Italian cuisine in Moscow

"Casa Del Vino" represents different continental food - European, Spanish, French and Italian cuisine in Moscow.

Italian cuisine is simple, but at the same time it is very variable. Ingredients and dishes vary by region. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated with variations across the country. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine, with many variations. Coffee, specifically espresso, has become important in Italian cuisine.

Not only does each region have its own style, but each community and each valley has a different way of cooking as well. Every town has a distinctive way of making sausage, special kinds of cheese and wine, and a local type of bread.

A characteristic feature of the Italian cuisine is a wide range of pasta. But in spite of this, Italians are quite passionate with the seafood and fresh vegetables.

Italy is a country of great variety, and cooking is just another aspect of the diversity of Italian culture. Local traditions result from long complex historical developments and strongly influence local habits. Distinctive cultural and social differences remain present throughout Italy, although today mass marketing tends to cause a leveling of long-established values. In a country so diverse, it is impossible to define an "Italian" cooking style, but traditional food still is at the core of the cultural identity of each region.

Food is more than a form of sustenance in Spain; it is literally a way of life. Spanish cuisine uses quite a lot of meat, depending on farming and tradition in the region. Chicken, pork and rabbit feature in many dishes and meat products like sausages and salamis are in a class of their own - particularly chorizo, Spain's spicy best-loved sausage. Prawns and shrimps are extremely popular, and anchovies and sardines are both widely consumed. Squid cooked in its own ink has to be tasted to be believed, and rape (or monkfish) is one of the nation's favourites. All these can make an appearance in the ubiquitous fish soup which varies from region to region. Gazpacho is another famous Spanish soup, made with tomato, olive oil, garlic, cucumbers and croutons, served chilled.

Indisputably, one of modern France's greatest treasures is its rich cuisine. The French have an ongoing love affair with food, and their reverence for time spent eating is evident in any culinary establishment nationwide. French food still rallies in the number one spot, as the worldwide favorite. French cuisine is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having similar variety in their food. This variety is supported by the French passion for good food in all its forms, France's extraordinary range of different geographies and climates which support the local production of all types of ingredients, and France's long and varied history. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food and recipes is an understanding of France itself.

Aside from bread and water, the most common accompaniments to a French meal are wine and cheese. Unlike other countries, in France wine is considered a standard part of everyday meals, and is neither expensive nor reserved for special occasions. With everyday meals, ordinary wines are served, although it is expected that the style of wine match the style of food.

European cuisine stands as a common united continental cooking term. The fundamental essence of Modern European cooking is really more about themes and associations than with hard and fast rules. Europe forms one of the greatest culinary canvases in the world, so Modern European cuisine is one that experiments with techniques and ideas from many different countries. Unsurprisngly it is therefore very tempting. Classic examples of Modern European food include bread and butter pudding made from panettone, gravadlax and potato roast, chicken liver mousse with red onion marmalade and wild mushroom tempura.

These dishes illustrate that by experimenting and mixing different styles of cooking from different countries a new and worthy cuisine is created. That's what our Italian cuisine in Moscow in general is made of.