How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Filipo Brunelleschi is not a house-hold name, but when discussing artists in the early Renaissance, he is at the top of the list. He was born in 1377 in Florence /Firenze, the son of a wealthy mother and a father who was a public official. Filipo was trained to be a lawyer, but he left off his studies to pursue the arts. After apprenticing with a goldsmith he became a Master. A competition was announced in 1402 to design panels for the doors of the Baptistry. This ancient building across from the cathedral was a local treasure, so only the best designs could go on the doors. Seven entrants were narrowed to two: Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. They both presented works based on the story of Abraham being willing to kill his son Isaac at God’s command. Art historians still debate which design was better: Ghiberti’s was elegant, Brunelleschi’s was dramatic. Ghiberti won, and Brunelleschi retired from metal work. He turned to architecture, and there he really shone. When he sojourned in Rome, Brunelleschi had absorbed many classical motifs, and he was given a chance to use them on buildings in Firenze. In 1296, a cathedral had been built to demonstrate the glory of the city. A dome was planned to cover the 45 meter crossing in the nave of the church, but no one knew how to build it. For more than 100 years, there was a big hole in the cathedral’s roof. Brunelleschi entered a contest to design and build the dome, and he won. By building one dome inside of another, and by laying the bricks in a herringbone pattern, the architect was able to support the structure without the weight causing the walls to bulge outward. One can climb up to the top of the dome, seeing the details of the structure, and enjoying the view from the cupola. A wonderful experience! The cathedral dome was a major feat of engineering and it made Brunelleschi’s reputation. After that, the Pazzi Chapel, the nave of Santo Spirito, the Hospital of the Innocents, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, and Santa Maria degli Angeli were given the Brunelleschi treatment when either built or redesigned.   The Father of Renaissance Architecture died on April 15, 1446. Fittingly, he is buried under the dome of the cathedral, but his presence is everywhere in the architecture of Old Firenze.

Our breakfast involves a beloved Italian ingredient: bruschetta which was not eaten in Brunelleschi’s time. Oh, well. It is still delicious. The dinner is named in honor of Florence’s favorite exile, Dante, who had been banned from the city 100 years before Brunelleschi came to prominence.

Bruschetta-Egg Toast: 210 calories… 13 g fat… 4 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 19 g carbs… 56.5 mg Calcium   NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee.  PB  GF– if using GF bread  You know that yummy tomato-oil mixture that you enjoy on bread at dinner? [Americans call it Bruschetta] It is delicious at breakfast, too.

1 slice 70-calorie whole grain bread [Dave’s Killer Bread is perfect] 1 oz pear one 2-oz egg, fried or scrambled or hard-boiled 3 Tbsp ‘bruschetta,’ home-made** or store-bought [18 calories/Tablespoon]    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] 

Lightly toast bread and spread it with the brushetta. Top with an egg, put a dollop of bruschetta on egg, plate with the fruit and you are all set for breakfast.

**Bruschetta Sauce: makes 2 cups	1 cup: 285 calories.. 28.5 g fat.. 3 g fiber.. 2 g protein.. 10 g carbs… 2 mg Ca
½ pound plum tomatoes + 3-4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 1 clove garlic + 1 scallion + ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes + ½ tsp salt + 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped + 1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped + 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped + 1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped	Core and quarter the tomatoes. Peel and crush the garlic. Slice the scallion. Put all of these ingredients into a food processor and pulse off and on to make a chunky sauce.
½ pound plum tomatoes	Core and quarter the tomatoes. Add to the above and pulse a few more times.
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar	Pour the tomato-herb mixture into a bowl and stir in the vinegars.

Dante Sandwich: 260 calories… 7 g fat… 4 g fiber… 9.6 g protein… 22 g carbs… 38.5 mg Calcium  PB  A sandwich shop in Firenze was the inspiration for this delight, dubbed the ‘Dante’ on the menu. Our older son introduced this to us. One is amazed that something this delicious fits our Fast Day calculations.

1 Foccacio bun** + 1 Tbsp truffle cream + 2 tsp stracciatella cheese OR 2 tsp whipped cream cheese ¼ oz lettuce or arugula + 2 slices/0.65 oz capicola + 2 oz roasted sweet potatoes pinch of microgreens + cooking spray

Set the oven to 425F. Put parchment paper on a small baking pan and spray with cooking spray. Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes to produce the right amount. Arrange the slices on the parchment and spray with cooking spray. Put in oven for 10 minutes. I was using ‘baby’ sweet potatoes, cut on the diagonal. Slice a foccacio roll in half, like a hamburger bun. On the bottom half, spread the truffle cream. On the top half, spread the cheese. Put the capicola on the bottom half and top with the greens. Turn the sweet potatoes after 10 minutes, spray with more oil, sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper. Roast for 10 more minutes. Plate it all and enjoy every delicious bite.

**Foccacio Buns: 6 buns each 86 calories

150 g white whole wheat flour + 150 g bread/strong flour + 5 g salt + 3 g dry yeast	In a bowl, stir with a fork until it forms a shaggy bowl.
	Cover bowl, let dough rise 8-12 hrs.
	Turn out on work space, portion into 6 pieces, each ~70 g. Shape into buns.
	Put on parchment, let rise 45 mins.
herb-flavored olive oil coarse salt	Brush with flavored olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Slide parchment onto a baking sheet, bake 15-18 mins at 425F.