Please welcome Passionate Cook Tracey H. Kitts to the Cafe!
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I didn’t realize until recently how many people are intimidated by the thoughts of cooking Italian. Apparently, when they think “Italian” they think of something ornate and complicated. Sure, it can be, just like some great French dishes. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Italian cooking is about the emotion you put into the dish, just as much as the ingredients themselves. To me, it’s about passion.
The word “passion” makes me think of spice and fire. I believe there are some things that should always be done with passion and cooking Italian is one of them. Fried chicken, or casserole dishes, those call for love. But spicy pasta calls for fire.
Gamberi del Diavolo (Shrimp of the Devil) is one of my favorite dishes. It goes great with wine. You might even want to serve some with your meal. Ha. Ha. Ha. That’s another thing. Every time I cook this dish, I have at least two glasses of wine during the process. Everyone I have ever known who was Italian said I did it right. One friend of mine insisted years ago that if the cook wasn’t drinking, the dish couldn’t possibly turn out correctly.
Cooking is something I have always enjoyed. It is both relaxing and fulfilling to me. Many of the characters in my books enjoy cooking also, simply because that part of my personality comes out in them.
For those who have never tried Italian, this is a very simple dish. Also, don’t let the spice intimidate you. If you don’t enjoy flaming hot dishes, you can always cut back on the pepper flakes. And if you do enjoy spice but don’t like the way your tongue burns afterward, try serving lime Jell-O as a dessert. No kidding. Lime Jell-O or creamy chocolate pudding does wonders for soothing your mouth after a hot dish.
So, go ahead, jump out there and do it. Everyone can cook Italian. It’s easy.
Filed Under: Cafe News
Tagged: guest blog, Passionate Cooks
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