The Ingredients

One can cook almost anything in an Italian style, but there are a few ingredients—some with special applications, others more versatile—that are indispensable to a clear articulation of Italian flavor. Some are more widely distributed than others, but most of the ones described below are now available in good food stores throughout the country’s major markets. Where there is no satisfactory local source, mail order houses abound that carry a substantial assortment of Italian specialties.