"What do you think of this picture?" I ask my mother as I lean over and show her the picture above.

"What about it?" She asks looking at it, not impressed in the least bit. So I ask her again. "What do you think? You think it's ok for the website?" 

She's surprised. Shocked really. "Why would you put this up? It's so easy! People don't need a recipe for this!" 

Oh the things we take for granted. This simple, delicious, refreshing salad is a staple in our house during the summer. We have it almost every night next to grilled meats or fish, or even just next to some salumi and mozzarella. My mother sometimes doesn't understand that others don't all eat like we do. There are some people, I tell her, who have never had this and will find it useful. (At least, I hope so!)

During the summer months, especially when we're in Italy, tomatoes are always plentiful. So much so, that we often make fresh tomato sauce out of them so they don't go to waste. Everyone grows tomatoes in Italy and so, when friends and family visit, it seems that the appropriate thing to bring us is tomatoes, which we really appreciate since we don't have our own garden to grow produce in Italy!

For this classic tomato and cucumber salad, you only need these two ingredients and a few seasonings. It's perfect next to some BBQ'ed meats or fish. Add some diced mozzarella and you have a full meal! 

The below doses are strictly guidelines. As with any salad or even soups, you can adjust accordingly to family size and serving amounts. 

Ingredients 
2 - 3 vine ripen or farm fresh tomatoes (it's important that the tomatoes are fresh and juice), diced
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 large English cucumber, peeled and diced or sliced
2 - 3 scallions or 1/2 red onion, diced
3 - 4 fresh basil leaves, torn to pieces 
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon high-quality (ideally imported) dry oregano 

Directions
1. Dice the tomatoes and add them to a bowl with the salt. Allow to stand for several minutes so the tomatoes release their juices. (You can skip this step if you are in a hurry.)
2. Add the diced cucumber, scallions, basil, oil and oregano and mix well. Allow to stand just a few minutes longer so flavors develop. Then serve!

*Variations: 
To this salad you can add 1 - 2 cans of tuna packed in oil (reduce the amount of oil if adding the tuna with its oil), small mozzarella balls or crusty bread cubes. 

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​For many travelers, myself included, the highlight of a trip to Italy is often the cuisine.  We daydream of the food we will eat, each season bringing with it its own bounty. Travelers, particularly first time visitors, should note that Italian cuisine is very regional and seasonal, so depending on the time of year of your trip and the region visiting, you’re likely to find very different dishes. The summer heat is soothed by a creamy  gelato and dinners are on the lighter side. Autumn brings forth mushroom dishes, and fresh fava beans and peas will be served in the spring. As a native of Italy, I have had the pleasure of eating its cuisine throughout the year, and can attest that each season brings its own unique flavors.

However, there are many, many dishes in which over the years have somehow been mis-labeled as Italian. Now, I want to clarify, there is nothing essentially wrong with these dishes, in fact, I cook a few of them at home myself. The concern comes when these dishes are believed to be authentically Italian, and a visitor expects to find these on a menu there. The dishes below will not be on any menu in Rome or Florence, or anywhere else in Italy for that matter. And if you do happen to find them, you should know that it’s probably a restaurant trying to cater to its American clientele.  Since you’re in Italy, I advice to stick to authenticity as much as possible, and avoid any restaurant that serves the below. 

Spaghetti & Meatballs
Nothing says truly authentic Italian cuisine like a nice dish of spaghetti and meatballs....Actually, the opposite is true! If you're in Italy looking at the menu and trying to find your favorite home dish and can't find this classic, it's because this dish is almost never served in Italy. Yes, Italians eat spaghetti, yes, we make meatballs practically every Sunday. But never are the two eaten together. Usually, the pasta is served as a first course, and it's frequently a "short" pasta, like ziti or rigatoni. And after that, the meatballs may be served as a second course. 

Fettuccini Alfredo
So, you're in the mood to use your fork twirling skills and you’re looking for a nice dish of Fettuccini Alfredo? Well, good luck with that as any waiter in Italy is not going to know what you’re talking about. While the origin of this dish is very much Italian, believed to have been created by restaurateur, Alfredo Lelio, for his wife who was suffering from pregnancy malaise, the original dish was just plain pasta with butter, which is the Italian equivalent of chicken soup, mostly eaten when someone is sick and can’t tolerate much else. Alfredo added this to his menu at the restaurant and that’s how “Fettuccini Alfredo” was born. No one calls it this in Italy, it’s simply pasta al burro. It was Americans that played on this dish by fatting it up with cream and other questionable ingredients.

Chicken or veal parmigiana
If you’re looking for “parm” anything while in Italy, you will be served a delicious dish of eggplant parmigiana. A favorite of Southern Italy, eggplant parmigiana is prepared similarly to the Americanized chicken or veal version and prepared by cutting thin slices of eggplant, breading and frying them, then layered in tomato sauce and mozzarella and baking it to deliciousness. A delicious dish not to be missed, and also not to be confused with chicken. 
 
