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The Florentine
I took a foreign friend to a local trattoria on my side of the river, diladdarno, to sample a favourite local dish, fritto misto alla fiorentina. When he heard my order, he wondered why on earth anyone would want to deep-fry a beautiful fiorentina steak and, even more perplexing,
In English, we categorise game into two distinct categories: furred game and feathered game. In Italian, the feathered game is called volatili (fliers). Christmas Day calls for a flier. Or maybe two! My morning walks take me past the restaurant Fuori Porta and into the back of the areas
For those who don't take an interest in hunting, it is easy to forget that the transition from autumn to winter also marks the hunting season and the delicious promise of la caccia. Although not always readily available in supermarkets, most good Florentine butchers stock a variety of fresh
A wonderfully memorable food-filled weekend with friends in the countryside near Siena has confirmed for me, once again, that Italians are the most food-passionate people in the world. Some of the guests brought their own wines and olive oils for me to taste, and we talked about the
With autumn truly upon us and the colours in the fields and markets changing, so are the flavours of our table. Now that the wine harvest is done and while the olive groves await harvest, it's time to store some of our autumn harvest-as well as eat some. &
The tomato sauce passata is made for the year, a variety of tomatoes procured already sun-dried from Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, some in oil with garlic and herbs, others halved and dried ready to be reconstituted in boiling water, and chillies in the pantry that are sun-dried then
A favourite Italian holiday destination, the island of Elba, the largest in the Tuscan archipelago, is best known for its beaches and crystalline water than for its food. That may be because the traditional cuisine of this island is a humble one that stems from cucina povera and the rough
While some people eat four-horned snails to help keep arguments at bay and to avoid betrayals by loved ones for the forthcoming year, others send barefoot virgins up walnut ...
Learning Italian can be tricky enough, especially when there are obstacles along the way, such as the Tuscan dialect, the Florentine accent and the frequent use of words with double ...
There is nothing like a warm weather sagra, and the annual cherry festival in the town of Lari (Sagra delle ciliegie a Lari) is a great excuse to get out and celebrate the season's sweetest bounty: cherries. Located about 30 kilometres from Pisa, the hilltop town of Lari
Once spring gives way to summer, it will be time to go to the Tuscan coast. But in the meantime, I find myself longing to eat more seafood and fresh green vegetables. Seppie in zimino, cuttlefish with leafy greens, is the perfect dish. When I make seppie in
There is a saying in Italian: Natale con i tuoi e Pasqua con chi vuoi (‘Christmas with your family and Easter with whomever you want'). And who you want to feast with is as important as what you eat: food is the centre of celebrations, and tradition has it
The Florentine gastronome Caterina de' Medici is well known to have inspired and influenced French cuisine. Some say her arrival in Paris was even the turning point. Her entourage of Florentine chefs and cooks that she insisted on bringing from home and her love of familiar food (still something that
Most seaside towns in Italy have their own antique version of zuppa di pesce, and the Tuscan port town of Livorno is no exception: here they call it cacciucco: the fish stew with five c's and 13 different types of seafood, all slow-cooked in red wine with lots
Don’t expect to find this cake in your nearby pastry-shop window-unless of course you’re on the Tuscan island of Elba, home of this unusual fruitcake-like dessert. With origins in cucina ...
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to massage pig fat? Does the idea of ribbons of pig fat on pieces of toasted bread make your mouth water? Do you wake up in the morning wondering how you will choose to feed your pig cravings each day? Or is
Tortelli or their smaller versions, like tortellini, have to be one of Italy's ultimate comfort foods. They hold a special place in the hearts of many Italians who grew up eating them around the New Year. This recipe for ricotta tortelli is inspired by one of the
Christmas is a special time to share with friends and family. Here in Italy, whether you are with family, new friends or friends who are now your Florentine family, what's on the table at Christmas Eve, before midnight mass, is a top priority. Why such a decadent abundance
With the cooler days and nights and the richer colours and flavours of autumn, I find myself longing for Tuscan chestnut dishes. Foraging is great at this time of the year: autumn walks in the countryside yield pockets full of castagne, sweet chestnuts; funghi, wild mushrooms; and branches of
November is one of the most glorious months for Tuscan foodies: truffles, olive oil, chestnuts, wild boar, saffron and more abound. There seems no better time of year to celebrate ...
At harvest time, Elia Palazzesi gets up around four in the morning and works outdoors until dusk. This doesn't give him much time for anything else during the vendemmia, the wine harvest. Elia and his family have long been making one of the most well-known wines in Tuscany-
Figs are summer's sweetest bounty. These green and purple fleshy fruits first appear in May and last through early fall. In Italy, the last figs to mature in late September are the smaller, light green ones, often called fichi settembrini. The last sweetness of summer, these figs can be
This recipe for crostata is inspired by the smell that came from an invisible bakery near my first home in Florence, on via del Fico. Crostata is one of those pastries that practically every Italian grows up with. You can find crostata in most every bar or café in
It is difficult to feel indifferent about tripe: either you love it or you hate it. Consider, after all, that tripe is not one of the prettiest or appetising things ...
