Leith Steel

Sweet Bread with Grapes.
Schiacciata con l’Uva (Flatbread with Grapes) is another traditional peasant dessert, typical during the early autumn grape harvest. Peasant families who worked the vineyards made this d […]

This traditional dry crunchy cookie or biscuit has a long narrow shape, with the shape of a slice of bread was originally the dry cookie from Prato, then toasted for longer conservation. Traditionally, it is […]

This traditional dry crunchy cookie or biscuit has a long narrow shape, with the shape of a slice of bread was originally the dry cookie from Prato, then toasted for longer conservation. Traditionally, it is […]

These traditional cakes from Lamporecchio, a town near Pistoia, probably only known in Tuscany, are crumbly biscuit wafers with anise flavor, always present on the stands at village festivals and parties. […]

These giant wild mushrooms are justly famous for their intense woodsy flavor. Once dried, they flavor many soups, sauces and stews. When fresh they are often enjoyed simply prepared, in Tuscany with the classical […]

It’s hard to believe coccoli con crudo haven’t travelled outside Tuscany – yet! The near universal appeal is easy to understand, as is the endearing name, “cuddles;” puffed pillows of fried pizza dough, eaten pla […]

Altro dolce tradizionale e allo stesso tempo povero, è la schiacciata con l’uva, tipica del periodo autunnale e precisamente legato alla vendemmia, realizzato anticamente nelle famiglie contadine con pasta li […]

This is a whole category of cured meat from the thick hand-sliced Tuscan prosciutto, more salty and flavorful than the “Sweet” Parma prosciutto to the classic Finocchiona or Sbriciolone a thick cylinder of sof […]

Ravioli with Meat Sauce.
Many regions in Italy boast spinach and ricotta ravioli, and they go by many different names and have different sauces, but in Tuscany they are served with a spare serving of simple meat […]

Tripe with Tomato Sauce
Tripe stewed until incredibly tender in a mild tomato sauce and
topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Questo piatto tipicamente contadino ha radici storiche molto antiche, troviamo un’antenata della ribollita fin dal medioevo. Infatti i feudatari, coloro che possedevano i castelli, durante i loro abbondanti […]

Squid and Spinach Stew.
“Inzimino” is the Tuscan dialect for “zimino” stewed spinach or chard
with tomato, it refers both to the cooking method and the ingredients, most often
encountered in sepia inzimino with st […]

Fava Beans or Broad Beans.
What Tuscans call “baccelli” and Brits call “broad beans” go by “fava beans” in the US or “fave” in much of Italy. Throughout Tuscany these big, broad, bright green pods are a sign of S […]

Il lampredotto è uno dei quattro stomaci dei bovini, l’abomaso. Il nome lampredotto deriva dalla sua somiglianza con la bocca di un pesce, la lampreda, una specie di anguilla, che in passato si trovava nel fiume […]

Anche il gelato come lo conosciamo noi oggi nasce nella Firenze rinascimentale grazie a un pollivendolo, tale Ruggeri, che partecipò ad un concorso indetto dalla Corte de’ Medici dal titolo “il piatto più singo […]

This is definitely one of the few cases of English language influencing Italian; and even more improbably, Italians following the lead of English cooking. But the famous Florentine “bistecca” derives from the Bri […]

Alba and the surrounding regions of Piemonte have the most famous (and most expensive!) white truffles, considered to be the best in the world, but San Miniato and the surrounding hills and woods produce white […]

Pasta with Wild Boar.
Tuscany eats more bread than pasta. Two of their signature primi aren’t pasta but bread enriched “soups,” ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, but put those aside and there are regional pasta […]

An all encompassing name for all sorts of fried foods, but most often referring to sweet fritters which, at least in the region surrounding Florence have two main types: yeast and flour based fritelle, similar to […]

La nepitella è un’erba aromatica spontanea che si trova facilmente tutto l’anno nelle campagne e colline toscane. Il suo aroma si sposa perfettamente con il sapore dei funghi soprattutto con le cappelle dei porc […]