etc.,

In Z's house she served potato gnocchi -invariably- with burnt butter sauce, plus an excellent grated parmesano cheese. I just can't imitate that. Another lovely inimitable dish was rissotto a la milanese.I've not had either since as good, anywhere.

Mostly we ate low-fat, though, but not because we were following a special diet. It was just that in that house they had brought the old world customs with them, and it was natural.

Minestrone was often at the table. With the second course there was always a lettuce salad, dressed at the table with precise spoonfuls of good olive oil and vinegar. The lettuce often came from laP and was ripped by hand-often in pieces large enough to go splat on your face when they sprung from the fork. Osso buco was a favorite.OK, that's greasy. Delicious, but greasy.Mostly things just weren't, though.

There was never dessert, only for company. Instead, there was always a big platter of fruit. And always a half copa of red wine. Nobody ever asked for more. We drank water, tisanes and freshly ground coffee. I never even saw a bottle of a soft drink there.

On the unhealthy side, N nonstopped smoking throughout the meals!!! In those days, EVERYBODY smoked, me too, but not while eating. It was gross. But it was his house and he was boss.
The poor man finally paid a price for that.