Garganelli's unusual name derives from the Latin gargala, meaning trachea (note also the similarity to the English term 'to gargle'.) The pasta's elongated cut recalls the shape of a tubular device used to examine the throat, the cannula. Similar to penne but with horizontal rather than vertical ridges, the dough for garganelli is made from flour, grated Parmigiano, eggs, and nutmeg; for additional color and flavor, spinach or minced herbs can be added to the basic recipe. Garganelli are best tossed with a rich meat ragù or cream-based sauce, but can also be cooked in a meat broth and served as a soup. Fresh garganelli are native to Romagna, though excellent dried versions are also available.

More than anything else, the art of Sicilian pastry-making is tied up with "cold" techniques: if you think of "granita" which is famous as being of Sicilian origin, "iced" fruit, "cassata", the well-known Sicilian delight that comes filled with ice cream, "cassaruolata," another famous frozen dessert, and so on. Therefore, ice cream is an important ingredient in this region, which also happens to be one of the hottest regions in Italy. It also goes well with the more marked flavors of marzipan and of sun-ripened fruit, and so here, more than in other places, ice cream is enriched with candied peel and raisins, which feature in many preparations, sometimes even in savory ones. Palermo, the regional capital, is the city that best represents this particular current in the island's pastry-making tradition and here you can taste the most delicious ice creams - fruit-flavored, creamy, enriched with chocolate, pistachio nuts and so on.

The forefather of the ice cream was a mixture of fruit and snow that was popular among the Ancient Greeks, then later among the Romans, and before them, the Chinese. The snow, which was gathered and stored in deep cellars, could be kept until summertime, when it was used for refreshing drinks and also for producing preparations that recall granita and sorbets. However, ice cream in the modern sense of the word came into being more recently, that is, in the 16th century, at the time of Caterina de' Medici. One of the first ice-cream parlors was opened in Paris by one Francesco Procopio, almost certainly a Sicilian, who opened the "Procope," a café which became fashionable also because of its assorted ice creams.

You could say that there are ice creams and ice creams, in the sense that lots of different types exist. Actually, there are cream-based ice creams and milk-based ice creams; there are also sorbets, which are made using a base of fruit and water. Cream-based ices, which contain the most fat, are prepared with a base of cream, milk, egg yolks and sugar, to which a flavor-giving ingredient is added (coffee, chocolate, vanilla, nut crunch, etc.). Milk-based ice creams, which contain less fat, are usually fruit-flavored and are prepared with a mixture of preserved fruit juice or syrup mixed with milk. The absence of cream and egg yolks means that they are relatively lighter. Lastly, sorbets are the most refreshing forms. They are made with a base of fruit (or vegetable) juice or flesh, water, and sugar; sorbets donít contain any fat.

Nothing is more Piedmontese than this hazelnut-chocolate confection. Gianduja takes its name from a popular Turin-based folk character, Gioan d'la Duja ("Giovanni of the Jug"), and is now used in countless chocolate desserts, cakes and pastries the world over.

This is a cheese made from cow's milk whose paste is characterized by the presence of veins or small patches of bluish-green mold. It is produced in an extensive area of Lombardy and Piedmont that includes the countryside around the cities of Novara, Pavia, and Milan, as well as other smaller centers in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Vercelli and Casale Monferrato (near Alessandria). The province of Novara is the most important production area for Gorgonzola.

There are two types of Gorgonzola: "Gorgonzola naturale," which has an intense and penetrating taste; and "Gorgonzola dolce," which has a buttery consistency and a more delicate taste. "Gorgonzola naturale," which is the traditional version, is the more highly prized of the two. It is ready to be eaten after three months, but it is sometimes left to mature for even longer. It has a straw-colored, fairly dense paste with a lot of bluish-green veins running through it. "Gorgonzola dolce," which is the more popular version, is ready for consumption after one month's maturing. It has a creamy, spreadable paste, which is white with a gray-green mold. When purchasing Gorgonzola, you should check that the cheese has no yellowish tones and that it does not seem too dry. You should also pay attention to the mold: if the cheese has not been conserved properly, it will present traces of brown coloring.

Since 1910 Carrù, a small town in the province of Cuneo, has been the venue for the "Fiera del Bue Grasso," a celebration of the Piedmontese breed of cow featuring "gran bollito piemontese," a platter of boiled meats that includes several cuts.

"Bollito misto" is a gastronomic specialty that should clearly be eaten immediately on the spot. A good platter of "bollito" should include a wide assortment of different meats and cuts. The temperature at which the dish is served is also very important: "bollito" must arrive piping hot at the table. The color of the various meats varies from pale to hazelnut and even to chestnut brown according to whether white meat or adult beef is being served. Neither the taste nor the smell should ever have even a hint of sourness. The texture of the meat, which varies according to the cut being served, should always be tender.

