I am always searching for the perfect market to compliment my regular shopping and I have discovered this company and do recommend them. Ironically they are located here in South Florida. Wholesale Italian Food has become a reliable supplier for many prestigious restaurants and grocery chains with our food products. Wholesale Italian Food offers home and restaurant delivery for many fresh imported Italian foods. WholesaleItalianFood.com is an e-commerce website operated by a privately-owned importer and distributor headquartered in South Florida.

In business for nearly 30 years as an importer and distributor of food products in the food service industry, our company in combination with our suppliers have become a reliable source for several large restaurant chains nationwide. Our products are supplied from some of the largest manufacturers in Italy bringing the highest quality items from some of the most traditional regions of this country.

With our experience and expertise, Wholesale Italian Food has created a strong relationship with our suppliers that has allowed us to be always capable of supplying a variety of products at the best prices. Combined with these great prices and our astonishingly low freight rates, Wholesale Italian Food believes that it has created a recipe for success for your restaurant or home kitchen!

Many non-Italians identify Italian cooking with a few of its most popular dishes, like pizza and spaghetti. People often express the opinion that Italian cooking is all pretty much alike. However, those who travel through Italy notice differences in eating habits between cities, even those only a few miles apart. Not only does each region have its own style, but each community and each valley has a different way of cooking as well. Every town has a distinctive way of making sausage, special kinds of cheese and wine, and a local type of bread. If you ask people, even in the same area, how to make pasta sauce, they will all have different answers. Variations in the omnipresent pasta are another example of this multiplicity: soft egg noodles in the north, hard-boiled spaghetti in the south, with every conceivable variation in size and shape. Perhaps no other country in the world has a cooking style so finely fragmented into different divisions. More to come in this subject in the next post! - Rita

Italian is a Romance language, which means that Italian, just like Spanish, French, and Portuguese, is a child of Latin. Latin was once the official language in a large part of Europe because the Romans ruled so much of the area. Before the Romans came, people spoke their own languages, and the mixture of these original tongues with Latin produced many of the languages and dialects that are still in use today.

If you know one of the Romance languages, you can often understand bits of another. Just as members of the same family can look similar but have totally different characters. You find the same contradictions in the dialects (regional or local language differences) in Italy and in other countries.

If you visit Italy, you’ll hear various accents and dialects as you travel the country. Despite the number of dialects, you may be surprised to discover that everybody understands your Italian and you understand theirs. (Italians don’t normally speak in their dialect with foreigners.

What with all this interest in tall buildings and the world’s highest skyscrapers, I thought it would be interesting to discover how Italy measures up on the tall buildings front. It turns out that Italy has quite a way to go to compete with the Dubai Tower. Quite a long way, actually. If you’d like to find out what the tallest building in Italy is, and where it can be found, then read on, curious reader.

Technically, the tallest building in Italy today can be found in Naples - and it is the Torre Telecom Italia which is 129 meters (423 feet) in height. This 33 floor structure, however, is about to be beaten by a building in Milan, which is already being listed as Italy’s tallest building on Wikipedia. The successor to the Italy’s Tallest Building title will be 161 meters (528 feet) high with 39 floors, and it will house Lombardy regional authority personnel . However, at a measly 161 metres, it’s not much of a threat to the record breaking 818 meters of the Dubai Tower.

Other tall buildings are on Italy’s horizon though, twenty seven of them, including one which will snatch the Italy’s tallest building title from the Lombardy council skyscraper – I Dritto – the Straight (or maybe ‘upstanding’ would be a better translation).

Guests of private or public parties are sometimes entertained with a game called "Tombola", similar to Bingo. The New Year is also celebrated with spumante or prosecco, Italian sparkling wine. New Years parties, whether public or private, will often last until sunrise in order to watch the first sunrise of the newborn year. An old custom that is still followed in some places, especially in the south, is throwing your old things out the window to symbolize your readiness to accept the New Year. So, keep an eye out for falling objects if you're walking around near midnight!

Oh, one more thing, don't forget to wear your red underwear to ring in the new year! They say it'll bring you luck in the coming year.

Cookies have always played an important part in Italian cuisine, whether they are consumed for breakfast with a cappuccino, or nibbled with a quick shot of espresso at a mid-morning or afternoon break. It is at holiday time however, particularly Christmas, when cookies truly shine. In almost any Italian home, whether it be in Italy, or here in North America, most families prepare specific traditional cookies each Christmas, and often those recipes have been handed down through their families for generations.

In Italy, the generic term biscotti, pretty well covers all types of cookies, although biscotti literally translates as twice baked. Here in the US, we know biscotti to be the hard, crescent shaped cookies that have become so popular recently. It is not unusual in Italy, to find the same cookie in many different regions, given a different name in each. Many cookies are given names from folklore, or fairy tales, such as brutti ma buoni, which means ugly but good, or baci di dama, or lady's kisses. Most Italian cookies are either made from nut paste or are butter based, and are in general not overly sweet. Visit any Italian household throughout the holidays, and you can almost be assured of being offered a tasty treat from the cookie tray.

