divina

important to know.. most Italians make lunch the big meal,.. around 1pm. Easter Monday is also a holiday here.. there is an antique fair in Greve in Chianti. The Scoppio del Carro is fun, the Carro is called Brindellone and is kept in a secret GARAGE, near the Hotel Villa dei Medici.. my dream is to watch it being brought to the Piazza del Duomo.. I love Parades! As soon as you arrive, make your reservations. tell me where you are staying and I will be glad to recommend somewhere nearby!

I was just in Naples before Christmas.. when lots of the shooting were going on. NONE int he downtown area.. so nothing to worry about. the downtown was elegant and fabulous! WE had some great meals.. BUT I live in Florence.. and think there is some great food here..and great shopping.. definetly one of the best food markets. It is a quick ride from Rome Eurostar 1 1/2 hours! I would at least do 2 days and one night.. if not two nights.. If you are cutting Naples out. We did a long weekend in Naples..We stayed at a nice hotel near the train station. but it would be more fun to be right downtown..they have a great downtown, fabulous pastry shops... and Pizza... and food! Tough choice! If you do come to Florence, there is a dining guide on my site-

I live in FLorence so I can buy it!!! Will let you know the cost!

waiting for your insites on Enoteca Pinchiorri..and want a pix of you in the jacket!

Go for mole with Chocolate!!! We also doa wild boar here in Tuscany.. very mole like.. everyone loves it! the bitter chocolate is fabulous with chili...

Thanks for reminding me of the name.. AL BRIC is the place where we had great wine.. and really bad food. there were four of us.. two friends from LA and my florentine husband and myself..not one good dish. Place was packed!

I have lived in Italy for 20 years.. and loved Gusto! The place is filled with Romans, and perhaps what it is.. is that we all get typical food at home with mom.. BUT.. My white pizza there was fabulous, lots of mozzarella, zucchini blossoms and anchovies!!! really great!!! and the chocolate chili mousse is one of the best I had... anywhere!!!! I have been very disappointed in TRADITIONAL trattorias, and in general in Rome, compared to FLorence for flavor. I found the tomato sauce to be SWEETENED .. I have totally blocked out of my memory a very famous place ( was written up in the GREAT Gourmet that was all on Rome about 1 1/2 years ago , get a copy if you can) written up as one of the BEST roman places.. for the wine list.. and food.. wine was fabulous and expesive..and my lovely baby lambchops were served in this horrible tomato sauce instead of just grilled which is so famous in Rome. In another touristy place.. on Piazza Navona, we had a heavenly potato gnocchi served in a parmesan cheese cup...light and perfect!!! foto's of the owner on the wall with Sinatra!!! On Pizza.. besides water content. flour also plays an important part on pizza. The thin crusted pizza's tend to use what we would consider pastry flour, low gluten, and less water. The breadier pizza's as mentioned are the wet dough.. and usually are made using a higher gluten flour to get that chewiness and the crust. In Rome.. they are split between northern style lighter pizza's and the southern Chewier crust.. Also what they call White Pizza, is what we call Schiacchiata, a flat bread brushed with oil.. also the pizza al Taglio's are great for keeping up your energy! Try Dittirambo(06/6871626 for some New ROman! Piazza della Cancelleria,74! fabulous also winebars!!! We enjoyed CUL DE SAC, get a number !!! and wait to be seated.. lost os students.. great wines.. and I like getting the mixed pate plate.. my favorite is the wild boar.. with its bitter chocolate center! I am also looking forward to trying the new JApanese looking OBIKO mozzarella bar Capranica Enoteca Piazza Capranica ( fancier winebar)60 Euro tasting menu looked fab! Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara(06/6864018 is the next one on my list to try.. the place served huge fried cod ( sort of Roman fish and chips!!!) another place packed with locals.. and in the nice weather they set up tables in the street! So little time.. so much food!!!

Perhaps I am missing something.. but doesn't the french 75 have champagne..and sugar syrup??? I think both help take the edge off all the alcohol

I was just at Da michele.. very minimum.. you can have one there and then go across the street to Trianon and have one there too! At Da Michele you need to walk up and tell them how many people.. they will give you a little paper with a number..stay near by so you know.. Very stark... was good, more funny than great.. as it was sort of uncomfortable eating at the little formica tables.. I would try Pizza in Rome as it is totally another thing..

