Translate each phrase in italiano!

1. the popular girls ________________________2. the French boys _________________________3. the sky blue notebook _____________________4. the happy aunts _______________________5. the English school ________________________6. the strong men ___________________________7. the Japanese flag ___________________________8. the green houses ___________________________9. the patient principal _________________________10. the unhappy lady ____________________________11. the Portughuese teacher ________________________12. the sad dogs _______________________13. The smart cats _______________________14. The funny professor ____________________15. The Italian Vespa _______________________

La Storia del Pesto(The History of Pesto)

Un po’ di storia…A little bit of history…

• Pesto originally comes from the region of Liguria

• Liguria is a region of Northern Italy (Italia del Nord) that is connected with France and two other Italian regions Piemonte and Toscana

• Liguria is divided into four main areas (Imperia, Savona, Genoa, La Spezia)

• Ligurian gastronomy (cooking is characterized by aromatic herbs…like basil)

• Liguria has a long history of Pasta and Pesto making (ever since Marco Polo)

• The use of herbs in this region dates back to the Middle Ages

• During this time, Italy was not a country but a series of City States (Repubbliche)

• During this time there were four big Maritime Republics (Repubbliche Marittime) –Genova, Venezia- always in competition

What do we know about spices in the old world?

• Spices originally come from China and India (The East)

• Were worth a lot of money- high monetary value

• Venezia had the monopoly on spices

• Herbs were used above all by poor people

• This tradition of using herbs in food gave birth to Pesto sauce!

Pesto…e allora?• Pesto is the symbol of Ligurian and Genovese cuisine

• It’s a cold sauce or condiment that has become very popular throughout the world in a very short amount of time

• What renders it unique is the basil

• Genovese basil is characterized by certain properties and aromas

• Where Genovese basil grows is what gives it these characteristics

• In Ancient Greece people used basil as ornamental flowers, the Arabs used it as a medicine and in India it was a sacred plant

What’s in Pesto…?• Pesto consists of basil

(basilico), pine nuts, salt, olive oil, pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese

• Pesto is made by using a pestal and mortar and actually crushing the ingredients together (mortaio e pestello=mortar and pestel

• A typical kind of pasta that is used with pesto is called trofie/trofiette

• But pesto can also be used with any type of pasta….

• There is even a red version of pesto…

Different types of pasta al pestoFusilli, penne, trofie, tagliatelle, spaghetti, farfalle….