_FOREWORD_
In this world war we are learning many lessons from our Allies beside
those of the battle field. The housewives of the old world have much
to teach us in thrift, especially in the kitchen. Italian cooking--not
that of the large hotel or restaurant, but the _cucina casalinga_ of
the little roadside hostelry and of the home where the mother, or some
deft handmaid trained in the art from infancy, is priestess at the
tiny charcoal stove--is at once so frugal and so delicious that we do
well to study it with close attention.
If you have ever sat at a snowy table in the garden of some wayside
inn in the Appennines, a savory dish of _risotto_ before you and the
music of the mountain torrent far below in your ears; or sipped a
_zabaione_ in the portico of a cafe on the sun-baked piazza of some
brown old town clinging to a hillside of Umbria; or eaten _fritto
misto_ on a _pensione_ terrace overhanging the sapphire Gulf of
Naples, one of those inimitable haunts of comfort kept by a handsome
Italian dame who served her apprenticeship in Anglo-Saxon ways as an
English lady's maid; if any of these experiences have been yours you
do not need to be convinced of the inimitable charms of the Italian
cuisine.
The Italian housewife uses quantities of vegetables, many soups and
made dishes containing only a small proportion of meat and that the
inexpensive cuts. Vegetable salads are a staple, while fresh or dried
fruits, coffee, cheese and nuts are the regular dessert. The elaborate
creations for which the Italian confectioner is justly famous are
reserved for festal occasions.
At first reading many of the recipes may sound elaborate, but in using
them it is well to bear in mind the general plan of the Italian menu.
Each dish is usually served as a course in itself. A good soup, a
savory dish of spaghetti, rice or vegetables combined with meat, a
crisp salad dressed with oil and vinegar, followed by a piece of
fruit, a bit of cheese and black coffee make a characteristic Italian
meal and one with which an epicure could find no fault. It is a meal,
moreover, in keeping with the suggestions of our Food Administrator
that we use a minimum of meats and sweets and a maximum of soups,
fruits, vegetables, made dishes and cheese.
This little venture is launched in the hope that the booklet may pay
its way in new suggestions to American homemakers while it is earning
money to prevent Italian homes from being destroyed. The expenses
incident to publication have been contributed, so that every penny
from the sale of every copy is forwarded direct to responsible people
in Italy who will use it for food and clothing for the families of
Italian soldiers.
Additional copies may be had at fifty cents apiece, from Julia Lovejoy
Cuniberti, 14 West Milwaukee street, Janesville, Wisconsin.
_SUGGESTIONS_
TOMATO PASTE. This is a concentrated paste made from tomatoes and
spices to be had of importers or grocers in Italian neighborhoods.
Thinned with water, it is a much used ingredient in Italian recipes.
Catsup and concentrated tomato soup do not make satisfactory
substitutes as they are too sweet in flavor, but canned tomatoes
seasoned with salt and a bit of bay leaf, cooked down to a thick cream
and rubbed through a sieve, serve very well in lieu of tomato paste.
PARMESAN CHEESE. When an Italian recipe calls for grated cheese it
usually means Parmesan. This is practically unobtainable now, except
the grated, bottled cheese, which is inferior in flavor. Gruyère, our
own brick cheese, or any skim milk cheese dried and grated fresh as
needed makes a good substitute.
DRIED MUSHROOMS. These may be had of importers or small groceries in
foreign neighborhoods. They sound expensive until one realizes that a
very few ounces go a long way. They make a pleasing variety added to
soups or sauces, and are much cheaper and more highly flavored than
the canned mushrooms. They should be thoroughly washed and softened in
warm water before using.
ANCHOVIES. These recipes do not call for the filets of anchovy prepared
for _hors-d'oeuvres_, but the less expensive and larger whole anchovies
in salt to be had in bulk or cans at large dealers. To clean them
plunge in boiling water. This loosens the skin and removes superfluous
salt. Remove head, tail, backbone and skin and they are ready for use.
GARLIC. Garlic is an inoffensive and wholesome ingredient if properly
handled. Used in small quantities and thoroughly cooked it gives an
indescribable flavor that is never disagreeable. By "a clove of
garlic" is meant one of the tiny sections of a whole garlic peeled
down to its white, fleshy core.
SUBSTITUTION OF OTHER INGREDIENTS. Many of the recipes which have been
written down just as they were given can be made more economical and
no less delicious by the substitution of clarified drippings,
vegetable shortenings and corn or nut oils for salt pork, butter or
bacon. Corn-starch is recommended for thickening instead of flour.
Anyone who does not care for as much cheese or tomato as the Italian
likes, may omit them entirely or greatly reduce the quantity in most
of the recipes and still have an excellent dish.
[Sidenote: _Soups_]