Cheese

Spreading a little mayonnaise over the outside of the bread before grilling adds golden color and delicious crunch.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you can't find Cabrales cheese, substitute Roquefort or Danish blue cheese.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is very easy to prepare and it makes an elegant addition to any party.

Neapolitan in origin, this make-ahead savory pie is delicious either warm or at room temperature.

Garden-fresh Thyme Pesto is the star of this elegant entrée, but you can also use purchased or homemade basil pesto.

(Torta di Bietola ed Erbe) In the more rugged areas of Tuscany, like the Garfagnana and Lunigiana in the northwest, savory tarts are as popular as their sweet counterparts. Vegetable tarts are quite common and usually include greens and herbs. This one features Swiss chard, thyme and oregano. Other herbs used in such tarts are tarragon, sage, nettles and borage.

(Gnocchi di Spinaci e Ricotta) These gnocchi are also known in different parts of Tuscany as malfatti (badly made), ravioli nudi (naked ravioli) or topini verdi (little green mice). Gnocchi are among the oldest foods in Italy, and the spinach ones are a specialty of the Casentino, an area east of Florence where greens grow wild on the hillsides.