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When we think of Italy we tend to think of sun-drenched stone villages on hill tops with acres of vineyards flowing down the terraced hillsides below. We think of olive oil, black olives, country wine, tomatoes, zucchini and simple but lavishly tasty meals served under a rustic shelter, then a sleepy afternoon.
Either that or coasting along the waterways of Venice, stopping in a to sip an espresso. Well enough of the trite, romantic imagery. To be sure, Italy is this but it is so much more. Each region has its own culinary traditions based around centuries, even thousands of years of learning what thrives in each micro climate and soil. Then generations applied simple preparation techniques to trap and enhance the natural flavors. Italian cooking is, if nothing else, tastes of the earth, sky and sea.
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It is too simplistic to say that northern Italy uses butter and cream while southern Italy is poorer so it uses olive oil and pasta. Each area uses whatever will grow and thrive. Liguria like Tuscany produces a marvelous olive oil, pasta and vegetables as well as hearty rustic bread. But the coastal region also is rich in seafood which has been an important part of its cuisine for centuries. In Tuscany, evidence of the Etruscan diet from three thousand years ago from the Tarquinia tombs to a recently discovered house near Lucca in the north shows that todays Tuscan diet has changed little from its roots so long ago.
So we invite you to enjoy an exploration of Italy on your stomach. Relish the differences in the food, wine and olive oil as you move from one region to another. Ask for the local specialties, wine, bread and olive oil.
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