Taste Italia
The UK's first and only magazine dedicated entirely to Italian food and drink.
A number of years ago this was the website for the online version of the food magazine, Taste Italia. The UK's first and only magazine dedicated entirely to Italian food and drink rediscovers the classics this month. Issues were on sale at WH Smith, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Borders and independent newsagents. Visitors to this website were able to access free Italian recipes.
Content is from the site's 2006 -2011 archived pages providing a glimpse of what this magazine offered its readers.
If you inadvertently found this site while looking for Taste Italia, the current website for the magazine can be found at:
http://tastesofitalia.com/homeNew.html
THE Magazine
Taste Italia is a true celebration of Italian gastronomy. Packed with authentic and seasonal recipes, the finest gastronomic travel writing, plus all the latest Italian food news every issue, it's a feast for all lovers of Italian food and drink.
The 2012 February issue of Taste Italia is packed with delicious pizza recipes the whole family will love. Inside you’ll find…
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New takes on classice pizza recipes
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A Valentine's Day menu that is guaranteed to impress
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Warming alpine classics
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Giancarlo Caldesi's ultimate panna cotta recipe
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Italian soups that will delight all senses
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4 takes on chocolate
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Hell's Kitchen - discover where you can cook your dinner on a volcano
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Italy's regional bread specialities
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Italian biscuits put to the taste test
Plus much more…
Taste Italia Collection's Perfect Italian Pizza Recipes goes on sale 7 April, 2011 packed with over 100 pizza Recipes. Featuring everything from Neapolitan classics and seasonal specialities to restaurant-quality recipes from high-street pizzerias, calzone and pizza variations, you'll discover a whole year of pizza inspiration. Plus there's a bonus chapter on Italian breads. Available for £6.99 from WH Smith
Authentic and seasonal recipes
We know the subtleties of the different culinary traditions across the country and, of course, the huge part seasonality plays in the use of fresh ingredients for Italian cookery. Our recipes are authentic to their region of origin, and timed to coincide with the best seasonal ingredients and the great festivitals
Leading Italian chefs and cooks
In order to deliver on our promise of authenticity, we have the leading Italian chefs and cooks providing recipes and advice. Ursula Ferrigno, Valentina Harris, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo all regularly contribute recipes to the issues, keep your eyes peeled for their latest offerings.
Italian produce
You can't make great food without the right ingredients. Each issue we'll scour the shelves to bring you news of the best ingredients, as well as visiting key producers in Italy as part of our Local Hero series
Subscriber Natalie Wilson comments: My cooking group holds a weekly get-together where we follow one of the fantastic recipes in the magazine and then gather to eat and relax late into the night. These evenings are so much fun as a social bonding experience but also as a way to let off steam after a stressful day/week, etc. In searching for "hot tubs Hudson Valley," we came across RoyalPoolsAndSpas.com, and it's been a delightful addition to our leisure activities. It's all about the laid-back ambiance once the cooking is done, the beers come out, and the rest is pure relaxation. Thanks, Taste Italia, for all the great food ideas and enhancing our downtime!
Recipes
Bucatini with sausage and pancetta
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
SERVES 5
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 30 minutes
115g pork sausage meat
400g can of Italian plum tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
115g pancetta or rindless streaky bacon, roughly chopped
handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g dried bucatini, or spaghetti
4-5 tbsp double cream
2 egg yolks
Remove any skin from the sausage meat and break the meat up roughly with a knife. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor or blender.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add the garlic and fry over a low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard it.
Add the sausage meat and pancetta or bacon, and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to break up the sausage meat – it will become brown and look crumbly.
Add the puréed tomatoes to the pan with half the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and bring to the boil, scraping up any sediment that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente – tender, but still firm to the bite.
Put the cream and egg yolks in a warmed large bowl and mix with a fork, seasoning with salt and pepper. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it well, and add it to the bowl of cream mixture. Toss until the pasta is coated, then pour the sausage-meat sauce over the pasta and toss again.
Serve immediately in warmed bowls, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.
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Artichoke, chickpea and baby spinach salad
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
SERVES 4-6
Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking None
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
280g jar of artichokes in oil, drained and quartered
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 good handfuls of baby spinach leaves
12 black olives, halved and pitted
for the dressing
juice of 1 lemon
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper
Combine the chickpeas, quartered artichokes and red onion in a bowl. Add the baby spinach and black olives, and mix lightly. For the dressing, whisk the lemon juice and olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to mix. Arrange on individual plates and serve.
