You might have tried to make your own Italian meals. You might even have tried to use an Italian recipe to cook an Italian meal for your family. However, no matter how hard you try, sometimes you just can't seem to get it right...
Maybe, this is because you don’t know some of the secrets of Italian cooking. Secrets that are setting Italian cooking apart from normal cooking. Now, I hope that with these few small secrets, you will be able to cook like an Italian and impress your whole family.
Quality ingredients are essential
Italians know that the quality of the ingredients they use is just as important as the recipe they are following. They don’t try to purchase the cheapest and most affordable ingredients.
Quality ingredients are important. Only grade A meat and only the best vegetables and herbs are used. Especially, they need to be in season. This might be the one mistake that you are making. You are purchasing the same ingredients as always, and then you think that you can make an Italian dish out of it. This is a big mistake. Italian meals require the best and highest quality ingredients.
Know the different olive oils
Different olive oils have different uses. If you want to make sure that you are going to make an Italian dish which tastes authentic and delicious, you need to know the different types of olive oils and their uses. This is the only way to make sure that you are going to get the right results.
Don’t just have one type of olive oil in your kitchen, and using it for all your cooking needs. This might just be the mistake that you are making. Read the recipe carefully and make sure that you are purchasing and using the right olive oil where needed.
For example, do not use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking: it will burn very quickly, leaving behind an unpleasant taste, and lose all of its nutritional value. Keep it for dressings and to drizzle over your finished dish for best results.
Don’t be shy when using fresh herbs
If you are making an Italian meal, and you don’t include some fresh herbs in the meal, then it won’t be an Italian meal. Fresh sage, basil, bay leaf, oregano, marjoram and Italian meals go hand in hand. And, when you do add some sage, you should not be shy in the amount that you are using. The more you are using, the better.
Fresh herbs are definitely one of the secrets of Italian cooking.
Using the right rice to make risotto
If you are making risotto, and you are using that random old rice bag that you have in your cupboard, then the final result will not be risotto. There is a specific variety of rice that you need to have for risotto:
- Arborio rice for creamy, cheesy risotto.
- Vialone Nano for vegetable risotto.
- Carnaroli for surf and turf risotto.
- Riso Baldo for risotto with tomato sauce.
The moment that you know these secrets of Italian cooking, you will never have to worry about preparing an Italian meal that will actually taste Italian anymore. You will know the secrets to Italian cooking and you will be able to get it right, the first time and every time. Italian meals can taste like normal meals if you don’t use the right ingredients. This is why you should keep these tips in mind when you are cooking Italian next time.
