Mannetti family has been butchers in the Central Market since 1865Kate and I are celebrating the pig again- We were thrilled to be included in the Best of the Web on Saveurs site. There is a pig recipe for all seasons and summer calls for the grill! Nothing could be easier- we don’t marinade the…
Market Inspired Recipe- Tigelle
Often when I say I am market inspired to cook something, I am referring to the fresh fruit and vegetable markets held weekly in local towns or the Central Market in Florence where I conduct my walking tours. But there are other markets that inspire me- the first Sunday of the month in Panzano is…
Summer’s Simple Pleasures-
There are some recipes that mark the seasons, probably one of my favorites is Pane al Pomodoro. A really ripe tomato, still warm from the sun A loaf of Tuscan bread, baked in a woodburning oven, saltless and “ignorante” as they say here The BEST extra virgin olive oil Sea Salt, I usually use my…
Ode to the Eggplant- Melanzane al Cioccolato
The poor eggplant, melanzane in Italian; from mela–non sana, “not healthy apple”. The eggplant, like the potatoes, bell peppers and chili peppers are edible nightshade vegetables. When these foods were first introduced into the Italian diet, the first reaction was that they were not good for you and were often planted for their flowers in…
Market Day Recipes
I am really blessed. I lived in front of Florence’s Central Market for 20 years while running my cooking school Divina Cucina and since closing the school in Florence and moving out to the countryside while I finally got my book published, I now have 2 market days in my village of Certaldo. I first…
Too Many Tomatoes-Sicilian Tomato Jam
Last week I made some cantaloupe jam based on a recipe I tasted in Sicily, outside Trapani. I went wild for the flavor. It was sweet, clean, fresh and complementary to freshly made ricotta. Imagine my surprise when my friend from the other side of the island ( near Catania) Milena send me a…
Lunch at La Petraia with Michael Pollan
Entrance to La Petraia, cypress and fields of lavendar I was thrilled to be invited to one of the days of Michael Pollan‘s week-long program at La Petraia, an organic farm and B&B in Chianti. The trip was organized by Truffle Pig Travel and from the looks of the group that attended, it was the…
Oggi Sciopero-Italy strike against DDL Alfano- SPEAK OUT
It will be the first strike of bloggers ever.On July 14, 2009, Italian bloggers will muzzle themselves in the Web as wellas in Piazza Navona in Rome, at 7PM where they will meet to protest againstan Italian government bill (the Alfano decree) introducing a number of newrules which will limit the freedom of expression in…