Welcome to Campagnia !

Avellino
Benevento
Caserta
Napoli
Salerno

Central Italy (est. pop. 5,191,731) 5,249 sq mi (13,595 sq km)

Located on the shin of Italy's boot, The cuisine of Campania and Naples is famous thoughout the world.

Spaghetti with tomatoes and basil. Spaghetti Vongole. pizza topped with mozzarella, stuffed tomatoes and eggplant parmigiana. As well as fresh mozzarella made from buffalo or cow's milk, there is good ricotta, goat cheeses and caciocavallo. Lemons are used in granita and limoncello.

Wherever you go in this region, Mt. Vesuvius casts a dramatic shadow over the fertile landscape. Thanks to the volcanic soil, Campania yields some of the best fruits and vegetables in Italy.

It stands to reason that many of Campania's dishes revolve around its delicious bounty of vegetables, particularly the prized San Marzano sweet plum tomatoes.

The area is also well known for its cheeses, including mozzarella, scamorza, provolone, caciocavallo, and pecorino. With that combination, it's no wonder pizza is another of this region's famous culinary contributions.

Naples, the region's densely-populated capital, is alive with movement, with bikes whizzing by and hands flying in exaggerated movements. Neapolitans will engage nearly anyone in conversation and they love to interact almost as much as they love to eat outdoors.

With the exception of the region's luscious fruit, sweets are usually reserved for special occasions. They're typically rich and elaborate, incorporating cream, ricotta, and dried fruit. Wine has been made here since the thirteenth century, and those that are produced in Campania are designed to be consumed right away.

Everyone has some knowledge of Neopolitan cuisine because it has been promoted around the World. Just think of pizza! But there are also many other recipes we all know which originated in Naples. There are recipes for Struffoli and Zeppole in the dessert section. These recipes are the most frequently requested.

information:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

Tourist Board Campania

Libman travel - Montreal, Quebec

Italian Embassy - Montreal

Encyclopedia Britanica

Geography and Reviews Ottawa Public Library

Archives - Concordia University - Montreal

Books and Reviews - Lachine Public library

Encyclopedia Grollier
Regione Campania official site

Antipasti - Appetizers

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
5 eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch slices
salt
1/4 vegetable oil
250 grams ricotta cheese
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 liter pasta sauce

Directions
1 Fry egglplant slices to a light brown using vegetable oil.
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.
3 In a lasagna baking dish, evenly spread spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5 Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

Pomodori ripieni - Stuffed tomatos
This dish can be served warm or cold and it will serve as an antipasto or as a vegetable side dish.
8 round, large tomatoes
1/2 cup rice
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly shredded basil

Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut around their caps and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, being careful not to puncture the tomatoes. Do the scooping over a bowl so as to catch all the liquid that drips from the tomatoes as well, and when you are done blend the pulp and juice. Then combine the blended tomato pulp with the remaining ingredients except the wine. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Stuff the tomatoes with the filling without tamping down too hard, replace the caps, and put them in a lightly oiled oven proof dish. Pour the wine into the dish and bake the tomatoes until done, about 45 minutes. Serve either hot or cool.

PASTA

Spaghetti with tomatoes and Basil Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

750 grams spagettini (thin spaghetti)
two cans fresh ripe tomatoes (preferably pastene product)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 whole onion, chopped
fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese

Description:

1 Heat three tablespoons vegetable oil and add onions and garlic.

2 Add two cans of whole tomatoes in pot. Tear the basil leaves into strips and add to the sauce, tossing well.

3 Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Cook pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite. Drain well and place in a serving dish or platter.

5 Spoon half the tomato mixture over the pasta and mix thoroughly. Present the remaining sauce over and around the pasta. Serve immediately with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce

Makes 4 - 6 servings

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Directions
1 Cook pasta according to package directions.
2 Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, brown garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in butter or margarine and seasonings until butter or margarine is melted. Add clams with some of their liquid; heat through.
3 Drain pasta. Toss spaghetti with clam sauce, and top with grated Romano cheese.

Struffoli

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2.5 ounce granulated sugar
3.5 ounce butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 liter vegetable oil
6 ounce honey
6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Description:

Break the eggs and whisk. Add sugar to eggs and mix immediately to prevent sugar from burning eggs. Bring butter to room temperature. Flake butter into the flour.

Add vanilla and add them to the sugar/egg mixture. Put mixture into a mixer and mix and slowly add the flour. Let dough rest in a cool dry place.

Roll out the dough into small quantities. Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips and cut 1/2-inch pieces from the strips. Place the 1/2-inch squares onto a baking pan.

Put vegetable oil into a large pot and bring to 350 degrees. Fry small quantities of the dough squares in the oil and when golden brown, place onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. When all dough is fried and let cool to room temperature.

