To illustrate how much Italians love this special dish, certain pasticcerie have created a legal version: a dessert called Polenta e Osei, made to look just like the real dish. It's made of a soft light sponge cake filled with hazelnut cream that is rolled in a yellow fondant. On top are little chocolate birds made from chocolate marzipan. You can find this in the town of Bergamo.
As for the real song bird dish, the macho thing is to pick up the birdie by the beak and leave nothing... devouring bones, beak and all. At least they are not as ruthless as a similar dish I saw in France years ago--where they drown the birds in the local brandy, then when eating drape a napkin over their heads and the dish to inhale the fragrances and crunch down on the bird, apparently head hidden in shame. 

We all have days when we don't know the answer to the question, "What's for dinner?" Busy papa, busy Mama, busy Nonna... stuff happens and we forget to plan ahead. But even if you are a newcomer to the Cucina Italiana, there are always simple, quick meals that you can throw together without any pre-planning, as long as your Italian Pantry is stocked with essentials.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil) is one of the simplest, yet fulfilling meals any Italian can make. The cooking time is little more than the time it takes to boil your dried spaghetti and can be a base recipe for adding ingredients from leftovers. Even the most basic Italian pantries should have a box of spaghetti, extra virgin olive oil and garlic...

Directions

1. Fill your pasta pot with water, add a handful of sea salt and bring to a rapid boil.
2. Add your spaghetti into the pot, fanning it out around the edge of the pot. Gently push the pasta into the water as it softens and bends, then give a couple of swirls to make sure all the strands are separated. Boil the pasta, partially covered (place a long wooden spoon under one side of the lid to prevent over-boiling) until the pasta is al dente.
3. Meanwhile, remove the paper skins from the garlic and cut into thin slices. Do not mince or use a garlic press (which would make their taste too hot). You want a garlicky, sweet taste.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of  EVO on a medium-low heat in a saute pan. Add the garlic and peperoncino, then heat slowly until the garlic is lightly browned. Remove from heat.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it well (reserve some of the pasta water). 
6. Place the saute pan back on a medium heat, then add the pasta, parsley and a handful of pecorino Romano to the saute pan, tossing or mixing using a pair of tongs. (Adding a tablespoon or two of pasta water while tossing will help bind the sauce to the pasta.)
7. Salt and pepper to taste and serve. Top with grated or shaved pieces of Pecorino Romano.

Serve with slices of crusty bread and some Chianti for a simple and tasteful meal.

This recipe is certainly a classic from Naples, but you can think of it as a base recipe for adding other ingredients: halved cherry tomatoes, diced prosciutto, capers, olives, etc. Don't ever hesitate to be creative with Italian recipes!

Buon appetito!

--Jerry Finzi

As an option to marinara as a dipping sauce, try some
Garlic-Lemon Aioli...
Whisk together the following:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste


--GVI

Did you ever wonder about the everyday life of Renaissance Masters, like Michelangelo? Did you wonder if they took long walks or picnics? Did they go to the local taverns to kick back a few brews and relax with the guys? Did they attend sporting events or shop for bargains at the local flea market? How about their food? What did they eat and how did they do their shopping?

Well, we can actually tell from this grocery shopping list written by Michelangelo himself in the 16th century. He ate anchovies, bread, two fennel soups, a herring (un aringa), four anchovies, tortelli, and wine (“un bocal di vino”), among other things. He drew the list as pictograms because his servant was illiterate. He would tell him what he wanted, "get the big loaf of bread, not the small one", but also sketch it so the servant could look at the images to refresh his memory while at the market. 

Experts say the list is for three separate meals. He drew bread rolls as simple circles--an easy shape for his servant to remember meant - bread. For another meal, he wanted two rolls but for another, six. The herring is sketched by itself, and bowls are filled with salad and anchovies. Two dishes of stewed fennel are shown side by side (perhaps he wasn't dining alone?). For the wine, he drew a small wine carafe next to a larger one--perhaps two types, one being an after dinner, sweet wine? The tortelli (tortellini) pasta were not drawn at all. Perhaps his servant's wife made them, something he obviously would never forget if the Master asked for some.

Since the letter on the other side of the list was dated March 18, 1518, the meatless menu would make sense falling during the Lent period of fasting. Michelangelo couldn't eat meat, so it was bread, fish and veggies. Still, for its day, this was a nobleman's menu... Michelangelo was anything from a starving artist.

During this same year, Michelangelo had ordered many of his notes and sketches to be burned--the Renaissance method of shredding documents. It's amazing that this little take-out order managed to survive at all.

This grocery list is archived at the Florence museum Casa Buonarroti, where one can find many of the artist’s handwritten notes, doodles and sketches.

--Jerry Finzi