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Basil For Everything
By Judi Singleton, Fri Dec 9th

I planted three kinds of basil today. I love basil it is one ofthose herbs that just is is truly indispensible in the kitchen.Ocimum basilicum, Sweet Basil, is the most common. Two or threeplants will keep you in fresh Basil all summer, and give youplenty to dry for winter. The flavor is great, but deterioratessome after the plant flowers. Let a stalk or two go to seed fornext years crop. Purple basils: have dark purple serratedleaves, pink flowering; good for cooking. 'Purple ruffles' is anexample that is good for salad vinegars. East Indian: has aspicy clove-like aroma and flavor; good with tomatoes andcurries.Thai basil: is anise flavored and used in Indian andThai cooking. I also planted some seeds of a globe variety ofbasil Bush basils: are compact rounded plants, have tiny leaves,good flavor. Examples are 'spicy globe', 'bush' and 'tiny leafpurple'.Try different kinds There are many different kinds ofbasil that are fun to grow. I like to look for the ones withtiny leaves, and the purple-leafed kind, and also spicy basil.Basil is a polymorph, meaning it occurs in many different forms,varieties and closely related species. The different types areeasily hybridized, producing many different kinds of plants withdifferent essential oil constituents and compositions. There arecinnamon, lemon, clove and licorice scented basils; purple andgreen, curly and lettuce leafed varieties. Dwarf bush types withtiny leaves are grown as ornamental plants. Sweet Basil, Ocimumbasilicum is an herbaceous member of the mint family. It is thebasil most commonly grown. It is a delicate herb with a boldaroma and flavor, containing about 1% essential oil which has anintense, spicy-sweet, aroma and a slight anise-like undertone.Often associated with Italian cuisine, basil is native to theregion surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Popular as a seasoningand easy to grow, basil is cultivated and used throughout theworld. Basil will flourish in your garden or in a pot on a sunnywindowsill as long as it gets lots of warmth, water and sun.Pinch the flowers The minute you see flowers, get rid of them.The plant should keep flourishing with hearty leaves thereafter.Pinch your basil back to keep it small and tender even if youare not eating it as fast as it can grow. Last year mine was tootop heavy for its root base and tended to fall over on anythingunfortunate enough to be nearby. Snails and slugs absolutelylove basil, and will devour young tender sprouting basilvoraciously. I start my basil indoors so that it's not as muchof a problem. I put it in pots outdoors but I surround the potseach night with pans of beer. It has been so wet here thisSpring that I had about 40 slugs a night just around one basilplant.

Common basil pests are aphids, Japanese beetles and slugs. Knockoff aphids with a spray of water, hand pick off Japanese beetlesand drop into soapy water. For slugs, put out small containersof beer to attract them to their "fatal beer swim". Basils arealso susceptible to fungal leaf spot (caused by poor drainage,high humidity), fusarium wilt, and cucumber mosaic virus(transmitted by aphids). In the garden, basil is a fineornamental and has a long history as a companion plant; it'ssupposed to improve the growth and flavor of tomatoes and helprepel flying insects. Basil can be grown best in zones 4-10 andprefer warm soils and climate. Start seeds indoors six weeksbefore the last frost date in a moist medium at 80 degrees F. Orstart seeds outdoors after soil is warm. Plant in well-drainedsoil with a little compost tilled in or add a small amount ofbalanced organic fertilizer. Optimum soil ph is 5.5 - 7.5. Spaceplants 12-18 inches apart. You can snip fresh basil leaves intoa pasta dish or salad and have your aromatherapy and eat it too!

Basil Lore Cultivated since antiquity, basil originated inIndia, where it was regarded as a sacred herb. The name comesfrom the Greek basileus meaning 'king.' In India, Hindusbelieved that if a leaf of basil was buried with them, it wouldget them into heaven. Basil was also sacred to the Gods Krishna,and Vishnu and is still found growing around temples. In Italy,basil was used as a signal for love; a pot of basil placed onthe balcony meant that a woman was ready for her suitor toarrive. In England, basil was used to ward off insects and evilspirits. Basil is a part of religious traditions around theworld, from Christianity to Hindu. Although there is no mentionof basil in the Bible (21), the plant is said to have grown atthe site of Christ's crucifixion (21, 24) and is associated withSt. Basil, whose feast day is celebrated in Greece on January 1by having basil blessed at church (21, 45).

Holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum, is particularly sacred in Hindutradition. It is thought to be the manifestation of the goddess,Tulasi, and to have grown from her ashes. There are severalversions of the legend, but according to a widely known one,Tulasi was tricked into betraying her husband when she wasseduced by the god Vishnu in the guise of her husband. In hertorment, Tulasi killed herself, and Vishnu declared that shewould be "worshipped by women for her faithfulness" and wouldkeep women from becoming widows (37). Thus, holy basil, whichalso goes by the common name tulsi, an obvious reference to thegoddess, became a Hindu symbol of love, eternal life,purification and protection

Fiabe Italiane
The New York Times notes in "<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/theater/07turturro.html">With Turturro, Italy Knows No Bounds</a>," that the actor John Turturro directed and acted in "Fiabe Italiane" ("Italian Folk Tales"). The production, on tour last month in Torino, Napoli, and Milano, featured "...minstrels, two overlapping stories, [and] layers of language (English, Italian, Western Lombardian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Piedmontese, Abruzzese)." <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/07/fiabe-italiane.htm">Fiabe Italiane</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 02:32:00.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/07/fiabe-italiane.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/07/fiabe-italiane.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/07/fiabe-italiane.htm&zItl=Fiabe Italiane">Email this</a>
Sing in Italy
Want to <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.singinginitaly.com/">learn to sing opera in Italy</a>? A three-week workshop, organized by professional opera singers, is being held this June in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://goitaly.about.com/od/orvieto/">Orvieto</a>. The program includes voice lessons, coaching sessions, master classes, concerts and language lessons with Italian soprano Laura Toppetti and coach-accompanist Riccardo Cambri. One operatic style sure to be covered is <a href="http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa042501a.htm">bel canto</a> (beautiful singing). <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/02/sing-in-italy.htm">Sing in Italy</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 20:36:48.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/02/sing-in-italy.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/02/sing-in-italy.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/03/02/sing-in-italy.htm&zItl=Sing in Italy">Email this</a>
Spaghetti Eastern
To film buffs, the term "spaghetti Western" is fairly common. It's a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by Italians, usually in co-production with a Spanish partner. The best-known and perhaps archetypal films were the "Man with No Name" trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood and with the musical scores of Ennio Morricone: A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Now, though, there's a more recent film sub-genre: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118015570.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1">spaghetti Eastern</a>! The Italian government has approved a co-production treaty with China, with the provision that an English-version of the films produced must be made for international distribution, along with versions in Italian and Mandarin. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/25/spaghetti-eastern.htm">Spaghetti Eastern</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 02:47:16.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/25/spaghetti-eastern.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/25/spaghetti-eastern.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/25/spaghetti-eastern.htm&zItl=Spaghetti Eastern">Email this</a>
Codice Itanglese
Beware the Italian language police! Agostini Associati, an Italian translation and interpreting services agency, has proposed a series of rules called the <a href="http://www.agostiniassociati.it/codice-itanglese.php">Codice Itanglese</a> (Itanglese Code) to determine when it is appropriate to use an English term or expression when speaking or writing Italian (and when it is not). There have been a series of efforts by politicians and academics to defend the Italian language against what's often referred to as italenglish or itangliano. Several years ago, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa062100a.htm">members of the Italian parliament launched a campaign against English phrases and syntax</a> that were flooding into their culture and language, and, according to them, threatening to kill off Italian! <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/21/codice-itanglese.htm">Codice Itanglese</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 02:21:57.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/21/codice-itanglese.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/21/codice-itanglese.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/21/codice-itanglese.htm&zItl=Codice Itanglese">Email this</a>
Petrarca's Love Sonnets
Back in the 1300's, before card stores and chocolate manufacturers all conspired to commercialize the true spirit of love, passion, and romance, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/od/petrarca/Francesco_Petrarca_Canzoniere.htm">Francesco Petrarca</a> literally wrote the book on infatuation. The collection of Italian verses, Rime in vita e morta di Madonna Laura (after 1327), translated into English as <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa021600a.htm">Petrarch's Sonnets</a>, were inspired by Petrarch's unrequited passion for Laura (probably Laure de Noves), a young woman Petrarca first saw in church. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/14/petrarca-love-sonnets-4.htm">Petrarca's Love Sonnets </a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 02:18:35.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/14/petrarca-love-sonnets-4.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/14/petrarca-love-sonnets-4.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/14/petrarca-love-sonnets-4.htm&zItl=Petrarca's Love Sonnets ">Email this</a>
Esatto? No!
A community member of the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-italian">About.com Italian Language Forums</a> remembers an interview some years ago with a professor on RAI TV during which, in her words: "he had an explosive fit over the word 'esatto' when used as confirmation or agreement by the second party." Another poster postulates that the professor found it reprehensible on grounds of lack of variety. The point is, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=12&nav=messages&webtag=ab-italian&tid=9129">the Italian language allows a number of possible affirmative answers</a>, depending on the question and on the context, including: "S?t;/em>," "S?certo," "Certamente," and "?cos?t;/em>." <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/09/esatto.htm">Esatto? No!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 02:06:20.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/09/esatto.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/09/esatto.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/09/esatto.htm&zItl=Esatto? No!">Email this</a>
McDonald’s Parla Italiano
McDonald's has introduced a new line of "McItaly" sandwiches and salads in its Italian locations, including a burger topped with olive oil, onion, and smoked pancetta. To coincide with the new menu items is a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.pubblicitaitalia.it/news/Creativita--Marketing/Campagne-e-Spot/con-mcitaly-e-twbaitalia-mcdonalds-parla-italiano-_27011212.aspx">marketing campaign</a> with the tagline: "Il gusto McDonald's ha un nuovo sapore. Tutto italiano."<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/02/mcitaly.htm">McDonald’s Parla Italiano</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 02:05:57.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/02/mcitaly.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/02/mcitaly.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/02/02/mcitaly.htm&zItl=McDonald’s Parla Italiano">Email this</a>
Sicilian Tragedee
"Sicilian Tragedee," by Ottavio Cappellani (translated by Frederika Randall), is, according to The New York Times, "<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/books/review/Leavitt-t.html ">a funny novel that both celebrates and satirizes 21st-century Sicily</a>...where donkey carts share the street with sports cars and everyone has a cellphone." <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/31/sicilian-tragedee.htm">Sicilian Tragedee</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 02:32:07.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/31/sicilian-tragedee.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/31/sicilian-tragedee.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/31/sicilian-tragedee.htm&zItl=Sicilian Tragedee">Email this</a>
Fare Il Pieno With a Subject Pronoun
The <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.nytimes.com/pages/crosswords/">New York Times crossword</a> today features a clue for Italophiles: "Gas brand that's also an Italian pronoun." The answer, of course, is ESSO, a brand name derived from the phonetic pronounciation of the initials of Standard Oil ("S-O").It's also one of those <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/od/grammar/a/aa052808a.htm">forgotten Italian subject pronouns</a> that include egli, ella, esso, essa, essi, and esse.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/28/esso.htm">Fare Il Pieno With a Subject Pronoun</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 02:05:38.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/28/esso.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/28/esso.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/28/esso.htm&zItl=Fare Il Pieno With a Subject Pronoun">Email this</a>
Pin-up Italiana
A community member of the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-italian">About.com Italian Language Forums</a> points outs out that sometimes "<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=178&nav=messages&webtag=ab-italian&tid=111">it's all right to use a foreign word when the Italian equivalent is awkward or non-existent</a>." Case in point is the term ragazza di cui appendere la fotografia alla parete—a pin-up! <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/25/pin-up-italiana.htm">Pin-up Italiana</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/">About.com Italian Language</a> on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 02:38:11.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/25/pin-up-italiana.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/25/pin-up-italiana.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italian.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italian.about.com/b/2010/01/25/pin-up-italiana.htm&zItl=Pin-up Italiana">Email this</a>

