Italy Meets the South in these Restaurant Kitchens

Collards, simmered with ham hocks, served with cornbread. Does it get more Southern than that? Or more Italian? According to legend, Julius Caesar used to eat collards to aid digestion after a large Roman banquet. Mix in some prosciutto (or Virginia ham?) and polenta (or grits?), and it’s clear that the two seemingly disparate cuisines have something in common....