La prima classe di cucina per me!

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While deciding which extracurriculars I wanted to do this year, I figured I should start with something I absolutely can't do at home. So of all things Italian, only one thing stuck out like a sore thumb: COOKING!

The course I enrolled in is called "L'Italia in un Piatto". Throughout the next month and half, I'll be cooking the most popular food from each region of Italy with two lovely teachers, Barbara and Grazia. I love this concept because I have begun to truly see differences between Italians from regions in the north and south, and food is such a large part of the culture that naturally it says a lot about how they were raised. By that, I mean the ingredients, ways to eat the food, and pairings are all very important to understand in order to understand the Italians.

We began in the north, focusing in on Milano. The first thing I learned is that this food normally takes a long time to prepare. We used some accepted shortcuts and our 2-hour block allowed us to create wonderful food, but the northern Italians like to prep ahead and cook the food right before serving.

On the menu:
Risotto allo Zafferano (Saffron Risotto)
Canederli allo Speck (Meat and Bread Based Dumplings)
Costoletta alla Milanese (Fried Meat)

What a meal! The benefit of taking this class is that on top of learning le ricete themselves, you learn the small secrets that make a huge difference. I'll share one with you now, and maybe some time later I'll make you a meal after I've eaten around the whole country!

While cooking risotto, toasting the rice is crucial for the proper texture and consistency. Have a cold pan in which you only add oil/butter and the rice, then crank up the heat and stir around the rice constantly making sure all the rice has been coated. Be careful not to burn the rice, but a little crisp will make a world of a difference!

And now to make your mouth water....

Preparazione: 
Risotto allo Zafferano:



 Canederli allo Speck:










Costoletta alla Milanese:
                                                                            




MOLTO BUONO!





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