• HOME
  • happy living
    • meal planning + prep
    • kitchen basics
    • hospitality
    • foodie finds
    • live happily
  • simple eats
    • appetizer recipe
    • beef recipe
    • chicken recipe
    • dessert recipe
    • drink recipe
    • fish recipe
    • lamb recipe
    • salad recipe
    • soup recipe
    • starch recipe
    • vegetable recipe
    • Pressure Cook recipe
    • Slow Cook recipe
  • NWAFOODIE
  • SHOP
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
Simple Joyful Food

eat happily

live happily

How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables.

February 2, 2015 4 Comments
DeNigris 1889 vinegars How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables (c)nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor

Content sponsored by #deNigris1889

Have you ever travelled to Italy?

I have to admit that the boot-shaped country never was on any of my bucket travel lists other than the vague notion of “go somewhere internationally” that might have covered it. In 2009, ten of our family members packed up our suitcases and boarded a flight from Northwest Arkansas, to Memphis, to Amsterdam, to Rome. For twelve days we created a temporary home in a small working-class Mediterranean seaside town called Sabaudia. Halfway between Rome and Naples, it was both exotic and comfortably familiar.

Our hotel was one of those all-inclusive resorts, yet push away any thoughts that you have of Cancun, Bermuda, or Jamaica. This place was different. Hotel la Dune was all-inclusive in only the way an Italian can do it: homemade pasta, all you can drink sparkling water, red wine, white wine, and a bounty of fresh fruits and overflowing and incredibly tasty vegetables.  Since we were a large family with a two-year old baby in the midst, the staff at the hotel went out of their way to treat us like their family, ensuring we always had a table reserved for our family and servings piled high.

Hotel le Dune Italy - DeNigris 1889 vinegars (c)nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor

Mealtime was my favorite memory of Italy.

Can you blame me?

Every day for lunch and dinner we started off with antipasto, a before-the-meal spread that included an array of lettuce, toppings, cured meats, and appetizer vegetables and grilled eggplant.  I was amazed by the bowls of freshly torn romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio, arugula, shredded carrots, scooped cucumbers and sliced onions they placed in water to take the edge off the bitter. Dressing options were kept minimal with olive oil, balsamic, and white wine vinegar finished with a twist of pepper and salt. There was no rush to complete this antipasto and I learned the joy of a simple salad, enjoying leisurely conversation, and just being in the moment.

DeNigris 1889 vinegars - Hotel le Dune antipasto bar (c)nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor
 The rest of the trip was spectacular of course, what’s not to love about Italy? But as we settled back home and back into the routine of life, each day the visit became more and more of a memory stuck in time. That’s what vacations mostly are, aren’t they?  They are the memories.

The one thing from Italy that became a new lifestyle habit for us was that antipasto salad array.  Six years later a recreation of sorts is still a part of us, as it taught us to keep a mixture of lettuces, scooped cucumbers, olive oil, balsamic, white wine vinegar, and a twist of pepper and salt at our fingertips.

I also have a new Italian experience to share with you.

I am pretty excited to tell you that I will be sharing recipes each month for De Nigris, an Italian vinegar company that has been around since 1889. They have a portfolio of vinegars from organic, white wines, glazes, and balsamic that span the percentages of grape must that go best with light dishes, to hearty meals, and as finishing touches to desserts.  If you’ve been following my blog for any time, you already know that I am obsessed with balsamic as it always pops up here and there in my recipes.  Look for more of them in the coming months.

In honor of my Italian ramblings of that magnificent antipasto Hotel La Dune salad spread and De Nigris 1889, I decided to recreate it.

The next dinner party I have… this is happening.

The next dinner party you have… why not recreate it too?

DeNigris 1889 vinegars - How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables (c) nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor
Add pepper mills, olive oil and De Nigris balsamic, De Nigris seasoned white wine vinegar, onions in water and arugula
DeNigris 1889 vinegars - How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables (c) nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor
romaine, shredded carrots, butter lettuce, arugula
DeNigris 1889 vinegars - How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables (c) nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor
Radiccho, scooped out cucumbers, onions in water
DeNigris vinegar How Italy taught me to eat more vegetables (c)nwafoodieAD #ItalianVinegar #DrizzleFlavor
The only thing missing is the Tuscan yellow tablecloth (still searching for one!)
Eat well, my friends.

 

Lyndi

You might also like...

De Nigris vinegars, a year in review. Pan roasted sweet onions with balsamic. AD Sloppy Joes with a kiss of apple cider vinegar - main (c)nwafoodieHow to make a delicious Sloppy Joes, with a kiss of Italian apple cider vinegar.

