Lombardia

Lombardy can boast a rich and varied gastronomic tradition which has travelled to all parts of the world. Examples of this particular cuisine are the famous "cotoletta alla milanese", (breaded veal cutlet), and the "risotto alla milanese" (Milan-style risotto). There are also the "pizzoccheri della Valtellina", (large buckwheat-flour tagliatelle garnished with Swiss chard, butter and cheese), the "tortelli di zucca mantovani" (tortelli stuffed with Mantua pumpkin), and the "torta sbrisolona di Mantova" (Mantua almond cake).
In total, Lombardy can offer more than 250 traditional specialities, including cheeses, salami and green vegetables. There is also a huge selection of DOC wines, of which the region is justly proud. Amongst the many types produced in this area, there is the famous "Franciacorta", one of Italy's best-known sparkling wines. Indeed, it is the Franciaforte vineyard region, a zone which extends from Brescia to Lake Iseo, which is particularly renowned for its food and wine routes: 80 km of roads winding through gentle hills between a series of historic villages.

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FOOD AND WINE ROUTES...

Lombardy has a great variety of food and wine routes, which help promote both the culinary traditions and the artistic heritage of the region. The Lombardy "Strade del Gusto" (Flavour Trails) offer a variety of itineraries though places of typical local interest, divided amongst the various provinces.
We could describe this region as consisting of five different styles of cuisine: one is typically Milanese, one relates to Lombardy-Emilia (Cremona and Mantua), one to Lombardy-Veneto (Bergamo and Brescia), one to Lombardy-Piedmont-Liguria (Lomellina and Oltrepò), and one to the lakes and mountains (Como and Valtellina).
The inland zones, those flatter areas in the provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona, Mantua and Milan, are mainly associated with the production of salami and other types of sausage, such as the "cotechino" pork sausage, and the typical salami from Cremona and Mantua. These places are famous for their boiled meats, roast beef and stews. Amongst the best-known dishes are the "Casoeula", a mixture of pork cuts, sausages and crackling browned in the oven, and the "fegato alla Lodigiana", liver cooked with fennel seeds and prosciutto ham.
The zone around Lodi is chiefly known for its cheese production. One of the most common cheeses is the "grana lodigiano", which once used to be coloured yellow thanks to the addition of saffron to the mixture.
In the Milan area, on the other hand, the other typical local dish, apart from the famous risotto, is tripe.
Mantova also boasts a tradition for cooking risotto in various ways: with Swiss chard, pumpkin, peas, frogs, snails and fish. In addition, "baccalà alla mantovana" (Mantua-style dried cod) is one of the most popular dishes amongst local housewives.
The cuisine of Bergamo is much influenced by the cooking of the Veneto region, and typically consists of simple but flavoursome dishes. One that stands out is the "casonsei", large ravioli stuffed with breadcrumbs, sausage and parmesan, dressed with melted butter. Another is known as "polenta e osei", consisting of polenta and small birds flash-fried in the pan. Amongst the most common fish dishes are grilled sardines, and bleak cooked "in saor" (fried).
Due to the large number of cattle farms in the region, there is a particularly high production of local cheeses, such as the famous "Grana Padano" and "Parmigiano Reggiano", the latter being typical not just of Emilia Romagna, but also of the Mantua area.
Amongst the cakes and sweets, the famous Christmas "Panettone" from Milan is one of the most popular, in addition to the "Torrone" nougat from Cremona and the "Torta sbrisolona" (almond cake) from Mantua. The best-known liqueurs are the popular "Amaretto di Saronno", together with the well-established "Fernet Branca", which both have a world-wide reputation.
Moving on to the zone around the Lombardy Alps, the Valtellina area can certainly boast the richest culinary tradition in Lombardy. The territory is famous for the production of "bresaola" (salted beef), as well as pasta dishes like "pizzoccheri" (buckwheat tagliatelle).
Another typical dish from this locality is polenta, especially "polenta taragna", yellow polenta cooked with a large quantity of milk, butter and cheese. For food-lovers visiting the Valtellina area, we recommend the "Panadél valtellinese": a type of pudding made from eggs and flour with the addition of chopped apples.

The tastiest recipes

Risotto alla milanese

Ingredients for 4 people:
- 400g of rice
- butter
- 400g of beef marrow
- 2 glasses of dry white wine
- grated cheese
- 1 onion
- 400cl of beef stock
- 2 sachets of saffron

Preparation:
Chop the onion finely and brown it in a pan together with the beef marrow and butter, adding a little of the stock. Put in the rice, and then pour in the rest of the stock and the wine at intervals, so as not to allow the rice to go dry. Half way through cooking, add the saffron, moistened in a little stock, plus the remaining butter and grated cheese. Serve the risotto while the rice is still slightly crunchy.

Crunchy apple cake

Ingredients:
- 600 g of russet apples
- 100g of butter
- 3 eggs
- 150g of granulated sugar
- 1 sachet of vanilla-flavoured baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1dl of milk
- 1 untreated lemon
- salt
- butter and flour for lining the cake-tin

For the crumble topping
- 80 g of flour
- 80 g of Demerara sugar
- 80 g of butter
- 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a saucepan and allow it to cool. Mix the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until you produce a smooth cream, then, continuing to stir, combine the flour sieved together with the baking powder, the melted butter, the milk and the grated peel of half the lemon. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in gently, together with a pinch of salt. Line a tall 24-cm diameter cake tin with the butter and flour, and pour in the mixture. Peel the apples, cut them into thin slices and drop them into the cake-mix.
Prepare the crumble topping: Put the flour and Demerara sugar onto a pastry-board, add the cold butter (cut into pieces) and the cinnamon. Work all the ingredients together quickly, using the tips of the fingers. When you obtain a crumbly mixture, scatter it evenly over the top of the cake. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180° for 45 minutes. Remove and serve warm.

Ossibuchi alla milanese

Ingredients for 4 people
- 4 veal shanks on the bone
- 40 g of butter
- 10 cl of white wine
- 10 cl of stock
- flour
- salt
- chopped parsley
- grated peel of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Cut into the edges of the veal shanks with a sharp knife, coat them in flour and let them brown in a pan with the butter. Add a little salt, pour over the wine and allow it to evaporate. Put in the stock, cover the pan, and cook the meat for about 90 minutes, turning it over a couple of times. Mix the parsley with the grated lemon peel, and add it to the dish shortly before serving.