My Own Nest...

"A ogni uccello il suo nido è bello." To every bird his own nest is beautiful. 

Many years of traveling to Italy during the summers now makes the return home a bittersweet affair. There is a part of me that feels I belong there; with the slow and easy lifestyle,"le dolce vita" holds the promise of living life to the fullest; enjoying and taking time to eat and prepare good foods, nurture and enjoy good relationships, and to follow one's passions in life. Each trip I find I must bring more of the Italian lifestyle home with me to soften the pain of leaving. I add it to the mix of my life, feathering my own nest, adjusting the pace of my day and the tempo of my home. This year I have returned with a greater appreciation for seasonal food, beautifully presented; the "common sense" practice of the afternoon siesta(!), and the sheer joy of sharing the beauty of Italy with others.

As I begin sharing the wonderful cuisine I experienced this last couple weeks, it is fitting that I begin with Italy's quintessential summer dish, the Caprese salad.

 Insalata Caprese ~ Restorante 3Quarti, Rome

This salad is basically a composed salad layered with Bufala (buffalo) mozzarella, garden fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh basil with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
The salt brings out the juices of the tomatoes and creates a sweet milky sauce that is great to mop up with a nice crusty piece of bread. In Italy it is most often served as an antipasto rather than a side salad.  Avoid the rubbery mozzarella you might use on pizza. Buffalo mozzarella is the only way to go! 
This salad pictured above was served to my husband Michael in Rome at Restorante "3Quarti" via Attilio Regolo, 21/23. The mozzarella was a 10 out of 10!
I will be posting more of the wonderful dishes from 3 Quarti in the near future!
Buon Appetito!