FOOD + WINE

Onion soup

Onions are my current obsession: I cry while cutting them, having tuned into the latest 6pm death toll, and my other half thinks I’m just preparing dinner.   One bone-chilling ...

FOOD + WINE

Gionata d’Alessi’s lasagne

“The new Caffè Italiano concept was thought up by Umberto Montano, the food entrepreneur behind the Mercato Centrale brand. There’s a Neapolitan-only pizza corner headed up by Guglielmo Vuolo, Sicilian ...

FOOD + WINE

Carmelo Pannocchietti’s parmigiana

Carmelo Pannocchietti, chef patron of restaurant Arà: è SUD, serves up his take on Sicily's classic parmigiana using Ragusano cheese.

FOOD + WINE

Nicola Chiappi’s braised lamb with artichokes

“I started cooking because I was really into it, then I studied I.T. at university and I became passionate about being in the kitchen. I’ve been lucky enough to find ...

FOOD + WINE

Michele Leo of Santarpia shares tips for the perfect pizza

Chef Michele Leo, of Santarpia, shares his tricks of the trade to make the perfect pizza at home, as the pizzeria opens for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The secret ...

FOOD + WINE

Arista and carabaccia recipes: a taste of Ruffino this March

Italian cooking traces its origins back to a Florentine noble lady, Catherine de’ Medici. Born in Florence 500 years ago, on April 13, 1519, Catherine de’ Medici created a world ...

FOOD + WINE

Fregula with pumpkin and gorgonzola

“Focusing on seasonal produce was a choice we made to respond to what’s going on right now in the restaurant world; there’s a real need to do something original. Much ...

FOOD + WINE

Andrea Campani’s chicken dog

Waste not, want not. Chef Andrea Campani, of Florence's Il Borro Tuscan Bistro gets creative with cold cuts by rehashing leftover chicken into a delectable chicken dog.

FOOD + WINE

Recipe: Torrone cream, 80% chocolate and salted pandoro

If your holiday season is anything like mine, you’ll find yourself inundated with yeast cakes and a certain Christmassy nougat. Honey, egg whites and almonds are shaped into an elongated ...

FOOD + WINE

A hearty November meal

These autumn days, the sun is so bright during daytime hours we almost forget that we very well may be bundled into sweaters and blankets by nightfall. In this recipe, ...

FOOD + WINE

October haze: the perfect autumn risotto

In October, we find ourselves in the heart of autumn, a season of changing colours, cozy evenings and mug of hot tea in hand, watching the sun start its early ...

FOOD + WINE

Pastrami and papaya

September is a month of memories: joy at the happy times spent among family and friends, sadness at the summer that has passed and energy as autumn knocks at our ...

FOOD + WINE

A summer salad with spice

Now that the summer heat has turned its thermostat to “on”, our taste buds switch their style to “tomatoes”.   In my debut recipe for The Florentine, I’ve taken the ...

FOOD + WINE

Avid for apricots

Summer’s (almost) here when apricots appear on supermarket shelves. We love their natural blush, as if the fruit’s feigning embarrassment at their own goodness.   These fragrant orbs are loved ...

FOOD + WINE

Retreating to radishes

When five stories break a day and Florence’s events scene enters sixth gear, I retreat to radishes. Packed with potassium and folic acid, radishes are the ultimate energy bringer and ...

FOOD + WINE

Agretti+spaghetti

‘Eat them now or wait for another year’ sums up the agretti affair. Depending on the weather, these grass-like leaves appear in greengrocers for six weeks or so every spring. ...

FOOD + WINE

Topinambur and clams

Topinambur is a beautiful word, conjuring up a wonderful world of princes and castles, unicorns and open-top silver carriage rides while snowflakes flutter on our faces. Then reality bites that ...

FOOD + WINE

Purple potatoes

Forgive me while I wax lyrical about purple potatoes—again. One lunchtime, my excitement at this tubular discovery resulted in my foisting violet mash on The Florentine’s team at our usually ...

FOOD + WINE

Cavolo nero and potato soup

A post-Christmas return from England leaves me gasping for greens. Potato-ed out but curiously craving more starch than usually features in my predominantly Tuscan diet, my mind turns to a ...

FOOD + WINE

Ten ways to use ten kilos of Tuscan asparagus

Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve got a new dealer in Maremma. An asparagus dealer. Her name is Irma and she defines herself as an “asparagaia”.   The adjective is interesting ...

FOOD + WINE

Garmugia

Garmugia is a springtime soup from Lucca, traditionally associated with seasonal transition and renewal, much like a variety of Italian specialty soups at this time of the year. Throughout southern ...

FOOD + WINE

Beans of Tuscany

They might not be the most sparkling jewel in Tuscan brilliance, but they are a product of local wisdom, shaped by the creativity of many hands, like in a Renaissance ...

FOOD + WINE

Crostini: five gourmet toppings

Crostini have endless potential and prove the ultimate snack food not only during the aperitivo hour, but also as appetizers at lunch or dinner and the perfect pairing when drinking ...

FOOD + WINE

Carrot soup with farro

Farro is one of the oldest grains grown on the planet, but recently it has been overlooked in favour of on-trend grains like couscous, quinoa and amaranth. I have a penchant ...

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