After spending so much time in Spain, we are hooked on "tapas". One of our favorites is "Gambas al Ajillo" (Shrimp with Garlic).

​We like this recipe (adapted from the Boston Globe) that serves the shrimp on a bed of wilted spinach. The key to this is to avoid over-cooking: garlic can quickly turn bitter and shrimp can lose their crunch when cooked too much.

​When done right the shrimp has just the right texture and garlicky oil is irresistible - so have plenty of crusty bread on hand.

At one of our very first restaurant meals of our trip, at La Bossa in Camogli, Richard had his first taste of the Ligurian pasta specialty called "trofie". These little curly strands of pasta are served with string beans (and sometimes potatoes!) and drenched in pesto - the fabulous Genoese sauce made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, grated cheese, and olive oil. When our nephew Patrick came to join us, Trofie al Pesto became his go-to order. Though readily available throughout most of Italy, this type of pasta is seldom seen in the US. So, we decided to make our own.