To this day, my mother-in-law still talks about the tacchinella and my mum about the tortellini served in salty broth—my lasting memory of Christmas in Tuscany? Total exhaustion at cooking (and interpreting) for my extended family.
Flying during the festive season just isn’t fun. I’ve lost count of the number of times Liverpool Airport has been closed because of freezing fog or Peretola for high winds, I’ve been diverted to Gatwick airport or unexpectedly had to gorge on Belgian truffles in Brussels. So a few years ago I cooked up a scheme to stay in Tuscany for Christmas.
It wasn’t the only thing I concocted. Two weeks prior to the festivities, I slaved over my tiny Tuscan stove making Yule logs and blinis, mince pies and mulled wine. A newlywed at the time, I fancied myself a bit of a domestic goddess, casting myself in the part of Nigella Lawson, the British equivalent of Benedetta Parodi. The time had come for the perfect bicultural Christmas.
While my parents were winging their way to a miraculously open Pisa airport (perhaps it’s just me who’s jinxed in the winter transport department), I was getting to serious grips with the turkey ordering. Tape measure in hand, I jotted down took the exact height, width and breadth of my forno and went off to my local butcher’s shop. Never before had a customer been quite so precise: the macellai’s jingle bell laughter at my expense was part and parcel of my Tuscan Christmas cheer.
On Christmas Eve morning, the Fabbrini brothers proudly presented me with the most succulent bird ever, jocularly labelled with “per la ragazza inglese del fondo borgo” (for the English girl who lives at the end of the street). The precision paid off, however absurd—yes, the turkey did fit in my little Pontassieve oven.
On Christmas Day, my mother-in-law declared the bird to be a tacchinella, as she handed me the tortellini and capon broth that she had lovingly made for the occasion. In lieu of crackers, my parents made their own party hats and obliged my Italian relatives to wear them. My cognato developed a weird obsession with cranberry sauce and my Italian niece and nephew ran amok in the kitchen, continually opening the fridge door to see what their curiosa zia inglese was going to serve next.
It was an unforgettable Natale: the perfect winter window through which to observe cross-cultural differences and similarities, and to realise that Yuletide isn’t all about food and traditions, but about celebrating it with the people you love. Regardless of where you come from and however seriously you take cooking your bird.
PONTASSIEVE TIPS
WHERE TO GET YOUR BIRD
Macelleria Fabbrini
via Ghiberti 29, Pontassieve
055 8368372
Established in 1916, the queue at this family-run butcher shop is the best of signs: they are essentially meat artisans. Famous for bardiccio beef sausages, brothers Antonio and David can cut meat in an astonishing variety of ways. Their festive shop window dressing is quintessentially Christmas.
WHERE TO GET LAST-MINUTE GIFTS
La Bottega delle Fate
Via Ghiberti 64, Pontassieve
FB page La Bottega delle Fate
Candy canes and candle wreaths, handmade wooden clocks and notebooks: this is the perfect shop for last-minute gifts or small items that won’t break the bank in international delivery.
WHERE TO EAT (IF YOU CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO COOK)
WITH A VIEW / Trattoria il Ponte
via Ghiberti 15, Pontassieve
055 839 2929
FB page ilpontetrattoria
At this homey haunt owned by my husband’s uncle, auntie and their four sons, take in the stellar view of Pontassieve’s very own Medici bridge while indulging in the tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms and Bronte pistachios, mixed fried meats and my husband’s auntie’s Swiss-style nut dessert.
FOR STEAK Toscani da sempre
via Fratelli Monzecchi 13, Pontassieve
055 8392952
This is my go-to when in need of a steak. The tagliata with Cervia salt is among the best in Tuscany (I say that in absolute sincerity: in itself it’s worth the 25-minute commute to Pontassieve. The wine list is equally sensational—many locally produced and interesting vintages, plus a superb selection of Italian and international labels.
FOR PIZZA Pizzeria la Tavernetta
Via Ghiberti 93, Pontassieve
055 8323432
Franca and I are on first-name terms. This little pizzeria serves reasonably priced food in a warm and welcoming atmosphere—it’s basically where my hubbie and I go to eat when we can’t be bothered to cook. A secret: the coccole are delicious and the beer list holds some unexpected gems.
WHERE TO “APERITIVO”
Vineria il Mommo
via Ghiberti 30, Pontassieve
055 8392780
FB page Vineria Il Mommo
Stocked with the finest wines made in and around Pontassieve, imbibe a glass of Fattoria Lavacchio Puro (a brilliantly balanced 100% sulphate-free Sangiovese) or go for something sweeter with I Veroni’s Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina. Aperitivo for 6.50 euro from 6pm.
WHERE TO SEE A NATIVITY SCENE
Chiesa di San Francesco
via Albizi, Pelago
On the “other side” of the river from Pontassieve, delight children and adults alike by pushing aside the curtain in the little room to the left of the main church. The annual nativity scene warms hearts of all ages with its attention to detail, water features and lights.