Italian cuisine is a delicious, almost indulgent style of cuisine, for when you want some high quality dining.
Far more than simply pizza or pasta, Italian food gives a real appreciation for great food, done the Italian way.
From the apertivo (aperitif) to the desserts, then a dolce (sweet dessert), and caffe and digestivo, and with so many aspects to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start if you want the classic Italian dining experience.
So here we're going to look at a couple of recipes for great Italian style dining to make at home and enjoy with your friends and family.
Italian Red Wine Stew Recipe Ingredients: 1 lb of beef 1/2 onion 1/2 carrot Parsley 1 or 2 sage leaves Rosemary 1 bay leaf 1 clove Cinnamon 2 pieces of ginger Salt Pepper 1/2 bottle of red wine 1 oz of butter A few tbsp of extra virgin olive oil First off you'll want to mince the onion and carrots and add to a container with all the herbs and spices listed above, and then add the beef, covering the lot with your half a bottle of wine.
Let them marinade for 2 hours at least.
Then take out the beef, dry it off and sauté in a pan over the olive oil and butter, and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Next add the veggies with the rest of the spices, plus a little of the wine left over from the marinade.
Cook over a low heat for 90 minutes, and if it seems like it's getting too dry, then add another dash of wine.
Only when it's finished should you chop the beef.
Then strain the liquids left in the pan, and use them cover the beef, spraying with a little more wine, and then simmering.
Then, you're done! How about a liqueur to go with your meal? You'll need a few days to mature it though! Italian Lemon Liqueur Recipe Ingredients: 1 L of pure liqueur alcohol 1 quart of water 18 oz of sugar 3 - 4 lemons Wash and dry the lemons, taking out the rind, and place in a container full of the alcohol, closing the container and leaving it for up to five days.
Pour a litre of water into a saucepan, bring to the boil and add 18 ounces of sugar.
Mix until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the flame and add the alcohol.
Filter off the impurities, and store until ready to drink.
Cin cin!