divina

I usually go out to the closest town to the airport GALLARATE and sleep there. there are HOTELS really close by so you can sleep there and get up not so early. Take a local train to Gallarate and then a cab to the hotel.. the then airport is about 4 miles to the airport! Changing your dates now should't cause problems..

yes they are open on Sunday.. lunch is hte big meal of the week and is at 1pm, so you should have no trouble getting there in time! Then after lunch you can go back down to Lucca, and walk around town.. for the passegiata! the stroll.. great people watching. The piatto do buon ricordo right now at La Mora is a fish soup, they also have a lovely seasonal tasting menu or a traditional Lucca style menu.. fabulous wine list!

in the hills outside of Lucca is one of the Buon Ricordo plate places I don't know how fancy you are.. but I like the Restaurant LA MORA. my article on buon ricordo plates

if you are picking up the car on Sunday morning( on a holiday??) in Florence, there is no problem getting out ot the countyside for lunch, let me know your destination and I can advise on a place!

let me know where you are headed and I will help!

Tuscany is sage.. the batter fried sage leaves, with or without filling we often use a little ricotta with the anchovy. Chicken breast sauteed with sage (fry sage leaves in oil until lightly crisp then lay chicken breasts on top, cover and cook, uncover flip chicken raise heat, salt!) Tuscan beans are done with the sage and garlic in the pot for the beginning for the cooking time, then removed because they are soggy, often we then saute sage and garlic in oil and add the beans back in.. with tomato sauce this is called Fagioli all'uccelletto, and served with sausage) On my site, I have a friends recipe forSage Pesto as well as the tuscan beans! I have also made a great Sage digestivo!!! here is my tuscan rub!

here in Florence Italy now I can actually get brown sugar try looking i macrobiotic shops, or originally I added molasses and just used white sugar, it gives you that fabulous flavor! I also had problems with the flour, here in italy our all purpose flour ( O) or (OO) is too low in gluten only 9 grams.. so I had to fine a higher gluten flour. or they were too runny!

Sorry I won't be here when you are.. I am in the states for the IACP conference! BUT.. wanted to mention that April 25th is a national holiday.. and a sunday!!! so a good day not to move around ! Enjoy Venice: Da gigio..Ai TEstiere...Rialto Market.. drink Prosecco Florence Cavolo nero is really nice ( see my link to my guide for Florence and chainti) Beccofino ( chef trained at coccopazzo , only for dinner) fun funky lunch MArio's neat San Lorenzo market Cibreo Trattoria or teatro del sale ( membership for teatro 5 euro) San Gimmy ( takes forever to get there by train and bus.. can add on to your rental car trips.. ) Dorando!!!! I would suggest driving the 222 Florence- Siena... and wine tour at la Volpaia and lunch there in the village.. very romantic!!!! La volpaia is outside Radda in Chianti Do you go to Panzanella in Siena! I love CIRO!!! Auguri Judy

you should see the left over wines! I must admit I probably have the only Super Tuscan Wine Vinegar !!!

Here is Mimmo from my site with info on his winebar and restaurant and a couple of his recipes! It isa great time to try the Zucchini pasta!

it was a clean out the fridge after a week of teaching.. so a tasting plate of prosciutto, Norcia, Parma and Tuscan as well as from the Cinta Senese which is a free range small pig that has been brought back after almost disappearing.. fabulous! ( famous in old fresco's the black pig with the white belt "cinta"around his back, feeds on acorns and chestnuts) wild boar salami, Culatello di Zibello... Cheeses, sheep, cow and goat.. creamy gorgonzola, aged sheeps cheese in lemon balm, a wonderful cow's milk cheese aged in Ash with black truffles... Stracchino ( my favorite cream cheese with a kick) taleggio and it's cousin Quartarolo.. Pesce Pavone, ( a large shark with no teeth, called veal of the sea) lightly sauteed with a gremolata and white wine sauce.. nice salad.. and strawberries with red wine and sugar!

