The Cooking and Cuisine of Tuscany

[Jim Dixon]

Adam,

Thanks, I know the area around the mercado, so next trip I'll be on the lookout.

Jim

[wgallois]

Dana is right about La Porta in Monticchiello: it is a very pleasant spot, though I wished we had booked a table in advance as those on the terrace have sensational views out over the valley. Had two dishes there that were really fantastic: the first was a fonduta di tartufo (melted pecorino and truffles are a great combination) and the second was a very creamy spelt risotto - this was the first time that I had had a risotto made with this grain, and I very much liked the plumpness of the spelt as compared with rice.

[Adam Balic]

The grains were "farro" yes? Mostly it is translated as spelt, but that is only partially true. Farro is a term which covers a number of species of primative wheat. One of these is spelt, but the one that is more commonly used in soup, salads and risotto (I have had an excellent version of this at La delphina) is Farro Medio. This is an ancestor of modern hard wheats used in pasta making.

Farro information

[redwinegulper]

My favorite is Cinghiale (wild boar). I have had it grilled which was amazing, but more commonly I see it in a ragu over pasta.

[spanky]

At the Ristorante Buca di Sant'Antonio in Lucca, I had the capretto (roasted mountain goat). It was lovely, a bit like gamey lamb. We ate at that restaurant twice during our four-day stay and couldn't fault it--although my partner found their ice-cream filled buccellato (fruit cake with aniseed) an acquired taste. No idea why, myself.

[cinghiale]

The grains were "farro" yes? Mostly it is translated as spelt, but that is only partially true. Farro is a term which covers a number of species of primative wheat. One of these is spelt, but the one that is more commonly used in soup, salads and risotto (I have had an excellent version of this at La delphina) is Farro Medio. This is an ancestor of modern hard wheats used in pasta making.

Farro information

In my Umbria cookbook, Julia della Croce emphatically states that spelt is an incorrect translation of farro; it's emmer wheat, she says. So, I followed Adam's link with interest. According to Abundantlifeseed.org, she's only partially correct:

Large farro:

Altgolt Spelt (COG) T. spelta the German wheat of colonial America, was once the principal wheat in Europe. Treat as winter wheat. Grows in thick clumps and difficult to thresh. Heirloom, Rare.

Small farro:

Black Einkorn (COG) T. monococcom a beautiful form of domesticated wheat, disease resistant and tolerates poor soil, but low yields. Small headed, small seeded wheat with 2 rows and black highlights on the husks and awns. Grows wild in Near East and grown as relic crop in Turkey. Delicate and very striking in flower arrangements. Does not thresh easily. Rare. BULK

Medium farro:

Emmer (COG) T. dicoccum spring variety, durum type, tall, large seeded, 4 row with big chestnut brown heads and thick straw. Also good for weaving. An impressive grain–incredible in the garden. Heirloom. BULK

[Adam Balic]

Wheat genetics is very complicated, so any generalisation will have errors. A simple family tree is;

Eikorn (14 chromosomes) X wild grass (14 chromosomes)

|

"Emmer" type wheat (28 chromosomes) = 'hard' durum type wheats after generations of human breeding (ie. Emmer wheat is the original form).

Emmer X another 14 chromosome wild grass

|

"Modern" soft or bread wheats (42 chromosomes)

Farro is also the wheat that Roman soldiers took with them as part of their daily rations. Unfortunely, I'm not sure which farro exactly, but most likely Medium Durum type farro.

Edited August 5, 2003 by Adam Balic (log)

[flushingflash]

Greetings- My wife and I will be spending 3 or 4 nights in Tuscany in late December, in between visits of similar length to both Rome and Florence. We live in San Francisco, enjoy great food and wine, but have never traveled to this region of Italy before. We are open to any suggestions for a 3 day itinerary that would possibly include lodging and dining recommendations. For example, if we want to visit wineries, and eat great food, are we better off staying in Montalcino or Montepulciano (or neither for that matter)? We are not seeking luxury accomodations necessarily, but unique inns or hotels.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

-Steven

[menton1]

I don't know if you will have a car--

If you do, I recommend San Gimignano, a wonderful, medieval, atmospheric town very centrally located. Over a dozen remaining towers where they used to dump hot tar over each other. (They no longer do that!) At that time of year, it should not be over-touristed, either. A wonderful hotel within the walls is La Cisterna, where we had a lovely stay a couple of years ago. Ask for a room facing the valley, the view will be breathtaking. Hotel La Cisterna

A lovely restaurant right in town is La Vecchia Mura, actually built into the town walls. Very authentic, non-touristy restaurant with great food and reasonable prices.

