Italy

There are more types of pasta than there are bathing suit designs. Ok, maybe not quite that many. But there are a lot, anyway. Fortunately for the newcomer to the world of pasta, they break down along two broad categories: long and short.

There must be more pasta shapes than electronic games -maybe not so many, but there are a lot- and each one has its own Italian name. It is impossible to remember them all. That is why we need a dictionary

There is a good reason pasta is high on nearly everyone's list of favorites. Pasta is versatile, healthy, tasty and easy to work with. It provides the base for hundreds of delicious recipes, whether drowned in sauce or chopped up plain in a salad, or even as an ingredient in a stir-fry.

Italy is no slouch when it comes to this delectable dairy food. That should be no big surprise, since Italy is a land of many regions and even includes two major islands.

Best known for pasta-based dishes, there is a category of Italian food that should never be overlooked by those seeking great taste: Italian breads. Bread is an ancient food and nowhere has that fact been more evident than in this sun-drenched land.

The foods in Italy speak of sun, music, zest for life and exuberant joy. Italians love food; for them, food is pleasure as much as nourishment. Their cooking is pretty straightforward. Italians rely in a few flavor combinations and simple cooking methods, but they also combine love, instinct and skill with their food. It shows.

Every Italian town has its own recipe to make cheese, and there are about 400 different kinds of cheese; sausages, with at least 300 types of sausage; and wine, don’t ask for Chianti indiscriminately, people are probably very proud of their local wine; however, their breakfast customs are pretty uniform. Breakfast is a small meal in Italy. Never mind, they will make up for it later at lunch, the most important meal, and dinner, also a social occasion.