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Acqua pazza sea bass
Branzino all'acqua pazza
Recipe by Pasquale Amico
SERVES 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 25 minutes
4 large sea bass fillets
cloves from 1 head of garlic, peeled
500g cherry tomatoes on the vine
200ml white wine
small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp good-quality olive oil
salt and black pepper
Cut the tomatoes in half and chop the garlic finely. Place the fillets in a large pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, on a medium heat. Add the garlic and white wine and cook until the wine evaporates. Add the tomatoes and two glasses of water, then leave to cook for 15 minutes. When the fish is cooked, remove from the cooking sauce, take off the skin and plate it up. Add the chopped parsley to the sauce and the rest of the olive oil. Leave it to reduce for few minutes and season to taste. Pour the sauce on top of the fish and serve.
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Pasta, prawns and black cabbage
Straccetti, gamberi e cavolo nero
Recipe by Pasquale Amico
SERVES 4
Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking 30 minutes
350g straccetti pasta
20 prawns, shelled
30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp white wine
350g cherry tomatoes
200g black cabbage (cavolo nero)
Wash the cabbage and cut into large strips. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add a clove of garlic, then the cabbage, stir and cover. Leave to cook at low heat for 30 minutes, then keep warm.
Chop the other clove of garlic. Place the remaining oil in a pan, then add the garlic, the prawns, and the wine and leave to evaporate.
Add the cherry tomatoes, then take the prawns out and keep warm. Using a spoon, mash the tomatoes a little, then season. Leave to cook for 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, then drain and add to the sauce. Mix well, then add the prawns and the chopped parsley.
To serve, distribute the cabbage between the plates and place the pasta on top.
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Pasta with avocado and ricotta
Pasta con avocado e ricotta
Valentina Harris
SERVES 4
Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking 10 minutes
This is one of those fantastically quick pasta recipes, with a simple sauce that takes just a few minutes to prepare from fresh ingredients - making a welcome change from all the meaty dishes that seem to be around at Christmas time.
400g conchiglie, lumache or garganelli pasta
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 avocados, peeled and mashed
7 tbsp fresh ricotta cheese
2 tbsp single cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Toss in the pasta, give it a stir, cover with a lid and return to the boil. Meanwhile, mix the mashed avocado with the ricotta cheese and cream to make a fairly smooth sauce. Season with salt, and then stir in the coriander. Finally season with plenty of black pepper. Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Add the sauce and toss together thoroughly. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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Slow-braised veal shanks
SERVES 2
Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking 4-7 hours
2 large veal shanks (use lamb shanks if veal is unavailable)
1 medium red onion, peeled, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 glass dry white wine
1 glass red wine
250ml chicken stock
Preheat oven to 140ºC /Gas Mark 1. Heat a large, flameproof casserole dish over a medium flame, add a couple of glugs of olive oil and brown the shanks. Remove from the casserole dish and set aside. Add more oil and fry the vegetables until softened. Add the wine and cook until the alcohol has boiled off. Place the veal shanks back in the dish, on top of the bed of vegetables, and top up with stock so that they are two-thirds covered in liquid. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 4-7 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the shanks and keep warm. Blitz the vegetables and liquid in a blender until smooth. Sieve this purée into a saucepan and heat over a medium flame until reduced to a sauce consistency. Season to taste. Plate up the shanks, spoon over the sauce and serve.
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Christmas sweets
Struffoli
Gennaro Contaldo
SERVES 8
Preparation 40 minutes
Cooking 10 minutes
This is an old recipe, traditionally a sweet treat for Christmas made by poor people in Naples. In our household, my mother, sisters, grandmother and aunts would begin making these a couple of weeks before Christmas. They'd fill bowls and plates with these small deep-fried pastries, beautifully decorated with candied peel to make them look festive. As the main course is finished, I can't wait to tuck into the deliciously sweet treats that remind me so much of home and those idyllic childhood Christmases!
for the dough
500g plain flour
5 eggs
50g unsalted butter, softened
75g sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange
pinch of salt
2 tbsp Vin Santo or Marsala
oil for deep-frying
a couple of large pieces of orange zest
for the topping
300g runny honey
50g flaked almonds
50g candied fruit
zest of 2 mandarins, cut into fine julienne strips
silver balls to decorate
Mix the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the eggs, butter, Vin Santo, lemon zest and half the orange zest. Mix well to obtain a dough the consistency of shortcrust pastry. If you find it too dry add more Vin Santo, if your dough is too wet, add a little flour. Cover in clingfilm and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Take a little of the dough and roll into a thin sausage 1cm in diameter. Cut into small pieces 1cm in length. Continue until all the dough has been used, rolling each piece in a little flour. Place the honey on a large plate and set aside. In a large pan, heat the oil, add the rest of the orange zest for a minute or two, then remove and discard. Deep fry the pieces of dough a few at a time until golden. Scoop out and shake well to remove the excess oil. Place in the honey. Repeat until all the pastry has been cooked. Mix well with the honey, so that all the hot pieces of pastry absorb some. Leave to cool then scoop out, ensuring you get the excess honey too. Place in a clean bowl and stir in the almonds, candied fruit and strips of mandarin zest. Pile on a plate in the form of a pyramid and decorate with the silver balls.
