divina

I really can't say how lucky I am to havethe best of both worlds.. there isn't enough time in a one week blog to show the variety of what is availble to me here in FLorence ( expecially with slow dialup internet, each foto entry took over an hour to do!) I can get any part of a cow or pig... A variety of international food products now, fresh, ginger, limes ( which were contraband when I first moved here) there is a market near me, VIVI where I can get almost anything.. phillipino, Mexican, American Chinese and Japanese!!! The new immigrants are opening their own shops now too... good news or bad? I remembe someone saying in a previous post how they could not come back to Florence now.. it is so touristy. It has been a tourist town forever... the numbers are up but it is alive! more tourism more income and perhaps the locals can survive the Euro! I was in Israel in the late 70's before the peace treaty... bombings daily..always having to call home and let my mom know it wasn't me found dead no a beach somewhere. But even now, I would still go back to Jeruselem in a heartbeat. Things have gotten worse.. or just more press? I still love my Florence, even though she has changed, there are some things that never will... like in a marraige, for better or worse!

Fou, Thanks! I have my own blog which I have had since July 2003 and there is a link on my signature, so follow alone. The Whole HOg blog was part of a joint project with Kate Hill for our seminar with Fergus Henderson at IACP in Seattle last year.. so it isn't as up to date, but our passion for pork Continues and workshops in Italy and France are in the future. Ghostrider. I have a KODAK with a fabulous lense..and yes.. the light in Italy is fabulous.. which I remember especially on days like this! It is indian summer here and fall is n all it's glory! I will continue to answer questions here, but will turn my blogging back to my blog as this was for a week.. and there will be a new blogger today I think!

Thanks.. hope to see you soon in Amsterdam! on one of your market tours! I'll be your first client!

the little pigs are dressed in medieval costumes now for a event that happened years ago.. for the guelfi and the ghibelline...and stayed that way. The bean guy's mom retired and he sold out.. his sister changed the place to a sandwich place and now it is being redone again! who knows? He has married a wonderful Mexicna girl who was here at the fashion institute and had her own stand with scarves..and now they are moving back to mexico.. where he will bring Italy to Mexico City! thanks for the nice notes!

I am not a bustarella type of girl.. don't know who to pay off.. we won't even go into the restoration on my house that took 8 years!!! it is a tiny one bedroom!!! If I had known who to pay off... I would have. I almost had a stroke 245/150! Emergency room! I did cry! but got over it! The book is a bible, and I just found out now there is an english version and I can ask to be tested in English too! My friend told me she just took it and it was ok. you have to know all about motors too!

No blog of mine would be complete without a foto of Dario Cecchini... I discovered Dario thanks to Faith Willingers book, Eating in Italy, when it came out. Took me awhile to actually find Dario as the village was not famous and there was no reason to go out there for me.....and when I did go I couldn't find him. Third time is a charm. Found him I did and was mesmerized at how he wove tales, his passion for food... and eventually his friendship. Not somthing given away easily! I worked with Dario in his shop on Sundays first.. helping to pour wine while clients wait to be served.. then behind the cash register, helping to bag and also translate and finally moving into the kitchen where I helped with the preparation of foods for sale in the shop and catering dinners. My Mostarda I created while working there is still for sale and has made a big hit in Italy, actually creating a whole new market for jellies with Cheese. When I first made it, I wanted to show Dario some "americanate"... cream cheese and red pepper jelly, but some things just don't translate and pre-internet.. I didn't have a recipe and faked it and served the Mostarda, originally called Judy's Jelly, then Cotognata Cecchini, with a local fresh pecorino cheese DArio used in the shop. My meat ragu Fiamme di Inferno is also still for sale....sort of based on chili. I also made a sort of Harissa called Sudore di Satano, Satan's Sweat. Actually all of my recipes in the shop where chili based. I see a return of the Diva and Dario!!! I miss working there..was a true experience, and still benefit from the friendships created there. If you get a chance, his new restaurant SOLOCICCIA is fun! Last time I went.. we had: fried onion rings, sage and tiny meatballs Ragu crostini Raw veggies with salt and oil Boiled beef with green sauce Roast beef with herbs and oil Potroast tuscan beans CAke and coffee and digestives. 30 euro a person.. table wine, water included. We brought wine from Cennatoio winery, Dario's neighbors... no corkage! My week has come to an end.. but not my blogging. Today was ruined.. I was supposed to be going to an IACP luncheon at a villa in the countryside, but got stopped by the police for a routine checkup..and they took my licence away! REDTAPE Being that I am an American.. but married to an Italian.. technically I should have an Italian drivers licence.. BUT since where I have my business is in my name but rented to me as a non resident.... I don't have residency... which if I did would need an Italian licence. SO NOW.. I have to get residency at my place in the countyside.. hope my landlord in Florence doens't figure it out ( he only rents to non residents) ... AHHH the Dolce Vita! Ciao for now!

