Ligurian:
# Menestron

– Luisitta, pronti, son a Moura, a nessa da Giuletta. Ti gh’æ miga un pö de tempo da dedicâme?

– Òh Moura, comme ti stæ? Ma scì che gh’ò tempo, dimme…

– Scusa, son pròpio mäducâ, no t’ò manco domandou comme ti stæ, mi stò ben e ti?

– Ben da vegi, ma ben. Sciù, pöchi descorsci, dimme!

– No arriëscio mai à fâ un menestron comme se deve, voeiva savei ti, comme ti ô fæ.

– Ma comme tutti! Piggio unna brancâ de faxeu, unna brancâ de faxolin, doe patatte, doe caròttoe, meza brancâ de poïsci, pöcassæ, ma no tròppi sedonca dan o sarvægo, bazzañe, se son zoene unna bella brancâ sedonca meza, dötræ feugge de cöo neigro, dötræ de giæ, dötræ de scaròlla ò de borraxe, unna çioula, un spigo d’aggio, unna gamba de çellao, doî succhin s’a l’é saxon, ò donca un pö de succa taggiâ à tocchetti. Quarchedun ghe mette e tomate, ma à mi no me ghe piaxan. Dapeu un pittin de fonzi secchi ammòllæ inte l’ægua, euio bon, a sâ, o pesto e bricchetti ò scoccozon. Fasso tutte e verdue taggiæ à tocchettin, e metto tutto in ben ben de l’ægua. Fasso boggî e quande l’é tutto desfæto gh’azzonzo a pasta à cheuxe, con attençion ch’a no s’attacche a-a pugnatta sedonca dapeu sa tutto de scotizzo. Quande a pasta a l’é cheutta lê ascì, gh’azzonzo o pesto. Tutto lì.

– Ma o l’é comme ô fasso mi, no capiscio donde sbalio…

– Mia, tutti sbalian in unna cösa solo, into boggî. Beseugna fâlo boggî bello ardio inte un primmo tempo, dapeu beseugna ammermâ a sciamma e fâlo boggî cian cianinetto. Sensa sprescia, con paçiensa, ciù bogge megio o l’é…

– Graçie Luisitta, oua me gh’appreuvo…

– Ah, me scordava de dite che uña de doe patatte â lascio intrega e quand’a l’é cheutta â sciacco con unna forçiña, coscì o menestron o vëgne ciù druo!

– Graçie, graçie, t’ê pròpio preçiosa!

– Ma figurite, pe coscì poco! Ciutòsto vëgnime un pö à trovâ con i figgeu, coscì te fasso o læte doçe comme quande t’ëi picciña!

– Oh cöse ti me fæ vegnî in cheu! Scì, vëgno à trovâte fito. Tante belle cöse, Luisitta!

– Tante belle cöse à ti ascì!

English translation:
# Minestrone

“Luisella, hello, it’s Maura, Giulietta’s niece. Have you got a bit of time for me?”

“Oh Maura, how are you? Of course I’ve got time, tell me…”

“Sorry, I’m so rude, I haven’t even asked how you are, I’m fine and you?”

“As fine as old folk can be, but fine. Come on, enough chatter, tell me!”

“I can never manage to make a proper minestrone, I wanted to know how you make yours.”

“Well, the way everyone makes it! I take a handful of beans, a handful of green beans, two potatoes, two carrots, about half a handful of peas, but not too many otherwise they taste gamey, broad beans, a good fistful if they’re young otherwise half, a few leaves of black cabbage, a few of chard, some escarole or borage, an onion, a clove of garlic, a stalk of celery, two zucchini if they’re in season, otherwise a bit of pumpkin in little pieces. Some people put tomatoes in, but I don’t like them in it. Then some dried mushrooms soaked in water, good oil, salt, pesto and bricchetti pasta or scucuzzun. I chop all the vegetables into little pieces and put everything in plenty of water. I bring it to a boil and when everything has fallen apart, I add the pasta to cook, taking care it doesn’t stick to the pot, otherwise the whole thing tastes scorched. When the pasta is cooked too, I add the pesto. That’s all.”

“But that’s how I do it, I can’t figure out where I’m going wrong…”

“Look, everyone goes wrong in just one thing, in the boiling. You have to boil it on a lively flame at first, then you need to lower the flame and let it boil gently. No rush, with patience, the more it boils the better…”

“Thank you Luisella, I’ll try now…”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that one of the two potatoes I leave whole and when it’s cooked I mash it with a fork, that way the minestrone comes out thicker!”

“Thank you, thank you, you’re really a treasure!”

“Don’t mention it, for such a little thing! Better still, come and visit me with the children, and I’ll make you sweet milk the way I did when you were little!”

“Oh, what memories you’re bringing back! Yes, I’ll come to see you soon. All the best, Luisella!”

“All the best to you too!”