In Italy, eating outdoors is a way of life. Whether it's an afternoon espresso at the corner bar with a view of the street, a workday lunch overlooking the main piazza, or a family dinner at the country house on Sunday, Italians love to eat all'aperto (out in the open). We spend hours at the table—yes, talking about food—recharging our batteries and reconnecting with one another.
Alfresco fare is inherently simple, and in Italy, it usually emphasizes vibrant salads, light vegetable dishes, healthy pastas, and rustic yet delicious desserts or, just as often, fresh fruit—the very foods that have formed the basis of the Italian diet for thousands of years. The two following menus, one from Sicily in the south and one from Tuscany in the north, are ideal for alfresco dining. All the dishes can be enjoyed at room temperature, and most can be prepared in advance almost to completion.
In Sicily, mainstays such as eggplants, tomatoes, and fennel combine with savory ingredients like capers, garlic, and oregano to create highly flavored dishes. In Tuscany, cooks show more restraint—flavors are subdued, but no less beguiling, and staples like salty sheep's milk cheese and fragrant herbs make even the simplest preparations sing. Both Sicilians and Tuscans love to eat pasta, and local cooks prepare a dizzying array of pasta dishes in honor of the garden's bounty.
Throughout Italy, food is eaten in a succession of courses. The antipasto appears first, followed by the first course, and so on. But when entertaining alfresco, this rigid framework disappears, and most dishes are brought out together—save the fruit or dessert, which is placed on the table only when the savory dishes have been cleared. This allows the host or hostess to enjoy the food and the people around the table, rather than spend his or her time zipping in and out of the kitchen. After all, dining alfresco is meant to be restorative, not stressful.
Sicilian Menu (Serves 6)
Shaved Fennel Salad with Almonds and Mint
Baked Frittata Ribbons in Tomato Sauce
Bucatini with Eggplant and Roasted Peppers
Ricotta-Honey Mousse with Summer Berries
Wine note: From the shaved fennel in the salad to the roasted peppers tossed with bucatini, this menu exudes freshness and a love of vegetables. When many vegetables and several green herbs are used throughout a menu, choose a wine that's fresh, light, thirst quenching, and flexible. A good choice: Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio). Italy produces dozens of them, but California versions are every bit as easygoing and tasty. --Karen MacNeil
