Lidia's Italy

Nutmeg is a tropical spice, not indigenous to Italy, but brought to Italy during the spice trades. It is loved now by the Italians and used often in the Italian cuisine, especially in pasta fillings, gnocchi dough, and mashed potatoes. Use a light hand when seasoning with nutmeg. It is a very aromatic spice, and its aroma becomes even more pronounced after cooking. You can buy nutmeg whole or ground. But since you need small amounts at a time, I always recommend buying the whole seed then grating it as needed. Although there are special graters made just for nutmeg, the smallest teeth of a box grater will work fine. Grate only as much as you need at the time, and keep the rest of the nutmeg sealed tightly in plastic wrap in the freezer.