Italian Cooking calls for many ingredients, some of which you are probably familiar with, and others that you may not be. Here you'll find an alphabetical listing of articles dedicated to selecting, using, and storing Italian ingredients, from aceto (vinegar) through zucchini.

But first, a quick aside:
Never Cooked Italian?
The organization of a meal and what you'll need.

Ingredients:

Aceto
It's easy to make vinegar -- both fruit and wine -- at home, and the results are superior to commercial vinegars.

It's also easy to flavor vinegar with aromatic herbs and spices; they add a delightful something to salads, and are perfect for flavoring meats, fish and vegetables. They are also excellent gifts.

Aglio!
Italian cooking is less garlicky than many think, but this doesn't mean there are no garlicky dishes...

Arance!
Oranges are one of the great bounties of winter.

Artichokes
Buying and preparing this amazingly versatile winter vegetable.

Asparagi
Asparagus is the quintessence of spring.

Baccalà
Unexpected delight from Salt Cod -- how to select and prepare it.

Borlotti
Astonishingly tasty beans. Some thoughts on what they're known as in the US, too.

Borlotti Again
More on them, and what they're called in the US.

Braciole & Cotolette
Cutlets, also known as braciole, can be either veal or pork, and flat or rolled. Lots of variety, to match every occasion!

Bresaola
The Valtellina's delicate air-cured meat can now be found in the US. Info, and a recipe.

Broccoli Raab
One of the wilder members of the broccoli family, with an abundance of tasty leaves in addition to the florets.

Cachi
Persimmons and thoughts on the Italian language -- there is a connection.

Camosci, Caprioli, Cervi, Daini, Stambecchi?. Furred Game, in Short
If you venture into the mountains in Italy chances are that you will be offered game, especially venison. It's easy to prepare at home too.

Cardoons
Close cousins of the artichoke, and a classic winter vegetable in Northern Italy.

Cauliflower
A classic winter vegetable takes center stage.

Ceci!
Chickpeas make for wonderful hearty soups.

Cipolle
Onions: Both herb and vegetable, and fit for all seasons

Cooking and Serving Pasta
It's easy, but there are some rules.

Cotechino and Zampone:
A pair of specialties from Modena, a thick sausage and a pig's trotter stuffed with the same mixture: both are cooked, and both are fixtures on the New Year's Eve menu, and popular throughout the winter.

Cozze & Vongole
With thousands of miles of coastline, Italians eagerly enjoy mussels and clams.

Culatello
One of Parma's glorious delicacies, the happy outcome of a mistake made while preparing a prosciutto. Thoughts on horse meat too.

Cuscus
Sicilian, and also Jewish.

Fagioli
You may associate beans with winter, but they can be wonderfully refreshing in summer too.

Fagiolini
String beans are one of the harbringers of summer, a delightful announcement that winter is past. Notes on selecting and preparing them, and lots of recipes.

Farro
The grain that fed the Legions is making a comeback, and quite deservedly so. How to purchase and prepare it.

Fregula
A fine-graiend Sardinian pasta that's good served dry with a sauce, and very tasty in soup too.

Fresh Figs
Fresh figs have been a South Italian staple for thousands of years. They're wonderful as is, make excellent jams, are superb in cakes, and that's just the beginning.

Finocchio
Bulb fennel is one of the treats of winter.

Fiori di Zucchine
Zucchini flowers are tasty, and extremely versatile.

Formaggio Grana
The King of Cheeses has many uses.

La Festa del Maiale
Pork was a seasonal meat in Italy, and much more popular in winter than summer.

Ingredients G to Z