Be Your Own Italian Food Chef

It is not difficult to make your own Italian food once you understand the concept of Italian cuisine. Italian food usually mixes seasonings, herbs, and spices with pastas and rice. In a full course Italian meal, there is a pasta dish and a meat dish as well as a salad and plenty of bread. Wine is served at most meals as well as water. A salad is usually served after the meal in an authentic Italian food meal.

To make Italian food and be your own chef, you need the right ingredients. You should start by stocking the pantry with the following ingredients:

* Olive oil
* Pasta
* Legumes
* Tomato paste, puree, tomatoes
* Garlic (fresh cloves)
* Onions
* Basil
* Oregano
* Marjoram
* Risotto
* Parmesian or Romano Cheese (or both)
* Chianti

Once you have these spices and other ingredients, you can be prepared to cook just about any type of Italian food. Italian food relies heavily on spices, just as most Mediterranean foods do. The spices that are used in Italian food came from all over the world as the Roman empire expanded. Italian food has influences in other Mediterranean cooking as well as African and Arabic cooking. French cooking, which is said to be the "creme de le creme" of gourmet cooking, is actually influenced by Italian food.

Most of the foods on the list above are good for you in some manner. Olive oil is preferable than vegetable oil when it comes to fats. Pasta is a complex carbohydrate as is Risotto, which is a type of rice - you need them to get energy, despite what the Atkins diet tells you. The trick is to eat them in moderation. Legumes are an excellent source of protein. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions are loaded with antioxidants and boost the immune system. Oregano, basil and marjoram are natural herbs that have medicinal purposes. Chianti is supposed to lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk for colon cancer. The cheeses are dairy - part of the essential food groups.

You can make spaghetti sauce, or gravy as it is known by those familiar with Italian food, by combining all of the above ingredients save the legumes and risotto. Save the pasta for the sauce when it is done and sprinkle it with the cheese. Add a bit of Chianti to the sauce and also a dash of sugar as it cuts the tartness of the tomatoes.

Once you understand how to cook Italian food, you will be able to make all sorts of recipes. If you have a meat course, you can cook the meat right in with the sauce or gravy. You should brown it first and then allow it to cook slowly in with the gravy. This way, your meat course will be ready at the same time as the sauce.

Italian food is delicious and easy to make, even on a shoestring budget. Bon appetite!