From 23 to 26 May 2019 European citizens are asked to choose the deputies toEuroparliament. In Italy it will be voted Sunday 26 May. A vote that will be strongly characterized by the sovereign movements, which unite Eurosceptics and old and new rights in a united front. But it will be a vote on which the Brexit unknown also weighs: with the new extension from 12 April to 31 October London is in fact forced to elect its representatives to the European Parliament which, then, will have to work to get the United Kingdom out ( and therefore themselves) from the European Union. In short: a mess that, if it weren't dramatic (Britain going away is not a good sign), would also make people smile.

A new hope

But the European political framework, the very survival of the European Union, appears less grim and gloomy if we look at the survey curated by Demos with the Unipolis foundation and conducted by the European Security Observatory one month or so from the date of the elections. In fact it is among the youngest citizens that the trust towards the EU has suffered less deterioration. And this is because they are children of a world that has always been very open to them, compared to previous generations: studying abroad, traveling often, learning, experimenting, speaking multiple languages, exploring other cultures with curiosity, tasting unknown food is for these young people an obvious thing. A world closed within the narrow confines of their nation-state is simply unimaginable for them. And then, without forgetting or erasing history, they feel less the historical-political aftermath of the recent European past. In short, enthusiasm prevails. Thus it is that the degree of trust in the range between 15 and 24 reaches 65 per cent in countries such as Italy, Holland and, paradoxically, Great Britain.
Between the ages of 25 and 34, a decent 53 percent is still achieved. The collapse manifests itself with increasing age, until reaching a paltry 30 percent of satisfaction among the elderly.

Man Vogue celebrates the unity of the continent

The French actress Vanessa Paradis, taken for the first time by the German photographer Peter Lindbergh that portrays her as Marianna of Europe, it is only one of the seven covers that "L'Uomo Vogue" brings to newsstands on April 29, a month after the elections for the European Parliament, with its number entirely dedicated to the celebration ofunity of the continent. For a brand founded on the synthesis between international excellence in photography – an art form that naturally brings people closer, instead of dividing them – and international excellence in fashion – a language that has always transcended borders and tells the common evolution of the customs and values ​​of generations grown in different countries – this is a natural choice. As the director explains Emanuele Farneti signing an editorial entitled I Love EU: «Speaking of Europe by putting on the page what unites us, rather than what divides us; tell the faces, the places, the stories, the dreams that make the community project still current . He adds: «We worked on this special issue of“ L'Uomo Vogue ”bringing together artists, photographers, writers who share with us the idea that this dream of peace and unity is not dead, rather it is more current than ever, but to regain energy it needs above all beauty and emotion. In this delicate moment, everyone must do their part: even the world of fashion ". Inside the magazine you can read the "Letters of love to Europe" signed by Roberto Saviano, Bernard-Henri Lévy and Emmanuel Carrère.

Diversity is a wealth

And then, making our own the enthusiasm of many young Europeans and the words of the director Emanuele Farneti, we of "La Cucina Italiana" instead of looking for what it divides, we preferred to gather what unites the European people; instead of pointing out the differences, we have chosen to look at them as that treasure that makes the European people richer. Because the different cultures, the mosaic of languages, the historical paths that have seen the many nations sometimes allies and sometimes enemies are the very patrimony of this Europe … if only we could overcome the last antihistorical national egoisms. And if the kitchen is a sign of identity of a people (and it certainly is): how many kitchens there are in Europe and how many peoples! But basically: how many kitchens there are in our only Italy!

Recipes for a United Europe

So we chose food as an example of diversity and at the same time of the wealth that unites the European people. And so here are the dishes, recipes and products that, coming from every corner of Europe, are very popular with Italians.

Make yourself comfortable: we have already set the table!

France

We immediately take a look at the French "cousins", just to start with recipes that are really familiar to us. Like crêpes and tarte tatin, two desserts now so even so "ours" that it is almost difficult to think of them as non-Italian.

Austria

We still remain on the northern side of the Alps and in the area of ​​desserts: Austria and its luscious Sacher. But let's not forget the strudel. The history and the origin of this dessert, however, is more complex and reveals how the different European traditions are actually less different than what we sometimes insist on believing. The strudel, in fact, is a sweet that to define an Austrian is very simplistic. It would be more correct to say that it is Austrian, Hungarian and Italian (the Italian Northeast), or a dessert of what was once the Austro-Hungarian empire. For this reason, today strudel is recognized as a traditional (even) Italian product and, more specifically, a typical dish in Alto Adige, Trentino, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

From the Warsaw Pact

From what were once the countries of the Soviet Bloc, the dish that has been most successful in Italy is undoubtedly the goulash. Difficult to give a unique recipe for this kind of "stew": eastern country you go, goulash that you find. It takes just a few hundred kilometers to meet many different recipes: imagine how many variations of goulash there will be in a territory that goes from the former Yugoslavia to the Baltic countries!

Germany

If we think of Germany we always think of potatoes, sauerkraut and pork. Of the German cuisine, Italians seem to particularly appreciate it pork shank. So here is the recipe of the Bavarian shank, with potatoes and sauerkraut: usually it is prepared in the oven or roasted and requires low temperatures and long times.

Scandinavia

We now aim straight at the cold, towards the Nordic countries. Scandinavia gave us ginger biscuits, which are also very common here, especially during the Christmas holidays. But perhaps the most loved by Italians are the delicious Danish butter biscuits. Capable of melting in the mouth, their Nordic origin has a reason: butter is one of the staple foods of Scandinavian countries both by tradition and because the fats contained in butter are essential and necessary to fight the cold.

Netherlands

Moving a little to the west, we find the speculoos, cinnamon biscuits typical of the Netherlands which, together with the Belgian combination of mussels and fries, seem to be very welcome among Italians.

Great Britain

And now we cross the English Channel and enter Brexit territory: a wound for the European Union. But the kitchen does not follow the rules of politics and certainly does not stop at any imaginary boundary line. From the UK, whether or not it remains within the EU, Italians have learned to appreciate Scottish porridge and the delicious British fish and chips. But what is most popular is certainly the exquisite cream lemon curd: a real delicacy!

Iberian Peninsula

There are really many Spanish dishes and recipes loved by Italians. Paella, churros, tapas, just to mention the most common names. And this is obvious, given that between the two Mediterranean countries historical meetings / clashes have always been strong and continuous and that the Iberian peninsula, together with the United Kingdom, has always been one of the favorite destinations for young Italians (yesterday and today).

Greece

Despite the known economic difficulties, the many sacrifices that had to sustain the population and some understandable hesitation, Greece is still a member of the EU. Of the Hellenic peninsula, we Italians are especially in love with two specialties: Greek yogurt, which is different from traditional yogurt, and feta. For some time, however, the special tzatziki sauce has appeared more and more often on Italian tables: a must try!

And if we are thirsty?

A very broad discourse should also be done on beverages. Just think of French champagne, or wines from the Mediterranean area, vodka from Eastern countries and the many beers produced throughout the Old Continent. Truly a boundless common heritage.

And what have we Italians given to European tables?

Ok, the list would be very long, and it would be useless to do it. We remember the most popular products, not only in Europe, but all over the world. Pizza, pasta, pesto, cappuccino, tiramisu. And then lots of our wines.

A last question

Do you know all the EU member states? Here they are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom (at least until the Brexit ), Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary.

In short, if the politicians are often struggling to get along at a table, things really get better in front of a laid table.

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