as part of the expat community, I also speak, for groups at schools, churches etc. for free. That way people can also get to know you, and trust you! Who are the expats in Amsterdam? I assume the wives of working guys? We have a huge Expat community of people with GE.

not to be undervalued is touring a place with a local. Not perhaps that is somewhere you could or could not go on your own, but rather what do you see through the eyese of a local. if you do not have the language skills to ask questions, that is what the EXPERT is for. To also be your translator and facilitator.. to get the most out of the experience.

A little seasonal recipe... simply Divina!!! Cinghiale in Dolce Forte a sweet and sour wild boar recipe Before Columbus discovered the New World and brought back the fruit from the "money tree" (cocoa beans were so valuable they were used as currency and as an unsweetened drink in Aztec religious ceremonies), chocolate was used to enrich stews. This classic dish resembles Mexican mole, but is much lighter. It is my favorite dish to serve at a formal party. Marinade: 2 cups red wine 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1 bay leaf 1 sprig fresh thyme I tbs pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) 1 carrot, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 celery stock, chopped 3 pounds wild boar, venison, or pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes 4 tbs butter or olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped I tbs pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 tbs pine nuts 3 ounces dried prunes, cut in half 1 tbs chilli pepper Grated zest of one orange 1 tbs raisins 1 tbs sugar If using wild game, the meat should definitely be marinated. With other meats, this step is optional but recommended. Bring the marinade to a boil and let cool. Cover the meat and let it sit in the marinade for 48 hours. Remove the meat and remove the solids from the marinade. Sauté the onion in butter or olive oil until golden. Add the meat and brown lightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, the strained marinade liquid, and cook until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with creamy polenta or on a thick slice of toasted country style bread. Buon appetito!

city hall in Florence City hall in Certaldo My view My galley-style kitchen. pots

here is the scary part.. the books! and certaldo only some of the books.... totally out of control.. will not show you the LARGEST of all in Florence with 20 years of Italian cooking magazines!

set up a price.. start low if you like, I did. get paid first. I take paypal. People can use their credit cards. I HATE asking for money too! but it is a job. Be professional. Join professional organization ( there are lots of Dutch IACP members) make a professional site or brochure. Best wishes! I always take a market tour or cooking class where ever I go to get an insight from locals on where to eat etc. Have a dining guide you can give you clients as a bonus! I spent and spend a lot of time on my site, creating a lot of free info and advice so people know about Florence. not everyone can take a class, but then people know who I am! Establishes expertise! LEt me know when you are ready!

That's my life! there are different levels of teaching and what you give. I do local workshops for expats.....market tours, vocabulary. these are set up as a series. then I have cooking classes with market tours. one day.. 2 and 3.... days Most people I think want a foodie walking tour.. with lunch as a tourist. so having options is a good idea, set up days, and see how it goes. Monday and Thursday walking tours with lunch.. Wednesday market cooking classes.

Love seeing Italy through the eyes of others... but for your MARTINI'S call me! I adore cocktails... and would love to join you next time you are in Florence. I am friends witht he president of the Martini e Rossi barmans team and boy does he make a mean martini! My favorite is his Stone martini... a special volcanic stone from the beach in Okinawa... soaked in vermouth... and placed in the glass.... then VODKA!( my choice!) http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1163305514/gallery_28661_3841_26583.jpg[/img yeah baby I am so there! but cocktails are really not a part of most Italians lifestyle... so not so easy to find.