Garlic Bread
The garlic bread found in the US is the bad replica of Italian bruschetta, an imposter.  Italians frequently toast fresh homemade bread by the fire and rub a garlic glove and add a drizzle of olive oil. What you have here in the States is French bread cut in half and loaded with butter and dehydrated garlic bits. It’s just wrong. If you would like to try the Italian version, try some bruschetta instead. 

Italian Dressing
Recently, I was on the phone with my aunt, who lives in Italy but has spent a good amount of time in the US.  I was preparing to visit her so I asked her if she wanted me to bring her anything from the States.  She lowered her voice, almost in shame:“Can you bring me a bottle or two of that stuff you know I like?”  “That stuff?” What she was referring to was Italian dressing.  She had a taste of it here and fell for it. In Italy, salad dressing is EVOO and wine vinegar. There is no such thing as Italian dressing in Italy. And yes, I did travel from Boston to Italy carrying Italian dressing in my luggage. I’m not proud of it.
 
Caesar Salad
You’ve overdone it on the gelato and pasta dishes and are now craving a nice, reasonably light and healthy salad, so you go looking for a Caesar salad. You’ll have to wait until you head back to the States for this one, as you will not find one on the menus of restaurants in Italy. Created by Caesar Cardini, an Italian American living in Mexico, this was just a creation of using what he had on hand at the time. Opt instead for a Caprese salad and you will not be disappointed. 

Shrimp Scampi 
The Italian word for shrimp is scampi, so if you ask for shrimp scampi in Italy, you’re essentially asking for “shrimp shrimp”.  This dish is likely derivative of a Sicilian shellfish recipe that Italian Americans adapted over the years. While shrimp is served in Italy with lemon, garlic and olive oil, the version found in US restaurants has little resemblance to shrimp served in Italy.
 
Marinara Sauce  
If you’ve overeaten and are looking for something on the lighter side and ask for a dish of pasta with marinara sauce and think you will be served some pasta with red sauce, you might be disappointed to see seafood on your plate. Marinara by definition means “from the sea”, so instead opt for some “spaghetti al sugo di pomodoro” essentially the same thing as what we've come to know as marinara in the US. 

Latte
Head to the café in the morning and ask for a latte and you will be served a nice, tall glass of cold milk. The barista may also wonder where you're 2 year old is, only kids drink straight milk in Italy. Much like the marinara sauce above, this is just a problem with translation more so than the ordered item. Ask for a cappuccino instead and you will not be disappointed. It’s practically impossible to get a bad one in Italy. Just be sure you don’t ask for one past breakfast time, drinking one past morning hours is shunned upon Italy, practically a sin punishable by stares and a sure giveaway that you’re not a local.
 
As you can see, many so-called Italian restaurants in the US, particularly the chains who shall remain nameless, have ill-prepared travelers of what to expect from authentic Italian restaurants in Italy. The best advice I can give any traveler is go to Italy without any pre-conceived ideas of what you should or should not eat once there. Go by the menu and daily specials, ask the waitstaff what they recommend, and if you do some homework beforehand, you're surely in for a delicious, authentic meal.

And a final tip 
​Stay away from any restaurant that serves dinner before 8:00PM. Italians dine very late and any restaurant that starts serving dinner before that is likely catering to the tourists, its cuisine may not be up to Italian standards. 

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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! 

CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info and to sign up! 
VENETO: MAY 11 - 18, 2020. Click here for all trip info and to sign up! 
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​Oh summer, how we love thee. Particularly so if it’s spent in Italy! Italian summers are filled with sun, sand, sea, and of course, gelato!!  Not to be outdone by any of these wonderful aspects of summer are the refreshing cocktails and spirits found all over Italy. And yes, you can find any of these during any time of year; yet they seem to go down that much smoother in the heat.  And Italy is no stranger to delicious drinks! So, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Italy this summer, be sure to order one of the below, or perhaps, make it your goal to taste them all while there.  You will not be disappointed, though you might be a bit tipsy.  
 
Aperitivo
Aperitivi, or openers, are drinks typically enjoyed before dinner as they are considered to “open” your stomach or appetite and prepare you for the meal you’re about to enjoy. 

Negroni: Believed to have been first mixed in Florence some 100 years ago, this is such a classic Italian drink that it should top your list of must-try. This bitter is an equal blend of Campari, gin and sweet Vermouth. A bit bitter for some and an acquired taste, it usually falls under a “love it” or “hate it” category but don’t let that discourage you, it should be tried by all, even if not repeated.

Aperol: As the name implies, this is a favored pre-dinner opener in Italy. Lighter in color, bitterness and alcohol content than Campari, Aperol has a citrus flavor with bitter undertones and is best enjoyed as an aperitif with added club soda. 

Bellini:  This classic drink is a simple combination of white peach puree and sparkling wine. Made famous in Venice by a bartender working at Harry’s Bar, it’s still the favored drink of the Venetians as well as all the tourists making their way there over the summer months. It sounds plain and perhaps not too exciting, but it’s pure deliciousness in a glass. Sweet, fizzy and very summery, it’s surprisingly refreshing and the best alternative to the bitters above.