(21, 30, 37). In addition to basil'srole in the death of Tulasi in the Hindu legend, basil hasplayed a role in burial rituals and has been grown on graves invarious countries. Love and Courtship Basil's love symbolismisn't limited to India. It has been considered an aphrodisiac bysome, is associated with the pagan love goddess, Erzuli (20, 56in 75), and is used in love spells (20). In Italy, where sweetbasil is called "kiss me Nicholas," "bacia-nicola," it isthought to attract husbands to wives (21), and a pot of basil ona windowsill is meant to signal a lover (75). In Moldavianfolklore, if a man accepts a sprig of basil from a woman, hewill fall in love with her (21). As is typical for its folklore,while being linked to love and attraction, basil has alsoconversely been associated with chastity. In Sicilian folklore,basil is associated with both love and death when basil sproutsfrom the head of [L]isabetta of Messina's slain lover (21).

Protection and Luck Basil is considered a good luck charm insome folklore. It is reportedly used in exorcisms, forprotection and to attract wealth (20, 26, 75).

Language of Flowers Basil's symbolism in the Victorian languageof flowers also reflects its dual nature. It signifies bothhatred (for common basil) and best wishes (for sweet basil)(34). History & Folklore Basil has a long and interestinghistory steeped in legend. Probably originating in Asia andAfrica (73), it is thought to have been brought to ancientGreece by Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.), to have made itsway to England from India in the mid 1500s and arrived in theU.S in the early 1600s (21). It was grown in medieval gardens(18, 40) and is mentioned in many classic herbals, includingthose of Culpeper, Gerard, Parkinson and Dioscorides (19, 33,64).

Basil's folklore is as complex as its flavor and aromas. Interms of its legend and symbolism, basil has been both loved andfeared. Its associations include such polar opposites as loveand hate, danger and protection, and life and death.

The generic name, Ocimum, derives from the ancient Greek word,okimon, meaning smell (21, 24, 79), which suggests theimpressive nature of basil's fragrance. The specific epithet,basilicum, is Latin for basilikon, which means kingly/royal inGreek (21, 24, 79). Henry Beston, in Herbs of the Earth,suggests that basil was so named for the regal "Tyrian" purplecolor [of its flowers] (11). According to Parkinson, basil'sscent was "fit for a king's house" (35). Many authors suggestthat basil's negative associations stem from the similarity ofits Latin specific epithet, basilicum, to the name of thebasilisk (or basilicus), the mythical serpent with the lethalgaze.

