vegetables! of shops that sold pot with white Beef, lamb, deer, every kind of wine. Very good. game and a lot of Lemon mint, a food. They love to My worst salad or roast typical soda drink eat standing up. experience. potatoes, which are Restaurants are usually included in the dishes. fashionable for families with My worst Beer is the national drink! babies. experience was in People remain seated for Italy, in a famous Pepper Crab in Singapore several hours, and the calories Italy fast food chain, that they eat certainly don’t Italian food is the best in the when around 10 years ago I ate a help their waistlines! world. Pasta, pizza, fish, meat, hamburger. A few hours after vegetables, Parma and dinner, I had to go to hospital Asia (Singapore, Malasya) cheese. All food is very because there was rat poison inside Grilled fish, , big fragrant and tasty, with olive the hamburger. It was my first time crabs, fried insects, pasta, rice, oil, tomatoes and basil. Wine, in that fast food outlet and definitely soup with noodles, fruit and beer and coffee are the the last! rice, meat and rice, vegetables preferred drinks. and rice and again rice. varies according to the season. Typically Asian is the soy sauce In summer, salads, ham that you can find everywhere. with melon and other What do you drink? Everything dishes with fruit are “Restaurants, hotels, pubs, bistros, taverns, private houses, and nothing. Rarely do Asian famous. In autumn and people drink during dinner, spring there are soups cafés, pizzerias, vans parked in the street in town centres, street food – it’s possible to eat almost anywhere.” P A G E 4 Peruvian Delicacy by Matteo Di Betta

Last year I got one from another. but it didn’t really matter married and for The terrible thing is that to me, I really like any kind our honeymoon they are so cheap (less of meat. we decided to have than one Euro for a whole We waited only few an exotic chicken) that you cannot minutes before our experience with a stay without tasting it and enthusiasm turned to tour of Peru. that’s the end of your disgust. When the waiter When you are on good relationship with came back with the dishes, the other side of eating chicken for the rest there was no slice of pork, the world of your life. But I’m not or , or rasher of everything can here to speak about bacon, but a whole pig! I appear very chicken. In Peru we tasted know you’re going to say strange, including many strange like that a pig is too big for a the very mundane things, alpaca or llama (I really plate, but it’s not so if you but Peru is a really enjoyed the first one), but are speaking about “guinea extraordinary country. nothing was as strange as pig”. It looked like a big “In Peru we For a start there is the the pork. mouse. They left altitude: many of the I understand you’re everything. I could see tasted many places we visited were surprised, but let me teeth, nails, skin, the tail… located at over 3,000 to explain and you’ll realize I still get the chills just strange meats 5,000 metres. So before what I’m talking about. thinking about it. the trip we imagined fresh After many days of strange But life is strange and like alpaca or and healthy air. The reality soup, exotic meat and sometimes you are so llama, but was completely different: “smogged chicken”, our hungry that your mind I’ve never breathed in so greatest desire was to eat doesn’t realize what you nothing was as much smog before in my something well known like are doing. I tasted it, in life. When we were in spaghetti, pizza (I mean a fact I ate it - not all the pig strange as the Arequipa, known as real Italian one) or at least but a large portion. I can ‘White City’, we spent pork meat (sliced, in say that it wasn’t that pork…” three days blowing our , , any cut terrible - but my wife noses and our would be great). wasn’t of the same handkerchiefs soon turned Eventually we stopped in a opinion. She didn’t taste it black. You walk around really small local at all, but that wasn’t the streets breathing a restaurant, not very enough. She decided that putrid mix of “smogged elegant and quite empty. guinea pig was so chicken”. That’s because We were ready to order disgusting that it was every street is infested chicken as usual (we had better to stop kissing me with thousands of Chinese decided to save money on for a couple of days. micro cars lunch and splash out on She only started to kiss me without any dinner) but an incredible again when we went over air filters and surprise was written on 4,000 metres and the all the the menu – pork! It was guide forced us to eat sidewalks the first time we had small coca leaves to have so many found it and I ordered it withstand altitude sickness. chicken immediately. The waiter The power of drugs? sellers that didn’t speak English so I you cannot couldn’t ask him about distinguish which cut I was ordering,

