Panzanella is Good for the Panza!

     Wow, I have almost completed all the recipes in the Appetizer section of the Dolce Vita cook book! I am amazed at how easy the recipes were, and and how quick it was to make them. I am also very pleased at how great everything tasted. So today I made Panzanella (Tuscan bread salad). The recipe calls for some fresh basilico (basil) and because it's not hot enough outside, I am ripping off the basil from my indoor plant. Once this plant is planted outdoors, it will grow like crazy and I will be able to make some pesto sauce. Thankfully there is a recipe for pesto in the cook book.

    I was worried I wouldn't like the taste of this dish because it included stale bread and store-bought tomatoes (because they aren't in season here). I was pleasantly surprised though, at how the bread absorbed all the wonderful flavors. I was also surprized at how fresh and  light this dish was. It calmed my panza down (belly) after an Easter weekend of stuffing my face. Seriously, I had to camp out in the bathroom all day today! Sorry, I know; 'Too much information!