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The Florentine
Food and wine in Florence and Tuscany, including food stories, restaurant reviews and wineries.
Who hasn’t dreamed of living on a Tuscan hillside surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and breathtaking landscape that only this corner of the world can offer? In the Levante Fiorentino, you can live the dream of rural Tuscany: sleep in a medieval castle, learn to prepare
Chianti is filled with a variety of sub-zones, each with its own characteristics and distinguishing qualities. The Chianti Rufina area, located in the Levante Fiorentino just east of Florence, is known for its aromatic and fruity wines with higher acidity and firmer, less evolved tannins. The proximity of the
Rosemary cod fillets in crust of potatoes with shaved Livorno tomatoes and spicy raisin sauce Serves four 500 g softened dried cod 2 large potatoes Sprig of rosemary Extra-virgin olive oil 8 red tomatoes 1 small bundle of parsley 1 small bundle of chives 1 clove of garlic &
Pasta with chickpeas Serves four ½ pound (200 g) dry chickpeas (or a 450 g can), soaked overnight 2 cloves of garlic 125 g of pasta (ditalini or similar) ½ medium onion Sprig of rosemary 2/5 cup (100 ml) olive oil ½ cup (6 tablespoons) chopped tomatoes Salt
The Levante Fiorentino is more than just beautiful landscapes, delicious food and amazing wines—it’s also home to many fashion houses that exemplify the high standard behind ‘Made in Italy’. A rich tradition of craft has been passed from generation to generation, while at
Wine&Fashion Florence comes to Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado from January 31 to February 2, 2008, bringing with it the best of the Levante Fiorentino. This unique area near Florence boasts superb local wines, impeccable fashion and design, charming artistic handicrafts and an exceptional tradition of hospitality amidst
The Chianti Classico Consortium and several of its members got an early Christmas present last year, when the Wall Street Journal’s wine writers, John Brecher and his wife, Dorothy Gaiter, chose Chianti Classico 2004 as the wine to serve at a holiday party or to take as a
Here comes the rainy, cold, damp weather that clings to Florence for most of the winter. And with it comes the ever-present threat of colds and sore throats. There are many things you can do to ward off a cold or minimize the effects of one you already
No holiday party would be complete without a little bubbly. In fact, approximately 40 percent of the year’s Champagne consumption takes place in December alone. Annual worldwide sales of Champagne exceed 300 million bottles per year. While 58 percent of the golden nectar stays in France, the rest
About 12,000 years ago, a nomadic shepherd somewhere in the Mediterranean poured his day’s milk into a sack made of a calf’s stomach before a long journey, only to open it a few days later to find that the milk had solidified and the substance
Late autumn and winter are the perfect times to write about, read about, and drink Barolo wines. In the Italian turn of phrase, they are ‘meditative’ wines: to be sipped and savored, accompanied by a well aged cheese, hearty dish of red meat or local game. Barolo
Few things are as uniquely American as the feast of Thanksgiving. Regardless of where Americans are that day, most cannot help but remember past meals. With memories comes the attempt to try and recreate Thanksgiving, despite the difficulty of finding the distinctive ingredients. Creating a Thanksgiving celebration in Florence requires
Although I love the song that made them famous in the USA, there’s a lot more to chestnuts than just roasting. Just ask any Tuscan cook. In fact, the old Italian saying, ‘polenta saved the north, fish saved the south, and chestnuts saved the center’, refers
Winemakers all across Italy are breathing sighs of relief as their grapes have been picked, pressed, and are now on their way to becoming 2007 vintage wine. Here’s a look at the grapes of the 2007 harvest, from the vineyard to your table. THE OUTLOOK Close to
I come from a Venetian family where the imperative of every meal was to create the perfect bite. For my mamma, it meant getting up at five in the morning, while my five siblings and I were still asleep, to make homemade tortellini filled with a minced paste of delicious
Winemaking on the island of Sardinia has a long and fascinating history that predates the Christian era. In fact, some of the most popular grape varietals arrived with the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians. Wine production stayed relatively unchanged until the arrival of conquerors from the Catalan region of Spain around
All right, we hit the Seattle all-time high-temperature record last week with an unprecedented 97 degrees, but it was absolutely bearable—sunny, dry, and breezy. I must confess that I was actually enjoying it. However, every single person I talked to during that day was complaining fiercely
Even though the lazy beach days of August are now behind us, there’s still a bit of summer left on our Tuscan tables. The last of the eggplant bounty will linger into September and it’s a wonderful way to gently bridge the gap between the lightness
What do you see when I say ‘cucumber’? Thin green slices, to put on your face and eyelids after a hard night out or a long day broiling on the beach? Thin green slices on thinly sliced bread, melting in your mouth at tea time? Thin green slices,
Less than one-half of one percent of Italy’s wine is produced in Liguria. Some may say that this beautiful coastal region is mainly tourist country—with the ever-popular Cinque Terre to explore—not wine country. And that wine produced there is rather pricey. So,
Summer is around the corner, and we can all feel it. Flowers are everywhere at this time of year, and I’m not speaking only of gardens or window boxes. In Italy, they grace tables as well. At a recent dinner, after admiring the stunning roses, wisteria and
Yes, the Piedmont region is famous for its bold, red wines. However, it also is home to some well known, and some lesser-known, wonderful whites. The cooler climate in Piedmont favours the crisp, soft and acidic taste of these light Italian wines. More importantly, they offer a vast array
