(Two cheap but tasty menus, Italy-style)

Let's begin with a menu for people who love cooking.

• - Starters. Prepare the shortcrust pastry for savory preparations and make some cookies with it; after baking them, garnish with Italian Gorgonzola (blue-cheese) and walnuts or fresh cheese with herbs and walnuts. Dress some green olives according to Madrid style. Add some little Italian pizzas made with sandwich loaf; you have to cut every slice into two triangles, garnish every piece with tomato sauce (dressed with salt and olive oil), cubes of mozzarella cheese and, if you want, some capers and pieces of anchovies in oil; bake for few minutes and your pizzas are ready! You could also add slices of salami, halved hard-boiled eggs (whose yolks can be crushed with a fork and mixed with mayonnaise and tuna in oil) and, finally, some Russian salad made with little ingredients.
• - First course. Pumpkin tortelli (pasta rings), Italy-style are ideal for a perfect Christmas lunch!
• - Second course. To complete your menu you could prepare a stuffed rabbit with roasted potatoes or a duck cooked with fruits (that's cool!) or a pork loin cooked with apples; these two last dishes can be accompanied with a green salad.
• - Cake. You could choose a typical Italian Christmas cake consulting our dessert index (panettone, pandoro, pampepato, panforte).

Now we propose an Italian menu for people who hasn't got much time.

• - Starters. Make some appetizers with a sandwich loaf; cut the bread into triangles, arrange thin slices of Italian lardo or smoked bacon on the surface, sprinkle with pepper and bake for few minutes. You can serve them with slices of raw ham (Parma ham). You can also prepare some skewers made with fresh grapes and cheese.
• - First course. We suggest the tasty noodles with fresh salmon or one recipe among the baked pasta we have collected for you.
• - Second course. Prepare a capon with chestnuts or a poussin with mushrooms and complete with a green salad.
• - Dessert. Complete this menu with Italian panettone or pandoro (you can find easily them in a shop but you can also buy them online)