EyeItalia

In Italy, calamari (squid) is a culinary staple. It’s abundant and found in essentially every supermarket and fish market. EyeItalia was lucky to have had this dish twice this summer in Tuscany, each time as delicious as the other; we’re happy to share the recipe.

There’s simply nothing more satisfying than a well-cooked risotto. This unusual version uses Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, in place of wine. The limoncello imparts a delightful lemon flavor to the cooked rice, aided by a bit of fresh lemon zest. Serve this as a simple main course, or even better, as a accompaniment to sauteed shrimp or other seafood. This recipe will serve 4-5 people.

Here in Italy we look forward to an upcoming season because it will bring delicious new foods. One of the (very Italian) advantages of never moving far from home knowing your territory profoundly. Tuscan cuisine has preserved many old recipes for preparing foods that can be foraged on an innocent afternoon walk. What to the untrained eye may seem like a landscape of remarkably pretty farm and woodland is, in reality, a never-ending, organic shopping spree provided by Mother Nature; available to anyone who takes the time to train their eye and learn.

Ecco! It’s spring and farmer’s markets are brimming with fresh fava beans! The fava season lasts only 2-3 months (normally mid-April to mid-June), so take advantage by eating them at every opportunity.

Years ago when walking with a small group in the historical center of Naples around lunchtime, an elderly gentleman seated on a bench greeted us and wished us “buon appetito!” I thanked him but explained that we had already eaten lunch. He paused and responded, “allora, buona digestione!”. My American companions took his salutation literally and turned up their noses “…why would he wish us that?” Simple. After eating well, the second most important thing in life in Italy is being graced with good digestion. Let’s be clear here. In Italy when we talk about “digestione” it’s not necessarily the whole digestive “process.” It refers instead to the settling of the stomach made possible by eating correctly: combining the right foods at the right temperature at the right hour. This magic combo insures health, happiness and ……good digestion!