According to Helen Noyes Webster's 1936 Herbarist article, thefirst mention of basil was by Chrysippus (pre-206 B.C.E.):"Ocimum exists only to drive men insane" (78, 82). In hisseventeenth-century herbal, Parkinson claimed basil could beused "to procure a cheereful and merry heart" (66). Gerardpraised basil as a remedy for melancholy but also repeatedDioscorides' warning that too much basil "dulleth the sight…andis of a hard digestion" (33). Culpeper and Gerard claimed basilwould cure scorpion and bee stings, and Gerard mentioned thatbasil could spontaneously generate worms if chewed and left inthe sun (19, 33). Basil was also reputed to cause thespontaneous generation of scorpions and to cause scorpions togrow in the brain (19, 35). This connection with scorpionspersists to this day in basil's association with theastrological sign, Scorpio (69). Culpeper sums up thedisagreement among ancient writers by deeming basil "the Herbwhich all Authors are together by the Ears about, and rail atone another like Lawyers" (19).

Medically, basil has been used as a sedative, an expectorant,and a laxative but it is not used much in herbal preparationstoday. Still, adding basil leaves to food is an aid todigestion. The essential oil of basil is used to treat skinconditions such as acne. basil has a long history as a medicinalherb. The Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed basil forheadache. Pliny thought it was an aphrodisiac; hiscontemporaries fed it to horses during the breeding season. Inmodern aromatherapy, basil is used to cheer the heart and mind.The sweet, energizing aroma seems to help relieve sorrow andmelancholy. Growing Basil Folklore holds that you have to cursethe ground as you sow basil for it to grow well, but you canforego the cussing and still grow basil successfully. Its mainrequirements are sun and heat.

---History---The derivation of the name Basil is uncertain. Someauthorities say it comes from the Greek basileus, a king,because, as Parkinson says, 'the smell thereof is so excellentthat it is fit for a king's house,' or it may have been termedroyal, because it was used in some regal unguent or medicine.One rather unlikely theory is that it is shortened frombasilisk, a fabulous creature that could kill with a look. Thistheory may be based on a strange old superstition that connectedthe plant with scorpions. Parkinson tells us that 'being gentlyhandled it gave a pleasant smell but being hardly wrung andbruised would breed scorpions. It is also observed thatscorpions doe much rest and abide under these pots and vessellswherein Basil is planted.' It was generally believed that if asprig of Basil were left under a pot it would in time turn to ascorpion. Superstition went so far as to affirm that evensmelling the plant might bring a scorpion into the brain. Carryit in your pocket and it brings money to your business..Ahh,let's see..Plant basil on your property and it keeps goats awayand keeps you from becoming inebriated...It was also thougt tobe a soother of tempers...if that were true, parents ofteenagers should probably have a lot of it around... and witcheswere suppose to drink 1/2 cup of basil juice before they took tothe air. For anyone out there who is a witch, this is not tomake fun of your belief...It is just some things I read andthought were kind of cute ( for lack of a better word.) InRomania if a young lady offers a young man a sprig of basil, andhe accepts, they are officially engaged. In Haiti, basil isthought to belong to the goddess Erzulie the voodoo goddess oflove. In Italy, basil is thought of as a sign of love. At onetime young girls would place some on their windowsill toindicate they were looking for a suitor. In Tudor times, smallpots of this were given by farmers' wives to visitors as partinggifts. It is also reputed that any man will fall in love with awoman from whom he accepts some basil from as a gift. Culpeppersays: 'Being applied to the place bitten by venomous beasts, orstung by a wasp or hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it. -Every like draws its like. Mizaldus affirms, that being laid torot in horse-dung, it will breed venomous beasts. Hilarius, aFrench physician, affirms upon his own knowledge, that anacquaintance of his, by common smelling to it, had a scorpionbreed in his brain.' If you're looking for a lot of basilrecipes, I recommend picking up "The Basil Book" by MarilynHampstead (ISBN 0-671-50685-4). Marilyn runs an annual basilfestival at her herb farm. This is the largest collection ofpesto recipes that I've seen. References HarperCollins PracticalGardener: Kitchen Garden : What to Grow and How to Grow It byLucy Peel The Medicinal Garden: How to Grow and Use Your OwnMedicinal Herbs by Anne McIntyre What Herb Is That?: How to Growand Use the Culinary Herbs by John Hemphill, Rosemary HemphillFood Folklore : Tales and Truths About What We Eat (TheNutrition Now Series) by Roberta Larson Duyff (Paperback) TheMeaning of Herbs: Myth, Language & Lore by Gretchen Scoble, AnnFiery Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn'sSourcebook Series) by Scott Cunningham (Paperback) Rodale'sIllustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs by Claire Kowalchik (Editor),William H. Hylton (Editor) (Paperback) Books: The Green Pharmacy: The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World'sForemost Authority On Healing Herbs (Green Pharmacy) by James A.Duke

About the author:Judi Singleton publishes ten blogs a week if you like thisarticle please go to http://herbalharvest.blogspot.com/ and readother articles by her.

Here are some more italy articles...

