A name for bollito misto in some parts of Italy. It consists of different types of meats which are boiled, creating a wonderful broth.
There are records of wines being made at Lessona in the Vercelli hills in Piedmont as far back as the 12th century. The Sella family in Lessona have made DOC Lessona wine since the 17th century and it is reputed to be the wine with which Quintino Sella, in preference to Champagne, offered the first toast to the new government of a united Italy a month after the kingdom's troops broke through the walls of Rome at the Porta Pia. It is made from Nebbiolo (Spanna) grapes, though Vespolina and Bonardo varieties can be added, not to exceed 25%. It is now a rare wine.
A red wine from Lettare in Campania, often frizzante, made with Gragnano, Olivella, Piedirosso and other grapes.
Little tunny. The little tunny is a handsome fish with black scribble patterns on its back. It has a robust, torpedo-shaped body built for powerful swimming and it has no swim bladder. The mouth is large, the lower jaw slightly protruding past the upper jaw. The flesh of the little tuna is darker and stronger tasting than that of the other large tunas. It is marketed fresh, dried, canned, smoked, or frozen. It is often caught on hook and line near reefs.
Roach. A small freshwater fish similar to carp. It has many bones, which discourage most people from eating them.
Red and rosé DOC wines from Leverano, southwest of Lecce in Puglia made from at least 65% Negro Amaro grapes, often vinified in mixtures with small percentages of Malvasia Nera. The remaining 35 per cent is obtained from grapes of the Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Malvasia Bianca varieties. The Leverano Bianco is mainly made with Malvasia Bianca grapes with small percentages of Bombino Bianco and Trebbiano Toscano.
"The virtues." A rich soup which, legend has it, took seven maidens each using seven different ingredients seven days, coming to 49 different ingredients, to concoct. It is traditionally made on 1st May each year in Teramo. With the arrival of spring and as the new harvests approach, the cupboards are all cleared of their ingredients, so in go all the remaining dried beans and flours from last year and boiled pork and the first spring vegetables and herbs, whatever is available. It is made in huge quantites to be consumed over the following days.
Lovage. A large unwieldy herb. Pick the stems off the leaves, tie them and hang them to dry for about 3 days. When crisp, crumble the leaves and store. Good in hotpots. Lovage seeds are used mainly in Indian cooking, and are from a plant of the caraway family. The greenish-brown seeds are a little larger than celery seeds and have a strong aroma of rather coarse thyme. Oregano can be substituted.
