divina

The Alessi recipe listed above is a bit complex. We always start with the soffritto, carrot, onion and celery, minced finely and sauteed in oil until golden ( ok.. I really get it close to burning.. loke the carmelization) then I brown the lepre ( wild hare) or wild boar..etc.. and splash with red wine. Add tomato sauce ( if you like) salt to taste.. season with any other flavors( juniper, bay leaves salt pepper...etc.) cover and cook. When the hare is tender it will fall off the bone... Take the hare off the bone and chop finely ( really mince) and put back into the sauce and finish cooking. IF you have the rabbit liver, you would also mince that up and add now. otherwise the liver makes it bitter. It is served without cheese as to not hide the flavor of the hare. Grated lemon zest is always a nice touch in ragu.

I live next door to an olive oil mill in Tuscany and it is going full swing now. No fancy bottles, no limited production, no labels. Bring over my 5 liter jug and fill it up. 7,50 euro a liter. I bought my first oil in market, bottled labeled etc. 19 euro a bottle for a liter. Laudemia in Italy is 17 Euro for 500 ml. Manni.... never seen it! marketing, marketing marketing.. but if someone brings you the best??? what will you pay? From the central MArket in florence they sell online ( http://www.tuscanyflavours.com/) in bottles or my prefered tins. Shipping is 100 euros for 10 kilo's about 22 pounds. Most of my cooking students wait for the new oil and get 4 5 liter tins shipped.and hord it all for themselves for the year... or 4 people split the shipping. a great oil can then cost you about 20 euro a liter? oil can be 35-75 for 5 liters. PS I helped them put together a starter kit for a tuscan kitchen.. but am not involved in the site... was just helping! it is where I shop and have shopped since 1988.

I was at Salone..on Thursday only.. way too many people, school kids on field trips. Notes for next time. Go after 3pm! Salone stays open until 11pm. Ran into Chris Cosentino from INCANTO in SF... I was with Jasper and the convivium from Kansas City. hard to connect with friends. But took my time and saw a lot. I still think it needs organizational help... many of my friends both from the states and mexico, had hard times at Terra Madre. I think the best part is the presidio, where the protected items are featured. My friends from the first " real market" in San Giovanni Val D'arno, brought the WHOLE MARKET, 40 stalls. Weekly markets in Italy are really a free for all with plastic tubs, roast chickens and whatever else. This market , which is getting government support, is an organic market, small producers which otherwise get lost in the crowds. INCREDIBLE! My friend Marco from Greve in Chianti also explained that the cost of Salone del Gusto was so high that he couldn't have participated. will send some foto's when I an not on dialup.

In the saltless bread list... when toasted of course with the new oil ( already out!) salted and a touch of black pepper, Fettunta or then topped with tuscan beans, zolifni from the val d'arno my all time favorite!... or really over cooked Tuscan Kale, cavolo nero... and some of it's cooking liquid. same bread on the bottom of a soup bowl with Tuscan white beans on top... and their broth,Zuppa Lombada and I must say... the saltless bread hold up for both the young and old... with Nutella for breakfast or merenda!

PS thoughts on canned tomatoes. In Italy they are prepared when tomatoes are at their peak and are fabulous! I like the peeled San Marzano with a basil leave and nothing else. Don't know what is available outside Italy, but do know to watch out! Many cans say: Italian style San Marzano ( but not from Italy) when the tomatoes are picked ripe, they fall apart when even lightly touched with a fork and are full or flavor and cook quickly for a 5 minute fresh sauce with garlic olive oil and chili, for soups or stews. I HATE when I find the hard ends of unripe tomatoes in the cans in the states! they are also acidic.... My mantra is spend more time shopping and less time cooking.. often this also means more money on an ingredient. I think in Italy ( which is where I live) food is the highest priority, before designer bags, jewelery, watches, clothes etc. They are what they eat! and where they shop. so the canned tomatoes for pappa al pomodoro are fabulous! I am also getting some of the smaller tomatoes now from Vesuvius.. but they have a higher ratio of skin to tomato that I don't like.