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Risotto al Tastasal
<A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatyrisotti/r/blr1041.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/J/9/1/risttotastasalww.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=393 WIDTH=298 ALT="Risotto al Tastasal in a Cheese Wheel"></A> The concepts of Risotto and Cheese go hand-in-hand, and if you are organizing a party or dinner for a significant number of people, one of the nicest ways to serve a risotto is in a hollowed out wheel of cheese. In this case Monte Veronese, a mild slightly nutty cows' milk cheese made in the mountains above Verona, and the risotto is risotto al tastasal, a risotto traditionally made in the Veneto during the salami-making season (before filling the casings), to judge if the impasto, or filling of the salami is is properly seasoned. The heat of the risotto melts a little of the cheese, and makes it even tastier! If you click on the photo you'll be taken to the risotto al tastasal recipe (you could also use a mild sausage, if need be). Some other risotto recipes from Verona. <UL> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatyrisotti/r/blr1042.htm">Risotto alla Pilota</A> A hearty risotto with lots of pork, for the people who worked Verona's rice mills and needed substantial foods.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr1046.htm">Risotto al Radicchio Rosso di Verona</A> The bitterness of radicchio goes wonderfully with the creamy texture of a risotto.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatyrisotti/r/blr1040.htm">Risotto All'Isolana</A> A classic from Isola della Scala, the heart of Veronese rice production, made with pork and cheese.</LI> </UL> Veronese rice production, you wonder? Southeast from Verona is Isola della Scala, a pretty town surrounded by rice paddies, where Vialone Nano, one of the great Italian short-grained risotto rices, is grown. <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/ricerisotto/r/blr0063a.htm">Making Risotto: Basic Instructions</A> | <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/illustratedrecipesmore/ss/aa102207.htm">Making Risotto, Illustrated</A><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/10/almost-wordless-wednesday-risotto-al-tastasal.htm">Almost Wordless Wednesday: Risotto al Tastasal</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 02:13:41.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/10/almost-wordless-wednesday-risotto-al-tastasal.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/10/almost-wordless-wednesday-risotto-al-tastasal.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/10/almost-wordless-wednesday-risotto-al-tastasal.htm&zItl=Almost Wordless Wednesday: Risotto al Tastasal">Email this</a>
Way Off Topic: Felice 8 Marzo!
March 8 is International Woman's Day, and is an occasion for considerable celebration in Italy. Not familiar with L'8 Marzo? Like many other days set aside to celebrate the rights of workers, the International Woman's Day's origins are American: At the turn of the last century women were entering the workforce in record numbers in the United States, and began to agitate for better working conditions and pay, as well as the vote. In 1908 the Socialist women of the US held demonstrations for improved working conditions, better pay, and suffrage on February 28. On February 28 1909 several thousand women turned out in Manhattan, and during the same winter the women working in the sweatshops struck for better conditions and pay, with the support of the Woman's Trade Union, which provided bail money and food. American women continued to observe February 28 as Woman's Day, while in 1910 the delegates of the Socialist International Meeting in Copenhagen voted unanimously to establish an International Women's Day, without setting a specific date. So in 1911 the women of Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland demonstrated on March 19, and it is estimated that more than a million people participated. A week later, on March 25, in Manhattan the Triangle fire claimed the lives of more than 140 workers, mostly immigrant girls -- there was only one fire escape for the hundreds of people trapped in the burning floors -- and the newspaper accounts led to calls for reform, while tying the fire to the struggle for women's rights in popular imagery. (For more information, including heart-rending newspaper accounts, see the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/">Triangle Fire pages</a>). Yearly demonstrations continued, becoming associated with the peace movements that formed as a response to the gathering clouds of war in Europe; in particular, Russian women settled on February 28 as the day for their demonstrations. And continued to demonstrate during the war; despite opposition from other activists, on the last Sunday of February -- the 23rd -- 1917 they went on strike to protest conditions at home and the more than 2 million war dead. They called for "bread and peace," and four days later the Czar capitulated; one of the first things the provisional government did was grant women the right to vote. The date, February 23 on the Julian calendar then used in Russia, was March 8 in the Gregorian calendar used elsewhere, and that's why International Woman's Day is March 8. In Italy it's an occasion for meetings, talks, and demonstrations, and men traditionally give women a sprig of mimosa, with its bright yellow blossoms, to mark the occasion. I'm off to buy Daughter Clelia and Wife Elisabetta theirs. Again, happy March 8 to all who celebrate it!<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/08/way-off-topic-felice-8-marzo.htm">Way Off Topic: Felice 8 Marzo!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 01:14:00.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/08/way-off-topic-felice-8-marzo.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/08/way-off-topic-felice-8-marzo.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/08/way-off-topic-felice-8-marzo.htm&zItl=Way Off Topic: Felice 8 Marzo!">Email this</a>
An Italian Meal for the Week
