Vivere Comme Gli Italiani!

Live like the Italians!  (Today was my first lesson back with my italian language teacher, and my parents just called to tell me that we are seeing Andrea Boccelli tonight at the garden, oh and having dinner at an italian restaurant first, so today is molto italiano!)

When I was in Italy last year, as part of the Italian cooking program I completed at the ICC, I not only learned the fabulous traditional Italian recipes, but I tasted the difference in their raw ingredients and experienced the love affair that Italians have with food.  The importance of flavour and the experience of sharing a meal is molto importante to the Italians.  That is how food should be all the time.  Americani (che schiffi!  (how gross!)) have the reputation and tendency towards over-indulgence.  We also obsess about food way too much (especially young, single women living in NYC).  One important thing about food is that you shouldn't be afraid of it, you should learn to love it and share it.  It is a pleasure that we are meant to enjoy, or else we would be eating the sloodge they serve on board the ship in the matrix that has just the right amount of amino acids and vitamins needed to exisit.  

So slow down and enjoy the flavor of each bite and you will realize you don't need to eat a pound of pasta to feel satisfied, if you make it full of flavor and love.  Mangia mangia!

One delicious,  healthy, Italian stand-by that my family made growing up is our summer veggies  with tomatoes and zucchini.  When they cook together they release so much liquid that it almost becomes a soup, but it is a little heartier.  The flavors are simple, delicious and classic italian, like summer in a bowl.

Una Ciotola D' Estate

(A Bowl of Summer)

ingredients:

One large white onion, sliced into thin half moons

6-8 Roma tomatoes, cut into half moons

3 summer squash (yellow zucchini), cut in 1/2 inch rounds

3 small green zucchini, cut in 1/2 inch rounds

Fresh herbs: finely minced rosemary, thyme, oregano

Or use dried italian mix of herbs

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the italians live by EVOO (sorry about the Rachel Ray reference (RRR) but its shorter to type).

1 clove whole peeled garlic

Salt and Pepper

crushed red pepper flakes

1. Heat olive oil in large pot with garlic until the garlic has browned slightly.  
2. Add onion and sweat until it becomes translucent.  Add a little salt to help sweat.
3. Add zucchini and a pinch of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Sautee about 5 minutes until zucchini become tender.
4. Add tomatoes and herbs and cover pot.
5. Cook at a simmer until zucchini are soft (not mushy) and the tomatoes have released their juices.  About 20 minutes.
6. Add S&P, red pepper flakes to taste.
7. Serve hot with a drizzle of EVOO on top and a sprinkling of parmeggiano reggiano cheese se voi.  Delicioso.