The typical Christmas desserts: panettone and pandoro

Author: Martinapp

With the approaching of Christmas, among friends and relatives several discussions arouse between those who prefer the pandoro and who the panettone, two typical desserts of Italian feasts but not only.

Which is better or tastier is hard to say, it depends on taste, but certainly they are the best sellers. Surely this supposed rivalry also allows pastry shop to increase sales, because in every family there are both the supporters of one and of the other. And this is not happening at Easter, where the typical dessert is the Colomba.

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Popular Christmas Traditions and Christmas Decorations in Italy

Author: Karen Jebbia

Italy has many Christmas traditions and customs. Here is a short guide to the popular Christmas traditions and decorations in Italy.
St. Francis of Assisi created the first crèche, or nativity scene, in 1223. Complete with live animals, it made the story of Jesus\' birth come alive. The custom of families and churches erecting manger scenes during Christmas is practiced today. They set up crèches and competition is intense - everyone wants to have the best scene. Families gather at the scenes daily during Novena for praying and lighting candles.

The Christmas season begins around December 8 – the first Sunday of Advent and continues through Epiphany. Cannon fire from the Castle of St. Angelo signals the start of Holy Season. The Novena period is the nine days prior to Christmas until after Feast of Epiphany.

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Coffee Italian Style

Author: Hong Kirby
The Italians have all sorts of names for it - espresso, caffe normale, cappuccino, caffe corretto, granite di caffe con panna, among others. How many types of pastas are there in Italy? That's how many different names one small tazza of Italian coffee has.

Certainly, Italian coffee is more than just a beverage for the passionate Italian. A cup of Italian coffee is a form of art and for every occasion, for every mood, you are guaranteed to get one that fits perfectly.

In Search of the Perfect Tazza
The possibilities of Italian coffee are enough to bewilder anyone who has the taste for coffee but not the tongue for its numerously confusing names. So what kind of Italian coffee should you order in a caffe? Here is a list of some of the most popular caffeine-laden drinks that you will typically find in an Italian caffe:

* Caffe - generally a small cup of very strong coffee; often referred to as espresso but be sure to pronounce it with an 's' instead of expresso.
* Caffe Americano - this is American-style coffee but stronger
* Caffe corretto - coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirits
* Caffe fredo - iced coffee drink
* Caffe hag - decaffeinated coffee
* Caffe latte - coffee mixed with hot milk; usually served in a glass for breakfast
* Caffe macchiato - espresso "stained" with a drop of steamed milk; really a small version of cappuccino
* Cappuccino - espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the mornings; never ever order this after lunch or dinner
* Granitadi di caffe con panne - iced coffee with whipped cream

Italians don't drink coffee with any meal. In that regard, they are much like the French. The only exception is during breakfast when cappuccino is served with brioche and other breakfast treats. Most of the time, Italian coffee is only ordered after a meal and only the unwitting tourist orders cappuccino in a restaurant after lunch or dinner.

When you do order for Italian coffee after a meal, don't ask for an espresso. Ask for un caffe, per favore.

How Italian Coffee is Made
There as many espresso machines in Italy as there are Italian coffee. From fully automatic espresso machines to lever piston espresso machines to even the classic aluminum espresso coffee maker, the choices are widely varied.

And just when you think you've got everything down, there are also the debates regarding the specific bean type to use. Italian coffee is often a heated battle between blade and burr grinders and factors like tamp pressure, water temperature, and humidity.

Lovers of Italian coffee even have their favorite caffeine haunts in the form of local torrefazione or coffee houses and barista who are valued for their ability to deliver a perfect caffe espresso.

Learn about preserving olives, rex begonia and other information at the Gardening Central site.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1031289_26.html

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Italian Wedding Theme

Author: leelee

Whether you and your fiancé are of Italian heritage or want to try something unique a theme for your wedding, then you may want to consider an Italian wedding theme. An Italian-inspired wedding is more than just any other wedding theme. Food is the heart of the celebration, which can have as many as fourteen dishes.

