Panzerotti (clogging arteries on brisk Friday afternoon in Milan)

I just got back from a Friday business trip to Milan. The trip was a whirlwind of appointments but still, as I crossed through Piazza del Duomo on my way from one meeting to anther, I felt something familiar call out to me and draw me in for a greasy tasty pause: Panzerotti from Luini.
Even though the Luini bakery is tucked out of site behind the back entrance to Milan’s up-market La Rinascente department store, it is an institution.
Luini means panzerotti, and panzerotti mean deep fried pocket pizzas. Puffy and a bit chewy, the dough is slightly sweet and very addictive. The classic version is simple tomato and mozzarella, other seasonal versions (mozzarella and ham, pesto and cherry tomatoes) and so on give you enough variety to harden your arteries almost every day, and when I used to work nearby it was hard to resist.
Originally just a bakery, it’s now traditional stand up street food at it’s best. Their other specialty is focaccia pugliese and other traditional baked treats from the Puglia (Apuglia) region of Italy.

Luini Bakery
Via Santa Radegonda 16, Milano

Il Cappero - the Caper

Why Il Cappero?

I was a picky eater as a child. I hated things I called "wet meat", "yucky mushrooms" or - the horrors - "quiche" or anything distant from steak or hamburgers. Fortunately some of us do grow up.
But for some reason, I loved capers. I still do.

That's right. "Il Cappero" means "The Caper". And did I say I love capers?

Capers, just to make sure we are talking the same language, are those little round green things that you usually find pickled in little jars. But in Europe they are often sold under salt (layers and layers of salt) as are anchovies (although the fish are often in huge tins). The best ones I've had so far are from Panarea. I picked up two bags (500 grams each, about a pound and a quarter) of local capers under salt.

The good part of the prehistoric tradition of preserving food under salt is not only that they last longer, but they also keep more of their original flavor than pickling. The drawback is that you have to rinse them almost obsessively.

Tonight's baked potatoes are a bit boring? Rinse a handful under running water and toss them on. Add freshly ground pepper (but no salt, of course).

Looking for a hint of Mediterranean character at a moment's notice? Throw a handful on your salad, or n your potato salad, drop a few in with the oil and vinegar with your freshly-cut summer tomatoes.

"Il Cappero" is where I hope to share some of the discoveries I've made about food, wine, and just plain eating, with a particular, but lovingly critical, emphasis on the magic of Italian food. This will take as through neighborhood markets, local foods and traditions, street food (a better word than fast food" kitchens (not just mine), wine bars and restaurants (but for those I'll also be writing on DeliciousCityIt) .

Oh, just in case you're asking, why should you look to me as your expert on food and wine, especially Italian food and wine?

Because I eat quite a lot of it. And I'm good at it too.

Did I say I like capers?

Just checking

Joshua Lawrence - L'Aquila, Italy