Tuscan Tips

Dos and Don'ts of Italian Cooking

Italian cooks are guided by basic principles of taste. Enjoy these pearls of Italian cooking wisdom that I’ve learned along the way: (Lynne – we need to add why to each of these)

• Only use parmigiano-reggiano. No other parmesan will do.
• Always grate your own fresh cheese fresh at the time you are ready to use it.
• Do not add grated Parmesan to pasta whose sauce has been cooked with olive oil. (There are a few rare exceptions)
• Only use extra virgin olive oil.
• Use herbs and spices sparingly.
• Do not overcook pasta.
• When making risotto, use only Italian varieties grown for that purpose.
• Unless you are on a strict sodium diet, do not shy away from using salt to draw out the flavor of food.
• When a recipe calls for parsley, use flat- leaf Italian parsley.
• Do not confuse stock with meat broth. Meat broth is what goes into Italian cooking.
• Do not precook pasta if you don’t have to.