Menu Seventeen

My friend Tony was born in San Francisco, but his parents are from Lucca. Growing up, he spent all his summers there. Though he is American in many ways, I have to say that Tony is Italian first—especially when it comes to eating and cooking. It’s fun to go to the market with him and watch him get excited, and it’s even more fun to cook with him.

Tony sells real estate for a living, but he is a natural cook. Put him in front of a stove, and he’s happy. Give him a couple of roasting chickens and he’s in heaven, from the moment he puts them in the oven to the moment he carves them and brings them to the table. Watch him nurse a slow-cooked tomato sauce for pasta, and you know you’ll be eating something special. But if you really want to get him smiling and salivating, hand him a few bunches of escarole, kale, and chard. Italians are crazy for greens, and Tony is no exception.