I will get a bag of the DROGHE and read what is really in there.. I think more than 6!!! but the idea is like the french Quattro Epices. When Kate Hill and I did our presentation at IACP with Fergus Henderson on Pork, and preserving, she had brought her butcher blend and I mine! there are some many variations. The olives in Tuscany are picked greener, and not just black. they leave the leaves in, but most are washed away. I had always heard that some leaves left in dows increase the Greeness..and also the bite.. that is so prevelant in the oils of my area. a Peppery bite.. which is probably also why Florentines don't use much black pepper. they get it from the Oil, chili and salad greens themselves.

more foto's Countryside: I guess you could call this my front yard. the old road that passes in front. when digging around we found the old road sign.... and then our neighbors put it in their wall! FLorence: On via San Antonino ( perfect as Saint Anthony Abate is the patron saint to pig butchers) is this temple to pork! recently they closed down the shop next door, which was just the butchers, and incorporated the fresh butchers into the salami shop and turned the butchers into a restaurant with garden in the back.. who knew! But more... it is a place where a meal is 8 Euro! they have chosen to compete with the shwarma guys, and offer precooked meals to go or you can stay and eat there sitting down. market butcher making his house blend rub for the meats Rosemary, garlic and salt. some of the boys. Andrea Perini Alessandro Baroni Ferdinando... with one of the most PERFECT shop's Upstairs in the market... Porcini grow on a hot day after it rains under chestnut or oak trees..at a certain altitude. Florentines tend to use more chili pepper... that black pepper In Chianti: at Falorni's butcher shop, prosciutto everywhere! This is actually Spalla, a cured meat made from the shoulder.. of the Cinta Senese, a pig ( saddleback) that was almost extint, and brought back!!! full of fat...and flavor! the original Vino Sfuso shops bulk wine, were in the town villa's of the rich. All over town there are these, now closed, wine doors. One would put in an empty bottle and buy their oil and wine directly from the producers. Some of these wine doors are now doorbells, mailboxes or frescoed.

I don't precook my pasta anymore for lasagna. I layer in in uncooked between the ragu I make with wine and the tiniest bit of tomato and bechamel sauce.. with parmesan. Heaven on a fork. One of the secrets to flavor is a mixture called Droghe. Rather like Pumpkin pie spice, a blend butchers use here for seasoning sausage. I use it in my ragu. Cinnamon, nutmeg, coriandor, ginger, mace, allspice... From Pre-Columbian times..when the spice trade was big business!

Yesterday in chianti was incredible.. the weather couldn't have been better.. Thank you God! We got a late start .. due to THIS! Breakfast at the Bar right next to AVIS on Borgo Ognisanti! The split cup is Lavazza's new thing. coffee or cappuccino..and chocolate or hazelnut mousse! ( the cup is plastic) Years ago they did a coffee you eat.. working with Adria Ferran and the whipped cream swan... was the BEST. so by the time we got into Chianti it was lunch time. We had a lovely relaxed lunch at Le Panzanelle, run by two young women from Panzano. Here are some of the highlights. Chicken liver crostini.. perfect!!! Luscious Lasagna.. like mamma makes... if you are Florentine! Sausage and beans, the fabulous traditional pork and beans Tuscan style incredible wine the whole meal was: Lasagna Chick pea soup, Pasta with garlic olive oil and chili sauce Pasta with Amatriciana sauce Grilled lambchops Tagliata with arugula and balsamic and parmesan Sausage and beans Salad and PERFECT french fries. Tiramisu Warm chocolate cake Warm apple tart the BEST chestnut Panna cotta. last night for dinner cornflakes!

here is the front of my house... it was build around 1700 ( the first parts) and then added onto. old farmhouse, there was one light bulb, running water.. but the bathroom was a cement box with a whole in it that emptied into a huge clay jar buried in the ground. the land around us must have been under the sea in ancient times as there are seashells in the gound! more "family" Actually the neighbors that are never here cats.. mom and the only kitten of theirs that survived ( there were three) so for us they are nameless... wired !!!! they are always rubbing up against the kitchen window and crying! We do feed them, but don't let them in the house and 2 of the other three cats that were born in the house. Naomi and Rank The last but not least! stellino I was so beat..as was my hubby today.. no cute markets.. we really needed some basics so I went to the COOP grocery store and picked up cleaning stuff, soaps, toilet paper and some fruit!

I also adore the amaretti morbidi.. but often make the Ricciarelli ( recipe on my site) that are soft almond flour cookes. I will look for the amaretto morbido recipe after lunch! i should have it in one of the zillion books I have. foto's of book shelves later! Marlene.. I was at Salone too.. we probably rubbed elbows!