Prosecco: Made from prosecco grapes, prosecco is Italy’s version of the more expensive champagne.  Made mostly in Northern Italy, in the Veneto region near Venice, it can be fizzy or flat and enjoyed straight or added to fruity drinks, like the above-mentioned Bellini.  ​

Spritz: If the bitterness of the Negroni is too much, try the spritz, which is similar but lighter and made with Campari, Prosecco and club soda. This will give you a sense of the full, classic Negroni but the sweetness will make it easier to tolerate for some.   

​Digestivi
Digestives are used to aide in the digestion process, particularly after a large Italian meal. Drink the below if you’ve overdone it or if you simply want to end the meal like the locals do!
 
Limoncello: If you’ve overdone it at the dinner table and think you just can’t fit one more bite of food, reach over for a limoncello. This digestive drink comes from the island of Capri, not too surprising seeing the area is well known worldwide for their lemons, and is one of Italy’s most famous drinks. While favored year-round, consumption goes up during the summer months. If headed to a family meal or celebration, you will likely find this on the table afterwards. Someone will most likely protest, “Ho mangiato troppo! Ci facciamo un limoncello?” or “I ate way too much! Shall we have a limoncello?”

​Fernet Branca: If you’ve really overdone it on the food, so much so that Limoncello will not cut it, head over for a shot of Fernet Branca. One of the most recognized drink it the category of bitters, Fernet Branca is a powerful drink, menthol in flavor and not for the weak of heart, or stomach. Heartburn is sure to follow! 
 
Espresso Corretto: Typically enjoyed after dinner, (or delicious at any time of day, really!) a “corrected espresso” is a shot of espresso with some grappa, Sumbuca or anisette liquor added.  Delicious with dessert and optimal for dunking a few crunchy anisette biscotti, this also makes a great base for dunking your ladyfingers when making Tiramisu at home. 

​Amaretto: Sweet, while still a little bit bitter, (the name amaretto means just that - a little bit bitter, from the Italian word amaro), this drink is almondy in flavor and delicious with a few cookies on the side, particularly crunchy biscotti. This post-dinner drink is delicious served simply over ice and also favored by many home bakers and used in baking extensively.  Amaretto di Saronno is by far the most widely used brand in Italy and all easily recognize its distinctive square bottle. 

​Frangelico: But, if like me, almond flavor isn’t your nut liquor of choice, order a Frangelico instead. Hazelnuts are used in this sweet drink, which is delicious served straight up, over ice, or better yet, over a bowl of hazelnut gelato. The shape of the bottle is also distinctive and created to look like a Franciscan Friar.
 
The above is just a partial list of cocktails and drinks to try while visiting Italy, so be sure to order a few during your stay. 

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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! 

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A few years ago, I discovered frozen artichoke hearts, and I can say, my cooking life has never been the same! I love these things and I'm always thinking of new ways to prepare them. I add them to soups, salads, sauces, pizza toppings and even coated in an egg batter and breaded and roasted. They are that delicious, and no clean up like the fresh ones! 

I recently had an open bottle of white wine in the fridge for a few days and was feeling sorry for it. Nothing like wine going to waste!

I decided to make this stir-fry with it, combining my fave item, the artichokes. This dish is a wonderful side or makes great filling for a hot panino! I mean, who wouldn't love this for lunch! 

A few basic ingredients are all you need for a delicious side dish! 

I really ADORE these frozen artichoke hearts and can always come up with new ways to cook them. They are such a great ingredient to many dishes. They are also great roasted with diced potatoes, herbs and EVOO. I even make a sauce out of them. Just an item I really love. I don't like substituting the ones in vinegar, they have too many flavors in them. I like the frozen ones as they are plain and unflavored and I can add flavor as I like. Wegmen's has them, as does Trader Joe's, and some Wal-Mart stores. Whole Foods has them canned, unflavored. Rinse those and substitute if you cannot find the frozen ones. 

Here they are, ready to go on the stove, just need to add the vino! How simple is this??

Cook for a minute or two, without the wine. The wine will be added shortly. I like to brown the sausage for a few minutes before adding the liquid. Alternatively, you could add it at any point. 

Cooked and delicious, ready to be plated and served. 

Ingredients

3 - 4 Italian sausages of your choice, diced into 5 - 6 pieces (I used mild turkey in my this dish, but you can use whatever you like) 
3 - 4 Scallions (green onions) or 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 - 3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Teaspoon salt (more to taste)
4 Tablespoons olive oil 
1 1/4 Cups dry white wine (divided)

Directions
1. In a medium saute or frying pan, add all the ingredeints except the wine. 
2. With the heat set on medium, fry everything for several minutes, browining the sausage.
3. Add 1 cup of wine and continue cooking on low-medium heat until sausage is cooked fully, about 20 minutes. As it's cooking the wine will dry out, add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine. (If, during the cooking process, you drank the wine, add 1/4 cup of water instead!) ;)

Serve as a side dish or in a delicious, freshly baked sub roll and serve as a hot panino. Enjoy!   

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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! 

CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info and to sign up! 
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