If you're in Rimini, one of the major fishing and resort towns on the Adriatic Riviera, and say just the word risotto, people will assume you mean a simple fish risotto that's quite easy to make and very tasty. So tasty that it could easily become a family favorite.

Mention the harvest at this time of year in Italy, and people will assume you're talking about the grape harvest, because the vineyards are all full of people snipping bunches and putting them into baskets for their trip to the cellar. But there are other harvests too, and Italy's apple crop is one of Europe's largest. Though most obvious option when faced with an apple is to take a bite, there are many other possibilities:

• Risotto alle Mele: Apples are extraordinarily versatile in the kitchen, and though they are most commonly associated with pork in savory dishes (in Italy too), they work quite nicely in this apple risotto, which is certain to delight children of all ages.
• Risotto Alle Mele e Salsicce: I have always enjoyed the combination of apples and sausages, usually at breakfast. Here we instead have them subsequently, in a tasty and slightly unusual apple and sausage risotto.
• Filetto di Maiale alle Mele: Pork and apples are a universal combination. This recipe calls for a whole pork loin, and will take about an hour and a half to prepare.
• Involtini di Maiale alle Mele: Apples and pork make for wonderful rollups.
• Cosce di Pollo con Mele e Cipolle: Chicken Legs with Apples and Onions are quite easy to do, and elegant too.
• Budino Di Mele: Apple pudding is quite nice in the fall.
• Mele Cotte Ripiene: Baked Stuffed Apples are satisfying, and easy to make. Also elegant enough to serve company.
• Mele in Marmellata: Apple marmalade is one of the easiest marmalades to make, because the pectin content of the apples insures that it will gel.

A new pizzeria opened in our town this spring, and though it did take them about a month to establish a productive routine, they're doing well now and in the evening the tables out on the patio overlooking the valley are always full. Like most pizzerie, they have all the standard pizzas. But they've also got some things I hadn't seen anywhere else, including:

• Pizza Dei Romani - Tomato, Moszzarella, Smoked Provolone, Speck
• Pizza Bolognese - Tomato, Mozzarella, and Bolognese (i.e. meat) Sauce
• Pizza Strada - Tomatoes, Mozzarella, olives, hot dogs and porcini mushrooms

My brother-in-law had the Dei Romani the other night and said it was good - lots of Speck and quite a bit of cheese - and Son R. tried the Bolognese last night: It looked odd because the Bolognese sauce resembled muddy gravel, but he ate it very fast.

Bottom line: Pizza is a universe, and while there are many tried and true toppings, you should feel free to push the envalope too.

Pizza Doughs, Toppings And More | Selecting a Pizzeria in Italy | How to Bake Pizza in a Wood-Fired Oven | Strada's Pizzeria Da I' Dolio

For some reason I'm less likely to buy lamb than other meats when I'm planning a cookout. A big mistake on my part, because the Italian for grilled lamb chops, agnello scottadito (finger-burning lamb), gives an idea of just how tasty they are. A few recipes:

• Agnello Marinato: Lamb prepared with a zesty, minty marinade. A modern recipe.
• Alessio Pesucci's Zesty Scottattadito alla Diavola.
• Ivana's Marinated Agnello Scottadito: More traditional, with fresh herbs.