With Italy's national day falling tomorrow, we celebrate all things Italian this weekend. Thoughts turn naturally to the wonderful art, opera, fashion, architecture that Italy offers, and to the varied cuisines that differ from region to region.

In the northeast, the region of Emilia-Romagna is renowned for its artists. Admired since the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bolognese school produced outstanding artists like Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) and Giuseppe Maria Crespi. Bologna is also the seat of Europe's oldest university. It was founded in 1088 and has produced luminaries such as Dante, Petrarch and Copernicus. And then there is great food from the region - starting with well-known items such as Bolognese sauce, parma ham and the king of cheeses, Parmigiano. It takes at least 600 liters of milk to produce just one wheel of Parmigiano cheese!

At 8 Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Central, Hong Kong Island, many specialty dishes are from the Lombardy region of Italy - including the best risotto dish I've ever eaten. So it's no surprise that it became the first Italian restaurant outside of Italy to earn three Michelin stars. And maestro Umberto Bombana is well known for his artistry with that most precious delight - the seasonal white truffle.

In the Campania area of Italy, pasta comes in delicious variations, such as spaghetti alle vongole, with clams, or spaghetti alla puttanesca, with a tasty sauce of tomato, black olives, capers, garlic and oregano.

In Hong Kong, the Osteria Ristorante Italiano in Holiday Inn Golden Mile on Nathan Road is charmingly relaxed and there's a real feel of Italia vera, or real Italy. The buffet tables are invariably laden with a variety of tasty appetizers and desserts not often found elsewhere in the city.

On some of our recent visits to enjoy the culinary skills of chef Paolo Federici, we've had standard dishes such as Caprese di Bufala Campana, a soft white mozzarella cheese with tomatoes that is seemingly simple but can be a sheer delight when made properly. Specialties of the house include classic seafood dishes, stone-baked pizza, home-made pasta and gelato. The pasta section includes homemade potato gnocchi and spaghetti Mancini with mussels and clams and a delicious black squid ink risotto fragrant and plump with lobster, shrimps and sea urchin that is as tasty as any I've eaten in Italy.

Perhaps the best-known Italian dish worldwide is pizza. In the south, in Naples and surrounding areas, you can taste the best and simplest of the lot - the pizza Margherita, made with mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato. The name contains a reference to the colors of the Italian flag, designed in honor of the Italian queen Margherita of Savoy at the end of the 19th century, which is reflected in the food.

In Hong Kong, the very best pizza I enjoy on a regular basis is served at a tiny place named appropriately Pizzeria Italia, on High Street in Sai Ying Pun. For an authentic taste of Italia bella, try the Margherita with extra tomato.

Last but not least, at the welcoming Cucina restaurant in the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, do try the Carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style fried artichokes) when in season. And if you're in Rome you can find the dish at Piperno's restaurant in Trastevere. It is one of the most wonderful surprises of the "Eternal City".

In several Italian restaurants, a cheer-me-up tiramisu dessert is the way to end a sumptuous meal. It's a combination of chocolate, coffee, sponge fingers, mascarpone, cream and lots of love.

You could also have cannoli - small wafers filled with mascarpone cream or ricotta and decorated with chocolate, nuts or fruit, or a zuppa Inglese which literally translates as English soup but is in fact a replica of the English trifle, a delicious combination of chocolate cream, biscotti or sponge cake, moistened with a liqueur - and the choice of that last item can set off a debate like no other! Personally I like it with a touch of Luxardo Maraschino.

Buon appetito!

(HK Edition 06/01/2018 page10)