Here we go with a new series with Anna and Marika. Each video will feature an oral quiz — just like in actual Italian schools — about a region of Italy. A separate cooking video will feature a recipe from that region. We start in the "heel of the boot": Puglia.

Anna gets grilled on Sicily by Marika. Oral quizzes are very frequently used in Italian schools. Grading is done on a scale from 1-10 for primary and secondary schools, and from 1-30 at the university level.

Anna and Marika are going to make a delicious recipe from Puglia. They explain what panzerotti are and the necessary ingredients and utensils for making them.

Anna and Marika complete the recipe and the resulting “panzerotti” look mouth-wateringly delicious.

In this video Anna and Marika show us how to cook the famous pasta dish named after the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. The ingredients are few and simple, but there are some norms to stick with. ;)

Marika completes the recipe for "pasta alla Norma," and serves it up. It's evident that Anna thinks it's real good, too. In fact, she describes it as troppo buono (too good), a typical colloquial way to say "very, very good."

Anna is quizzed on Sardinia and can easily identify the capital and its major cities, its nuraghes (characteristic low towers), its cantu a tenore (traditional singing), but comes up short on providing the name of a typical Sardinian dish.

Marika and Anna assemble the ingredients and utensils to make this Sardinian speciality that's similar to ravioli.

In this phase, Marika and Anna roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. They start making the dough by hand, and are very excited about using their new pasta machine.

Here we are in the final phase of this delicious pasta recipe from Sardinia. This is the fun part, for sure.

It's time to talk about Calabria, a southern region with both sea and mountains. Let's hope Anna did some studying.

Anna and Marika provide the list of necessary ingredients for this Calabrese specialty. This recipe calls for sheep's milk ricotta. When you go to buy ricotta in Italy, storekeepers will ask if you want cow, sheep, or goat ricotta. You can also specify a mix.

All the ingredients are ready, and Anna and Marika go to work, making the ricotta ball mixture. They share with us a common saying about prezzemolo (parsley).

Anna and Marika form the Calabrian ricotta balls and cook them in tomato sauce. The ricotta balls can also be fried and served without sauce.

Let's see if Anna has studied one of the northernmost regions of Italy. It's a border region and as such, has some peculiarities.

You don't need much to make this recipe from the north of Italy. It's best with aged cheese, however, and even leftover rinds will do. Anna and Marika tell us about the ingredients and utensils necessary.

Anna and Marika prepare the deliciously rich potato and cheese crisp that was a specialty of Friuli woodsmen.

Because Anna knows the subject backwards and forwards, she volunteers to take the teacher's quiz on Liguria, but that doesn't help much with her grade.

Marika and Anna go through the list of ingredients needed to make a Ligurian specialty — pasta with pesto sauce.

Anna and Marika are hard at work with their mortar and pestle, making some delicious pesto. As they work, they give us some extra information about their new tool.

We're going to school to learn about The Marches, the only Italian region to have a plural name! Let's find out if Anna has studied this time! Let's see how mean her maestra is today, too.

Marika and Anna get ready to make Anchovy Roll-Ups. They provide an ingredient list and the equipment necessary to make this Marchigian specialty.

Marika and Anna take us through the steps of this recipe, which could be served as either an appetizer or a second course. Anna also provides some information on oily fish and how to tell sardines from anchovies.

The teacher has a different look today, as she quizzes Anna about the Piedmont region of Italy. Anna tries to get on the good side of her irritable maestra.

Ready for a new recipe? We're in Piedmont, and this recipe is definitely not low-calorie. But it's perfect for those cold winter days in the mountains.

Marika and Anna show us the steps involved in creating this hearty dish from the Piedmont Region.

Anna knows all about Tuscany, one of her favorite regions. Tuscany was very important for the evolution of the Italian language, and is one of the areas of Italy most frequented by tourists.

Tuscans love their bread — crusty and thick, and totally unsalted. It goes well with salty cheese, and salt-cured meats. When it gets stale, it doesn't get wasted; it gets used in cooking. Tuscans also love tomatoes, so this dish is quite the Tuscan comfort food, suitable for all age groups, and very cheap to make.

Here we go with the actual preparation of this very simple, but very delicious dish. Tomatoes, olive oil, and bread are rarely missing from a Tuscan household and pappa al pomodoro is just one way these ingredients go together. Anna gives us some interesting nutritional information about tomatoes and there's also a little musical performance by our chefs. Message from Marika: If you use a bouillon cube in the recipe, watch the salt!

Anna volunteers to be questioned about Lazio. The teacher seems to be in a good mood, so Anna is encouraged. What grade will she receive?

This super simple pasta dish is one of the most famous Roman ones and is served in most restaurants. This time there aren't many ingredients to hunt down, but Pecorino Romano is key.

Hurry up and get your ingredients together, because after this video, you will surely want to jump in and try out this simple, but absolutely delicious recipe.

Today the lesson is about Lombardy. Anna is well-prepared, but her maestra seems to be affected by la nebbia (the fog). Is it the Milanese climate? Or could it be something else?

Anna and Marika show us the ingredients and utensils necessary for making the classic risotto alla milanese (Milanese style rice). The star of the show is the precious zafferano (saffron), whose history Anna tells us about.

Anna tells us about the different varieties of rice found in Italy, and Marika completes the cooking of the risotto.

Nobody in the class volunteers to talk about the Molise region, but by chance, Anna gets called on. And we get to learn all about this small region.

Italians love leafy-green vegetables, and especially in the south, there's the predilection for bitter greens, such as chicory. Chicory lends a special taste to this casserole dish, with scamorza [cheese] and cured ham that offset the mildly bitter taste of the chicory. Anna and Marika show us the ingredients and tools we need.

Anna and Marika work in harmony to prepare the chicory timbale and put it in the oven to bake.

Today, Anna is playing with fire because she has to describe the very region her teacher is from. Anna knows her subject pretty well, but so does her teacher. Who will triumph?

Anna and Marika describe the ingredients we need to make this spaghetti frittata. They go on to show us the necessary pots, pans, and cooking utensils.

Marika and Anna cook their pasta, but this recipe is actually designed for leftover pasta. They explain more about this, and show us, step by step, how to make this very special frittata. Buon appetito!