Word of the Day

Hello all!  Today's word is primavera.  It means spring.  Although this morning it did not feel much like spring as we had snowflakes in the air, I know the good weather is just around the corner.  Spring in Italy is fabulous  - not so hot or crowded as it is in the summer and one can truly feel a reawakening.  Gastronomically speaking it means some of my favorite delights - asparagus, fava beans, artichokes.  If you have never had an Jewish artichoke in Rome, you have not lived.  There is nothing simpler or more delicious.  The whole artichoke is fried in olive oil until the leaves are crispy and golden and then it is sprinkled with salt and served as an appetizer.  Go to Rome and get one - NOW!  The experience will be a true celebration of La Primavera (also a pretty nice work of art by Botticelli in the Uffizi by the way.)