Peperoni Salat

I really like bell peppers, but only when they are cooked and peeled! That’s how this pepperoni salad came about, which goes wonderfully with all types of meat and especially with grilled meat! It’s a really simple recipe, similar to the antipasti from Italy.

I had an “peperoni allergy” to bell peppers as a child! As soon as I smelled them, I ran away, it was a smell I totally hated! I remember we were in Italy as a family, on the beach and, as was the norm back then, we were in a hotel with full board. My mother, who was Italian, was overjoyed to finally get the vegetables that weren’t available in Switzerland at the time, such as bell peppers, eggplants and zucchinis.

As the family who ran the hotel were so fond of Mama, they served her special vegetables like these and, of course, they included bell peppers. As soon as they came out of the kitchen with the steaming plate of bell peppers, cooked into peperonata or something else, the smell almost knocked me out! It was terrible because I got gag reflexes, I’d never had anything like it before! It got to the point where I was warned in advance and got my food early, so I could leave the table when mom was served the peperoni.

Peeling peppers is a useful practice in the kitchen to increase the digestibility of the peppers. The firm skin of the peppers can be difficult to digest and cause discomfort such as stomach ache or heartburn. Peeling the peppers also removes any pesticides that may have adhered to them.