It is not illegal to hunt wild boar.. just to sell it at the Central Market! I always get it from friends too.. Will tell you my porcupine story when I see you!

for a fun antipasto table.. Hosteria del Orso in Via del Orso.. only order the antipasto,and if you have room after, you can order more.. but they FILL your table with food!!!! I also enjoyed Gusto, they have a Bistro, wine bar, pizza place.. filled with locals ( also a kitchen shop) Check out the Campo dei Fiori market.. I have my list at home on my regular computer.. and if it stops snowing will be home this weekend and can send it to you.

A couple of notes.. the wild boar at the market , is actually hunted in eastern block countries and sent over to Italy frozen.. so it is really wild. When first moved here in 84, the same stand would have just killed wild boars from the hunters, which he would piece for them. it is now against the law for him to sell FRESH local wild boar. The greens are called agretti and are served lightly boiled and dressed with oil and lemon..

I would think so.. small packages?? Hey. Ore is coming to the market saturday.. nerbone's?

Adam.. fagottino is a small bundle.. usually refering to a cloth wrapping.. like a hobo sort of soft suitcase! Often a fagottino can now be a CREPE with a filling.. or a fresh pasta , copying the shape of the cloth wrapping. Perhaps the fegatelli is also a fagottino...being that it is wrapped in the caul fat. Sorry you didn't yell up when you were at the market today!!!

In Florence we make Nocino on June 24th, St John the Baptist's holiday. here is the recipe On my site I put the vodka version online, but if you would like the version with Everclear, which is traditional, let me know.

Is there a budget?

I am always making liquers, of course here limoncello is a biggie.. Mostly i like the single flavors I make a sage.. and a clementine and let hte flavors shine. One of my favorite blends.. is from the south of france and I bought the BLEND at the pharmacy! Bitter orange, quinine bark.. and other goodies.. it was first soaked in everclear.. and then blended with sugar and red wine.. MAde a Vermouth.. to mix with tonic.. or have on the rocks! fabulously refreshing

In Florence they are called Fegatelli, pork livers wrapped in caul fat.my prefered way is ground and seasoned ( which look like what you bought) cooked in a hot oven and splashed with Vin Santo at the end. Most butchers just do them with whole livers, and their custom seasonings, which always include fennel seeds ( to help digestion) Will check out my Florentine butchers blend..

I believe it is a very small production, and sold for pharmeceurical uses ( money) Did not make it to Slow Food this year so don't know of they were present. On the Site there are lots of recipes, for food, cosmetics and cures!

I found my MANNA.. tasted it.. like the leftovers from my mom's sugared walnuts, sort of a honeyflavor, more that sugar. I bought this at the Slow food show in Torino, 4 years ago..and will look for the info on who I got it from! Was from a national park in Sicily, Manna delle Madonie . here is the link to Slow Food Presidi If you click on the MANNA, you will get a great foto and explaination ( in Italian) They slice the bark of trees ( Frassina...Ash ) and the leave the incision open and gather the resin that has not touched the bark, sometimes using a cactus leaf to gather the resin. There are only 150 people still gathering the Manna , all old, and only 2 that actually make a living doing it. It was called Mannite, and in the 60's was an actual occupation. Interesting that it was sold to be used as a laxative.. or for sweetener in pastries! A large site in Italian and a definition..

I have a bag of MANNA that I bought at Slow Food in Torino.. will get you foto of it. not sure if I threw it away since I didn't use it! Yes it is a resin from plants. and looks like a crystalized syrup.

24/7 since 1988!!! here is the view from my window and where I like to have my breakfast when really hungry! boiled beef anyone!!!

I still need to verify this, but was told that customs has realy cracked down and now you can't bring parmesan back legally???? Anyone know about that? Ore... I sure would hate to lose a culatello! I know my mom had her tiny wild boar salami's which were vacuum packed confiscated.. The only way I can think of making it smaller is to slice it and vacuum pack it sliced... but it truely loses a lot the minute it is sliced.. see you soon

Done! I have smuggled into Italy.. noone seems to care! had to show Dario Cecchini the precooked potroasts at the suppermarket, packaged! Actually wasn't bad!

I hope you also get to Luca Mannori, try some of his "nutella" I adore the salt and olive oil one, and the berry one is good too. I come from FLorence for his pastry's as well! he is a world champion pastry chef!!! his place is in front of the hospital www.mannoriluca.com