To Begin, an Aside: I have just posted <A HREF="http://italianwinereview.blogspot.com/2010/03/chianti-classico-2010-anteprima.html">my notes from this year's Chianti Classico vintage presentation</A>, and also selections of the <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa030510a.htm">Chianti D'Annata</A> and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa030510b.htm">Riserve</A> that impressed me. However, these wines are still in Italy; what you will now find in stores are the <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa031709a.htm">Chianti D'Annata (vintage wines)</A> and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa031709b.htm">Chianti Riserve</A> presented last year. And what might you serve with them? Starting with a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa031709a.htm">Chianti d'Annata</A>: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/antipasti/ss/aa092906.htm">Mixed cold cuts</A>, <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/antipasti/ss/aa100206.htm">antipasto misto</A>, and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/antipasti/a/aa031998.htm">crostini</A>. Followed by (we're in winter and it's cold) Pasta (my father-in-law is partial to penne) al sugo, with a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatsauces/r/blr0026.htm">bolognese sauce</A>, which is as common in Tuscany as it is in Emilia Romagna. Then, moving up to a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa031709b.htm">Chianti Classico Riserva</A>: You might have stewed <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/furredgameetc/r/blr0655.htm">wild boar</A> (or <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefvealstews/r/blr0251b.htm">beef</A>), or perhaps a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefbracioleetc/r/blr0568.htm">bistecca alla fiorentina</A> (a portherhouse steak), served with <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablessalads/r/blr0083.htm">spinach</A> and either <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/potatoes/r/blr1106.htm">fried</A> or <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/potatoes/r/blr1917.htm">mashed</A> potatoes. To finish up, <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/spoondesserts/r/blr1554.htm">Zuppa Inglese</A>. Some might be tempted to serve it with a sweet wine, a vinsanto even, but I would simply want an espresso, and (perhaps) a tiny glass of grappa.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/05/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-36.htm">An Italian Meal for the Week</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 14:39:30.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/05/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-36.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/05/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-36.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/05/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-36.htm&zItl=An Italian Meal for the Week">Email this</a>
Almost Wordless Wednesday: Fesa di Tacchino, or Turkey Breast
<A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/favoriterecipes/tp/aa010710.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/D/9/1/fesatacchinoww.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=233 WIDTH=300 ALT="Fesa di Tacchino"></A> Whole turkeys are rare in Italian markets: A few appear around Christmas, but during the rest of the year you'll mostly find skinned turkey breasts, generally sold either whole or by the half, though some enterprising merchants slice them and charge (often quite a bit) more for having done so. There are also turkey drumsticks, but not nearly as many, and I occasionally wonder where they go. Most likely to processed foods. Returning to turkey breast, it is quite popular in Italy because in addition to being inexpensive it is lean, mildly flavored, and adaptable: one can do all sorts of things with it. If you click on the photo you'll be taken to <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/favoriterecipes/tp/aa010710.htm">a collection of turkey breast recipes</A>. And here are several chicken breast recipes that will also work quite well with turkey breast: <UL> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr1836.htm">Chicken (or Turkey) Rollups with Bell Peppers</A> Bell peppers and breast meat makes for an ideal spring-summer dish.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr1453.htm">Chicken (or Turkey) Breasts with Hazelnuts</A> Tasty, and easy to do.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr1651.htm">Chicken (or Turkey) Cuscus & Caper Salad</A> This is a distinctly modern Italian revisitation of a traditional Italian food -- Sicily's cuscus -- of the sort that you might find in a trendy caf?hat caters to those on their office lunch hour, or who want a quick refreshing bite to eat.</LI> </UL><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/03/almost-wordless-wednesday-fesa-di-tacchino-or-turkey-breast.htm">Almost Wordless Wednesday: Fesa di Tacchino, or Turkey Breast</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 05:18:38.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/03/almost-wordless-wednesday-fesa-di-tacchino-or-turkey-breast.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/03/almost-wordless-wednesday-fesa-di-tacchino-or-turkey-breast.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/03/almost-wordless-wednesday-fesa-di-tacchino-or-turkey-breast.htm&zItl=Almost Wordless Wednesday: Fesa di Tacchino, or Turkey Breast">Email this</a>
Involtini.... Vegetariani
Involtini are generally meat based, a scallop or braciola wrapped around a filling and cooked. But one can also use vegetables -- either borad leaves or slices of something along the lines of eggplant -- as a base, and wrap them up around a meatless filling. The result is perfect for a light lunch, and also well suited to Lent, if you are observing it. A couple of ideas: <UL> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablepiesandmore/r/blr1955.htm">Involtini Vegetatiani con Biete e Patate</A> Leafy vegetables such as Swiss chard are perfectly suited to being rolled up, and do a fine job of containing a potato filling. This will make for a nice light lunch, if served with crusty bread and a tossed salad.</li> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/zucchinirecipes/r/blr1556.htm">Involtini di Zucchine</A> With a cheese and bell pepper filling.</li> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/eggplant/r/blr1481.htm">Involtini di Melanzana alle Noci</A> This is a quick easy eggplant rollup recipe that is quite newfangled in style, and will work nicely as part of a light lunch, especially if made with care, at which point it becomes quite impressive.