Salads

Nearly everyone I meet who is tasting Italian food on its home ground for the first time is affected by the sparkling good flavor of salads in Italy. In salads, the chief characteristics of Italian cooking are conspicuously displayed: the simplicity of seasonings, the sure feel for compatibility of ingredients, the shunning of fussiness. You will notice that in none of the salads in this chapter is any other oil used but extra virgin olive oil; there are no herb or other flavored vinegars, only pure wine vinegar; there are no fruits, except for citrus; no cream cheeses; no sticky, treacly dressings. Clean, clear, vivacious taste is what Italian salads aim for.