Dictionary Corner: cuisine, kitchen or chicken?  cuisine /kwɪˈzi:n/ n. a style or manner of cooking, e.g. French cuisine. The Peruvian Last  kitch·en /ˈkɪʧɪn/ n. a room or an area equipped for preparing and cooking food.  chicken /ˈʧɪkɪn/ n. see picture, top left. Supper

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE I S S U E 3 5 P A G E 5

A Vegetarian Future by Flavio Lorenzon now more about 2,000 times the quantity of A vegetarian pressing water than for producing one kilo diet is not only because of wheat. “Producing developing Nevertheless, the demand for good for you, one kilo of countries meat by wealthy people continues it’s good for are aiming to grow. Rainforests are being beef, requires the planet. to attain cleared to support beef the living consumption and even more land about 2,000 As I read the subject for this standards of the industrialized is being used for agro-fuels, edition of the Definite Article, world. This evolution also rather than for plantations of times the my thoughts went immediately entails a big change in their wheat or other crops to feed quantity of to the scarcity of food in the diets, ever more based on people on a larger scale. world and the fact that so meat. It is proven that the The ultimate effect of all this is water needed many people still die of meat industry, in particular that the agricultural produce starvation. beef, contributes to global market is under pressure and for producing At the beginning of the warming because of the large prices of staple , especially twentieth century the world amounts of fossil fuels used in rice and cereals, have started to one kilo of was home to little more than a its production. Animal product increase, with no end in sight. wheat.” billion people. Only a few manufacturers are If we do not change this trend weeks ago we reached the environmentally unsustainable somehow, hunger in vast areas of the seven billion mark. Every one and many, if not all, third world, such as Africa and South of those seven billion is using components of meat America, will worsen, with on average four times as much production have a negative irreversible effects for all mankind. energy as their forefathers did effect on water and land which One possible solution, perhaps even about one hundred years are, in addition, inefficiently compulsory for the next generations, before. exploited. For example, the is to change our dietary habits and for However, the world has very same acre of land can grow everyone to become more vegetarian. limited resources for this approximately 160kg of growing number of people, potatoes instead of just one especially food. The problem is kilo of beef, which requires

A Taste of Other Cultures by Massimiliano Puppatti

Travelling... is there anything all, is reflected in the people appreciating the composition more amazing? living there. of colours, of flavours, and For this reason, when my how they match one with When we journey around friends and I go travelling, we another, reflecting that every Europe, we often see tourists like to take our time sitting in item plays its part, has its going mad, hurrying from one the street cafés, wandering reason and its root in the attraction to another, filling through the inner lanes, traditions and habits and the their day with queues at people watching. resources of the place, the museums, visits to squares, or As part of that, we like to go history, the nature, the a tour of the old churches, to typical restaurants and taste climate and in every snapping photos wherever local and . That anthropological factor of the A street café in Paris they go. And on the way, is another way for us to get place. maybe, they feed themselves acquainted with the place But it isn’t necessary to get so on a slice of takeaway pizza or we’re visiting. sophisticated. Even if you are at home, a few ! For sure food belongs to it is always fun to celebrate friendship I think that the place you are culture and reflects the and past and prospective journeys by visiting is not only represented character and the tradition of cooking recipes from different by its monuments, its the people, Just as when you countries. The truth is that food is a architecture and its places of pass through an exhibition and wonderful chance to be together! historical interest, but that the you admire the pictures, so real city also, perhaps most of you can look at the dishes, P A G E 6 In Praise of English Food by Francesca Avian