If you are interested in preparing your own Italian cookie tray this year, you might be interested in the following tips for baking cookies, as well as my favorite Christmas cookie recipes that follow.

Cookie Baking Tips:

• Always preheat the oven for even baking.
• Place cookies on cold baking sheets.
• Place the baking sheets at least two inches from the wall of the oven for even baking.
• If baking two trays at one time, switch the top and bottom tray mid way through the baking period.
• Don't depend on the suggested baking time. There are many factors that can affect how long your cookies will bake. Check your cookies a couple of minutes before the recommended time.
• Once cookies are fully baked, remove them from the hot baking sheets to wire racks to cool, because the cookies will continue to cook on the hot trays.
• Do not store cookies until they have thoroughly cooled. Store in an air-tight container.

The Umbrian city of Gubbio has a spectacular way to mark the end of Christmas. 800 water fountains illuminated with thousands of lights form a gigantic Christmas tree climbing the side of Mount Igino. The ‘biggest Christmas tree in the World’ (according to the Guinness Book of Records) is on show from 1-10 January and is absolutely spectacular.

Epiphany (Befana) rolls along on 6 January, a Catholic holiday vying with Christmas for importance. Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi. Legend has it that the Wise Men asked an old woman for shelter. The woman (La Befana) refused, and has been wandering the planet ever since looking for the baby Jesus. Epiphany Eve (5 January) sees a good witch flying from rooftop to rooftop with gifts for children who’ve been good. If that sounds familiar, it’s a variation on the same folk tales that have come down to us as Father Christmas, with La Befana even popping down the chimney.

Travel to the Abruzzo region on 16 January and you can enjoy the Farchia festival. The people of the marvellously named mountain town of Fara Filiorum Petri construct 30ft bundles (fasce) of sticks, stand them on end and burn them like tapers. Songs are sung to celebrate Saint Antonio’s Day, and then it’s open house for a feast of sweets, wines and local spirit.

Carnivals or Carnevale are celebrated all over Italy, strictly speaking it is the lead up to Lent. Venice has a tremendous fortnight-long masked event and the celebrations on the Tuscan seaside resort of Viareggio are world famous. But the little Tuscan city of Foiano della Chiana, near Arezzo, claims its celebration as the oldest in the region, with the first Carnevale taking place on 18 January, 1809, 64 years before Viareggio. With parades of giant floats, colourful masks and costumes, music and dancing, and a feast of good food on sale in the streets, this is great fun for families. And if you’re used to carnivals running over a day or two … not in Italy. The celebrations here run from the last Sunday in January to the third Sunday in February.

Just north of Bologna, the Emilia-Romagna town of Cento is ‘twinned’ with the rather more famous Rio Carnival, with the winning float being shipped off to Brazil. The Cento events make Foiano appear a mere newcomer, with the city proudly pointing to artist Guercino’s painting of 1615 Maschere Folleggianti which depicts the celebrations. This is a serious business, with a guild of float makers training apprentices in the old craft. The spectacular celebrations culminate in 30,000 pounds of sweets being thrown to the crowds. The carnival runs for around a month from the penultimate Sunday in January.

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I must say I usually make these several times a year but this recipe is certainly a must during the holiday season. The best part about these treats is simple, they are easy to make, simply delicious and it takes no time at all!

SPUMETTI (Chocolate-Hazelnut Meringues)

1lb. Hazelnut meats, coarsely chopped
1lb. Confectioner's sugar
1oz. Cocoa (Table Spoon)
2tsp. Cinnamon (Tea Spoon)
6 Egg whites

Preheat the over to 325F. Cut baking pan liner to fit 2 baking sheets and lightly grease. Mix hazelnuts, sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large bowl; add egg whites and mix well until blended - about 5 minutes. Wet hands and break off small pieces of mixture (about 1tablespoon) and shape into round balls. Place on baking sheets, 1 inch apart and bake for approximately 30 minutes. This will make about 3/12 dozen!

Writing about all these holiday traditions has sincerely made me a little bit home sick! I know many of you have similar traditions and I hope you will share them by leaving a brief comment or sharing them with me via e-mail, I will gladly repost them. Today I want to share a very familiar Italian tradition which is know as the "Burning of the Yule Log". This tradition is shared by many cultures and has several different and significant meanings. The log is placed in the fireplace and it must burn all night log. For many it represents the purifying and revitalizing power of fire, and that with the burning of the log the old year and its evils are destroyed. Christian legend tells of how the Virgin Mary enters the homes of the humble at midnight and warms her newborn child before the blazing log. For me, this tradition is a mixture of many traditions and we typically sing songs, tell stories, and share the good and the bad of the past year. All our triumphs, successes and challenges. We keep a bit of the burned log to start the next years Yule Log, and save some of the ashes. The ashes are good luck and are nurturing. We have some beautiful fruit trees in the back garden and I usually place a some of the ashes at the base of the trees and plant - welcoming a fruitful season!

