I opened my cooking school in front of Florence’s Mercato Centrale in 1988. I had moved here in 1984 and took 4 years to really learn the language and study the local cuisine. When I arrived here I was pretty much an Italian food virgin. Like many people, Italian food of the 80’s was more…
Divine Days- Livorno
There is nothing I love more than a food festival except perhaps being by the sea. When the two worlds collide, I am ecstatic! I saw that one of my favorite towns on the Tuscan Coast was having a 3 day celebration for the local specialty, Caccuccio, the fish soup. In San Francisco, we have…
Food Markets in Tuscany
When ever I go anywhere, the first place I want to see is the city market. If it is a large town, there will be a market in a building. Smaller towns have weekly markets in the small squares once a week or more. We have monthly markets for organic food markets, flea markets and…
Taste Chianti- New APP
2016 has started off with a bang. Doors closing but new doors opening. I closed my teaching space to concentrate on my weeklong programs and offer “Divine Day Trips” Custom tours of the market, day trips into Chianti or lessons at your villa. I spent the past winter recreating my app, which Sutro had…
New Beginnings
There is nothing more that I love more than new beginnings. This year I decided to close my teaching space in Colle Val D’Elsa, after 5 years. I had a 5 year plan, which was to have a space like my via Taddea space in Florence, but in Chianti. Been there, done that. In the…
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…
Wordless Wednesday— From the garden and market
PIgging Out Tuscan Style- Porchetta
For my 500th post I decided to dedicate it to pigging out. Pork is so popular in Tuscany and most of my clients adore visiting and tasting at the markets and butcher shops. I thought I would let the rest of you come on my virtual tour. I am very lucky to be able to…