These simple carnival sweets found across the Italian regions are more than probably named after the word 'castagna' or chestnut. When done they are similar in size and colour to your average conker.

We have decided to locate this recipe in Piemonte due to the two towns of Castagnole Piemonte in the province of Turin and Castagnole Monferrato in the province of Asti.

ingredients

400gr flour, 4 dessert spoons of olive oil, 3 eggs, 4 dessert spoons of sugar, 1 lemon rind, 2 spoons of rum or cognac, 1 spoon of yeast in water.

Paniscia is a typical dish of Novara made with rice, salami and vegetables. Panissa is a different version, typical of the Vercelli area.

It is very important to remember this little detail if you meet somebody from either of the cities.

ingredients

'cannaroli' rice 300 gr., 'la duja' salami 120 gr. (do not confuse this novarese salami with the other n'duja salami from Calabria), butter, red wine a glass, beans 200gr, an onion, lard 60gr, cabbage 150gr, leek, carrots, celery, tomatoes, salt and pepper.

The delighfully named 'white chocolate salami' is easy to make and equally delicious in winter or summer.

ingredients

digestive biscuits, 2 eggs, 150gr butter, 200gr sugar, 100gr white chocolate.

This is a famous Piemontesi biscuit whose origins can be found at Casale Monferrato.

The history is well documented and the recipe was invented by Domenico Rossi.

The best 'Krumiri' are dark in color and contain no preservatives whatsoever. They were named after a popular liqueur of the time. That was in 1878.

Bagna caôda is a dish of garlic, anchovies and olive oil which is served hot with vegetables in season such as peppers, cauliflower, celery or potatoes. It is neither a first nor second course but a real stomach filler.

How sardines came to feature in one of the region's signature dishes is a real question, especially when you find them in the local markets totally out of context from the usual typical food products of Piemonte.

The medieval salt trade from Provence in France and attempted evasion of commercial taxes are the reasons.

ingredients

100g of sardines preserved in salt, 50g of butter, 50g olive oil, garlic, cream, bread, vegetables.

'Bonet' typical dessert from Piemonte region made with chocolate, rum and amaretti

A classic and simple dessert pie recipe from Piemonte made with pears in season.

Experiment by combining a couple of types of pears to vary the flavour of the finished dish.

This recipe is based on version released by the Associazione Nazionale Le Donne del Vino del Piemonte.

Risotto with Barbera wine is a very simple but tasty and filling recipe from the Basso Monferrato in Piemonte.