(RS) The final decision on the candidacy of “Italian cuisine and the traditional ritual of Italian meals” to be included in the World Heritage List will be taken by UNESCO in December 2025.
Many other cultures have culinary traditions that are as good as the Italians: it is not just the cuisine that is important, but also the appreciation of good food. Italians know their ingredients and how they should be treated: the humble but iconic pizza is a great example. Every year an award is given to the best pizza: not even a dish that is (wrongly) considered simple and cheap, like pizza, is taken for granted while our bakery is not considered a simple technique, but an art form.
This awareness is innate in Italians! It doesn’t need to be taught, it’s a way of life. Bringing people together to joyfully savor food, drink and company is something that Italy does particularly well. It starts with an aperitif followed by four courses and ends with a digestif. Each dish is carefully paired with a wine and seasonal Italian products are preferred to imported ingredients from abroad. Long before the media bombardment of food – through TV chefs, shows, websites, blogs, foodtainment – Italians were obsessed with the culinary arts.
Italians don’t just discuss and consume food, they also enjoy the actual cooking, the art of choosing ingredients, deciding how to prepare them, and making an effort to present them, which adds to the pleasure of eating. There’s no better way to experience the Italian passion for all the finer things in life than sharing a home-cooked meal with loved ones.
Caponata
There are myths and legends about this dish, cauponae like the taverns of ancient Rome, capon like the biscuit of Spanish sailors, capone like the expensive prized fish served at the table by the aristocracy, replaced by the common people with aubergines (eggplants), cheaper. A very well-known recipe, a dish with strong flavours, traditional, served as an appetizer or side dish but also as a main course, to be shared with friends and family: every meal a true experience of conviviality.
3 eggplants
3 peppers
2 onions
1 celery heart
6 Pachino tomatoes
3 tablespoons of desalted capers
Pitted green olives
Basil
Pine nuts
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Wash the aubergines, cut into cubes, sprinkle with coarse salt and leave to rest in a colander for at least 1 hour.
Once the time is up, drain, dry and fry the aubergines in oil: as soon as they are ready, set them aside.
Wash, dry and dice the peppers. Cook in a non-stick pan with a little oil, finish cooking and set aside.
Peel and slice the onions, fry in a pan with a little oil and a few spoonfuls of water, add the cleaned and chopped celery, the chopped tomatoes, the capers, the olives cut in half. Finish cooking and add the peppers, aubergines, basil, a handful of pine nuts, season with salt to taste.
In a glass mix vinegar and sugar. Pour into caponata. Mix on high heat and let evaporate.
The caponata is now ready. Turn off the heat and plate.