Issue 4
This month we celebrate Italy's most famous dish with six delectable pasta recipes - forget spagbol! - plus there's the ultimate dinner party, regional and seasonal recipes, Giorgio Locatelli and Angela Hartnett. Don't miss out.
Inside the issue...
Recipes
Pasta dishes
A good pasta sauce can invoke pure delight, a simple pleasure to enjoy. Ursula Ferrigno shares some of her favourites with Taste Italia.
Ultimate Italian dinner party
A truly great dinner party demands good company, good wine and a fabulous menu. Valentina Harris serves up a mouth-watering feast for friends.
Angela Hartnett's family cucina
One of Britain's most celebrated chefs presents six recipes drawn from her Italian roots - Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett lets her personality shine through in her food.
Step by step: perfect arancini
Arancini are a wonderful way to use up with leftover risotto. In fact they're so tasty, it's worth cooking the risotto from scratch - Ursula Ferrigno takes you through the process.
Features & Produce
A taste of Naples
For quintessentially Italian food, there's nowhere like the passionate sun-drenched capital of Italy's south. Fleur Kinson celebrates the Neapolitan genius for taking 'simple' dishes to the height of perfection.
Local hero: Amedei chocolatier
Amedei's dark gold is praised by gastronomic superstars such as chef Heston Blumenthal. Francesca Unsworth meets the brother and sister team revolutionising Italian chocolate.
Giorgio Locatelli talks to Taste Italia
The notoriously elusive, Michelin-starred Italian cookery master reveals his passions to Kate Copstick in a rare interview.
Ten of the best: olive oils
Top-quality olive oil is an integral ingredient of great Italian cooking. Taste Italia tracks down ten of the very best to give your food that extra something.
In season
Don't miss our in season section with all the latest foodie news, seasonal recipes, the best products and opinion from the biggest Italian chefs.
Dine and Drink Italia
Wines of the Veneto
The Veneto is by no means perfect, but it's this that makes the region and it's wines all the more beautiful. Brian St Pierre reveals all you need to know.
Restaurant reviews
Where to eat Italian in the UK and Italy.
Issue 3
With 42 recipes from renowned Italian chefs, including Ursula Ferrigno and Valentina Harris, lovers of Italian food cannot afford to miss the latest issue. Get your copy today
Inside the issue...
Recipes
An Italian Easter celebration
Easter in Italy is a joyous celebration. Ursula Ferrigno gives Taste Italia some of her favourite recipes for a feast for all of the family.
Pizza, calzone & focaccia
Good pizza is the ultimate in fast food - Maxine Clark shares her moreish, tempting recipes for this southern Italian delight.
Taste of the sea
Fresh is best when it come to good seafood. Try these simple yet delicious fish recipes.
Step by Step
Make fresh tagliatelle with our step-by-step guide, plus the chore of preparing artichokes made easy.
Regional Recipes: Tuscany
Tuscany was historically a poor farming region of Italy, and its cuisine reflects that. Carla Tomasi presents six recipes that are frugal yet tasty.
Dine and Drink Italia
Italian Restaurant Reviews
From London to Sheffield and Bristol to the Cinque Terre - find a great Italian restaurant close to you.
Brian St Pierre's Tuscan Treats
Taste Italia's wine expert picks the best tipples of Tuscany. Try them with our regional recipes - delicious!
Delicatessens
Our comprehensive deli directory is now organised by county, making good produce even easier to get hold of.
Features & Produce
Local Hero: Fattorie Giacobazzi
Balsamic vinegar is full of flavour and history. Sarah Lane meets the Giacobazzi brothers to find out more about the traditions behind the delicious condiment.
Ten of the Best Cheese Accessories
Make the most of your Parmesan and revel in your Gorgonzola with Taste Italia's top cheese-related gizmos.
In Season
Find out what produce is in season now and what to do with it. There's also all the latest foodie news, our book reviews, columns, reader offers and gastronomic guides.
Issue 2
Recipes
Fresh & Wild
Hearty, flavoursome game dishes bring vibrancy and warmth to pale, cold days. These recipes really pack a punch.
