Legends abound about the invention of this iconic cocktail, most agree on the following: sometime around the turn of the century (early 1900s) Count Negroni asked a now forgotten bartender to supercharge the then fashionable “Americano” cocktail, swapping out soda for gin. The resulting cocktail equal parts gin, vermouth and read more
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 soft ground pork meat flavored with fennel seeds.
Typical Florentine Lenten Cake. Going against anything you might think, Schiacciata alla Fiorentine (Florentine Schiacciata) is a dessert which originated in Chianti. Once these flat cakes were made similar to Colomba or Panettone and flavored with syrup, orange or mint to be sold during the Easter period; but today the read more
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 plain as a traditional street food, or better, torn open and stuffed with cool, creamy and read more
Unlike most of Italy, Siena was (and is) renowned for its sweets, counting most famously, panforte and panpepato. The typical Sienese recipe repertoire also contains two particular cookies worth seeking out. Ricciarelli are a traditional Italian macaroon, invented during the 14th century, using egg whites, ground almonds and sugar or read more
“Pici” are the typical pasta from Siena, a thick round noodle with a spaghetti shape but easily triple in diameter. They are most often served “al’aglione” with garlic sauce (either “white” or “red” with garlic and tomato) or with meat or game based sauces. While nowadays you can often find read more
Crostini aren’t unique to Tuscany, but they are certainly prevalent, and play a part of most antipasto plates or menus. It is just your basic bread topped with extra flavorful ingredients. The most common crostini are chicken liver pate, diced tomatoes with olive oil and Tuscan white beans with more read more
Atypical from most Tuscan desserts, which rely on “poor” ingredients, the Panpepato, born in the Middle Age, is a “noble” cake due to the presence of pepper, a very prestigious and expensive spice which was used as a traded commodity instead of money. That’s why it was primarily produced in read more
Kale, Beans and Bread Soup. Literally “Reboiled” this twice-cooked soup is the epitome of peasant food, and perhaps the best representative of Tuscan cuisine. Composed of classic regional ingredients: white or borlotti beans and Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) most traditional recipes call for making a rich minestrone including onion, celery, read more
Unsalted Bread. One of the most interesting Tuscan gastronomic oddities is the so called “pane sciapo” or “pane sciocco”, which means insipid bread, bread baked without salt. A couple of theories try to explain the reason why bread is unsalted. The first one, and the most reliable one, wants this read more