segue …the superlative, and for this I beg the reader's indulgence. But, as regards vegetables, I declare openly my absolute preference for the "made in Italy" product.
High fashion stylists, put down your scissors, saints, poets and navigators you are nothing, nothing compared to a ravishing field of artichokes swept by the westerly breezes of the Italian riviera, a hectare of peppers, brushed by a light frost in Carmagnola, a row of tomatoes growing on the slopes of Vesuvius, a patch of chicory kissed by the salty air of Treviso, and on and on.
We shall begin our recipes with one of the simplest ones, pinzimonio; raw fresh vegetables, washed, peeled and served with a small bowl of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt (pepper also if you like), and here we are, a dish of Pantagruelian taste, smell and texture, as well as a painterly treat for the eye.
Italian raw materials once more triumph, giving character to a cuisine, rendering the preparation simple and light, sharp and fragrant. Look for Italian products at your local market. There is no better way to guarantee quality, taste, fragrance, and the "old time" taste of produce straight from the field.
In a slightly less Italo-centric vein, I would recommend a trip to China, another "vegetable-centric" nation. Just think of the wok, a concave vessel for quick cooking, which tenderizes and renders vegetables, and what vegetables they are, more palatable, barely cooking and never overcooking. In Sechuan and Hunnan, vegetables can be enchanting tiny herbs or rough, intensely dark colored tufts, or else long, drooping pale green leaves. An unforgettable treat for the palate! Rightful tribute to the most omnivorous. people on the earth, desirous of eating chicken, unaware that they are eating something far better.

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