Caponata Di Melanzane

This is one of Sicily's most popular and versatile aubergine dishes. You can eat it with bread, as part of an antipasto, or as a side dish with hot or cold meats or fish. It is a wonderful dish however you eat it, even at room temperature as a healthy breakfast. Italian food is simple, elegant and fabulous; it makes the most of the freshest ingredients. Italians don't ask how much food costs: they ask how fresh it is. The concept of a weekly shopping trip is alien to them, as their fruit and vegetables are bought every day. The fantastic thing about Italian food is the fact that there actually is no such thing; Italy was a separate conglomeration of states until 1870. Each region has its own cuisine, and that cuisine has been forged by centuries of geographical area and history. For instance, the food in the Northwest bears a closer relationship to mid-European food because it was influenced by its neighbor, the Austro-Hungarian empire. In the South, the flavours of the Mediterranean prevail, such as the olive oils, the fresh and dried fruit influenced by the Moors: the tomatoes brought from the New World.

Read my introduction http://www.squidoo.com/italianrecipesitalianfood and peruse the general recipes, then follow the links to the tastes of Tuscany, Lombardy and Sicily. Italian food is the ultimate comfort food, celebrating the family, family life and family celebrations.

Because Italian food celebrates the magnificence of the food and not the chef, it is easy to recreate at home. Generally it is fast and flavoursome: you can have a homemade pasta dish on the table in half an hour, even if you have made the pasta yourself.