Archive for May, 2010

Nothing could be more romantic than a seaside Italian dinner. Just like how jazz and slow music is perfect for dining in those upscale restaurants, the gentle sound of the waves crashing on the shore is just as calming. As you look at that special someone contrasted on a dim surroundings, evrything just feels perfect. And there is nothing more scrumptious than an Italian seafood dinner. The entire thing is just the thing you need to fall in love again. Now, that is the kind of date youll surely remember.

If you check the map, you’ll be able to find out that Italy is bordered by a number of seas: Adriatic, Ioanian and Tyrrhenian. Italy is even made up of other islands that are also one of the largest in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Because of that Italy is famed for having a number of great beaches. More and more tourists are visiting the Mediterranean country every year for its pristine, white shores and clear blue waters that, unlike other tourist destinations, remain perfect because of the sunny climate all year round. Because of its rich resources, it is no question that Italy is famed for its fishing industry. This has created a significant impact in Italy’s cuisine and its people are noted to be huge patrons of seafood. Because people have been looking for ways to enjoy authentic Italian dishes, seaside ristorantes and trattorias have also began serving Italian seafood dishes to those who would love to sample a piece of Italian cusine.

And there is a long list of Italian seafood dishes for our screaming palettes. If you are looking for a great seafood antipasti, a popular Italian choice is the salmone scottaditto” which is basically a slice of fresh salmon that is seared on a hot plate and served with some aioli and fried leeks. The literal meaning of scottaditto is burn finger referring to the way that it is cooked and is traditionally a finger food. Aioli is a sauce that is made by with mixing garlic and olive oil as well as egg. This dish is perfect because you get to taste the delicate flavor of the salmon with the mildly strong flavor of the garlic that becomes balanced with crisp, fried leeks.

Another crowd pleaser is the gamberi alla Toscana or sauted shrimp with beans and arugula salad.

Now for the main dish, there are a lot to choose from but the spaghettini ai frutti di mare which is thin spaghetti with mixed seafood in tomato sauce. The spaghettini, which is a kind of pasta that is similar to the spaghetti but only thinner, is cooked to an al dentetender on the outside but still with a bite to it. The tomato sauce mentioned in the dish is the traditional yet simple Italian sauce which is chopped fresh tomatoes cooked in olive oil and flavored with salt.Some people like to flavor this dish with a few Italian herbs like oregano, basil or parsley to kick the flavors up a notch. You will be greeted with a great tasting dish that lends its flavor to the rich tomato sauce and the succulent seafoods with the pasta. A beach trip is never complete without this dish.