I have to say that I’ve a fondness for Italian food. And I love the drama that I’ve experienced at the restaurants I’ve gone to, the larger-than-life characters, the atmosphere, let alone the food! I remember going to Nico’s on Dame Street years ago and fell in love with it {the guy playing the piano may have had something to do with it}. The same with Il Primo on Montague Street, a small two story restaurant where you sit elbow to elbow and try wines you’ve never heard of. I never returned to Nico’s sadly, but have been numerous times to Il Primo.
The funny thing is that lasagne is the last dish I order when dining out. So many restaurants and eateries offer lasagne that most often it’s rather bland. And to be honest, because it’s so common, you want to try something else when dining out. As for the supermarket sauce-in-a-jar variety, don’t get me started!
A few years ago when it was re-released I bought the Silver Spoon cookbook from Phaidon and always make my lasagne from the recipes in that – yes, recipes! Cooking the mince with white wine, onion, carrots, tomatoes and herbs for a long time to let the flavours develop. Making real béchamel sauce with nutmeg and then building the layers. I’ve made lasagne before but this version is SO GOOD! A lovely recipe that may not be quick to make but is simply so delicious that you’re guaranteed clean plates.
I’m a Canadian living in the UK and I only learned of bechamel sauce when I moved here. Our (North American) Italian food takes after the south of Italy, because that’s where our huge numbers of Italian immigrants came from (I was recently in Sicily and loved getting my idea of traditional lasagne.) Our lasagne has a layer of Ricotta and that has evolved into people using cottage cheese. I mix some nutmeg into my cottage cheese, it gives a really nice flavour and texture that I find lacking in a bechamel version. Sorry for the long food geek post, I’m on a mission to convert the UK. I love the look of your website! Marie (http://ladieswholunchinsurrey.com/)