Felice San Giuseppe!

Or, Happy Father's Day: Joseph is the patron saint of Fathers (for obvious reasons) and as a result Italians celebrate fathers on March 19 -- his day.
And how to celebrate? In Florence there are frittelle di riso, sweet rice fritters that can be extraordinarily voluptuous. However, the real celebrations take place further south, where Joseph, who was an extremely resourceful guy, is venerated in a great many towns. Some ideas:

• Zeppole di San Giuseppe -- San Giuseppe tends to be more venerated in the South than in the North, and is especially important in Sicily, where people frequently turn to him for assistance when things become grim. Here are a couple of Sicilian treats with which to celebrate.
• Sfingi di San Giuseppe -- A simple recipe for Sfingi, tasty ricotta-laced Sicilian fritters.
• Ciciri Ca Pasta -- This is a Sicilian variation on chickpea soup; Pino Correnti notes that it's from the eastern side of the island, and is one of the three classic dishes prepared on March 19 to honor San Giuseppe, who gained the island's lasting devotion by bringing the rains that ended a punishing drought.

Winding down, a couple of ideas for Lent:

• Aigo Boulido
  This aigo boulido, or garlic soup, recipe is the Provencal cure for anything that ails you.
• Rice and Cauliflower Soup:
  Despite the name Riso e Cavolfiore, which translates to "rice and cauliflower," this is a classic and most refreshing winter soup from the Veneto.