According to legend, cotechino sausages first appeared in the winter of 1511 in Mirandola, when the city was under siege by the troops of Pope Julius II. To save the little they had from the wartime pillage and plunder, the people of Mirandola hastily decided to slaughter their pigs, finely grind the meat, season it with salt and pepper, and stuff it back into the pork casing. The sausage turned out to become a great success and in the 1700s the traditional recipe had spread to neighbouring butcheries and salumeria shops.
Radicchio is a robust red-leaved vegetable characterized by its pleasantly bitter flavor which is balanced with the pungent taste of cren (horseradish) sauce.
