The History of Tortellini: Emilia Romagna Cooking Vacations
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History
Pastas abound in Italy, but none quite have the legend that tortellini does. The navel-shaped pasta has an origin story unlike any other. And while tellings of this legend vary, the basics remain the same. That is, when a sixteenth-century innkeeper in the Italian town of Castelfranco Emilia once saw the naked navel of Venus, the goddess of love, he created a tribute to her in the form of a… Read
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Why Bologna (Not Baloney)
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Tips, Travel Videos
The Emilia Romagna region is the home to some of our favorite cooking vacations in Italy, and also to a lot of gastronomic wonders: prosciutto, parmigiano, tortellini, Bolognese sauce. And also that delectable treat, mortadella, known to Americans as "Baloney" (Bologna), but ever so much better than what you'll find in an Oscar Mayer package. The center of it all is Bologna, a city that can be pronounced as old… Read
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Types of Stuffed Pastas
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History
Italy has so many pasta shapes and types of filled pasta it's almost impossible to name them all. At The International Kitchen we love pretty much all types of pasta and have had the chance to make them from scratch many times during our cooking classes in Italy. Did you know that each region of Italy has its own distinctive types of pasta and dishes? And yet there are also… Read
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Why Emilia Romagna is the Perfect Foodie Destination
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Videos
This week we're focusing on one of our favorite regions of Italy - Emilia Romagna. Home to more P.D.O. (D.O.P.) and P.G.I. (I.P.G.) products than any other in Europe (in all of Europe!), it is a food lover's dream. First, what is a P.D.O.? It is in English a product of "Protected Designation of Origin", or "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" (D.O.P.) in Italian. And a "P.G.I." is a product of… Read
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A Bolognese Sauce Recipe from Emilia Romagna
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes
Emilia Romagna has a lot of different nicknames. The Italian region -- north of Tuscany -- has been called the "motor valley" as its the home to cars like Ferrari and Maserati; the "wellness valley" as its a wonderful place for spa visits and bike tours; and the "food basket" of Italy. In other words, there are plenty of reasons to visit this beautiful valley on a foodie vacation in… Read
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The Cured Meats of Emilia Romagna
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Travel Tips
There's nothing quite like the cured meats of Emilia Romagna if you are on one of our foodie trips in Italy. While the northern region of Italy is known for quite a few delicacies and dishes, and a variety of preserved products -- even tomato paste! -- it's often the cured hams that draw people to this beautiful land: not only to see how they're made, but also to taste… Read
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