</li> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/veggieantipasti/r/blr0744.htm">Involtini di Peperone</A> A classic Piemontese recipe, roasted bell pepper strips rolled up around tuna.</li> </UL> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/28/rose-gray-obituary"> Farewell, Rose</a> I did not know Rose Gray, and have never been to the River Cafe, one of London's most influential Italian restaurants. But Ronan Bennett's tribute is beautiful, and makes me wish I had had occasion to go. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/01/involtini-vegetariani.htm">Involtini.... Vegetariani</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 05:25:20.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/01/involtini-vegetariani.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/01/involtini-vegetariani.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/03/01/involtini-vegetariani.htm&zItl=Involtini.... Vegetariani">Email this</a>
An Italian Meal For The Week
The days are significantly longer now, and it has gotten warmer. Not any drier, however, and dishes that bring warmth to the table are still quite welcome. Few things are quite as good at bringing heat to a plate as Risotto, so we'll start with it: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetarianrisotti/r/blr1876.htm">Risotto al Rosmarino</A>: Risotto is generally seasoned with some sort of meat or vegetable, or something creamy. But there are other options, and a risotto seasoned with rosemary will have a delightful woodsy feel and provide a nice change of pace. Followed by: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr1453.htm">Petti Di Pollo Alle Nocciole</A>, Chicken Breasts with Hazel Nuts: Another woodsy dish, and quite tasty too. And, on the side, in honor of dieting, a tossed salad seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and a drop of vinegar. To Finish Up? Fresh fruit, and this time I might go with a pear. Wine? Red, not too heavy, and Campriano's Chianti Colli Senesi might be nice.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/26/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-35.htm">An Italian Meal For The Week</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 19:29:02.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/26/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-35.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/26/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-35.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/26/an-italian-meal-for-the-week-35.htm&zItl=An Italian Meal For The Week">Email this</a>
Almost Wordless Wednesday: Polenta!
<A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/polentarecipes/a/aa030498_2.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/I/9/1/polentapaioloww.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=376 WIDTH=293 ALT="A Paiolo, with Polenta"></A> Yes, polenta is corn meal mush, and it was (and still is) a winter staple in Northern Italy. The standard recipe says to stir it slowly in a paiolo, or copper pot, as it thickens, and Italians who follow this course generally buy a motor-driven paiolo of the sort shown here, which I picked up on sale in a supermarket years ago. If you don't have a pot of this kind, however, all is not lost. John, who lives outside Milano, adds his cornmeal to the water when it boils, seals the pot, and barely simmers it for 40 minutes, while Remo's grandmother taught him to make polenta in a slow cooker. In other words, you can stir, if you want, but you can also go about your business while the polenta cooks on its own. Got polenta? Polenta is a foil, on a par with bread, and begs an accompaniment. If you're being quite simple, good olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a wedge of mild pecorino toscano is very good, but people usually want more, especially in the cooler winter months. Stew, for example: <UL> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefvealstews/r/blr1922.htm">Spicy Braised Beef With Polenta</A> Though this packs a punch, the sauce and the polenta go together beautifully. Should you prefer it less hot, reduce the pepper content. </LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefvealstews/r/blr1851.htm">Lo Stufato Dell'Adriana</A> Simple home cooking, a pork and beef stew that simmers for hours, warming the house, and then the table.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefvealstews/r/blr1293.htm">Carne da Galera, or Jailhouse Meat</A> The name comes from the fact that the cuts involved are less noble, and tended to go bad quickly in the days before refrigeration. Hence this herb-laden pot-roasting method, which was able to cover any off smells the meat might have developed.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefvealstews/r/blr1765.htm">Pastissada di Manzo, Beef Pastissada</A> Pastissada is an old Veronese stew that draws from Austro-Hungarian tradition (Verona was a part of the Empire for a long time) and brings goulash to mind. Most of the recipes I've seen call for horse meat, but this one is beef based.</LI> </UL> And what to serve with you polenta and stew? The combination begs a substantial red wine. An Amarone, for example, and <A HREF="http://italianwinereview.blogspot.com/2009/02/thoughts-about-2005-amarone.html">here you will find my notes for the 2005 vintage</A>, which is currently in stores. Curious about 2006? I went to the vintage presentation two weeks ago, and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/tp/aa022510.htm">here is a selection of the 2006 wines</A> that impressed me the most. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/24/almost-wordless-wednesday-polenta.htm">Almost Wordless Wednesday: Polenta!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 09:06:18.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/24/almost-wordless-wednesday-polenta.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/24/almost-wordless-wednesday-polenta.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/24/almost-wordless-wednesday-polenta.htm&zItl=Almost Wordless Wednesday: Polenta!">Email this</a>
A Few Fish Recipes, Not Just For Lent
