Cooking for Comfort
I found myself needing a culinary hug. Tuscan Minestrone and Sugo are my go-to recipes.
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UNESCO has officially recognized Italian cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A cultural and social blend of culinary traditions, it is associated with the use of raw materials and artisanal food preparation techniques. It is a communal activity that emphasizes intimacy with food, respect for ingredients, and shared moments around the table. The practice is rooted in anti-waste recipes and the transmission of flavours, skills, and memories across generations.
This year, my posts will focus on regional Italian recipes. Going deeper into the variations and roots of recipes. Cooking with the seasons, regionality, and tradition.
I have been feeling sick to my stomach with the world news. My blood pressure spiked, and the doctor asked me if I was emotionally ok. I said I was not suffering emotionally, but then realized I was crying while watching the news. It hurts my soul so much to see what is happening in America expecially.
I find solace in cooking, a culinary hug as it were. I am sharing a couple of my favorite comfort foods to prepare: Sugo Toscano and Minestrone.
This year, we will be talking about regional differences in recipes and also in what things are called.
My husband was asking me about the difference between Pappardelle and Tagliatelle the other day, two different widths of pasta.
Tagliatelle is also known as fettuccine in other regions. Did you know that egg pasta is more of a northern Italian tradition? Flour-and-water pasta is used a lot in the South?
When I recently made lasagna, my husband complained that I didn’t make a larger tray of lasagna, which is sometimes called Pasta al Forno. There is also a pasta shape called lasagna. In ancient times, they were called lagane and were a flour-and-water pasta from Rome. The pasta shape below is often called trenette, around Genova. This dish is served on August 10th to celebrate San Lorenzo, Patron Saint of the Mercato Centrale in Florence.
When he asked for pappardelle or tagliatelle, I also had to make another pot of sugo. In Tuscany, ragu is often called sugo. The word ragu in Italian comes from the French word ragout. The language of the Nobile families was French. You will find many French based words in the cuisine as the French were the first to codify the recipes.
The other recipe I was craving was a nice big pot of my mother-in-law’s minestrone.
When I make these base recipes, I make a big batch and freeze some for later.
This craving inspired this post for regional recipes, starting with my home of Tuscany. Two of the base recipes everyone needs to have in their repertoire.
Join me in exploring regional Italian recipes. Become more Italian one recipe at a time.