When I refer to "scenes" I am taking about the elaborate nativity scenes which are most certainly a part of the Italian holiday tradition. Bear with me here, I want to talk about the traditions but I also don't want to offend anyone in regards to religious affiliation so, please know that it not my point. These "Scenes" consist of figures, in clay or plaster, of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and a donkey nearby because legend has it that they warmed the child with their breath. It is around this basic focal point that individual artisans create their own intricate landscapes. There may be grottoes, small trees, lakes, rivers, the lights of "Bethlehem" in the background, angels hung from wires, and occasionally, even local heroes. The most elaborate scenes are usually set up in churches. There is also often a contest between churches of the same town for the best scene. It is also custom to stroll from church to church to view and compare.

Is there a custom you would like to talk about? Let us know!

Christmas, as it is celebrated in Italy, has two origins. The familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan traditions predating the Christmas era. The greatest feast of the ancient Roman Empire, "Saturnalia" (a winter solstice celebration), just happens to coincide with the Christmas fairs, merry-making and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the "Unconquered Sun" and its journey across the sky. "Natale" the Italian word for Christmas is literally the translation for "birthday".

As we progress through the upcoming month, I am looking forward to sharing many of our traditions with you. Naturally cooking and Italian food plays a major role in holiday celebrating so I am looking forward to sharing some of my favorite recipes with you as well.

One of my favorite traditions, which is rapidly disappearing in Italy, is the ushering in of the coming festivities by the "Piferari" or fifers, better know as Sheppards. They descend from the mountains of the Abruzzo and Latium (east of Rome), playing inviting and characteristic tunes on their bagpipes, filling the air with anticipation for the joyous celebration to come.

If you have any traditions you would like share, please comment, or let me know!

Rita

Our dinnerware creations originated in DeRuta, Italy several years ago. When we first started importing to the US, our collections were featured in stores like Williams-Sonoma, Neiman Marcos and other high end retailers. Due to import restrictions, as well as economic changes, we have sought to make our dinnerware line more affordable and our import process more streamlined. We hope these changes will make our dinnerware lines more available so that our love of the Italian culture and tradition can be shared with many more people. We constantly receive good reviews from our products... which is a great feeling, it makes me feel like the changes we have made were and are for the best. We have a great distribution center located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Our location allow us to ship anywhere in the US in a reasonable amount of time, and our location allows us to rapidly meet demand. Take a moment to visit our website and take a look at the full collection - we will randomly feature our collections here on the blog as well.

We wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to try our wonderful coffee, so what better way to do that than to offer a way you can experience The Italian Way of Life on us! Each month for the next few months we will be giving away a free Rita Monti espresso machine and Rita Monti coffee for a whole year to go with it! Each month you will receive our coffee delivered right to your door. We guarantee it will be as fresh as it was the day it was roasted in our roasting facility in Salerno. To enter is simple, just log on to our website and sign up to become a member. You will not receive spam, and we will never sell your name or e-mail to anyone. Each month we will select 2 members at random to receive this great giveaway. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

BUONGIORNO everyone! I wanted to take a moment to express how happy I am with all of the comments and well wishes I have received over the past month. I have been really trying to work as hard as I can to build my business, manage all my regular daily work at home, spend enough time with my daughter and of course my wonderful husband. I have found that the most importantly I am not alone. When I get my daughter off to school, Phillip off to work and the house finally gets quiet, I find myself chatting with people across America, answering e-mails, posting to my blog, and by lunchtime, I have managed to catch up with my regular tasks and plan for a very eventful afternoon. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am inspired. My goal has always been to share my Italian heritage with others, I did not anticipate how much I would get in return. I did not anticipate how much I would learn about other people!

Someone asked me the other day if I was going to post any more photos - well the truth is simple, I am so shy. All the pictures I usually use are from our original packaging concepts. I know I need to get some more made, but as prioities go that it not at the top of my list...ha!

Well, I am digging through my old recipe box and am looking to find a recipe to add to my Thanksgiving collection I have been posting. I think I am going to suggest something new I found recently, I have not made it personally but it just looks great! More to follow! -Rita

This is a delicious unique topping for bruschetta that would be great for the upcoming holidays when we are all looking for new ideas to serve to family and friends. The radicchio topping can be made up to two days in advance, and when needed the bruschetta can be assembled in just a few minutes. Radicchio di Treviso is a long, dark red lettuce with a slightly bitter flavor. By slowly cooking the radicchio with sliced red onions until soft with a little honey and balsamic vinegar, the topping has a sweet and sour flavor that Italians call "agrodolce". This topping is spread on top of creamy goat cheese which adds a whole new dimension of flavor. I used a multigrain baguette type of bread, but any long, crusty bread would work well. Serves 6-8 by Deborah Mele. To view more recipies by Deborah please visit her site.