Lent's arrival does require a mental shift in gears, if one chooses to observe it: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefbracioleetc/r/blr1570.htm">burgers</A> (what Italians call Svizzere), <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr0956.htm">chicken</A>, <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatsauces/r/blr0026.htm">tagliatelle alla bolognese</A>... They're all out. And that leaves us with... Fish! Wonderful, healthy, wholesome fish, which is also low in calories and will help those who are not observing Lent prepare for the Summer Swimsuit Season. Yes, there are reasons everyone should enjoy fish! This said, how about: <UL> <LI><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishrecipes/r/blr1949.htm">Pagello Al Sale Aromatico, Pandora Roasted in Aromatic Salt</a> Salt roasting is a very simple technique. However, one can flavor the salt, which will then impart delightful flavor to the fish as well.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/baccalandstockfish/r/blr1326.htm">Potatoes and Baccal?t;/A> Baccal?salt cod, is one of the unsung heroes of the culinary world. Potatoes do an excellent job of supporting it in this recipe, which has a Sicilian feel to it.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/octopuscalamariseppie/r/blr0067.htm">Seppie in Inzimino</A> Cuttlefish with greens is a traditional Tuscan way of cooking cuttlefish of all sizes; you can also use octopus.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishthebasics/r/blr0850.htm">Pesce Lesso, Boiled Fish</A> Boiled fish is easy to do and can be tremendously satisfying. </LI> </UL><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/22/a-few-fish-recipes-not-just-for-lent.htm">A Few Fish Recipes, Not Just For Lent</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 07:56:58.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/22/a-few-fish-recipes-not-just-for-lent.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/22/a-few-fish-recipes-not-just-for-lent.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/22/a-few-fish-recipes-not-just-for-lent.htm&zItl=A Few Fish Recipes, Not Just For Lent">Email this</a>
Greetings from Montalcino!
Come February the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, the organization that oversees the production of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most famed and sought after wines, organizes a presentation of the current vintages the producers are releasing: The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino, the 2008 Rosso di Montalcino -- Brunello's younger sibling, from a nicely balanced, graceful vintage, -- Moscadello, a sweet white wine made from the Moscato grape that was famed long before anyone in Montalcino took an interest in reds, and Sant'Antimo, a catch-all denomination that includes both red and white wines, some of which are quite good. I won't be commenting on the tasting until next week, but in the meantime here's a menu one could build around the wines. <UL> <LI>With a White Sant'Antimo: Mixed cold cuts and cheeses, or perhaps <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0904.htm">pici all'aglione</A>, thick stranded extraordinarily garlicky pasta. <LI>With a Red Sant'Antimo, or a Rosso di Montalcino: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0655.htm">Pappardelle sul Cinghiale</A>, broad strips of pasta with a wild boar sauce (other furred game will be fine if need be). <LI>With a Brunello di Montalcino: The obvious answer is a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0248.htm">roast</A>, but I might opt for a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0224.htm">scottiglia</A>, a rich stew made by the charcoal makers of the area from whatever animals they could catch. As side dishes, boiled white (cannellini) beans and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0083.htm">spinach</A>. <LI>To finish up with the Moscadello, A simple <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0559.htm">Sienese Torta di Ricotta</A>.</LI></UL> Buon Appetito!<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/18/greetings-from-montalcino.htm">Greetings from Montalcino!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 01:54:06.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/18/greetings-from-montalcino.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/18/greetings-from-montalcino.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/18/greetings-from-montalcino.htm&zItl=Greetings from Montalcino!">Email this</a>
Almost Wordless Wednesday: It's Ash Wednesday!
<IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/H/9/1/triglieww.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=416 WIDTH=300 ALT="Reef Mullet"> And that means, for the Catholic among us, the beginning of Lent, when the Church asks people to forgo meat as part of the spiritual renewal leading up to Easter. Avoiding meat is actually not at all a bad idea even for non-Catholics, because it allows us to rid our bodies of all sorts of toxins, and also opens the way to all sorts of fish. For example, the reef mullet pictured here, which are delightfully flavorful. You might use them to make: <UL> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishrecipes/r/blr0797.htm">Triglie alla Livornese</A>: With a zesty tomato sauce.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishrecipes/r/blr0824.htm">Triglie al Cartoccio</A>: Wrapped up with other delights and baked.</LI> <LI><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishrecipes/r/blr0581.htm">Triglie con Uvette e Pinoli</A>: With raisins and pine nuts, a classic Italian Jewish recipe.</LI> </UL> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/fishdishes/ig/La-Galleria-del-Pesce/">La Galleria Del Pesce, The Fish Gallery</A> | <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aboutingredients/ss/aa081106.htm">How To Select Fresh Fish</A> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/holidaydishes/tp/aa010306.htm">More Lenten Recipes</A><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/17/almost-wordless-wednesday-its-ash-wednesday.htm">Almost Wordless Wednesday: It's Ash Wednesday!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/">About.com Italian Food</a> on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 01:01:36.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/17/almost-wordless-wednesday-its-ash-wednesday.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/17/almost-wordless-wednesday-its-ash-wednesday.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://italianfood.about.com/b/2010/02/17/almost-wordless-wednesday-its-ash-wednesday.htm&zItl=Almost Wordless Wednesday: It's Ash Wednesday!">Email this</a>