Italia a tavola-Bread Salad

Panzanella

Bread salad

Ingredients for 6 servings

This is the Italian version of Tabouli.

18 oz. of aged ciabatta bread.

6 tomatoes

1 cucumber

½ red onion

1 clove of garlic

8 leaves of basil

¼ cup of capers

Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper

Put the hardened bread in a bowl of water until is soft. Cut the tomatoes, onion and cucumber in very small cubes. Put the garlic and capers on the cutting board and mince finely with a “mezzaluna” knife; cut the basil in small strips. When the bread is soft grab a handful and squeeze all the water out of it and crumble it in a salad bowl.  Repeat until all the bread is squeezed and ready to be dressed. Add the vegetables, a little balsamic vinegar, abundant olive oil and pepper; mix everything very well, taste, adjust the salt and mix again. Let the Panzanella sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.

A refreshing and tasty summer salad!

Italia a tavola-Onions and Pork Soup

Zuppa di Cipolle e Maiale

Onions and Pork Soup

Ingredients for four serving

35 oz. of Onions

11 oz. of pork ribs

2oz of bacon

1 sausage

1 celery stalk

1 carrot

1 garlic clove

4 slices of Como or ciabatta bread

Olive oil

Salt

Put the pork ribs in 6.5 cups of salted water, with the carrot, celery and ½ onion and boil until the pork meat will easily come off the bone; at this point take it out of the pot and cut it in strips; save the broth.

While the meat is boiling cut the onions in thin slices and cry! If your eyes are not swollen shot, stir fry the onions in a large pot in 10 TbS of olive oil, with the bacon and the sausage minced.  Stir fry at medium heat until the onion is golden and then slowly add the broth.

Cook for about 1 hour then add the meat and cook for another 30 minutes.

Toast the bread and rub the garlic over it; put each slice in a bowl and ladle the soup over it.