Share

Share
Tweet
Email
Pin
Comment
Previous
Next

Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  1. Debbie Arnold says

    February 3, 2015 at 3:43 am

    Awesome post! I could so live in Italy—love what I have experienced of that beautify country. Wonderful people, incredible heritage and culture. And the food —well! Yum!

    Reply
    • lyndi says

      February 4, 2015 at 1:22 pm

      Agreed! Do you remember how deeply rich the soil was there?

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:48 am

    Yum!
    And your pics are amazing!!!

    Reply
    • lyndi says

      February 4, 2015 at 1:22 pm

      Why thank you — they tasted even better. 🙂

      Reply

hellooooo Foodie!

author image of thejoyofeatingwell blogHi! My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains that span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I’m a foodie on a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it here on Simple Joyful Food.

Read more…

SJF social links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter signup

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

search categories

Search by Year

TRENDING POSTS

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

simplejoyfulfood

On a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it. Local eats @nwafoodie

Lyndi Fultz
Simple isn’t just about food.⁠ ⁠ It’s a mi Simple isn’t just about food.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Planning.⁠
Preparing.⁠
Organizing.⁠
Dreaming.⁠
Planting.⁠
Storing.⁠
Design.⁠
⁠
Joyful isn’t just about being happy.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Details.⁠
Senses.⁠
Taste.⁠
Good taste.⁠
Uplifting.⁠
Encouraging.⁠
⁠
Food isn’t just about eating.⁠
⁠
It’s about 360-degree touchpoints.⁠
⁠
Laughter.⁠
Joy.⁠
Experimenting.⁠
Sharing.⁠
⁠
What would you add?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards it like a moth to a flame? The fire’s warmth is more than just heat; the foods you cook on a flame add more than nourishment.⁠
⁠
One of my favorite memories as a kid growing up in the Research Triangle in North Carolina was the annual church hayride at the country home of our friends, the Barbours. We lived in a suburb of the state capital, close to physically yet far away from life on the outskirts of town filled with Tobacco fields, cotton patches, and red dirt roads. ⁠
⁠
The Barbours had some farm that my little self couldn’t comprehend. In reality, they may have had just land, yet to me; land meant a farm. And besides, they had a big ol’ barn, tractors, and hosted the annual hayride.⁠
⁠
My favorite part of the memory was the firepit, where everyone gathered around, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company. It didn’t matter if you were a kid or elderly. ⁠
⁠
You may think, “But I don’t have a fireplace or firepit! What can I do?” ⁠
⁠
Improvise.⁠
⁠
Youtube a crackling fireplace video or a firepit on a beach. Dim the lights and turn the crackle up. Invite yourself to a friend’s home with ample backyard and offer to bring ‘smores. Go to a park.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Food and drinks are necessities of life that susta Food and drinks are necessities of life that sustain us, and small, simple touches can make our meals some of our happiest moments of the day. ⁠
⁠
If you know anything about me, you already know that I think that simple things are the best.⁠
⁠
A favorite pepper grinder.⁠
⁠
The mug that reminds you of your happy place.⁠
⁠
Fresh-picked wildflowers.⁠
⁠
Honeycomb.⁠
⁠
First cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.⁠
⁠
What are some of yours?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitio Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitions for the word nourishment. One is “to provide with food,” and the other is “to provide for,” to provide support.⁠
⁠
I love that.⁠
⁠
Just as food sustains and keeps us alive, feeling supported sustains us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s how we build bonds, friendships, and hope for the future.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
“Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I s “Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I said this not once, not twice, but almost three times before Dennis beat me to say those words again. “I’m sneaking some more,” he happily declared.⁠
⁠
I’m delighted that he was enjoying them! I assured him that he could have allllll that his little heart desired… he just had to allow me to take a few photos for you!⁠
⁠
You see these spiced candied pecans are simple and easy go-to appetizers that we should always have the ingredients on hand. For those “just in case” moments when… ⁠
⁠
…Oh forget it! Every day is the perfect moment!⁠
⁠
Link in bio for the recipe!⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a glass and give a toast, followed by that happy clink. Here’s why I think giving thanks and appreciating everyday moments are essential.⁠
⁠
Salud!⁠
⁠
To Your Health!⁠
⁠
Cheers!⁠
⁠
Did you know that folks in the UK will use the word “cheers” as “thank you?” From wedding toasts to praising someone for remarkable achievement, raising a glass with a special someone is a special bonding moment.⁠
⁠
I love that part about “cheers” and “thank” can be the same. ⁠
⁠
Have you ever wanted to become more thankful? More grateful? More appreciative of, well, everything that we take for granted?⁠
⁠
Why not give thanks and cheer a little more often?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Load More... Instagram

contact

lyndi@thejoyofeatingwell.com

inspiration

“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

Copyright 2023 thejoyofeatingwell