Simple Cooking

You can make zuppa inglese with all sorts of readymade cookies or cakes. Here it's made with colomba, Italy's traditional Easter cake. I love colomba's soft yeasty cake texture and fabulous buttery aroma. My favorite part is the top of the cake, which has a crisp, sweet almond crust. In Italy, the day after Easter is called Pasquetta, "Little Easter," or Il Lunedi dell'Angelo, "Angel's Monday." Italians traditionally go on a picnic that day, the first outdoor excursion since the start of winter. Dessert includes all the leftover Easter sweets like pastiera, colomba cake, or Easter eggs.

"Strawberries and Sambuca are such a wonderful combination," says author Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez. "Add a little vanilla in there and you can't go wrong. And it's beautiful, too." We totally agree.

Spicy arugula, slightly bitter endive, and sweet fennel come together in a salad with the briny help of coarsely chopped olives in the lemony dressing.

Add color to any meal at any time of year with this mix of red, purple, and orange vegetables, all roasted together.

Dandelions are one of the first greens to appear in the spring and their slightly bitter flavor has long been welcomed as a counterpoint to the richness of the meat they're often served with. The dandelions used in this recipe are the long, dark green Italian style leaves that are increasingly available in supermarkets and farmers markets. If you can't find dandelion, use chicory or escarole. Cooking the greens in water first is a crucial step and will significantly lessen their bitter edge. The sweetness of the onion and the mild heat of the crushed red pepper the greens are later sauté with, balances them further.