A word about Italian Cuisine

Italy can be divided into 14-15 different culinary regions, from Piedmont in the North to Sicily in the South. Each region has its own distinct foods and preparation. The Northern regions are known for their vegetables, rice, creamy sauces, and red meats. As you travel south, the red sauces, garden spices, pasta, white meats, and pizza become the dominant aspects of the dishes. Italian cooking as we know it in the United States is a combination of all the regions, but mainly southern Italian due to the immigration from that area around the turn of the century, with a little bit of American thrown in.