For 20 years I lived just in front of the Mercato Centrale in Florence. What a blessing. Such a choice for ingredients and shopping. In front of the market, hidden behind the stands selling leather, is one of my favorite bakeries in the area, Forno Ivana. Tuscany is famous for the saltless bread, which for…
Lost Recipes-Salame Dolce
This is one of my favorites to keep in the freezer as a back-up dessert! Richer and fancier versions sold in pastry shops now have melted chocolate and chopped nuts added to make it more of a candy version. Rolling the outside edges in powdered sugar makes it really look like salame. Here’s the…
Trattoria Mario’s Ribollita
Trattoria Mario’s is a home away from home for almost all the students that come to the study abroad programs in Florence. This tiny family trattoria began as a fiaschetteria 4 generations ago. These small family trattorias, passed from one generation to another, are national treasures.In 2013, they celebrated 60 years of their opening. I…
Tuscan Beans- A Bean for all Seasons
My friend Samin has declared January #beanmonth. In Tuscany, every month is bean month. Tuscans are called mangiafagioli, bean eaters for their large consumption of beans. In Florence, dining out, you mostly find the cannellini beans or if you are lucky the rare zolfini bean. Heading out to Lucca, you really start to see a…
CINGHIALE AGRO DOLCE- WILD BOAR
Living in the countryside in Tuscany means being woken up by gunfire during hunting season. The good side, is often I receive a nice big piece of wild boar meat, cinghiale, like this Christmas. I made a simple version of the boar, leaving out the final ingredients which give it it’s tang. The stewed pork…
Leo’s Artichokes
I adore shopping at Leo Piazzesi’s stand in the Mercato Centrale. He carries only a few products, all displayed as if at Tiffany’s, each tomato shining, melons cut open for tasting, their profume calling out “Assaggiami…taste me” and the season’s best. Right now, I go to Leo for carciofi, artichokes, layed out like rare flowers on…
Arrosto Fiorentino
This is one of my personal favorites for teaching in classes and for parties. It is so simple to prepare and HUGE effect! When I worked with Dario, we once did this for a party for 200 people that we catered. Dario did get tired slicing, but it was perfect for a large crowds….
New Year- Old Recipe Tuscan Apple Cake
Sometimes the classic recipes are the best. On my old website I had a list of recipes from some of my favorite chefs and restaurant owners. I had gathered them before the era of blogging. With the redo of the site as also a new platform for recipes, travel tips and restaurant suggestions, I will…