Finocchi Gratinati

For salad lovers, raw fennel drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice is ideal. Cooking fennel subdues the anise taste but brings up a different kind of sweetness. Donatella Pavoncello, in her book Dal 1880 ad oggi: la cucina ebraica della mia famiglia, boils fennel and then fries it in olive oil. It can also be baked simply or, if you like some crunch as I do, you can add a topping of bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley. For a dairy meal, mix grated Parmes