When I first started my 5 day programs in 1997, I offered a market tour on Mondays with lunch ( for non cooks, but foodies) the core three day cooking program ( available even for one day) and a friday day trip to Chianti. The cooking classes have worked really well, but the walking tours and Chianti days were too small for me to run, and when the house in Certaldo was finally ready. my days there were precious. I trained some friends in touring and they began their own businesses based on my clients and then built their own tours and services from there. When I have a 5 day program, as I did this week, I do the Chianti tours myself! I adore showing people My Chianti! Being married to an Italian, speaking Italian fluetnly (almost) and having lived in Chianti for several years while working at the Macelleria Cecchini, I can go on and on... We had a hard time even leaving florence as we stopped at Piazza Michelangelo for the fabulous view! On the terrece below us were 5 chinese weddings doing the foto thing and my friend Vittoire, selling her handmade byzantine style mosaic jewerly! ( she is usually there on the left side of the Piazza) then off to the countryside! the olives are harvested by hand, using a plastic comb to get them off the branches, a ladder to reach the olives and a cloth laid under the tree to gather the olives that fall. here the group is standing infront of the next press. Five friends got together and these are the olives from about 200 trees. They will get about 15% of the weight in oil. you see the baskets of olives and the steel containers to take the oil home in. You make a reservation to have your olives crushed. From bringing your olives in to taking the oil home is about a 3 hour process ( for the people we spoke to who had 200 trees) Then they are dumped into a bin in the garage..and taken by a belt into the machine that washes them and takes out some of the leaves before moving to the crushing machine. Washing the olives moving the washed olives to the crushing machine that makes the paste the machine the works the paste Inside the machine the paste is mixed with a cutter to draw help separate the pulp and water, and draw out the oil. Then it is put into a centrifical force machine that separating the pulp from the water/oil new oil....liquid gold! When you buy olive oil from the producers of artisan oil... remember what they went through!

ahhh a day off, so now tales about the countryside. I will fill you in on our trip to Chianti yesterday, a lovely lunch, and a visit to a local olive oil mill. I am now at home in Certaldo and in my pj's at my desk. here is one of the cats. helping me type! We bought the place in Certaldo in 1993, started work on it, had the work blocked by the builing police and finally got permits, finished it and moved in in 2002. Not fun! But now as I look out at the views, and breathe the clean air and pet the cats, all is well! As for the cats. Pictured above is Big Daddy, or Silvester to my hubby. He is the first cat that adopted us. Where we live there are is a small grouping of houses called San Gaudenzio, which is the church with 3 houses, then across the street the olive oil mill, which is in front of where we live. The closet large town is Certaldo, home to Boccaccio, author of Decameron. I see San Gimignano from my bathroom window.. far away.. 14 km, but a long drive on windy roads. Our house is the central block of a once one family farm house, added onto in a strange way over the years, and then recently restored by three different families ( us being one) but we are they only ones that really LIVE here as the others have real homes and use theirs for dinner parties on the weekends.(?) Really! Back to the cats, Big Daddy has had several wives and kids that come and go. Some go thanks to hunters, others to trucks! But currently we have three grandkids/children of Big Daddy's, the daughter/wife has disappeared after the last group of babies ( which all disappeared to a hunter/truck episode) but the previous litter has survived and are really our cats now having been born in my closet last March. Foto's of them when they stop by to eat!

here are my olives in progress. olives layered with sea salt, lemon zest and garlic slices. As the salt draws out the bitter liquids, you drain those off and when there is no more liquid the olives are ready! I think this would also work with flavorless already brined olives to give them flavor! I am going to get the recipe from a local Nonna ( grandma) for the oven baked version.. my all time favorite!

Judith.. I have one more week of work.. then am a free woman! Am having lunch with Elizabeth here in Tuscany on Sunday!

Pan. I bought the raw olives. I do eat at the shwarma place near me.. they are turkish. for 3,50 for a HUGE sandwich and a flavor not tuscan.. ok! I have tried several, the first Arab place was Amon's. GREAT! still there although I haven't been in ages, more homemade food. All the shwarma places are pretty much the same. Frozen meat already made and seasoned.. brought down from Germany!!! the older places season their own meat. I adore Sumak.. and only get that at the homemde places.. there is another near me. In the Piazza SAnta Maria Novella.. is Mr KEbab.. he has a huge full menu, with falafel too!