One of my passions is culture and history of most common habit of cooking, especially cakes. English dishes. The title of eating at the pub. When I was a little girl I the book is La lingua nel There’s also a lot of was fascinated by my piatto – Le ricette per vocabulary with mother mixing ingredients imparare a capire l’inglese (e pronunciation practice and, and by cakes rising in the gli inglesi) by Renata above all, many detailed oven. I learnt from her and Beltrami and Silvia Mazzola recipes whose names are then I began trying new (Mursia, 2006). It’s divided strange and imaginative. and different dishes. I’ve into 17 chapters that carry Sometimes they are difficult developed my passion not the reader through to link to a specific only for sweets but also everyday meals and special ingredient or can even and for savoury food. occasion menus, from create a funny misunder- —a very Over the years I’ve taken breakfast to royal dinners, standing (one example innocent ! great interest in learning from ales to cheese and above all: the pudding about other countries’ cakes. known as spotted dick!). cuisines, so I’ve begun It’s very interesting I enjoyed reading this book collecting different types of because it gives the reader because I learn a lot about recipe books, not only on a lot of interesting facts English food and I think it’s a specific subjects or food about English food and pity that is so but also the traditional people: the influence of unknown and has a very bad dishes of other countries. the colonies, the influence reputation. Maybe it’s not so Some years ago I bought a of kings and queens who light for people who follow nice book about English create new trends, the the Mediterranean diet but I food: it’s not simply a gentlemen’s bygone habit think it’s very tasty and recipe book but it talks of dining at the club or the definitely it deserves a try. about the traditions,

Food Art by Paola Gasparini Art is not only about The art of fruit and creative journey. Here are 4 sculptures or paintings. It vegetable carving has its reasons why you should get can also be about food. roots in the age of the creative with food art. I hope you When it comes to food, all Chinese Tang Dynasty enjoy it!! most people think about is (618-906 AD) and Sung eating it. Food tastes good Dynasty (960-1279 AD). • Food art is eye candy. It’s Examples of food art. and eating is an extremely This beautiful and delicate nice to look at. Your guests will pleasurable activity. But craft has been slowly appreciate not only the taste, but did you know that there is developed and refined the presentation as well. such a thing as food art? over the years in China. • Creating food art is a fun Food art is the method of Over the years, one of the activity to do during your using food to create works most famous worldwide free time. of art. With food art your master chefs is Jimmy • It provides bonding time dish won’t only taste good Zhang who has always with your children. Normally it will look good as well. been fascinated by the we tell kids not to play with their I’ve found some of the ancient art of food and food. But in this case, food art most creative (and vegetable carving. Want to provides them with the perfect impressive) food art learn Jimmy's skill? Check excuse to do so. around the world surfing out his classes at Art Chef • Encourage your kids to eat on the web. These days Inc. in the San Francisco healthily. Food art is one way to we're all familiar with the Bay Area to create entice your kids to eat healthily idea of chefs as artists, but exquisite carving because children these days what about artists working centerpieces for special prefer fast food and junk food with food? The aim, for events or to play around over vegetables and fruits. But example, of the with food to stimulate your dishes look interesting and Experimental Food Society is your creativity. taste good as well. to celebrate and In conclusion, I want to encourage these efforts. inspire you to take a THE DEFINITE ARTICLE I S S U E 3 5 P A G E 7

Food as Culture, Food as Language by Alessandro del Piero “Cooking bread, preserving order to satisfy his needs, his his nutritional needs or to give it a symbolic meaning. fruit, setting the table. These preferences and his identity. There is a fourth feature that identifies food as are all actions connected with So food is not only a natural language. Here the author talks about the way in which food, telling a story and element but it becomes part of the table becomes a meeting-place and a place of expressing an elaborate human culture itself. So food is cultural exchange in order to exchange men, raw culture.” (Massimo culture when produced - materials and abilities. Montanarini Il cibo come because man aims to create his cultura) food. It is culture when Food has changed the world and become a fruit of our prepared - because man identity. The book explains the reasons changes it by means of why man is the only animal technology and it is culture who doesn’t eat food as it is, when eaten - because man but modifies and changes it in chooses food either to satisfy

Yule Log a festive recipe by Tiziana Testa

Time: 1h Serves: 6 Calories: 220

Ingredients: 60g flour, 120g , 2 eggs, 300 g ricotta, vanilla, skimmed milk, a spoonful of cocoa.

