Bresaola

Have you ever tried bresaola? (pronounced breh-ZOW-la) It may look a little like prosciutto, but it's beef, not pork -- and it's a specialty of Italy's Valtellina, the Alpine area in the region of Lombardy (the area in red below). Nowadays, you can find it all over Italy, and in the U.S. too - at least where I live in the Northeast. It's made with top round or another cut of lean beef, seasoned with salt and spices, then dried and aged for a few months.

 It's sliced paper thin and eaten raw, making it perfect for an easy lunch or dinner -- especially on a warm day when you don't want to turn on the oven. A classic way to serve it is with some arugula and shavings of parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a squirt of lemon.

If you're looking for a quick, unusual and delicious appetizer, try mixing a little goat cheese with some chives. Place a dab of the mixture on a slice of bresaola.

Then pick up the edges, bring them toward the center and tie with a chive stem (or a thin slice of leek.)