ITALIAN CUISINEMade Easy

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Embrace authentic Italian cuisine and create this rigatoni, fish, and vegetable dish.

Authent ic I tal ian D ishIn 30 M inutes

RIGATONI DISH

e understand the importance of the size of your kitchen. A more spacious cooking area is

always ideal. Yet, the size of your kitchen should never define your talent as a chef. This months newsletter will give you instructions on cooking authentic Italian dishes with ease and how to make the most of your small cooking place.

No previous cooking experience is necessary to create these meals. Rookies and veterans alike will enjoy the simple instructions and delicious results! The authors of this magazine have personally cooked the example meals.

What are you waiting for? Light up the grill, fire up the stove and give it a try. Whether you have an industrial stove top or something as small as a Bunsen burner, you can make an easy Italian meal.

RigatoniPrimiFollow your appetizer with your first plate of delicious rigatoni. Easy to cook and easy to serve.

SalmonCon PesceAdd some fish to the mix.

PeppersFind Your FlavorSweet Peppers will ensure a variety of

flavor and spice to the meal

ZucchiniMore GreensContinue adding garden grub to the dish for additional taste.

Olive OilAdd OliveOlive Oil is a necessity for Italian cuisine and should not be forgotten

Small Kitchen Struggle

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Judge, Brier, &

Purcell

Simple Ingredients

Rigatoni con Pesce and Vegetableshe Italian dinner included rigatoni noodles, grilled zucchini,

grilled sweet peppers and grilled salmon. The process of creating this meal was straightforward and did not take a long time to complete. This meal was prepared in the United States so the grill we used was extremely helpful. One of the most significant benefits of cooking in the United States (as compared to Italy) is the size of the kitchen and the amount of space that you have to work in. The area where this meal was prepared was a lot bigger than the small kitchen that we were used to in our apartment in Italy. The size of the kitchen helped us to make a good meal in a short amount of time. With that being said, the following bullet points help to document how the meal was prepared.

Rigatoni- The noodles were easy to make because we only had to boil water on the stovetop. Once the water came to a boil, we added the rigatoni noodles and some olive oil. The pot that we used was fairly large because we were cooking for six people. I think if we cooked these noodles in the apartment in Italy, it would have taken us longer to do because we would

have to use a smaller pot for the smaller stovetop.

Salmon- The grill helped immensely here. The only concern with grilling salmon is to make sure that you cook it enough on the inside without burning the outer part of the fish.

Sweet Peppers- The red, orange and yellow peppers that we grilled added flavor to the meal. Once again, preparing grilled peppers is relatively easy. The only task that you have to do yourself is cutting the peppers into thin slices so that they can grill faster.

Zucchini- We wrapped the zucchini in aluminum foil while it was on the grill. The foil helped to keep the zucchini hot so that it could cook faster. Adding olive oil to zucchini during the cooking process is not a bad idea because it helps to add to the flavor of the vegetables.

Finish Up- After the rigatoni was fully cooked, we mixed in marinara sauce. We also added Parmesan cheese. For the grilled

zucchini and sweet peppers, we served those right off the grill. We did not add anything to them. For the salmon, we took that right off the grill but kept sliced lemons on the table for anyone who liked to use lemon juice on their salmon. Along with this food, we also had salad and multigrain bread. Although this food differs from authentic Italian food, it still resembles the food that can be found in Italy. Cooking in a spacious kitchen with plenty of room also helps to make the work go by faster. The small kitchen in our Italian apartment may have been too cramped to make a meal like this in a short amount of time.

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10 Helpful h ints

More StorageCeilingGo to the ceiling for storage. Put your less frequently used ingredients, silverware, and appliances on top of cabinets. This will eliminate clutter and gives your kitchen a fully stocked feel.

Space OrganizersUse space organizers inside of cabinets to maximize your available space.

Be NeatStackable BowlsPurchase bowls that stack well to save space for the rest of your cooking necessities.

Prepare IngredientsPrepare all of your ingredients before beginning the cooking process to avoid scrambling and, as a result, a messy kitchen.

Extra IslandsMore CountersIf your available counter space is too small for your liking, purchase another one. Portable counter spaces are effective and convenient because they can be moved to other rooms if need be.

Multiple PurposesTry to use counter tops and islands as both cooking and eating areas. Using space for multiple purposes will increase available space elsewhere.

Small Kitchen10 Ways to Make the most of your small kitchen

OrganizeAn organized kitchen is an effective kitchen, regardless of it’s size. Spices must be kept in order and most used appliances should be placed on shelves accordingly. The more frequently used ingredients and silverware should be conveniently located within arms reach of the stove or oven.

“When it comes to kitchen space and quality, size does not matter.”

Spencer Judge

Renowned Super Chef

Use Your WallsDrying racks, hanging racks, and small shelves will save you space for essential items that need to be left on your countertops. Grab a hammer and some nails and utilize the surrounding wall space.

Trash Unnecessary ItemsRid your kitchen of the food and appliances that are rarely used or made. If you haven’t made it by now, chances are you never will. That panini maker you got for Christmas will be fine stored elsewhere until you are ready to use it.

Make It CozyAccept the fact that your kitchen is small. Decorate it accordingly. Give your small kitchen a cozy appearance. Hanging pots and pans from the ceiling always is aesthetically pleasing. Decorate with plants and flowers to enhance the appearance but make sure you aren’t limiting your necessary cooking space.