Tag: Dry

Dry January, what it is and soft drinks to try – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


Here we are in full Dry January, and if we talk about it this year it is also thanks to the French president Emmanuel Macron, who has just said he is against the idea of ​​institutionalizing the initiative: an invitation not to drink alcohol for an entire month, January in fact. For him, a well-known lover of good drinking, it is not necessary to officially promote abstinence from alcohol, but his stance has sparked a controversy of international dimensions which has involved enthusiasts and expert commentators.

What is Dry January

What is certain is that the position of the French president goes against the trend: now almost all over the world there is a race to prove the benefits of Dry Januaryan initiative born in England in 2013 thanks to the athlete Emily Robinson and the association Alcohol Change UK, British body that raises awareness of the effects of alcohol. One way to promote the conscious use of alcohol, to remind everyone of the risks of use and abuse, and to invite even moderate drinkers to experience what it is like to do without it for a symbolic period, giving their liver a break. In fact, many studies have demonstrated the advantages of alcohol abstinence are many, even in the short term as well as in the long term, and which reflect on everyone’s physical and mental well-being.

The new trend of non-alcoholic drinks

So, password: lighten. How many years have we heard it? Many. Yet she never goes out of fashion, on the contrary (rightly) she renews herself by adapting to the evolution of the times. For this reason, even the world of mixing has now been involved in the process and it is difficult to imagine a cocktail bar that is not able to offer low-alcohol drinks and mocktails (a neologism that derives from the portmanteau of two words mock = fake + cocktail).

What are the new alcohol-free drinks like?

The good news is that the era of syrupy long drinks based on fruit juices and smoothies has been replaced, or enriched, by that of fermented products such as kombucha (sparkling teas that could replace bubbles) and switchel (an invigorating mix based of apple cider vinegar, ginger, honey and lemon), from fruit and vegetable extracts, from sodas offered in every imaginable flavor and above all from non-alcoholic spirits.

The new alcohol-free products

In Italy and around the world this trend is naturally reflected on the market and on the choice of large groups (and small producers) to have one or more alcohol-free products in their catalogue. From 2015, the year of debut of Seedlip (the line of non-alcoholic spirits, distributed by Diageo, which is by far the best known and served in cocktail bars), to today the panorama has rapidly enriched itself, so much so that forecasts speak of a growth of 400% for the next few years.

Dry January: what it is and why Macron doesn’t agree – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


Emmanuel Macron does not agree with the Dry January: the French president said no (once again) to proposal of doctors and scientists to institutionalize theI invite you to eliminate alcohol for an entire month. For him, known lover of good wine (he once declared that a dinner without a glass is a “sad dinner”), there is no need for the government to support a campaign to encourage people to abstain: it is better to focus on prevention policies that make the French even more aware .

Many accuse his executive of supporting the wine industry in this way too – which in France is worth 15.6 billion dollars according to the research company Ibis World – but Macron should still be given some credit: thanks to the controversy he has aroused his position, those who had never heard of it before are now starting to familiarize themselves with the idea of ​​Dry January.

What is Dry January

An entire month without drinking, in fact, not so much to recover from the revelry of the holidays (as some do by participating in the vegan month, veganuary), but to experiment the positive effects on physical and mental health. The idea of ​​Dry January was born thanks to the English activist Emily Robinson who, to prepare for a half marathon, decided in 2011 not to drink alcohol for the whole of January. Two years later – in 2013 – with the association Alcohol Change UK, British body that raises awareness of the effects of alcohol, its initiative has begun to be noticed, even beyond the United Kingdom.

What are the risks of alcohol

The New York Times writes that in recent years the Dry January involved between 15 and 19% of Americans. That is almost two out of ten people, habitual drinkers. Awareness of the risks certainly contributed to this renunciation. The IARC, it is always worth remembering, classifies alcohol as a type 1 carcinogenic agentthat is, among those substances certainly capable of causing tumors. The risk is always there: it is reduced but not eliminated even if limited to moderate consumption which, for the record, equates to two units of alcohol per day for men and one for women. According to the WHO, over 3 million people die every year due to alcohol abuse: in addition to cancer, 200 incidental pathologies and other consequences linked to abuse, including mental alterations which immediately a exposes you to risks such as road accidents.

What happens to our body when we stop drinking alcohol

Several scientific studies (among many, one of the most complete is in the National Library of Medicine) have proven that the benefits of abstinence are felt even in the short term for those who drink moderately. A separate discussion, in fact, must be made for those who suffer from alcohol addiction, who need much longer periods and also have to follow very tortuous paths.

For simple enthusiasts of good wine and excellent drinks, therefore, stop drinking alcohol even for just a month helps reduce intestinal inflammation, regulate the heartbeat, lower bad cholesterol levels (which rise due to free radicals stimulated by alcohol). It also helps to sleep better and – last but not least – with just thirty days of abstinence for those who drink moderately but regularly lose weight and also find benefits for your mood.

Experts also agree that a month can be enough lower the tolerance level of alcohol and therefore reduce consumption overall in the long term. As he pointed out to New York Times Sara Jo Nixon, neuroscientist and director of the Center for Addiction Research and Education at the University of Florida, this dry month can make people reflect and push people to ask themselves questions like: «Why am I drinking so much? How does what I drink affect the way I feel? Do I really need it?”.