Preparation: Preheat oven to 180°. Divide the sugar into 3 parts. Mix the yolks with one part of the sugar. Another part is used with the egg whites and mixed together to create a soft cream. Combine the two mixtures, adding a bit of the sieved flour at a time, until all the flour is used up. Pour the mixture into a rectangular baking tin. The mixture must be one centimeter high. Cook in the oven for twelve minutes. Combine the ‘ricotta’ with the third part of the sugar and a splash of milk. Divide the ‘ricotta’ into two parts. Adding the vanilla to one and the cocoa to the second. Take the cake out of the oven and put it on a damp cloth. Wait until the cake is cold and roll it up. Unroll the cake and spread on the vanilla cream then roll it up again. Spread the cocoa cream over the cake with the prongs of a fork create a wooden log effect. Put the cake in the refrigerator for two hours. It is better to eat it the next day.

Autumn Food by Filomena Sadutto Autumn is the beginning of the and you really can keep the There is a vast variety of different kales with many cold season. In this season doctor away! So says the different colours, all of which are good for the there is a wide variety of proverb. health. seasonal fruits and vegetables Cranberries are an extremely Also, many herbs may help to keep us healthy, for that prepare us for the winter. healthy fruit and are low in example cinnamon and These fruits, vegetables and calories. pepper. Cinnamon is spices will protect us from Pumpkins - I love them! One one of the oldest illness, so we are prepared for of my favorite dishes is risotto known spices. Black or the cold days. Here is a list of with pumpkin and smoked white pepper are good some of the best Autumn food cheese. for adding flavour. that we should have on our Garlic and ginger are truly tables. medicinal, especially ginger in And finally: “Bon Apples, have them every day Eastern culture. appétit!” Quiz: Can you name these traditional British dishes?

. Eton finally, and squeak, and bubble mash, and bangers peas, mushy bacon, and cream), clotted with

la, Cornish , cream tea (that’s tea and scones and tea (that’s tea cream pasty, Cornish la, masa tikka chicken pudding, Yorkshire and beef roast toast, on beans pie, kidney and pudding, summer , a kedgeree,

Answers: Answers: ast, jacket potato, , pudding, Christmas potato, jacket ast, breakf English full iscuits, b and tea pie, shepherd’s custard, , apple , chips, ‘n’ fish hole, the in toad Stilton,

My Love of Asian Food by Antonio Gulotta

What can I say? I love food. Really! All soups or fish & sauce are fantastic! kinds of food. There’s nothing edible I chips are tiring So I’m trying to learn to don’t like! As my sister always says... after a few days, cook it, but the main “there’s a Chinese person inside but I’ve seen problem is finding the me” (Are you Chinese? If so, please people leaving ignore my last sentence). Yes, Italian with spaghetti ingredients. Two weeks ago food is wonderful: pasta, pizza, olive oil and homemade I tried to make maki with and so on, all make the Mediterranean tomato sauce in salmon and avocado. I diet one of the most balanced. Yes, ok! their luggage. bought dried wakame and But it isn’t the only one! Sorry, I’m going japonica (Japanese rice) in a I hate the Italian mentality about food. If off track, Japanese maki Chinese market (this is funny) and you are travelling, you mustn’t go into an like my literature Italian restaurant, order a pizza and say, teacher always used to tell me. I downloaded the recipe from the “Yes, but it isn’t as good as in Italy,”... Anyway, in the last two or three years I internet. The result was disgusting, This is stupid! Ok, I can understand this have discovered Japanese food and I but it doesn’t matter! I’ll try again. if you are in England. (Are you English? If think it’s terrific! I love sushi and sashimi so, please don’t read my next sentence) so much.. the taste and smell of soy