Being on slow dial-up, forgive me for just linking to my site, but it is where I gather my info! I adore Pappa al Pomodoro and when I don't have time tto make the minestrone to make Ribolitta, it gives me the same sould warming feeling! Trattoria Mario's Ribollita is another favorite, more of a bean based soup. My mother- in- laws version is more of the classic Minestrone. And when I am feeling a smoother.. I make Fabio Picchi's Yellow bell pepper soup But now it is still so sunny soup isn't in my menu! The temp has just started to drop, new oil is out..and all is well!

Home sweet home... since 1984! I will be here when things calm down a little! just got back from Salone del Gusto! and have a convivium here from Kansas City... Dinner at solociccia tonight and then I am back to normal! the weather right now is SOOOO warm still. Had a fabulous grilled porcini for lunch today!!! the new oil is out!!! and all is great in paradise.

oh boy.. Tuscany.. home sweet home.. since 1984.. and I should be able to participate more as the work season slows down.. although white truffles and the oil harvest are still bringing in the tourists. I am the soup queen.. there are several on my site so stop by! Minestrone, Ribollita, Pappa al Pomodoro and Fabio Picchi's yellow bell pepper soup which is a favorite and a base to make several others he does such as pumpkin! Tuscan white beans served with their broth on toasted bread rubbed with garlic is called Zuppa Lombarda and fills your belly and your soul!

white truffles in florence's central market are 250 for 100 grams about 3 ounces. first one's are in now.

My husband also makes those eggs and he is florentine!

Judith.. just caught up with your blog.. me next!!! Love it... glad to see your corner of Italy.. I'll have a negroni in my piazza at about 5pm.. we can make it virtual and raise our glasses at the same time!

Just got an email back from the Ferron people ( Italians are slow on email!) they said that the rice is more flavorful having the husk.. and only takes a few more mintues of cooking time.. 2 or three! enjoy his recipe . the cinnamon is traditional and makes a really special risotto!

For me Fall and Umbria really go together. Here in Tuscany the porcini are here and I just spotted my first white truffles and the Central Market. I stayed at the Castello di Poretta years ago when I was down in Umbria ( so close yet so far away!) and was knocked over by the then chef Donatella's Truffled salad. here is the link to Chicchi a fabulous chickpea and farro salad with black truffles. If you don't have truffles, use truffle oil or the new food toy I adore truffle salt!!! or add some sauteed Porcini!

" faux meatballs" exist in many Italian regions. I also have had one called Fruscededdu(sp?) from sicily Left over stale bread, usually soaked in milk or water is used instead of meat. Bound with egg and grated cheese the flavorings change from region to region. In Naples there was chopped ham ( not prosciutto, but prosciutto cotto) ad parsey. the sicilian version had mint and pecorino romano cheese.

sorry to chime in so late.. it is high season here..and I am cooking as fast as I can! I will see if I can get time to download foto's on my dialup!!! but wanted to say: Last spring I taught a class on naples cooking.. in sonoma we started with little bread "meastballs" wrapped in roasted peppers topped with mozzarella and baked from Mimi alla Ferrovia in Naples.. FABULOUS Mozzarella in Carozza.. forget grilled cheese!!! slices of mozzarella pressed between bread slices, egged like french toast and fried. Adda couple of capers inside for an extra kick! sprinkle with salt before serving. Casiatello- usually served at EAster but worth making anytime. lard enriched bread dough rolled out and topped with salami and cheese, rolled and baked in a ring mold ( angel food cake pan works well) I have had the chocolate eggplant too ways, once from a friend from amalfi how used a recipe as Doc linked to.. where the fried eggplant is layered with melted chocolate my friend used candied ginger instead of orangea nice bite.. it is then chilled and sliced like cake. you would never know there was eggplant! and then the fried slices topping a sweetened ricotta and melted chocolate poured in top. If I was going to say dessert in naples.. It would be BABA.. love the new mini version that is sold in jars soaked with limoncello instead of rum. we were there at christmas time (for the San Gregorio a Armena creche sales) ad loved it so much will go back this year. there were zillions of hard spiced cookies for sale. the other dish we saw EVERYWHERE was pesce in acqua pazza... saute a whole fish.. one person small fish lots of people huge fish! in garlic olive oil and chili pepper. Splash with white wine. add mussels to pan and put the fish in the oven to cook. When the fish is cooked, take the fish out and bone it and place on platter. Drain spaghetti into the sauce pan where you cooked the fish. serve the spaghetti in the plate with the cleaned fish filets. Sometimes called Santa Lucia. this seemed to be a big favorite when we went out and huge parties of people woul order it as well as couples llike us. the huge fish took foreve to cook as as this is a one course meal.. the just waited!

