Meanwhile, when people talk about Italian cuisine, what immediately comes to mind are pasta and pizza dishes as Italians love tomato sauce.  And they balance the sour taste of the tomato sauce with the sweetness of the bell pepper in the dishes that they prefer.  Also, Italians love to use potato and maize a lot in the foods they cook.

Although, generally, Italians do not put spices in the pasta and pizza dishes, there is a particular region in Italy where spices are liberally used when cooking.  And this is the Calabrian region.  In Calabria, people from this region love to use spices when they prepare food.  Eggplant is also one of the favorite ingredients of people in this region and they have invented numerous dishes that use this particular vegetable.

Because of the love for spicy foods that both Calabrians and Schezuans share, the new addition to the Chitalian recipes that I have included below would absolutely be a hit for both.  In this dish, I have included Schezuan peppercorn, which as I have mentioned before, is a staple spice in the Schezuan cuisine.  And combined with the sweetness and citrusy taste of bergamot oranges in addition to the sugar, these bring in wonderful contrasting flavors that you would surely enjoy.  And with the smoky flavor obtained from grilling the pork chops, this would make your mouth water.

Chitalian Pork Chops

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 Pork chops
2 Tablespoons Schezuan peppercorn
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 Cup fennel seeds
1 Cup bergamot oranges, peeled and seeds removed

Directions

Make sure that the pork chops are flattened by lightly pounding on them.  Marinade pork chops in soy sauce and bergamot oranges.  Rub pork chops with Schezuan peppercorn, fennel seeds and sugar and cover them with foil.  Grill the pork chops on hot coals.  When done, remove the foil and put the pork chops on a serving plate.

So, the next time you and your family want to fire up the grill for an outdoor cookout together, then, be sure to try the Chitalian pork chops.  This would be an instant hit with your family and you can even cook this on your next party with your friends.  And if you want to try other great Chitalian recipes, simply go to www.Vito-Wong-Chinese-Italian-Food.com now.

Ingredients

250 Grams (8.8 ounces) chicken, de-boned and diced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Cup Chinese cooking wine
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
3 Cups raw Vialone nanno rice
1 Cup Shitake mushrooms, chopped
6 Cups chicken stock
5 Sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
4 Tablespoons five spice powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Put chicken broth in a sauce pan and let it boil for twenty minutes.  Set aside.

To make the risotto, put two tablespoons of olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat.  Then, place the garlic and onion into the dish and saute for five minutes.  Add the rice into the dish and saute for three minutes.  Be sure to stir the dish in a continuous manner using a wooden spoon.  Put the Chinese cooking wine into the dish and reduce until almost dry.  Then, add the chicken stock into the dish as needed, half a cup at a time.  Add two tablespoons of five spice powder, salt and pepper.

In a separate pan, put two tablespoons of olive oil and heat it up.  Put the chicken into the pan and lightly brown it for a few minutes.  Then, add the chopped Shitake mushrooms and saute for ten minutes.  Season the chicken and mushroom with two tablespoons of five spice powder.  Then, put the remaining Chinese cooking wine into the pan to de-glaze the chicken and  mushrooms.

When the risotto is ready, put the chicken and mushroom mixture on top of it.  Sprinkle chopped Italian parsley leaves over the risotto before serving.

Ingredients

6 Pork chops
2 Tablespoons Schezuan peppercorn
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 Cup fennel seeds
1 Cup bergamot oranges, peeled and seeds removed

Directions

Make sure that the pork chops are flattened by lightly pounding on them.  Marinade pork chops in soy sauce and bergamot oranges.  Rub pork chops with Schezuan peppercorn, fennel seeds and sugar and cover them with foil.  Grill the pork chops on hot coals.  When done, remove the foil and put the pork chops on a serving plate.

Ingredients:

Spring Rolls:

200 Grams (7 oz.) ground pork
100 Grams (3 oz.) Italian sausage, chopped
4-6 Portobello mushrooms, cut into strips
1 Carrot, cut into strips
2 Potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 pkg. small spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper

Dipping Sauce:

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
¼ Tsp sugar
¼ Tsp chili powder

Directions:

Mix ground pork, Italian sausage, Portobello mushrooms, carrot and mashed potatoes in a bowl. Then, season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Get a spring roll wrapper and put it in a clean working surface. Place a portion of the mixture on the wrapper. Take the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling and fold them. Lift the wide end nearest you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. To make sure that the roll would stay shut, dip your fingers in water and wet the end of the spring roll.

Put olive oil in a frying pan and heat it up. When the oil is hot enough, put the spring rolls into the pan and cook these until they turn to medium golden brown. Remove the spring rolls from the pan and place them in a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

For the dipping sauce, simply mix the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili powder.

Serve the spring rolls with the dipping sauce.

Due to the differences in culture among the many areas of China, there are many variations that have been created that have made what Chinese cuisine is today.  For instance, the people in the Schezuan province are known to love foods that have bold flavors and they love to use garlic and chili peppers when they cook.  Another example is the Cantonese province where people in this particular area of China believe in the saying, “Nothing goes to waste”.  In fact, to prove this, they even incorporate internal organs of a pig, for example, in their dishes.  At the same time, they want the sauce in the dishes to be as mild as possible so, that there would not be any overwhelming flavors in the dishes.

