Lombardy and the lakes

Lombardy is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. The Lombardy or Lombardia region of Italy occupies a major portion of the northern Po River valley between the Tincio and Mincio rivers. The capital is Milan. It is bordered by the Alps and Switzerland to the north and Emilia-Romagna to the south. Lombardy contains famous lakes as Maggiore, Garda and Como, they are situated to the foot of the Alps. Piedmonte and Valle D'Aosta border Lombardy to the west and the Veneto and Alto-Adige regions on the east. Not only is Lombardy an agricultural center, but an industrial and commercial one, as Milan is an international center of business and fashion.

Talking about the Lombard gastronomy is very difficult. The kitchen of Lombardy uses a lot of fat and butter in all your recipes. Prevails, the art of long cooking, boiling and stewing. Many dishes use rice in Milan, because the capital of Lombardy, Milan, is a region where is the major concentration of rice fields. Minestrone alla Milanese, which is the mother of all Minestrone soups and contains vegetables, rice and bacon.

Risotto alla Milanese is a creamy dish of braised short-grain rice blended with meat stock, saffron and cheese. Osso bucco is a traditional main course of a knuckle of veal with the marrowbone intact and braised with rosemary and sage. The standout cheese of the region is Gorgonzola, a creamy and rich blue cheese that is ideal for sauces. The most famous dessert from Lombardy is the Italian fruitcake known as Panettone. Once only prepared for Christmas, this specialty is found boxed and sold year-round in Italy. Torrone, a popular nougat and almond confection is a native product of Cremona but is also sold nationwide.

The region of Lombardy has a kitchen where one can enjoy dishes of the Padana or Alpina tradition, such as il risotto alla certosina (a risotto made with frogs), Risotto alla pitocca (a risotto prepared with chicken), vitello tonnato (veal slices covered with a sauce of mayonnaise and tuna-fish), tortelli filled with a pumpkin mix, Consonsei bergamashi (a particular pasta typical of the Bergamo gastronomy) or most of the typical cheeses such as gorgonzola (a blue cheese) and Grana Padano or the Cremona mustard (a sort of marmalade prepared with different fruits), pickled onions, and pan de mej (a cake prepared with corn meal).