One of the things everyone comments on in Tuscany is how tasteless the bread is. There is a reason, there is no salt in the dough. In the past, salt was a commodity. Florence bought their salt from Pisa. Pisa put a salt tax so high, that normal people couldn’t use salt for things like…
Buglione- A Summer Stew
In my husband’s family, Buglione was always on the table in Summer. His father worked at the city’s main fruit and vegetable market in Novoli. There was was always seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables on the table. His mother was a great cook with simple seasonal produce. Summer hasn’t really decided if it is here…
Celebrating Fall| Non-stir Polenta
October is my anniversary of arriving in Florence, in 1984. If you have ever been here in Fall, you will know how easy it is to fall in love with Tuscany with the Fall light. The countryside is turning gold, the vineyards and hills covered with chestnut and oak trees are vibrant. Weekends are filled…
Tuscan Fried Baby Artichokes | Carciofi Fritti
Certain recipes bring me back in time, to cooking in Andrea’s mom’s kitchen. Tina was great. She was a simple but fabulous cook and I learned a lot from her and her sister Vivetta who owned a restaurant at the sea. I do several of her recipes often and the Tuscan fried baby artichokes are…
Gnudi- Naked Ravioli
The recipe names are funny. This is a personal favorite: naked ravioli. Naked? Yes, they have no pasta dough around them, so the classic spinach and ricotta filling is simply made into a gnocchi-like dumpling. In other areas, they are known as strozzapreti, “priest-chokers,” but strozzapreti can also be a long hand-rolled spaghetti-like pasta, which I would…
Exploring Chianti- Hotel Palagina, Figline Val D’Arno
While researching for my Food Guides. I starting with the area on the 222 wine road. My dream is to expand to the other regions of Chianti as well. My mother-in-law was from Figline Val D’Arno, so it seemed like a natural first addition. It was the home of Barone Ricasoli, who created Chianti, what better…
Giving Thanks
I don’t think we really need a special day to give thanks. It should be daily. Perhaps a sort of Polly-anna way of thinking, but I have always tried to focus on the good things around me . If I dwelled on the daily difficulties and nightmares in life, I would be constantly depressed. I…
Soothing Soup Minestrone
There is nothing like a soup to soothe all. Winter this year has not brought on the chill’s which are relieved by soup until now. So as soon as the first chill came in, soup’s on! After being in a sort of Summer in Florida, the Tuscan winter called me back to the roots of soup,…