We all know what to expect in an Italian restaurant, but what do Italians eat at home?

Well, having just finished lunch with my extended family during a quick weekend visit to their home in Veneto, it always strikes me how fresh the food is.

The primo today is freshly-made minestrone soup, with crusty rolls. Following up is a secondo of bistecca with pomodoro fresco, novella, formaggio Asiago, funghi, with some melone, pesche – all of it mouthwateringly fresh.

And an espresso to follow, of course.

Of course, if you go to a bar, you’re likely to get panini, and in tourist areas you may get pizza, but you have to be invited to an Italian family’s home, to see what they really eat themselves!

It may seem Italian, but it's not lunch

It may seem Italian, but it's not lunch