An Italian Meal for the Week

Temperatures have finally begun to fall off, and to be honest I hope we continue to get the sort of rain we had last week, because much of Italy was very dry this summer, and the last time that happened we had winter water rationing. Not fun, so I'm not complaining about bad weather yet. One thing to do when it gets like this is cook warming foods, and while stews and roasted meats obviously come to mind in this context, there is also fish.

In particular, if you visit the Tuscan coast, you can enjoy a steaming bowl of cacciucco, the stew fishing families used to prepare with whatever didn't sell - a bit of this, and some of that, and all tasty. There are two major variations on the concept, with Cacciucco Viareggino being mildly seasoned, and Cacciucco alla Livornese packing a zesty red pepper punch.

Since cacciucco is traditionally served over toasted bread rubbed with garlic, it's filling, and is often a one-course meal. In other words, no pasta leadin. But it will profit from a side dish, and I rather like the bitterness of cime di rapa, or broccoli raab. Cooked simply, by sauteeing them, and they will nicely complement the saucy part of the cacciucco. Wine? White, and a Vermentino dei Colli di Luni would be nice.

To finish up: Torta di Riso, an extremely easy to make sweet rice pie.