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Italy
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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is referred to in Italy as lo Stivale. With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state, the Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration, Italian culture flourished at this time, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The weakened sovereigns soon fell victim to conquest by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria. Despite being one of the victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in defeat, economic destruction. Today, Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and it has a very high level of human development and is ranked sixth in the world for life expectancy. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, as a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is the fifth most visited country. The assumptions on the etymology of the name Italia are very numerous, according to one of the more common explanations, the term Italia, from Latin, Italia, was borrowed through Greek from the Oscan Víteliú, meaning land of young cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War. Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus states this account together with the legend that Italy was named after Italus, mentioned also by Aristotle and Thucydides. The name Italia originally applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy – according to Antiochus of Syracuse, but by his time Oenotria and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of Lucania as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name Italia to a larger region, excavations throughout Italy revealed a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Palaeolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago. Other ancient Italian peoples of undetermined language families but of possible origins include the Rhaetian people and Cammuni. Also the Phoenicians established colonies on the coasts of Sardinia and Sicily, the Roman legacy has deeply influenced the Western civilisation, shaping most of the modern world
2.
Veal
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Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however, generally, veal is more expensive than beef from older cattle. Some methods or aspects of production are controversial due to animal welfare concerns. There are several types of veal, although some terminology varies by country, types of veal include, Bob veal Calves are slaughtered when only a few weeks old weighing up to 60 lb. Formula-fed veal Calves are raised on a milk formula supplement. The meat colour is ivory or creamy pink, with a firm, fine, the calves are usually slaughtered when they reach 18 to 20 weeks of age, weighing 450 to 500 pounds. Nonformula-fed veal Calves that are raised on grain, hay, or other solid food, the meat is darker in colour, and some additional marbling and fat may be apparent. It is usually marketed as calf, rather than veal, the calves are slaughtered at 22 to 26 weeks of age weighing 650 to 700 pounds. Rose veal Young beef Calves raised on farms in association with the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Freedom Food programme, the name comes from the pink colour, which is partly a result of the calves being slaughtered later at about 35 weeks of age. As of 2013, the majority of veal calves in the US are special-fed, Veal has been an important ingredient in Italian and French cuisine from ancient times. The veal is often in the form of cutlets, such as the Italian cotoletta or the famous Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel, some classic French veal dishes include fried escalopes, fried veal Grenadines, stuffed paupiettes, roast joints, and blanquettes. Because veal is lower in fat than many meats, care must be taken in preparation to ensure that it not become tough. Veal is often coated in preparation for frying or eaten with a sauce, Veal Parmigiana is a common Italian-American dish made with breaded veal cutlets. In addition to providing meat, the bones of calves are used to make a stock that forms the base for sauces, calf stomachs are also used to produce rennet, which is used in the production of cheese. Calf offal is also regarded as the most prized animal offal. Most valued are the liver, sweetbreads, kidney, and bone marrow, the head, brains, tongue, feet, and mesentery are also valued. Male dairy calves are used for veal production as they do not lactate and are therefore surplus to the requirements of the dairy industry. Newborn veal calves are given only a limited amount of time with their mothers. Free-raised calves are raised alongside their mothers, and always have access to their mothers milk, three different primary types of housing used for veal calves, hutches, stalls, or various types of group housing
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Braising
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Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, though some authors make a distinction between the two methods, based on whether additional liquid is added. Many classic braised dishes are highly evolved methods of cooking tough, both pressure cooking and slow cooking are forms of braising. Most braises follow the basic steps. The food to be braised is first pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor, if the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a certain amount of cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element is added to the pot, often with stock. A classic braise is done with a whole cut of meat. Then, the dish is covered and cooked at a low simmer. Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy, sometimes, foods with high water content can be cooked in their own juices, making the addition of liquid unnecessary. A successful braise intermingles the flavors of the foods being cooked with those of the cooking liquid and this cooking method dissolves the meats collagen into gelatin, which can greatly enrich and thicken the liquid. Familiar braised dishes include pot roast, Swiss steak, chicken cacciatore, goulash, Carbonade Flamande, coq au vin, sauerbraten, beef bourguignon, beef brisket, and tajines, among others. Braising is also used extensively in the cuisines of Asia, particularly Chinese cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine, adobo Hot pot Jugging Kho Lancashire hotpot Pot roast Red cooking Stew
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Lombard cuisine
