Spice it up good

Putting some tasty fire in Italian cuisine

When you think of spicy foods, Mexican, Indian or Jamaican cuisine might be the first that pop into your mind, but the boot-shaped country has its own spicy dishes that will make you reach for some water.
Italy's southern region is responsible for some of the hottest dishes of Italian cuisine. Peperoncini al Tonno (Hot Peppers Stuffed with Tuna) is an incredibly spicy dish that's a great starter course for parties. You need 25 small, round, hot peppers, 1/2 pound tuna packed in oil, 1 litre olive oil, and 1 1/8 cups white wine vinegar.
Using a sharp paring knife, remove the stems, seed them, and remove the ribs. Put them in a bowl and add vinegar to cover. Let them rest for three days, making sure they remain submerged. And then let them drain well on a clean cloth. Drain the tuna, break it up with the tines of a fork, and use it to fill the peppers, tamping it down gently lest they split. Arrange the tomatoes in glass jars, add olive oil to cover, seal them, and let them rest for a week before enjoying them.
Agliata (hot spicy sauce with garlic) is a traditional southern recipe that's not for the faint-hearted. Combine red chili peppers with garlic, fresh parsley, extra virgin olive oil and some salt to taste. Clean and wash parsley; dry it and cut finely. Pour it into a mortar together with garlic, salt and a little piece of chili pepper. Beat all the ingredients. And add olive oil very slowly. Cool for about an hour. This sauce is delicious when served over fish or meat.
There's nothing like the combination of sweet, fried peppers and onions with spicy Italian sausage. This delicacy is a great side addition to polenta.
Spicy-Hot Tomato Soup (Zuppa Piccante al Pomodoro) is a zesty tomato soup that's perfect for a cold October evening.
Pollo, Aglio e Peperoncino is a chicken and chili dish that's great served alongside of a salad to cool you off.
Bucatini all' Amatraciana is a delicious pasta dish with dry white wine, pecorino cheese and of course, crushed red pepper flakes.
Risotto with Spicy Sausage is an elegant dish that'll make a nice presentation when you have company. Spicy Italian sausages are combined with chopped onion, chopped garlic cloves, white rice, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
The southern region of Basilicata is known for its hot and spicy dishes. Tiny red pimentos are found in a slew of dishes. But this region is perhaps best known for its famous hot sausages. Basilicata is also famous for its lepre alla cacciatora, a traditional rabbit dish stewed in a spicy sauce.
Bucatini all' Amatraciana is a delicious pasta dish with dry white wine, pecorino cheese and it's topped with crushed red pepper flakes.
Calabria, a mountainous southern region, is perhaps best known for its ciliegine - red hot peppers. Preserved in extra virgin olive oil, these fiery veggies are great in antipastos or in a tomato sauce. This region loves its hot and spicy food so much that it celebrated its 10th Peperoncino Festival in 2002. Italy's most important chili-growing region is famous for a wide range of dishes that'll add some fire to your table.
Some fun version of old standbys include Granita (a slushy water ice) served with lime or with peperoncini. The region also offers a peperoncino chocolate liquor called Crema di cacao al peperoncino. In Grappa al Peperoncino di Calabria, the famous Italian grape brandy in a kicked-up version with chilies floating in the bottle.
Alici al peperoncino - a Calabrian specialty - freshly hatched sardines, densely packed with peperoncini and some salt.
But the king of all spicy Italian dishes is Calabria's Penne all'Arrabiata, meaning "enraged or angry pasta." Olive oil, onions, garlic, chopped tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and of course, as much red hot chili peppers as you can stand.
Enjoy a proper fiery finale with Devil's Tart (Crostata del Diavolo), a sweet and spicy treat made from butter, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, flour, baking powder, baking powder, orange jam, almonds, sugar, and red chili.

Publication Date: 2003-10-19
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3256