have been spending a lot of time thinking about focaccia lately. It is one of those things that you can spend a lot of time learning about, and certainly a lot of time learning how to make, so please don’t expect any great insights in this piece, because I am still a novice.

What I want to communicate mostly is my affection for it. And what a nice thing to feel affectionate about because it is absolutely delicious. And as far as iconic Italian products, it was among the first that I learned about as a child: focaccia, basilico and pesto, not necessarily in that order and not all together, but as stand alone items, as carriers of meaning, particularly of my Italian (American) identity.