How to participate in Dry January

It is told by those who have tried and try it, many on social media, confirming the fact that ten years after the launch of the initiative, the Dry January is a consolidated trend. On Instagram while we write posts just for the hashtag #dryjanuary is close to 600 thousand, and videos on TikTok garner millions of views. Content posted by influencers and ordinary people who talk about their month sober, who give advice on resisting the temptation of alcohol and offer alternative recipes. A good race, also stimulated by Alcohol Change UK which, to bring those who want to try it online, has also created a free application and a newsletter (you can sign up on the alcoholchange.org.uk website) which gives useful information every day, one more reason to say no to alcohol alcohol even just for a little while.

Why participate in Dry January

It’s a good thing that Dry January is talked about so much online, because alcohol consumption is growing especially among the first users of social media: young people. The 2023 report from the National Alcohol Observatory of the Higher Institute of Health says that there are approximately 1 million and 370 thousand children aged between 11 and 25 who drink alcohol uncontrollably in Italy. Often minors, not always aware of the risks they face, they need to be educated, sensitized and intrigued by showing them that they can and should drink well, that there are alternatives, and that they are very valid.

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Passatelli, also good dry! that's how – Italian Cuisine


Passatelli are a typical recipe of Emilian cuisine. Excellent in broth, they are delicious even dry, especially if seasoned in an unexpected way. Such as? We suggest it to you

In autumn, with the temperatures dropping, there is nothing better than a nice plate of soup warm to pamper yourself a little. Have you ever tried the passatelli? Typical ofEmilia Romagna, are based on egg, breadcrumbs and parmesan.
The original recipe calls for them to be served with del beef broth, but also dry they have their why. What to dress them with, though? Beyond the usual sauces, scroll down this page and discover some delicious ones. In our galleryinstead, some makeup to make passatelli and to taste them better.

How to make passatelli

To make passatelli at home, you will need:

Ingredients

120 grams of breadcrumbs, 120 grams of Parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, 1/2 lemon zest, 1.5 liters of meat broth, salt and nutmeg to taste.

Method

The first thing to do is prepare the meat broth (recipe here). To prepare the passatelli, in a bowl, beat the eggs, add the Parmesan, the breadcrumbs, the grated zest of half a lemon and the grated nutmeg. Mix everything until you get a homogeneous and dense mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for about two hours. Now on a pastry board whose surface has been lightly floured, form the passatelli, using the appropriate tool, which requires the dough to be crushed and dragged onto the perforated surface, so that it comes out in the shape of a vermicello. To detach them from the iron, use a knife, cutting them about 4 cm in length. Once all the dough has been worked, filter the heated broth and dip the passatelli. When they rise to the surface, they are cooked. With a skimmer, recover them from the broth and put them in a pan, ready to be seasoned and consumed.

passatelli-dry
passatelli-dry

Passatelli with fish sauce

Are you a summer lover and do you already miss it? Season the passatelli with a substantial one fish sauce. How to do it? Get: 450 g of mixed fish, 400 g of cod pulp, 150 g of tomato sauce, 1 shallot, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. In a large pan, fry the chopped shallot in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. After a few minutes, add the fish mixture, the cod pulp, blend with the white wine and add the tomato puree. Season with salt, bring to a boil and cook for about ten minutes. Then blend everything, cook the passatelli and, once drained, season them with the sauce obtained, sprinkling with pepper and chopped parsley.

Passatelli with porcini mushrooms

THE mushrooms they are the autumn ingredient par excellence. To obtain a delicious sauce, get 200 g of porcini mushrooms, 150 g of tomato sauce, 2 cloves of garlic, oregano, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Do this: clean the porcini mushrooms well and cut them into small pieces. In a pan, sauté with extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic, then add the chopped porcini mushrooms and the tomato puree. Season with salt and let it simmer, until the sauce has withdrawn a little. Season the passatelli with the sauce obtained, sprinkling with pepper and the chopped parsley and oregano.

Passatelli with sausage and radicchio

This is also an ideal seasoning for the cold season. Get a couple of fresh sausages, crumble them and brown them in a pan, blending them with red wine. Meanwhile, wash 4-5 leaves of red radicchio, cut them finely and sauté them in a pan with the sausage. When they are well dried, add the passatelli. If desired, you can also add a spoonful of cooking cream to facilitate amalgamation.

Passatelli with taleggio cheese and zucchini

Get a couple of courgettes to cut into slices and cook in a pan with onion and garlic. Meanwhile, cut 200 g of taleggio cheese into cubes. When the passatelli are cooked, put them in a pan with the courgettes, add the taleggio cheese, stir in and enjoy!

Passatelli with clams

Spaghetti with clams they are a great classic of the Italian table. An interesting variant? Passatelli instead of spaghetti. Do this: take 1 kg of clams and drain them well in fresh water, remembering to change it often. In a pan, open them, cooking them with extra virgin olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Eliminate those left closed and filter the water of the clams, with a tightly woven sieve. Now in a separate pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil with two cloves of garlic (to be removed as soon as they turn golden), add the clams, let the white wine evaporate, adding the water from the clams. Add the already boiled passatelli, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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