Lombardy in Italy
L0MBARDY
The city of Milan, bustling and industrialized, dominates the plains of
Lombardy. In the 1300s foods were sometimes gilded in the belief that gold
was curative; the poor could not imitate this except by the use of saffron
and the generous addition of golden butter to as many dishes as possible.
This tradition is common in many Milanese dishes such as risotto and
costolette alla milanese (butter-fried veal cutlets). Another famed dish
is a version of minestrone which includes toasted bread, poached eggs, and
a sprinkling of cheese with the soup poured over top. Buseca (tripe with
white beans), vitello tonnato (cold roasted veal served with tuna sauce),
and osso bucco with risotto (veal shanks braised then served with a
gremolata of minced garlic, parsley, and grated lemon rind) are such
beloved dishes that they are part of fine international cuisine and are
found in countless cookbooks.
Panettone, the richly sweet yeast cake eaten throughout Italy both for
Christmas and Easter festivities, is humorously believed to have been
originated in Milan by a baker called Tony whose delighted customers then
continued to ask for "panne Tony" (Tony's bread) but other provinces claim
it too. Gorgonzola, the creamy-rich, blue-veined cheese also known
worldwide, is the product of Lombardy. Many other cheeses are produced hut
are mostly used locally.
Lombardy wines include: Cortese, Barbera, Montelio, Sasella, and many
others.