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The Florentine
Food and wine in Florence and Tuscany, including food stories, restaurant reviews and wineries.
If you're having people over for a party on New Year's Eve, you might want to give them some food. Of course, there are some traditional Italian specialties that you may feel expected to serve, and if you're having a dinner party, then we think that cotechino
Seems unusual, but the act of preparing a simple pot of ragu can mean stepping onto a culinary minefield, where any number of potential wrong moves await the terrified, hapless ...
Autumn is my favourite time of year. The climate is just right, everything looks really lovely-the leaves on the trees, the morning mist, even the quality of the light is ...
Fall is upon us. The sweltering heat is long gone, the mosquitoes have calmed down and leather jackets are everywhere. More importantly though, this change in season brings its particular delights of Tuscan cuisine. With the dawn of colder weather, we often crave food that is rich, comforting and
If, as we're told, a small grappa can turn an ordinary early-morning coffee and cake into the colazione dei campioni-the breakfast of champions, what's the breakfast of losers? A cold slice of pizza, maybe with a cigarette butt on it. Anyway, we've tried them both,
Ah, September in Tuscany. Rich colours, lengthening evenings, warmth enough to watch the sunset in short sleeves. Supermarkets overrun with the new influx of international students, working out whether the unidentifiable fish in a jar is for human or feline consumption and struggling to vocalize the Italian word for ‘
What is it about warm weather that makes us crave fish and seafood? Perhaps it's the association of the flavours with seaside towns, ocean terraces and beach bars; maybe it's the ease with which it can be cooked, limiting the time you need to spend toasting yourself by
If there's one thing that gets up my nose at this time of the year, it's people droning on about the romance of heading into the great outdoors with a simple, rustic lunch. The journalist Christopher Hitchens once wrote that picnicking-along with lobster, champagne and something else
The first time that you cook for a date is, without any doubt, a nerve-wracking and important occasion. It might seem futile, given that in and around Florence you can't throw a stone without it ricocheting off the walls of at least three or four romantic hole-in-
Few things evoke the advent of spring as clearly as bunches of fresh asparagus standing in formation in greengrocer's stalls, their brilliant green just the antidote for winter-weary cooks looking for fresh inspiration. Asparagus is a vegetable with a long history: the ancient cookbook by Apicius, which dates
Between 1957 and 1977, Carosello was a 10-minute spot of advertising broadcast every night on Italian national television immediately after the evening news. More like a variety show than hard-sell publicity, it was so popular that it became normal practice in Italian households that dopo Carosello,
Born in 1922, Dr. Franco Biondi-Santi hails from generations of prominent Tuscan wine makers. His grandfather, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, was recognized in 1932 for giving birth to what is now celebrated worldwide as Brunello di Montalcino. Referred to as ‘a gentleman of the old school', Franco Biondi-Santi
Easter in Italy is one of the most welcome holidays of the year. It's a hopeful holiday: Lent is over and spring is about to arrive, bringing with it many favorite fruits and vegetables that we haven't seen during the long winter season. Traditionally, breakfast on Easter
Would you recognize a chicory if you saw one? Chances are that many of you would not. And yet chicory stalks in our midst. It has been stalking in our midst since antiquity. A few months ago I probably wouldn’t have recognized a chicory either. After hearing
Italian cuisine relies heavily on seasonal vegetables and one of the stars that brightens up winter menus is cavolo nero (black cabbage). There are a couple of myths that should be cleared up right away. First, it’s not black. It’s really a very deep
Potato tortelli with Tuscan pesto Tortello Prepare dough with 5 eggs 250 gr of semola flour 250 of flour 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil Let it sit for 30 minutes Boil the potatoes, peel, and mash with a fork. Chop garlic into thin slices, add
Cod with black cabbage and chickpeas 1 kg of cod 2 bunches of black cabbage 400 gr of chickpeas Olive oil and pepper How to prepare: Flour the cod and put in oven pan Cook with oil in a pan until the cod is brown Boil the black
Pannocchie pasta filled with lobster served in a light zucchini sauce with its flowers Serves two 120 g of fresh hand made pasta cut into disks 120 g of boiled lobster pulp 20 g of zucchini flowers 45 g of zucchini 50 g of fresh ricotta cheese 60
Filet of dried salted cod wrapped in radicchio with a saffron cream sauce Serves four 1 800 gram filet of cod (unsalted) 1 basket of radicchio leaves 3dl of fish stock 25 grams of corn starch 1 teaspoon of saffron pistons from the Tuscan/Florentine hills Salt, pepper, extra
Florence and its surrounding areas are famous for a thriving artisan community, whose members still maintain Renaissance traditions today. Though mass tourism and a changing economy have significantly impacted the industry’s workshops, there are still numerous examples of true craftsmanship in Florence. These artisans helped make Florence one
Florence and its surrounding areas are famous for a thriving artisan community, whose members still maintain Renaissance traditions today. Though mass tourism and a changing economy have significantly impacted the industry’s workshops, there are still numerous examples of true craftsmanship in Florence. These artisans helped make Florence one
June 1 - 3 Toscanello d’Oro Rùfina and Pomino Chianti wine fair Pontassieve - Historic Centre tel. +39.055.8360239 www.comune.pontassieve.fi.it July 3- 6 On the Road Festival Music all over town Pelago – Historic Centre www.comune.pelago.fi.it &
Everywhere, the lands had the same shapes, materials and colours. Then time rendered them different. Some of them, certainly, more lovely. Mario Luzi The Eastern Province of Florence is part of a territory that extends to northeast of Florence and includes towns in the Florentine mountains (Dicomano, Londa,