You can start the meal with a light meat broth, while the meat of the "bollito misto" can be served with the traditional "bagnet" sauces: the green version, which is based on parsley, anchovies, and garlic, and/or the red version, which is based on tomatoes and peppers. Mustard and "mostarda di frutta" also go well with this specialty.

Serve this meat specialty with moderately aged red wines such as Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba, or Nebbiolo d'Alba.

A Sicilian specialty, granita was originally made with the pressed snow from Mt. Etna that was kept in caves and scooped up in the summer. Closer to sherbet than ice cream,a granita is made by combining a simple sugar syrup with a liquid flavoring, traditionally lemon juice or coffee, and freezing it. As the mixture freezes, it gets whisked occasionally to break up the crystals that would otherwise form. The resulting texture is more like shaved ice. (Indeed, the name comes from the Italian for "grainy.") Granita is often served in tall, narrow glasses, often topped with whipped cream. Since a granita melts rather rapidly, it is eaten with a spoon or enjoyed as a drink. (2 recipes)

Valtellina, in Lombardy, is famous for its production of "grano saraceno" (buckwheat flour). Despite its name, it is not actually a cereal (belonging to the genus Polygonum fagopyrum), but a herbaceous plant similar to rhubarb. However, commercially it is considered on a par with cereals, and in terms of its nutritional characteristics it is similar to graminaceous plants (wheat, corn, rice and so on). Before corn came on the scene, but indeed also afterwards, buckwheat was used to prepare varieties of polenta and pasta. In Valtellina, the flour obtained from the grain is used to produce a type of pasta known as pizzoccheri, as well as polenta and bread.

Buckwheat, which most likely originated in China and reached Europe in the 13th century, is a precious foodstuff thanks to its high content of iron, minerals and B-group vitamins. The seed is pyramid-shaped and the flour obtained can be used to make excellent crêpes, as well as the products made in Valtellina. The flour is sold ready-packed and the only thing to check when purchasing it is the expiry date. This rule also applies to pizzoccheri, which are generally sold pre-packaged.

Apart from the grapes cultivated to make its renowned wines, Italy also produces some excellent table grapes, which provide a most popular seasonal "dessert" to wind up a satisfying meal of Italian cuisine. Table grapes differ from the grapes grown for the wine industry in that they are larger, their skin is thinner and more elastic, and their flesh is sweeter and firmer. Seedless grapes, which are not native to Italy, are becoming increasingly popular, though the traditional Italian varieties continue to appear on tables. They include: Italia, Regina, Fragola, and Concord. So, if you are lucky enough to be in Italy during the fall, don't miss the chance to feast on one of its sweetest seasonal specialties.

The grolla is also called the coppa dell'amicizia in its native Val d'Aosta, meaning 'the cup of friendship,' because it is used to share warm drinks - usually coffee spiked with grappa - with friends. (Nowadays they make grolle with one spout too, for those who are in a less convivial, or more antibacterial, mood.) Grolle are generally made of wood or earthenware and make gorgeous centerpieces.

The meat from the cheek of a pig, guanciale (from guancia, meaning cheek) is rubbed lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper or chili pepper, then cured for three months. It is very common in the cooking of central Italy, particularly Latium, where it flavors numerous pasta sauces (see alla carbonara). Since it is rarely available outside Italy, pancetta - an Italian cured meat similar to bacon but not smoked - can be used instead. Bacon will do in a pinch.

A sweet in the shape of a spiral or wreath commonly baked in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, gubana is often confused with presnitz. A version made in the town of Cividale boasts a puff pastry made with egg and brandy and a filling of nuts, almonds, raisins, pine nuts, candied citron and orange, Malaga wine, stale bread cooked in butter, sugar, egg yolks, and beaten egg whites. In Trieste, the pastry dough is made only with flour, melted butter or oil, and a little water. Other cities prepare a yeasted sweet dough and a filling that also includes prunes and chocolate.

One of the most noted Hungarian dishes, gulasch was originally a soup of thinly sliced meat cooked with onions. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, incorporated gulasch into its cooking repertoire. Today, gulasch is most often made by sweating onions in lard, then adding beef cubes and browning them lightly; a little water or broth is poured in to prevent the meat from drying out, and the whole is cooked until the meat is tender. Tomato is sometimes stirred in, and paprika or chili pepper add a little bite. Polenta is a frequent partner to gulasch.