Italian Simple Salad

When I ordered my first salad at a restaurant in Italy, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was only lettuce in a bowl. I am so used to American salads; I was expecting something more than lettuce. In the States, salads are usually eaten before the main dish. It’s big with many different ingredients with plenty of dressings to choose from. It’s cold and delicious.

But the salad in front of me wasn’t that cold, it was just leaves. I almost asked the waiter, “Hey, this is not a salad, just leaves!” Instead, I politely asked where the dressing is. He told me just eat with lemon. I still remember that I ate complaining.  It was a culture shock to me.  When you are young, you get upset about such minor things.

But now I think this is quite delicious. It’s such a simple way to enjoy the goodness of the vegetable. Buono (Good). Great side dish for a rich heavy dish.