Risotto is a popular first course in many regions of Italy. This article describes the cooking technique necessary to achieve the characteristic creaminess of the risotto while maintaining the rice grains firm and separate.

Olive oil is ubiquitous in Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines not only because of its many health benefits but also because it contributes to the flavor of food.

Parmigiano Reggiano is undoubtedly the best known and most copied among Italian cheese. Most Italians consider it the "king of cheese" because of its superior taste, uncompromised quality and excellent nutritional value.

There are more than 100 different pasta shapes used in Italian cuisine. Some are very common and routinely exported all over the world, other are only used with a handful of recipes and some other are only widely known within the region where they are traditionally used.
This article introduces some of the most common shapes along with suggestions on their use.

Herbs play import role in Italy cuisine, a wide variety of herbs and spices is used in Italian cooking. They are used in small amounts and provide flavor rather than substance to food. Most herbs are best used fresh when their flavors and scents are at their peak. There is always a comprehensive range of fresh herbs for sale on the market stalls.

Sophisticated equipment in Italian kitchen? I have to say "yes". They start with pan, pot, knife, cutting board...to colander, meat mallet, grater, food mill...etc, that make me dizzy sometimes. As Chinese, wok is the tool be used most often, that is as perfect an all purpose cooking pot as exists, and has remained basically unchanged for thousands of years. Do not worry, here i just bring you to Essential Cooking Tools, that is as simple as Chinese wok.

The laichichi.com staff uses many references to ensure the most authentic execution of the classical recipes and to get inspiration for the original recipes featured on the site. This article introduces the books we use most often.

Creative spirit and particular uses, pasta present us a colorful world in vivid way. They range from tiny pasta for soup to large pasta for stuffing, all shapes and size vary in taste. They can combine and absorb type of sources very differently. How many different pasta on earth? I did not account yet. But, what can i say, generally there are four type of pasta, based on the material made of pasta.

The Italian table presents us with a veritable feast. The regional variation, the high quality of produce, and a sense of tradition are its mainstays. To really discover and explore this tradition, time and curiosity are required. In this article we provide a brief introduction to the formal Italian meal.