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Mangia!
Cooking Authentic Italian
By Jacqueline Rupp
You don't have to live in South Philly to get the best ingredients. Local delicatessens and small Italian markets and bakeries can be a treasure trove of ingredients. "Start out with simple dishes and gradually increase the complexity of the dishes you prepare as you become more confident," Gillespie says. "Italian cooking began with peasants using simple, fresh ingredients, so the cuisine should never get too complicated. Letting the flavor of a few distinct elements blend together is what it is all about. Just keep it simple."
To understand the savory philosophy of Italian cooking is through a story that Sharon Sander describes in her book, Cooking up an Italian Life. While the family was spending time in Italy, her daughter had ordered a peach for dessert and this is how the scene turns out:
"The waitress returned with a plate, a knife and a fork, laying the cutlery carefully at the place setting. 'Italians cut the fruit and eat it from a plate,' I explained. 'They treat a ripe peach with the respect it deserves.'
"Next the server brought a clear glass bowl filled with cool water. 'Italians clean the fruit just before eating it so none of the luscious flavor is washed away.' Finally the waitress presented the ripe peach, in full regalia in a linen-lined basket."
Sanders advises that we bring a little bit of this deliberate savoring into our own family meals. Making it a special time between friends and family is the art at the heart of Italian cooking and is probably why this cuisine has remained a comforting, familiar friend to so many for so long.
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