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The regional cuisine of Lombardy is heavily based upon ingredients like maize, rice, beef, pork, butter, and lard. In many aspects, Lombard cuisine has much in common with that of Austria, similarly to Italian cuisine, Lombard cuisine has much variety and every city and part of the region offers its own specialities. A characteristic Lombard dish is risotto, most famously risotto alla milanese, similarly to risotto, maize-based dishes such as polenta are also common parts of the regional cuisine. Famous Lombard dishes include cotoletta, cassoeula and ossobuco, the region also offers several delicacies and desserts, amongst which noted ones such as mostarda and panettone. Regional cheeses include Robiola, Crescenza, Taleggio, Gorgonzola and Grana Padano, the various Lombard provinces have their own specialties. The capital of Lombardy is also home to many culinary specialties, one of the best known is risotto alla milanese, flavoured with saffron and typically served with many typical Milanese main courses, such as ossobuco alla milanese and cotoletta alla milanese. Other Milanese specialities include cassoeula and the famous panettone Christmas cake, the cuisine in Como is heavily influenced by its lake. Typical are dishes of fish, like the missultin, agoni salted and sun-dried, there is even a special polenta, called toch, made with equal parts of corn flour, butter and cheese, a very difficult and rich dish. Some villages and valleys around the lake, such as Oliveto Lario, are one of the few parts of northern Italy where olive trees were historically grown, in Canzo, Nocciolini, made with hazelnut flour, and the liqueur Vespetrò are typical. Cremonas Mostarda is known thruought Italy and so is the Torrone which is a dessert from this province. Mantuan cuisine is noted for dishes of medieval origin and for sweet, tortelli di zucca accompanied by melted butter and followed by turkey stuffed with chicken or other stewed meats are one of the best known dishes from this area. Pavia province is divided in an area, the Oltrepo Pavese, which is one of the main winemaking areas of Lombardy, and a plains area to the north, Lomellina. Not surprisingly, local specialties are rice dishes, such as Risotto alla Certosina and Ris e Ran from Pavia and Risotto coi Peperoni, traditional wines from Oltrepo Pavese are Bonarda, Barbera and Pinot Noir. Many of the wines have curious names, like Buttafuoco, Sangue di Giuda. White wines are made from the varieties of Malvasia, Moscato. Oltrepo is becoming known for its sparkling wines, in particular Spumante. Voghera produces Agnolotti containing a filling which are known as Agnolotti di stufato di Voghera and are typically served asciutti. Zuppa alla Pavese was supposedly invented on the spot to feed the captive king Francis I of France after his defeat at the Battle of Pavia on February 24,1525
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Risotto
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Risotto /rᵻˈzɒtoʊ/ is a northern Italian rice dish cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables, many types of risotto contain butter, wine, and onion. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy, Risotto in Italy is normally a primo, served on its own before the main course, but risotto alla milanese, is often served together with ossobuco alla milanese. A high-starch, low-amylose round medium- or short- grain white rice is used for making risotto. Such rices have the ability to absorb liquids and to release starch, the principal varieties used in Italy are Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano. Carnaroli, Maratelli and Vialone Nano are considered to be the best varieties, for example, Carnaroli is less likely than Vialone Nano to get overcooked, but the latter, being smaller, cooks faster and absorbs condiments better. Other varieties like Roma, Baldo, Ribe and Originario may be used and these varieties are considered better for soups and other non-risotto rice dishes and for making sweet rice desserts. Rice designations of Superfino, Semifino and Fino refer to the size and shape of the grains, there are many different risotto recipes with different ingredients, but they are all based on rice of an appropriate variety, cooked in a standard procedure. The rice is first cooked briefly in a soffritto of onion and butter or olive oil, to coat each grain in a film of fat, called tostatura, white or red wine is added and must be absorbed by the grains. At that point, the pot is taken off the heat for the mantecatura, to make the texture as creamy and it may be removed from the heat a few minutes earlier and left to cook with its residual heat. Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy, but has some resistance or bite and separate grains, the traditional texture is fairly fluid, or allonda. It is served on flat dishes and should easily spread out and it must be eaten at once, as it continues to cook in its own heat and can become too dry with the grains too soft. Many variations have their own names, Maratelli rice, historical variety of Italian rice production Paella Pilaf List of Italian dishes List of rice dishes Barrett, Judith, and Wasserman, Norma. Risotto Secrets, The Six Steps to Risotto Perfection—Italy In SF WNYC - Last Chance Foods, Common Sense Risotto, Lidia Bastianichs How to Cook Risotto How RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE was born
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Oxford English Dictionary
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The Oxford English Dictionary is a descriptive dictionary of the English language, published by the Oxford University Press. The second edition came to 21,728 pages in 20 volumes, in 1895, the title The Oxford English Dictionary was first used unofficially on the covers of the series, and in 1928 the full dictionary was republished in ten bound volumes. In 1933, the title The Oxford English Dictionary fully replaced the name in all occurrences in its reprinting as twelve volumes with a one-volume supplement. More supplements came over the years until 1989, when the edition was published. Since 2000, an edition of the dictionary has been underway. The first electronic version of the dictionary was available in 1988. The online version has been available since 2000, and as of April 2014 was receiving two million hits per month. The third edition of the dictionary will probably appear in electronic form, Nigel Portwood, chief executive of Oxford University Press. As a historical dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary explains words by showing their development rather than merely their present-day usages, therefore, it shows definitions in the order that the sense of the word began being used, including word meanings which are no longer used. The format of the OEDs entries has influenced numerous other historical lexicography projects and this influenced later volumes of this and other lexicographical works. As of 30 November 2005, the Oxford English Dictionary contained approximately 301,100 main entries, the dictionarys latest, complete print edition was printed in 20 volumes, comprising 291,500 entries in 21,730 pages. The longest entry in the OED2 was for the verb set, as entries began to be revised for the OED3 in sequence starting from M, the longest entry became make in 2000, then put in 2007, then run in 2011. Despite its impressive size, the OED is neither the worlds largest nor the earliest exhaustive dictionary of a language, the Dutch dictionary Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal is the worlds largest dictionary, has similar aims to the OED and took twice as long to complete. Another earlier large dictionary is the Grimm brothers dictionary of the German language, begun in 1838, the official dictionary of Spanish is the Diccionario de la lengua española, and its first edition was published in 1780. The Kangxi dictionary of Chinese was published in 1716, trench suggested that a new, truly comprehensive dictionary was needed. On 7 January 1858, the Society formally adopted the idea of a new dictionary. Volunteer readers would be assigned particular books, copying passages illustrating word usage onto quotation slips, later the same year, the Society agreed to the project in principle, with the title A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles. He withdrew and Herbert Coleridge became the first editor, on 12 May 1860, Coleridges dictionary plan was published and research was started
