Italy

Pizza Margherita is a delicacy that is literally fit for a queen. In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, where she was served a pizza that was made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil. It was made by a chef named Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi, who is credited for its invention. The Queen loved the dish, and Esposito named it after her - pizza Margherita, but such a pizza was also made before that time, and can be dated back to at least 1866, when the most popular pizza toppings included basil, cheese, and tomatoes, but the pizza was not yet named Margherita. Since those times, Margherita has become one of the most popular pizza varieties in the world, and in 2009, it was protected as one of the three Pizze Napoletane with an STG European label of protection, proving its excellence in flavor, ingredients, and traditional pizza-making techniques.

Pizza Margherita

Italy&rsquo;s most emblematic culinary creation, the genuine pizza Napoletana is made with just a few simple ingredients and prepared in only two variations &ndash; marinara, the basic Neapolitan pizza topped with a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and oregano, and margherita, which is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, a delicious combination whose colors are said to represent the Italian flag. The crust is very thin at the base, and the dough puffs up on the sides, which results in airy crust that should have typical charred 'leopard spots' if baked properly. The origins of this iconic Neapolitan dish can be traced to the early 1700s, when what we know today as pizza marinara was first described by Italian chef, writer, and philosopher Vincenzo Corrado in his treatise on the eating habits of the people of Naples. Almost 200 years later, in 1889, the premier Neapolitan master pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito added mozzarella to the mix and invented the margherita, which is now generally cited as the first modern pizza. Originally dubbed la pizza tricolore, Esposito&rsquo;s creation is said to have been made in honor of and named after Margherita of Savoy, the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy, who was visiting Naples at the time. In 2010, as one of Italy&rsquo;s most popular foods worldwide, pizza Napoletana was officially recognized by the European Union and granted the designation of Traditional Specialty Guaranteed. And remember, a good pizza Napoletana doesn't need any additions other than the designated toppings.

Pizza Napoletana

Entrec&ocirc;te is a type of beef steak that's cut from between the ribs, but it's more commonly known as a thin and boneless rib-eye steak. The butchers cut bone-in rib-eyes with the bone on each side, but there are also six leftover boneless steaks from the meat between each bone-in rib-eye, and they're known as the entrec&ocirc;tes. Due to the fact that these cuts are thin, it makes them great for quick cooking on the grill or in a pan (high heat), but it's important not to overcook them. The steaks are juicy, tender, and generously marbled. This type of meat cut is popular in France and Europe, and the word entrec&ocirc;te means between the ribs.

Entrecôte

Even though tiramis&ugrave; is actually a fairly recent invention, this dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream enjoys an iconic status among Italian desserts. Its name stems from the phrase tirami s&ugrave;, an Italian expression which literally means pick me up, a reference to the uplifting effects of sugar, liquor, and coffee. The origins of tiramis&ugrave; are heavily disputed between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, but it is often suggested that the first was made in Veneto in the early 1960s. The earliest documented recipe for tiramis&ugrave; (interestingly, without alcohol!) was printed in the 1981 spring edition of Vin Veneto magazine in an article on coffee-based desserts by Giuseppe Maffioli, a renowned food critic and member of the Italian Academy of Cuisine. However, in August 2017, Friuli-Venezia Giulia's tiramisu was officially added to the list of traditional regional dishes, but a Veneto local won the Tiramisu World Cup in November 2017, so the playing field is somewhat levelled once again. Regardless of these disputes, the perfect tiramis&ugrave; should always deliver a serious caffeine kick from a shot of strong espresso, while brandy-fortified Marsala wine adds a nice sweet buzz. In 2021, Ado Campeol, the owner of the restaurant where tiramis&ugrave; is widely thought to have been invented, has died.

Tiramisù

These crescent-shaped turnovers are traditionally prepared for the Carnival season, and even though it is believed that they originated in the Apulia region, panzerotti are extremely popular all across southern Italy. They resemble small calzone pizzas&mdash;both in shape and the dough used for its preparation&mdash;but instead of being oven-baked, panzerotti are deep-fried, which is why they're also called calzoni fritti (fried calzones), pizze fritte (fried pizzas), or simply frittelle (fritters). The classic panzerotto filling consists of merely tomatoes and mozzarella, but they can be filled with pretty much anything and in various combinations: prosciutto-mozzarella, pepperoni-provolone, spinach-ricotta, zucchini-mozzarella, onion-olives-tomatoes, speck-fontina, etc. Apart from the savory variations, there are also panzerotti filled with all kinds of fruits such as apples, pears, plums, oranges, cherries, peaches, and strawberries, which are wonderfully paired with ricotta, chocolate, or custard cream.

Panzerotti

Türkiye

Hadise is a modern variation of traditional baklava, featuring soft phyllo dough layered with delightful mascarpone cream and finely ground pistachios. This dessert offers a unique twist on the classic baklava by incorporating mascarpone, resulting in a creamy and rich flavor profile. The combination of the flaky pastry, creamy filling, and crunchy pistachios provides a harmonious blend of textures and tastes.

Hadise

Known as the holiest of holies of Italian cuisine, the Florentine-style beef steak is prepared exclusively with dry-aged beef from the Chianina cattle, which is particularly prized for its tenderness. Even though bistecca alla Fiorentina is often described as a T-bone steak, it is much closer to a porterhouse - since it's cut closer to the center, the tenderloin is much larger than the one on a regular T-bone. Also, bistecca alla Fiorentina must be thick; the cut needs to be at least three fingers wide so that when the meat is grilled over a very hot flame, a nice, slightly charred crust forms on the outside of the steak while the inside remains succulent. In fact, bistecca alla Fiorentina is never, ever served medium or well-done, as any true Tuscan will insist that this dream of a steak should only be eaten sanguinoso, meaning rare. To enjoy your Florentine-style steak the Italian way, simplicity is the way to go - highlight the rich flavor of grilled beef with nothing more than a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, and salt.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

The word ravioli denotes various kinds of pasta made by placing a filling between two thin layers of dough. The pasta used is typically wheat flour and egg based, and it acts as an enclosure while also binding with the sauce or broth the ravioli is cooked or served in. Ravioli are usually served boiled with a sauce as a first course, or boiled and served in broth as a traditional winter dish. Ravioli fillings include diverse varieties of meat, cheese, and vegetables, and they vary from region to region. There are also sweet ravioli, which are usually deep-fried. Although no one is certain when the first ravioli were made exactly, the earliest written recipe for ravioli appears in a 14th-century document written by Francesco di Marco, a Tuscan merchant. Today, modern regional varieties are distinguished by their fillings, by the ingredients used in the dough (such as olive oil in southern Italy), and by their shape, which can be square, round, rectangular, or half-moon with straight or serrated edges.

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