Appetizers, Salads, and Side Dishes

The classic Italian meal consists of several courses, none of which is considered a main course. A primo, or first course, can be a pasta, risotto, or soup. It is followed by a secondo, a second course that usually consists of meat, chicken, or fish, often accompanied by a vegetable. The secondo is followed by a salad, and then by fruit or dessert. A simple green salad is a part of almost every one of our family meals, and we like to serve it at the end as a refreshing palate cleanser. Some salads, such as the Tuna, Bean, and Red Onion Salad in this chapter, can also be a light meal or an appetizer. There’s also a “Russian” salad here, a typical holiday dish that has nothing to do with Russia except for the fact that it has beets in it; I remember my parents would almost always make it to celebrate the New Year.