When planning an Italian wedding theme, you can slightly pare down about five to seven courses. Usually, beef or chicken is served as the main dish although you may substitute them with Italian sausage or pork. Serve an array of side dishes such antipasto, cheese, pasta, vegetables and seafood. Have Italian bread and fresh fruits like kiwi, sweet pineapples, grapes and strawberries as well. Moreover, you can pile a table high with Italian cookies or have sweet, delectable treats such as fried dough drizzled with powdered sugar. These treats are said to bring prosperity to the wedding couple.

An Italian-style wedding cake usually has several layers with figures of the bride and groom on top of the cake. It is best served with Italian coffee. Don’t forget to serve plenty of Italian wine too. Merlot and Chianti are excellent wine picks.

Music sets a great mood for your Italian-inspired wedding. Play to the tune of Italian opera singers beginning the reception and during dinner. Then, when it is time to dance, switch to upbeat Italian music.

When choosing a location, a quaint church or a historic mansion would be an excellent choice. You can also hold your wedding ceremony in a lush garden or overlooking acres of grapes. And since Italians are predominantly Roman Catholics, a mass is usually observed.

Also, a white Italian-silk wedding gown with a train is traditionally worn by the bride to represent purity. You may, however, go for an ivory gown, but you should probably stick with any of these colors. Also, a white tulle veil is important for the Italian wedding ceremony too. This is traditionally worn to cover the bride’s face until it is the groom’s moment to kiss her. In addition, the bride should have a tiny satin bag handy during the wedding rites. This is where she will stash the money that her guests will hand her.

Of course, no Italian wedding is ever complete without giving away small tokens to guests. You can hand out colorful candy almonds in small tulle wrappers and tied with satin ribbons. Also known as confetti, this traditional Italian treat is a great way to let your guests to cherish your beautiful Italian-inspired wedding.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1028156_41.html

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Italian Wedding Favors

Author: Mae Andrea

Traditional Italian wedding favors or bomboniere (confetti) can fit to any wedding style, be it a destination wedding in the Caribbean or your own back yard.

These beautiful continental favors will add a touch of Italian romance to your festivities will certainly delight your guests.

The traditional bomboniere consists of candy covered almonds presented in either tulle nets or sheer fabric bags. Each favor will consist of five almonds representing wealth, health, happiness, fertility and long life. These wonderful, stylish wedding favors are becoming popular all over the world; they are inexpensive to produce, so perfect for any budget.

In Italy some foods are considered lucky, as a result they will usually be found on the Italian wedding banquet. If you would like an alternative to candy covered almonds then try some of these other lucky foods such as Wanda which are sugar-coated fried dough twists or candies made with almonds. To present them, wrap them in pieces of tulle; tuck them inside little decorative boxes or tins.

Perhaps you would like other wedding favors which are reminiscent of Italy? Why not give sachets of cappuccino complete with a chocolate shaker or mini jars of multi-colored pasta. Keeping on a coffee theme; present your guests with boxes of chocolate dipped coffee beans or coffee flavored candies or cookies. If you have the time then a small booklet of Italian recipes is sure to delight & tempt the taste buds.

In Ancient Roman times the newlywed couples were showered with crumbs from wheat bread loaves to symbolize the hope for a fertile; happy life. Keep with the ancient tradition and give your guests miniature loaves as wedding favors. You could give them plain bread or why not give them the fruit based Pantone instead?
If you didn’t want to give food based favors then why not put together miniature guide books to the country’s tourist hot spots; ancient sites or CD’s complete with videos, photographs with interesting facts; trivia. You could also include some Italian love songs!

Whether you’re wedding is in a fabulous Italian Castle or simply at a venue near you, you can add some Italian style to flair to your wedding with a few memorable and well thought out wedding favors.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/italian-wedding-favors-881114.html

About the Author
Mae Andrea is a professional writer who collects wedding favors and wedding related articles. She is working with a wedding planning social networking company that caters to all the wedding needs of brides in almost every major center in America.

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