and much more. Traditionally, sage was prized not only as a seasoning, but for its healing properties as well.
Dried Italian herbs and seasonings Keep fresh herbs on hand when possible, but always stock dried herbs and seasonings. Dried basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, red pepper flakes, whole black pepper, and sea salt are the dried herbs and seasonings I use on a regular basis.
| A HANDY GUIDE FOR COMMON DRIED SEASONINGS TO FOOD PAIRINGS | |
| Basil | Tomatoes, salads, eggs, fish, chicken, lamb, garlic |
| Bay Leaf | Soups, sauces |
| Cayenne | Wings, chicken, eggs, pizza |
| Celery Salt | Chicken, cabbage, hot dogs, potato salad, sautéed onions |
| Chives | Eggs, fish, chicken, soups, potatoes, cheeses |
| Cilantro | Salsa, Mexican cuisine, salads, fish, shellfish, chicken |
| Coriander | Meats, chicken, seafood, and Mexican, Latin, Caribbean recipes |
| Cumin | Chili, sausages, stews, eggs, and Mexican, Latin, Caribbean recipes |
| Dill | Leaves or seeds in soups, salads, potato salad, fish, shellfish, shrimp, tuna fish, vegetables; seeds only with pickles or tomatoes |
| Garlic | Dressings, soups, meats, rubs, pasta, sauces |
| Marjoram | Beef, chicken, sausages, seafood, stuffing, vegetables |
| Mint | Beverages, desserts, lamb, sauces, soups |
| Mustard Seed | Meats, pickling, relishes, sauces |
| Nutmeg | Beverages, Swedish meatballs, cakes, cookies, squash, sweet potatoes, holiday baking |
| Oregano | Italian recipes, tomatoes, chicken dishes, fish |
| Paprika | Chicken, deviled eggs, dips, egg salad, potato salad |
| Parsley | Herb mixtures, Italian recipes, garnish, pasta and ravioli, sauces, soups, stews |
| Rosemary | Lamb, veal, beef, poultry, game, marinade, stews |
| Sage | Poultry, pork, stuffing, pasta, tomatoes, fry as garnish |
| Tarragon | Chicken, fish, eggs, salad dressings, sauces, tomatoes |
| Thyme | Fish, chicken, meats, stews, soups, tomatoes |
Oil Olive oil is an essential in Italian cuisine. I use regular olive oil for cooking, as it is less expensive than extra-virgin and great for high heat. Splurge on high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for dressings and for drizzling over dishes such as vegetables, antipasti, pasta, etc., and keep it close at hand. Other oil choices for cooking include coconut oil, palm oil and nut oils.
Olives Along with grapes and bread, olives were one of the three sacred elements of Roman cuisine. They remain an important ingredient in Italian food, appearing in everything from antipasti to main-course dishes.
Onions You’ll know an Italian kitchen by the scent of onions and garlic cooking—two of the most important ingredients in any Italian dish. Yellow and white onions are mostly used for sauces, sautés, soups or stews and other cooking; red onions are often thinly sliced and eaten raw with salads, as they have a milder flavor and look beautiful on a large platter.
Pancetta Pancetta, which is similar to bacon, is taken from the belly of the pig. The pork is rubbed with salt and spices; it is then cured for a couple of weeks.
You may find pancetta at your local Italian market or grocery stores in one of two forms:
• Sliced thin or thick like bacon. This type of pancetta is suitable for frying like bacon, wrapping meatloaf or just eating out of the package. I often slice it into strips after cooking and add it to an Italian salad or antipasto plate.
• In rounds cut from a roll. This type is the easiest to find. It works well diced and cooked up to flavor any Italian dish, especially Amatriciana sauce.
Pine nuts Italian pine nuts have a delicate flavor and are used in sweet and savory dishes. They are probably best known as one of the principal ingredients in Italian pesto.
Porcini mushrooms These wild mushrooms are usually found in dried form. Their meaty texture and nutty, earthy flavor makes them particularly good in soups, risotto, stuffing and stews, and with braised meats. Before using in recipes, soak dried porcinis in hot water for about 20 minutes, and add some of the soaking water to the dish.
Prosciutto di Parma Like Parmesan cheese, this is a classic ingredient from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the province of Parma. Prosciutto means “ham” in Italian, and salt-cured prosciutto di Parma is the best available. The secret is the pigs’ diet of chestnuts and whey.
Tomatoes Delectable raw or cooked, tomatoes pair beautifully with so many foods and flavors: cheeses, meats, onions, garlic, peppers and herbs; pizza, pastas, salsas, salads, soups, stews and on and on. For a well-stocked pantry, keep whole, diced, petite diced, crushed and stewed tomatoes (as well as tomato sauce and paste) on hand for everyday cooking.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR ITALIAN COOKING
When I was little, we didn’t have the fancy appliances available in modern kitchens. Even now, when you travel through Italy, you’ll see women making pasta and bread by hand. Gadgets are fun to use, but you don’t need them to make healthy Italian Paleo recipes. That said, I think every Italian cook, whether professional or amateur, should have handy at all times a strainer, a pizza stone, a mandoline, an espresso maker, a large pot on the stove and a glass of wine!
The following are tools and appliances that I consider essential. I keep them close at hand and use them often. The items are listed in order of importance, by my estimation. Other tools, such as a spiral vegetable slicer, food mill, handheld immersion blender or a pastry cutter, are nice to have, but I don’t include them in my “necessary” list. Italian cooks have done without them for centuries, and there are other ways to get the job done.
A four- or six-quart / liter saucepan to keep on your stove at all times This size pot is perfect for cooking meatballs or braising chicken or short ribs. Keep it handy.
An eight- to twelve-quart / liter pot for soups, sauces and stews An Italian cook keeps a pot of sauce, a soup or a stew going on the stove at all times.
A good set of knives, including a chef’s knife and paring knife See page 22.
Grater/zester (either a box grater or the grater disk of a food processor) I find I use my grater frequently for grating garlic, ginger, lemons and Parmesan cheese, and for the dark chocolate on my favorite desserts.
Wooden spoons, ladles, kitchen scissors, whisk, can opener I keep these utensils on my counter for easy access.
Large wood block and poultry-safe cutting boards You only need one large wooden board for chopping vegetables, but keep several polypropylene
