Cured Meat

A Cobb salad is usually a big mound of lettuce topped with strips of chopped chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, and blue cheese. I love it, but I’ve noticed that once I mix it up and start eating, my fork is busy fishing around the lettuce trying to catch all the chicken and bacon. So, I decided to hold the lettuce. I did, however, add some watercress, but that’s for its great peppery flavor!

These bundles can be easily prepared on an outdoor grill or in a hot oven.

Montalcino, Italy, is the city I married in. I will make this dish for John every September 24, for our wedding anniversary. The way to anyone’s heart, forever and ever, is through their stomach! This is not your average chicken dinner.

Feel free to swap out the green vegetable for whatever looks good. My husband, John, loves salami and really all pork in general. The only thing he likes better is a meal like this one, which combines pork and crispy salami-topped side dishes!

I admit, toasting the bread cubes is the hardest part of this recipe for me. I burn a lot of bread, often. Use your favorite method for remembering: the rubber band around the wrist, a timer, or assign someone in the house to stand guard at the oven. (I use John.) It’s always such a drag to have to do a “do over” when it comes to making croutons. It’s humbling.

Wow! Is this one a looker!

Pasta stewed up in red wine is a Tuscan invention: my kinda people! I toss it together with other usual suspects from the region: wild mushrooms, rosemary, and dark greens.