Next week when I am back in Florence I will pick up the info sheet on the rice where I buy mine and let you know. I think it has a longer cooking time.. but that is all. When I met Gabrielle, he taught me to make risotto without stirring as stirring breaks up the rice. so his technique is more pilaf style. saute with onion or shallot then toast rice add liquid, cover and cook for 14 minutes then uncover stir and add additional liquid to creat creaminess. On my site is his recipe for risotto all'isolana with meats and cinnamon traditional from his village.

check the site for Gabrielle Ferron of pila vecia, this is where I first saw it being made in the family business. he also teaches, ahs some recipes online.

I am not an expert.. but buy white truffles frequently in season. outside of Florence we have two villages that have white truffles, San Miniato near Pisa and San Govanni d'asso near Siena. It is said that San Miniato has so many white truffles they are sent to PIedmonte.. to fill the domand and get a higher price. There is no pricing until the season starts.. but usually they start around 2,000 a kilo and go higher the closer you get to Christmas and New Years.. when they arrive at 3,000. I can buy a nice size truffle for about $100. I wrap in in paper towel, and keep it in the fridge.. in a glass jar.( If I need to keep it I usually buy it and use it!) the paper towel should be changed daily to keep teh truffle from getting moldy. REmember the $30,000 truffle bought at the auction here in Florence and flown to london where the chef locked it up for the weekend.. came back and it was mush?? I am going back to the market wednesday and can ask. They don;t keep the truffles in rice as they say it draws out the essence... which is ok if you are making risotto! When you are here .. the new thing is truffle salt.. or truffle honey made with white truffles...

Gragnano pasta is the BEST.. I can't believe the FLAVOUR it has..and bite! I can't always find it in Florence , but when I do... I stock up. PS several people have pasta made in Gragnano..and give it other names... the factory also produces it's own line

a funny story from FAbio Picchi of Cibreo restaurant... a woman with a baby came in and asked the kitchen to heat up a jar of baby food, he tasted it.. spit it out..and then added some fabulous aged parmesan cheese and extra virgine olive oil... brought it out to the lady..and her baby ate it all up... without complaining. she asked waht fabio had done.. he said.. have YOU ever tasted this... and then explained the secret!

I remember there was an egulleter that flew out for the weekend to TOUR the campus... it is a school in my friends old storeroom, rebuilt and probably fun.. but as mentioned.. NOT the CIA or Cordon Bleu.. I would highly suggest ITALCOOK in Jesi for a professional program. I wish it had been around when I first came here 22 years ago!

louisa.. you are the babe!!! hope to see the Beirut show here in Italy too.. we also get miami ink..or s tony's ink different?

one problem in the states is the SEMOLINO... semolino is cream of wheat... BUT.. what you need to make the pasta is called SEMOLA, or hard wheat flour!!! I have eaten some horrible pasta made with semolino! ( hathor) the burrata is wrapped in leek leaves..

don't know why it took so long,, it took me forever to download the foto's too, so maybe something Italian!

here is my puglia homework! on this slow dialup.. just put it on my blog!My husband loved it..but he is Florentine!Franci what do you say???funny Franci is my husbands nickname!