Healthy Eating
The Italian love of fresh produce means healthy eating comes naturally. Ursula Ferrigno gives a selection of recipes full of health benefits and taste.
Giorgio Locatelli
Locatelli's passion for the food of his native Italy shines through in these delicious recipes.
Step by Step
Discover how to make potato gnocchi and Paul Pettengale makes shelling a crab simple.
Regional Recipes: Le Marche
These gorgeous recipes celebrate Le Marche's diverse cuisine. Try them with a glass of our recommended regional wines.
Dine and Drink Italia
Italian Restaurant Reviews
Top London restaurants reviewed, plus where to eat in Oxford, Edinburgh, Rome and Gubbio.
Le Marche & Abruzzo's hidden charms
Brian St Pierre delves into the regions' wines to bring you some fantastic drinks
Features & Produce
Local Hero: Fratelli Tanzi
Just what is that makes Parma ham so unique? Sarah Lane sets off to trace one of the best back to its origins.
Ten of the Best Dried Pastas
Dried pasta is an essential store-cupboard ingredient and it's worth buying the very best. Taste Italia selects the finest.
In Season
Delicious recipes, new ingredients, books, fantastic produce - it's all in our In Season section.
Issue 1
Recipes
Your Italian Christmas Feast
Ursula Ferrigno has created a six course feast starting with Prosciutto with fresh figs and mozzarella, Pansoti with walnut sauce and Granny's fish soup, moving on to Roast chicken stuffed with chestnuts, porcini, truffle and sausage meat, and finishing with Roman artichokes and Lemon, almond and pear cake. A fantastic alternative to turkey and sprouts!
Gennaro Contaldo's Seasonal Favourites
Five autumn and winter specials from Jamie Oliver's mentor, including Chunky winter soup, Autumn fruit cake and Brussels sprouts with spicy breadcrumbs.
Step-by-step Focaccia
Ursula Ferrigno kicks off the first in our series of step-by-step guides to creating essential Italian staples.
Risotto
Noted Italian chef, Valentina Harris, brings us six of her favourite risottos featuring everything from seafood to ragu, and fennel to chicken liver - guaranteed popular winter warmers.
Piedmont Specialities
Piedmont's rich and satisfying cuisine comes alive in winter. We've six regional recipes specially matched with some of the best local wines.
Dine and Drink Italia
Piedmont Wines
Brian St Pierre recommends twelve wines from Piedmont, spanning Gavi, Barber and of course Barolo. He also describes the geography and particular grapes that make Piedmont distinct, and names his ten top local producers.
24 Top Italian Restaurants
We've visited some 24 Italian restaurants in the last couple of months to find out which will delight your taste buds, and which leave you wishing you'd saved your cash. With twelve each in Italy and the UK, you're sure to be near one of them soon.
Delicatessen Listing
Once you've been inspired by the sumptuous recipes, you'll need to get shopping for ingredients. We've listed over 250 from around the country.
Features
Gourmet's Guide to Rome
Our eight-page guide to getting the most out of Rome, featuring ten recommended restaurants, a guide to the local specialities, and all the best shops and markets to source the best quality produce.
Aldo Zilli interview
One of the most flamboyant Italian chefs around regales us with his unique 'pugnacious charm', and champions the delights of his native Abruzzo, as well as entertaining us with three choice recipes.
Local Hero - Fattorie Garofalo
Francesca Unsworth heads to Campania, home of authentic Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, to find out what makes this creamy delicacy the icon of the local cuisine.
About us
Taste Italia is produced by Anthem Publishing Ltd - an independent company dedicated to creating high quality, specialist magazines.
Anthem Publishing is a four-year old company run by directors with over 40 years of publishing experience. It was set up in 2002 by three publishing professionals with major company backgrounds in editorial, advertising, circulation and publishing.
Taste Italia is the company's fifth title, joining homes and holidays magazine.
Italia! www.italia-magazine.com, Calcio Italia the English-language Italian football monthly www.calcioitalia.co.uk, the high quality Sporting Legends series www.sportinglegendsmag.com and music production title Music Tech Magazine www.musictechmag.co.uk.
Our experience of publishing Italia! magazine has created great relationships with readers with a passion for Italy, as well as close contact with Italian chefs and cooks who've been eager to embrace the launch of Taste Italia. We believe our promotional platform to the Italian market, and experience of creating superb quality consumer magazines makes us well placed to successfully launch Taste Italia.
Call 01225 489984 (+44 1225 489984 from overseas)
Anthem Publishing Ltd,
Suite 6, Picadilly House
London Road
Bath
BA1 6PL
UK