Читать книгу Italian Recipes For Dummies - Amy Riolo - Страница 36

If you’ve spent time in Italy or with Italians, you may have heard the term la bella figura, which literally means “the beautiful figure,” but transliterated means “a good impression.” Food is often intertwined with making a bella figura because it is an instrument to use to your favor when you are getting to know someone. If you are going to meet someone, or have been invited somewhere, you can bring an artisan food product, a good bottle of wine, or one of your handmade specialties to them to make a good impression. When entertaining, you should always offer your guests your best recipes, cooked with love. The foods you choose when entertaining (discussed in depth in Chapter 5) should be the best quality, best tasting, and best variety.

To make a bella figura when cooking for guests, you should either cook something very homey and close to your heart, or more elaborate dishes that you normally save for special occasions, in order to make a good impression and demonstrate your feelings for them. Doing this shows that you have invested a certain amount of time and care in preparing a meal for your guests, because their presence matters to you. Even a meaningful dish or two prepared with care or some thoughtful edible gift can go a long way in the hands of the receiver.