Foods of Naples and Campania Reviewed by Ruth Paget
I re-read Foods of Naples and Campania by Giuliano Bugialli to relive my vacations in Italy and find recipe ideas that would help sell produce and wine from Monterey County California where I live and California in general.
I thought Bugialli’s following 4 luxury recipes could add money to some already profitable business sectors in California:
*aceto de vino – red wine vinegar
For this recipe, white bread is placed in a glass jar with red wine poured over. A cheesecloth is placed on top of the jar and let to sit for 25 days before using it.
*peperoni all-aceto – sweet red peppers preserved in red wine vinegar
For this recipe, roasted and peeled sweet red peppers are preserved in red wine vinegar with seasonings. The preserved peppers can be used as an antipasto.
*limoncello – lemon liqueur
For this recipe, lemons are suspended above grain alcohol in an enclosed container till a liqueur forms. Limoncello could easily be a Californian liqueur, too. Perhaps oranges could be used in the same way.
*finocchi al sugo – fennel casserole
For this recipe, you cut fennel into eighths and sauté it with lemon, olive oil and garlic before simmering it in water. When it is done, you sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
Bugialli also provides some food industry ideas with his cultural photo essays on:
-open-air markets in Naples, including one for fish and shellfish by the port
-dried pasta production
-buffalo-milk mozzarella production
For an informative read about Naples and its surrounding region of Campania and similar neighboring regions of Calabria, Basilicata, Apulia, and Molise in terms of cuisine, readers can use Giuliano Bugialli’s Foods of Naples and Campania as a reference for recipes.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
