Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We move on to Valtorta a spot where cheese is king. Here, they produce a special little cylindrical cheese called an agrì, exclusive to this spot. In fact, Slow Food, an organization that's become international but which began in Italy, has it as one of its special products.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The ancient via Priula leads us to the mountains where we visit a herbal laboratory, in which flowers and plants are transformed into beauty products using historical recipes.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We meet some very charming donkeys and hear about how Francantonio and his sons developed a passion for them.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
In the Brembana Valley, the river reigns supreme. In fact, there is still a functioning water mill for grinding corn, as well as people passionate about maintaining centuries-old traditions.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Here and there in the small villages of the valley, there are interesting frescos hearalding back to earlier times. Two local recipes are offered: stuffed curly cabbage leaves and Taragna polenta, a kind of cornmeal with the addition of buckwheat.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The fine white mold that forms on the cheese helps give it its characteristic flavor, but it is also painstakingly scraped off each round. Before the high-altitude pastures are ready for grazing, humans take advantage of the snow and the trails.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Lo stracchino is a soft, mild but flavorful cheese that's spreadable, and we find it in supermarkets all over Italy. But the kind Francesca's family produces in the mountains, with traditional tools, is on a whole other level. Why is this cheese called stracchino? There is a fascinating reason. Watch the video.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Il formaggio (cheese) is rarely missing from an Italian kitchen. This video takes us to the mountains north of Bergamo where the Monaci family has kept the family cheese-making tradition going, beginning in the stable where the cows are taken care of during the colder months.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The Romans were the ones to introduce the culture of wine to the area around Mount Vesuvius as can be seen by what was left behind in places like Ercolano. And it is in Ercolano where a unique cooperative has been set up to cultivate a very special variety of tomatoes.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Coral has been made into jewelry in Torre del Greco since the fifteenth century. In that same century, a variety of grapes arrived from Catalunya, which over time has produced a wine with a unique personality.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Gragnano is a town near Naples known for its pasta production. There are many different shapes and types, but they all are a bit rough to the touch, because they go through a bronze cutter, rather than a Teflon one. That's why the pasta holds the sauce better. Of course, everyone living in Gragnano is an expert about pasta.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
This land is not only good for cultivating grapes for wine, but also the special piennolo tomatoes, that keep for several months.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Watermelon is another product of this special terrain on the slopes of Vesuvius. In the north, this is called cocomero, but in the south, it's anguria. There are some sensational wines from Vesuvius, too.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Patrizia works as an agronomist collaborating with farmers who grow heirloom vegetables of the Campania tradition. She describes a couple of different kinds of tomatoes and what they're typically used for.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Even though the tomato is an immigrant in Italy, it has become synonymous with Italian cooking. The soil produced by Vesuvius and the mild climate of the area around Naples and Salerno have allowed the San Marzano tomato to become King.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We have hunted down a video recipe for the dish Letizia serves Lojacono at her trattoria in I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone. With its simple ingredients and preparation, we hope you'll try it sometime! The recipe is likely Neapolitan and its name has to do with shoemakers!
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
Don't forget the baking soda, but be careful. Basta pochissimo (a little goes a long way). The same goes for the lemon juice. As you will see, this recipe is very simple, so have fun!
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
It's a shame to throw away perfectly good fruit, just because some of it is bruised. Andromeda shows us her anti-waste recipe for fruit preserves.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
You might be familiar with Campari Soda, which comes in a distinctive little bottle, but the cocktail described in this video uses Campari Bitter, the liqueur Campari Soda is made from.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
If you would like a non-alcoholic cocktail (sometimes called a mocktail), try this recipe for the exclusive Sahara from the VintRò bar in Mazara del Vallo in Sicily.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Vincenzo, a barman in Mazara del Vallo (a place you will certainly want to visit if you go to Sicily), demonstrates how to make a drink you will find exclusively at his bar, called VintRo'.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
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!
Difficulty:
Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Easter Monday is, traditionally, "picnic day" all over Italy. It's affectionately called Pasquetta (little Easter). This video is from RAI 1, one of the principal TV stations in Italy. At this particular picnic, "primordial" cooking is the protagonist.
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