A vert tasty hot antipasto grilled vegetables along with stuffed zucchine and mushrooms, what a great way to start a meal.

Something I whipped up for merenda, s snack eaten in the afternoon. In Italy there is colazione,  followed by prnzo, lunch, followed by perinea or appetitive, a light meal after work and finally Lena, supper. What can I say Italian lifestyle is heavily centered on mangiare, eating. Naturally all of these meals are accompanied by caffe" or expresso. In Italy one never says un espresso, just ask for un caffe' because its understood what you want. 

 A wonderful comfort food dish. Broccoli with red kidney beans, celery, carrots and onions all swimming in a light sauce with plenty of good Italian EVO. Healthfully delicious.

 Another pizza I baked in Sicily. I got some good fior di latte mozzarella at a super market of all places and fresh rugola [misspelled in the States as arugula]. Naturally, the tomatoes were also super fresh and the olive oil was to die for. It was cloudy because it wasn't filtered and not altered in any way. A truly memorable lunch that worthwhile turning on the oven on a very hot day.

 Italian potato gnocchi in a heavy cheese sauce with bacon pieces. Very filling.

FOOD THAT"S GOOD FOR YOU

 A healthy salad featuring raw broccoli and tangerines. Dressed with lemon juice, good olive oil, sea salt and Sicilian origano. It will detox your body.

 A classic summer dish. Penne rigate with shredded zucchine and Italian canned tuna in olive oil. I found some wonderful hot red peppers and added them for a zestier taste. Delicious.

A first for me unshelled vava beans with lettuce. I went to a farmers market and  found something that looked like curly escarole but it turned out to be curly lettuce. I cooked it and the results were superb. Who knew.

 A quintessential summer dish. Spaghetti in a light cheese and butter sauce and pomodorini. A taste of heaven.

 Just a shrimp salad very appropriate on a hot summer day. To the shrimps I added swiss chard, Castelvetrano olives, mozzarella, spices, Italian EVO and alight balsamic dressing. Delightful.

 A panino for the ages. Crisp roll with imported Italian mortadella, a slice of mozzarelle, lettuce and a balsamic dressing. Superb.

 Shells pasta with beans carrots, corn and mushrooms. This is the type of dish that I call refrigerator cleaner. All left over vegetables married together with a little fantasy as the marriage broker. Needless to state, the resul was delightul and very economical. Nothing is wasted in the kitchen. 

 

 Verdure in pastella or vegetable fritters. Simple to make but you need patience. The pastella or batter is simple. Flour, seltzer water, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper. Agg the waterto the flour slowly and stir always in one direction as to avoid lumps. When the right consistency is reached add the shredded vegetables. In this case I added zucchine, carrots, parsley, onion and celery. I stirred and then deep fried them in corn oil. Crispy and delicious.

 I love potato gnocchi - dumplings - and I prepared these imported ones in a creamy cheese sauce with a little fried bacon to add savory contrast. Filling and delicious. However this is by no means a light or delicate dish dish.

 A healthy vegetarian dish that doubles as comfort food. Escarole with fava beans. Super simple and super delicious.

 An original recipe. Linguine with pesto di zucchine, pomodorini and canned tuna. Fried zucchine added for extra flavor and decoration. Needless to say, the lunch was memorable.

 When you are stuck as what to prepare a can of beans saves the day. Back to pasta e fagioli but this time with small red beans. Delicious and delicious.

 Time for leftovers. Nothing is ever wasted in my kitchen, not to mention that at times it's easier not to cook. I had leftover linguine with pesto of zucchine and fried zucchine along with pomodorini and also had lentils and red cabbage on couscous so I decided to marry them so to speak. The result was a very nice supper full of peacelly competing flavors.

A generous portion of rice with cauliflower in a light tomato sauce. Real comfort food.  

 The perfect dish to have before the bib barbecue, a summer salad.