Born in Italy more than 400 years during the Renaissance, Opera – a combination of vocal and orchestral music, drama, visual arts and dance – has been inspiring people for ages.

Food plays a large role in both the storytelling and history of Opera. It's not just the characters that like their food – composers and singers have favorite dishes and entrenched beliefs about what to eat. Mozart loved sweets, Wagner dabbled in vegetarianism, Verdi was a farmer who grew his own food, Rossini cooked risotto while he composed, Caruso ate spinach and chicken livers for strength, and Luisa Tetrazzini ate everything!

This month's menu combines Italian fare honoring Opera's heritage with two feature dishes, Tetrazzini and Peach Melba, created in honor of Operatic singers Luisa Tetrazzini and Nellie Melba.