Meanwhile, when you talk about Italian cuisine, what comes to your mind is pasta.  There are a lot of pasta that are available today such as spaghetti, macaroni and linguini.  And who could ever forget pizza?  Many countries have made their own versions of this particularly well-loved and well-accepted Italian dish.

The Italian cuisine is known for liberal use of ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper and maize that they incorporate with meat, cheese and pasta.

Both the Chinese and Italian cuisines are popular on their own.  But have you ever thought of fusing together the best cooking techniques that both culinary styles have to offer in order to come up with new and tasty dishes?  Here is one of the Chitalian recipes that you can definitely try out and serve on your meal with your family and even on your next dinner party with your friends.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Linguini

Ingredients

400 Grams (14 oz) linguini noodles
200 Grams (7 oz) lean pork, cut into strips
½ Cup white onion, chopped
1/3 Cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 Cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tbsp chili paste
2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Directions

Put water in a pot and bring to boil.  Put linguini noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard.  Drain the water from the noodles and set aside.

Put olive oil in frying pan.  Put onion and both green and red bell peppers and saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.  Then, put the pork into the pan and stir.  Add the sugar, chili paste and cornstarch or flour into the pan and mix until the meat is cooked.

Add the meat and the sauce on the pasta.  Toss and mix well.

Ingredients

400 Grams (14 oz) linguini noodles
200 Grams (7 oz) lean pork, cut into strips
½ Cup white onion, chopped
1/3 Cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 Cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tbsp chili paste
2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Directions

Put water in a pot and bring to boil.  Put linguini noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard.  Drain the water from the noodles and set aside.

Put olive oil in frying pan.  Put onion and both green and red bell peppers and saute for a few minutes   until the onion is translucent.  Then, put the pork into the pan and stir.  Add the sugar, chili paste and cornstarch or flour into the pan and mix until the meat is cooked.

Add the meat and the sauce on the pasta.  Toss and mix well.

Recipe inspired by Sandra Lee
Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: hr min
Cook Time: 16 min
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients
6 ounces Shanghai Harry Crab meat (or substitute Bumble Bee brand canned crabmeat)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (12-ounce) package wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 (1.3-ounce) package creamy tomato sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
2 tablespoons butter
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions
Drain crabmeat, reserving liquid. In a small bowl, combine crabmeat, cheese, and Italian seasoning. Brush a wonton wrapper with the beaten egg. Place about 1/2 teaspoon crab mixture in the center, and fold wrapper diagonally to create a triangle. Press edges to seal. Transfer to a flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat until all of crab filling has been used; this should make about 32 ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine milk and reserved drained crab liquid over medium-high heat. Whisk in sauce, add butter, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Keep sauce warm over low heat while you boil the ravioli. In batches of 8, drop ravioli into boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, or until ravioli rise to the surface. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer ravioli to sauce. Repeat until all ravioli are cooked. Divide ravioli equally among 8 plates. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

A video showing you how to make this recipe can be seen at http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/crab-raviolli/1327.html.

Chinese five-spice powder is a constant ingredient in Chitalian cooking as it intensifies the flavors of the  dish that is being cooked, especially when the meat in the dish simmers on the stove for long hours. 

This particular spice powder is commonly a mixture of star anise, cloves and cinnamon with a dash of Schezuan pepper, all blended together with ground fennel seeds.  But more often than not, the sweet flavors of star anise is the dominant spice found in the five spice powder.  It is excellent to use it when marinading pork and duck, for instance and it can even be used to season stir-fried dishes. 

Here is a version of the Chinese five-spice powder that can make at home.

Ingredients

1 ½ Tablespoon star anise
2 ½ Teaspoon Schezuan pepper
2 ½ Teaspoon fennel seeds
1 ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ Teaspoon cloves

Chitalian Five-Spice Linguini with Asparagus

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

400 Grams (14 oz) Linguini noodles
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Teaspoons chili paste
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Teaspoon ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoons five-spice powder
1 Tablespoons olive oil
¾ Cup chicken broth
1 Large bunch asparagus, chopped
1 Cup mushrooms, cut into strips
2 Onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Boil water with salt in a pot.  Put Linguini noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard.  Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool off.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, ginger and five spice powder.
In a large frying pan, put the olive oil.  Then, add the garlic and saute it until it is golden brown.  Then, put the onion in and stir until it is translucent in color.  Add the asparagus, mushrooms, broth and the soy sauce mixture.  Simmer for five to ten minutes or until the asparagus is tender.
Place the noodles on the pan and mix well until the noodles has absorbed the sauce.  Then, put salt and pepper for seasoning.

Chitalian Fetuccine with Spicy Prawns
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

400 Grams (14 oz) Tiger prawns, peeled
500 Grams (17 oz) Fetuccine noodles
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
¾ Cup ginger, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and cut into thin slices
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
¼ Cup Chinese wine

Directions

Boil water with salt in a pot.  Put Fetuccine noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard.  Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool off.
In a large pan, put the olive oil in and when it’s hot, add the garlic and ginger.  Saute until the garlic is golden brown.  Then, put the prawns and stir fry until the prawns are pink. 

 
Add the noodles, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and Chinese wine.  Mix well until the noodles are thoroughly covered in sauce.