Italian food, loved all over the world, may have got a little lost in translation. Without denying the delicious comfort of a mountain of spaghetti, it is our piacere to introduce the philosophy of a proper Italian meal: small servings of many dishes that slow the pace to a lovely, languid feast.
THE TABLE
Stack tableware the Italian way. Start with a diner plate (piatto piano), add a side plate and top with a pasta bowl (piatto fondo) and a small container for the mixture of olive oil and balsamic in which you'll dip your bread.
Italians don't usually butter their bread - it's served in baskets or on the tablecloth. Ciabatta is a favourite served with antipasti (meaning "before the pasta").
Stack stemless white and red wine glasses into each other and let the fork hug the knife (fork underneath). Forget placemats and fussy folded napkins. Place a runner on the side where food is served and stack napkins on a plate to be handed out at dinnertime.
THE MEAL
Set aside plenty of time to eat an Italian meal or you'll miss out on what food writer Kyle Phillips calls 'the basic philosophy' of Italian cuisine - "an occasion for friends or family to gather around the table and share a relaxed interval before leaping back into the fray."
The secret to the right pace (and therefore the right tone) is serving small helpings of several courses. A weekday lunch, for example, will begin with a primo, or first course, served in the piatto fondo. It's usually a cup-sized serving of soup, pasta or risotto.
After the primo, comes the secondo, a main course with side dish and bread but which is a modest portion that leaves space for fresh fruit and an espresso.
On festive occasions, the same principles apply but the meal is more elaborate, including several antipasti, perhaps more than one primo, a choice of side dishes with the secondo and, to finish, cheese and dessert in addition to the fruit.
THE WINES
Frascati - a fresh-flavoured white with pear and apple flavours
Bianco di Toscana - citrus and vanilla with a cream
y palate
Amarone - a rich red wine with hints of honey and toasted nuts
Quadrio - red berry fruits with a smooth finish
THE FOOD
ARTICLES:
Learn to cook Italian dishes at La Cucina Dall Cia in Stellenbosch
Quickly done: 5 15-minute pasta meals
Learn the tricks of making the perfect risotto
Quick and easy: 6 of the best pizza toppings
Real Roman food served at La Bella Figura in Jozie, plus try their recipe for Cacio E Pepe with red chilli fettuccini
RECIPES
White bean panzanella salad with tomato dressing, caperberries and anchovies
Grilled asparagus with Italian salsa verde
Italian tomato and broken spaghetti soup
Asparagus and pasta parcels with Parmesan cream
Toasted linguine with tomato, chorizo and mussels
Slow-roasted lamb done Italian style
Baked Italian roast chicken and tomato with slow-dried conchiglioni
Milanese-style crumbed veal with pan-fried spinach
Tiramisu with white chocolate curls
Juicy stone fruit baked in sticky balsamic blaze topped with crushed-biscotti