FYI the big deal about Saint Joseph's day in Italy.. is that it is FATHER'S DAY! We all eat fried rice fritters, had to sample several yesterday, from several pastry shops, the best I had were from Ivana's Forno on via del ariento in Florence, filled after frying with a light lemon infused pastry cream! I also suggest just reheating the gnocchi in a skillet in a little of the sauce. But is the whole SAbbath thing that you can't actually cook.. but reheating is ok

Mimmo and Arianna are fabulous! Love the view from VEscovino too.. as well as his parmesan flan! and other items too numerous to mention. In Panzano there is also a handmade shoe maker, Carlo Fagiani.. As for outlets, we have prada, a real outlet, and there is a Gucci mall.. not as real from what I am told. outside of Florence is also Pratesi sheets.. There are several great wine shops in Florence.. which ahve been mentioned. It is important to know your prices where you live.. and go from there. There are also several fabulous ceramic shops. for the Deruta, you can drive down to the factories..( then eat at Tre Vasselle)

I am an AMerican living in Italy for 20 years now, so am in my own little world. Is Belgium endive called Chicory??? or was it used instead of chicory? In Rome especially they have a chicory for salads, that has long leafy greens on the outside, but thick white asparagus type fingers on the inside, the clean this and slice it into tiny thin slices and dress it wiht anchovy, lemon juice and oil. I am sure there are many types of chicory, but I know often English English and AMerican English differ.. I had a recipe published in a cookbook in England, and when I saw the foto of the finished product I was surprised ..asn it wasn't my cookie! I had specified powdered sugar.. and they used granulated.. I may need am English American dictionary!

Panzano is on the 222, exactly half way between Florence and Siena, just on the hills above Greve! There is a public parking lot on the left side of the hill before the villate, leave your car there. come down the stairs, turn left.. and you will see the small piazza on your right with a tiny pond and fountain. Enoteca Baldi is right there in front of the fountain! it is also a small restaurant... his fancier place Vescovino is up to the right on the hill in the old village. Panzano was put on the map by Dario Checchini, butcher of life.. where MArio Batali came to study, Alice Waters and others come to worship! tonight Dario is cooking for Alain Ducasse! you figure!

It has several wines by the glass... but mostly lunch spot retail shop. also Volpe l'uva is great same setup.. all on my site when are you coming.. I get thrills from shopping!

A perfect example for me is for Panna Cotta, the italian " jello for grownups" I always bring it to parties here in Florence, as noone here really makes desserts.. so I am sage and the dessert goddess.. I make it with a creme caramel base, serve it out of the pan.. with berries.. I gave the recipe to my Italian hostess who loved it.. When I called to ask how it went.. she said fine.. but thought it was a little tougher than mine.. the next time she would BAKE it less! It is JELLO!!! the name panna cotta means cooked cream, she thought I just left out telling her the baking time!!!!! Take my recipes.... Please!!

It is treated with heat and chemicals.. and is probably the last of the oils that can be produced that are for human comsumption... It is recommended for use is soap making! I would prefere any other oil!

Small world! Little did I know that Magnolia was a friend of a friend I was meeting!

Poor monks.. there are only 4 of them...perhaps less now.. the Antinori's bought the Abbey, and all the property around it.. giving the monastery back to the monks ( probably great tax writeoff) and keeping the cellars for some ridiculously low fee, for storing the wines.. When the monks realized what was happening.. it was too late.. so as I understand, the Antinori's had to move... and the abbey is closed now too fir restoration. it was open on Sunday's.. has a fabulous last supper in the dining room! Abbey info it is one of my favorite drives!

There is a cooking school at Portovenere ( outside of Genova closer to the Cinque Terre ) Paolo's classes

Since I saw all this going on about Pentole.. I went to my local store here in Florence, and they said, yes there are problems with the mother company ( seems to be a lot of that going on right now) But.. they have the pots.. and there is a sale on the starter set! Would probably be just as cheap to pop on over on a cheap flight and come shopping! The shop I looked at is Le Menagere on Via Ginori.. they have email but no website..

They moved everything as there was a problem with the monks! So now they own the restaurant next door, and opened rental properties on the hill next to the tignanello estates. It was a fabulous spot! I was hoping he was staying up the hill on the white road which would have taken him right to Cantinetta di Rignano.. one of my favorite's...

From San Casciano.. heading away from the highway.. towards Cerbaia.. will be above Scandicci.. I believe.. nice rolling hills.. some industrial stuff happening out there.. not much..perhaps that's why they have cellarss there.. They can't use the Abbey anymore I believe! It is easy to get anywhere!!! Cerbaia is a nice tiny village, I love San Casciano.. but sounds like you will be past there! There are some other great places to eat out there.. I will let you know! My classes are tiny.. only 6 people.. but one does need to book in advance.

In Tuscany, I have tons of things growing around wild.. this week I made a salad with violets ( thanks for the note I can also eat the leaves) and wild borage, leaves julieened and the lovely blue flowers left whole.. We also have elderberries....and the wild asparagus should be showing up soon! I am planning on following the little farm ladies around with their plastic bags and knifes..I see wild dandelions.. sorrel... and there are many other greens that I will have to learn the latin names instead of the Italian dialect.. so I can look them up! I don't do mushrooms..as there are too many that look like porcini that are poisonous..