Lardo

One of my favorite memories from my trip to Italy several years ago came about at the first restaurant we went to, which right near our farmhouse in the hills south of Modena.

The restaurant served only one thing -- gnocco, which was a local specialty, some sort of fried flat bread, and a plate of fresh fennel and other veggies. And, along with the gnoccho came a delicious spread, white and creamy and flavorful.

We asked the waitress what it was, and she said, "I don't know what you call it in English. In Italian, we say 'lardo.'"