Parsley

Midway between an antipasto plate and a salad, this is typical of the kind of salads you’ll find in Rome, which rarely feature a lot of lettuce. Don’t be put off by the anchovies; they are chopped fine and contribute a big kick of flavor and saltiness. Serve it along with a plate of sliced deli meats for a picnic or fall lunch.

Fennel is best served from fall to spring, when it’s in season, and there are a million different ways to take advantage of its crunchy sweetness. Here, the raw bulbs are sliced and dressed with a nutty pistachio pesto and salty bites of prosciutto. The flavors just pair so well together.

In Venice you’ll find this soup in nearly every restaurant, and every version is a little bit different. I use two kinds of beans because I like the different textures each contributes: the cannellini are creamy while the garbanzos (chickpeas) have a slightly firmer bite. The final herb sauce brightens and freshens the long-cooked flavors. You can substitute any mild white fish for the snapper, but try to keep the fillets whole as the soup cooks. I always feel if I’ve spent the money for a beautiful piece of fish, I want people to see it, not just find tiny flakes throughout the soup.

It doesn’t get much easier or much better than this. Basting both the burgers as you cook them and the buns before you toast them with a savory garlicky butter adds a whole new dimension of flavor to a classic burger. Try adding a few tablespoons of fresh herbs or a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the butter for even more flavor.