Salumi and Olives

Picture this still life: a worn wooden board, a knife, and a Tuscan salami. There is a simple brilliance to the Italian custom of piquing the appetite by serving thinly sliced cured meats: prosciutto, salami, and a few olives before a meal. Basta. Nothing fancy. Nothing filling. You’re still hungry when you get to the table.

This little ritual never gets old. I could repeat it da