In a saucepan, heat the honey (not to a boil) and add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan. Stir lightly with a large slotted spoon. Remove from saucepan and place onto a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar

Makes 4 servings

Zeppole

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white wine,
2 cups water
Pinch salt
2 cups flour, sifted
Olive oil, for frying
2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon mixed with 1 cup sugar

1• Put wine and water in a pot. Bring to almost a boil. (It shouldn't come to a full boil.)
2• Add the flour all at once and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. When the dough comes out of the pot in a single piece remove it from the heat.
3• Place on kitchen counter surface. Knead by pounding with a rolling pin. Do this for 10 minutes so as to make it smooth and homogeneous.
4• Roll the dough into snakes about as thick as your finger. Pull off small pieces of dough, rub the dough between your hands and pinch ends together to make small rings.
5• Heat the oil and fry the zeppole a few at a time. Prick balls with a skewer as they fry, so the dough will bubble out and they become crunchier and more golden. Drain them on paper towels. Dredge them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve hot or cold.

Avellino - info coming soon

Avellino is situated over the green valley crossed by the Sabato river and surrounded by the Pertenio, Avella and Picentini mountains. Today it is mostly a modern town because of the massive reconstructions after the frequent earthquakes. The chestnuts and nuts factories are of great importance as well as the wineries producing the famous Fiano di Avellino, Aglianico, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi wines. The beauty of the nature and the many archeological and cultural sites attract many tourists to the area.

Benevento

Benevento , city (1991 pop. 62,561), capital of Benevento prov., in Campania, S Italy. It is a trade center for wine and tobacco. It is basically an impoverished area with little industry. A leading town of Samnium, Benevento became under the Romans an important trade center on the Appian Way. It was the capital of a powerful Lombard duchy (6th-11th cent.) that extended over much of S Italy. Except for short periods of foreign occupation, the city was under papal rule from the 11th cent. to 1860. In 1266, Charles of Anjou defeated Manfred, King of Sicily, near Benevento. Noteworthy structures of the city include the cathedral (11th-13th cent., restored after being severely damaged in World War II); a triumphal arch erected (AD 114) for Trajan; a Roman theater (2d cent. BC); and the Church of Santa Sofia, with a 12th-century cloister.

official web site

Interactive map of community

Caserta

Caserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy.

It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city.

Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range. The city is best known for the Palace of Caserta.

Modern Caserta was established around the defensive tower built in Lombard times by Pando, Prince of Capua. Pando destroyed the original city around 863. The tower is now part of the Palazzo della Prefettura which was once the seat of the counts of Caserta, as well as a Royal residence. The original population moved from Casertavecchia (former bishopric seat) to the current site in the 16th century.

The city and vicinity were the property of the Acquaviva family, who, being pressed by huge debts, sold all the land to the royal family. The royal family then selected Caserta for the construction of their new palace, which, being in land was seen as more defensible than the previous palace fronting the Bay of Naples.

Napoli

Naples is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old. Naples is located halfway between two volcanic areas, the volcano Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, sitting on the coast by the Gulf of Naples.

Founded by the Ancient Greeks as "Νεάπολις", Neápolis (New City), it held an important role in Magna Graecia and then as part of the Roman Republic in the central province of the Empire. The city has seen a multitude of civilizations come and go, each leaving their mark and now the historic city centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Naples was the capital city of a kingdom which bore its name from 1282 until 1816 in the form of the Kingdom of Naples, then in union with Sicily it was the capital of the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification.

The city proper has a population of around 1 million people, while the population of urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 2.25 million. The Naples metropolitan area, according to different sources, is the second after the Milan metropolitan area (with 4.434.136 inhabitants according to SVIMEZ DATA or 4.996.084 according to CENSIS INSTITUTE) or the third (3.1 million inhabitants according to OECD) most populated metropolitan area in Italy.

The city is synonymous with pizza, which originated in the city. A strong part of Neapolitan culture which has had wide reaching effects is music, including the invention of the romantic guitar and the mandolin as well as strong contributions to opera and folk standards. There are popular characters and figures who have come to symbolise Naples; these include the patron saint of the city Januarius, Pulcinella, and the Sirens from the epic Greek poem the Odyssey.

Salerno

Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name, in the region of Campania. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Salerno is the main town in the Costiera Amalfitana (the "Amalfi Coast" on the Tyrrhenian, which includes the famous towns of Amalfi, Positano, and others) and is mostly known for its Schola Medica Salernitana (the first University of Medicine in the world).

In recent history the city hosted the King of Italy, who moved from Rome in 1943 after Italy negotiated a peace with the Allies in World War II. A brief so-called "government of the South" was then established in the town, that became the "Capital" of Italy for some months in 1944. Some of the Allied landings during Operation Avalanche (the invasion of Italy) occurred near Salerno.

The city is situated at the north-western end of the plain of the Sele river, at the exact beginning of the Amalfi coast. The small river Irno crosses through the central section of Salerno.

The climate is Mediterranean, with a hot and relatively dry summer (23°C/74°F in August) and a rainy fall and winter (8°C/47°F in January). Usually there are nearly 1,000 mm of rain every year. The strong wind that comes from the mountains toward the Gulf of Salerno makes the city very windy (mainly in winter). But this fact gives Salerno a lot of sun because the clouds are quickly blown away, giving the advantage of being one of the most sunny towns of Italy.