[DaleJ]

My wife and I stayed, a few years ago, in an apartment at Fattoria Barbi, a couple of km south of Montalcino. Barbi is, of course, a big producer of Brunello with an acclaimed restaurant on the premises. I assume they have a website. The town of Montalcino is very walkable and the old rocco is now a wine tasting center. Its also close to Montepuciano and Pienza, with great local pecorino. I assume you will have a car.

[cak]

I highly recommend Montalcino as a great place to stay - extremely friendly town, not too large, good restaurants and many wine bars where you can taste local Brunello. We were there in August (TOO HOT!!) and stayed at a lovely place that is a converted olive factory - called Vecchia Oliviera, right as you enter the town. We enjoyed visiting Pienza, Montepulciano, which are only short drives from Montalcino. Also the Abbazia di San Antimo is nice to visit. If you enjoy walking, get the book "Walking and Eating in Tuscany" (Amazon carries it) - we did one of their walks and thoroughly enjoyed being in the countryside. (I disagree with the person who favored San Gimignano - it is thoroughly touristy, a Renaissance Disneyland. Montalcino is much more real)

[RRainey]

Do you like small rural towns, Yet close to Mantalcino? My suggestion San Quirco D' Orcia.

Search the site www.slowtrav.com there are hotel recommendations there,many of the people on that board live in Italy.Warning the board is addictive,i have posted about 800 messages in less than a year! RR

[flushingflash]

I highly recommend Montalcino as a great place to stay - extremely friendly town, not too large, good restaurants and many wine bars where you can taste local Brunello. We were there in August (TOO HOT!!) and stayed at a lovely place that is a converted olive factory - called Vecchia Oliviera, right as you enter the town. We enjoyed visiting Pienza, Montepulciano, which are only short drives from Montalcino. Also the Abbazia di San Antimo is nice to visit. If you enjoy walking, get the book "Walking and Eating in Tuscany" (Amazon carries it) - we did one of their walks and thoroughly enjoyed being in the countryside. (I disagree with the person who favored San Gimignano - it is thoroughly touristy, a Renaissance Disneyland. Montalcino is much more real)

Thanks a lot for the tips on Montalcino; sounds right up our alley. Any other restaurant ideas?

[theakston]

We also liked the Hotel Cisterna in San Gimignano.

We spent the rest of our stay in this place just outside of Cortona:

villa piazzano

I can really recommend it. It is a special place.

A lot will depend on where you want to be based and what kind of experience you are looking for. This was a lot more secluded than the Cisterna, which is in the center of the town, but this means that it was convenient for many restaurants. The villa piazzano is much more secluded.

Edited November 13, 2003 by theakston (log)

[RRainey]

I would avoid cortona like the plague. That is where the Under the Tuscan Overdevelopment and tourist stampede is happening. A good lesson of how to take a nice town and turn it into Disneyland.

What is next Under the Tuscan sun underwear and condoms? RR

[flushingflash]

Do you like small rural towns, Yet close to Mantalcino? My suggestion San Quirco D' Orcia.

Search the site www.slowtrav.com there are hotel recommendations there,many of the people on that board live in Italy.Warning the board is addictive,i have posted about 800 messages in less than a year! RR

RR- Yes we like smaller rural towns, and we are really looking for a "base of operations" for the 4 days that we will be in the Tuscany countryside so that we can do day trips (rent-a-car) to visit wineries and other towns nearby. Is Montalcino a good choice?

FF

[theakston]

I would avoid cortona like the plague. That is where the Under the Tuscan Overdevelopment and tourist stampede is happening. A good lesson of how to take a nice town and turn it into Disneyland.

What is next Under the Tuscan sun underwear and condoms? RR

Whatever your thoughts are on Frances Mayes (and I think mine are the same) the villa I recommended is far enough away from the town, set in a very rural setting and is a good place to explore from. We only visited Cortona briefly during our stay. While there is a lot of jumping on the Mayes bandwagon, I didn't see much evidence of overdevelopment. In fact it was rather quiet - but this was October. I definitely didn't see any under-the-sun condoms.

Edited November 13, 2003 by theakston (log)

[giovanni]

Two good restaurant choices close to Montalcino --- though not in the town itself:

1. Osteria del Vecchio Castello --- a beautiful setting in an old, restored 13th century church close to the Banfi winery. Wonderful food, professional/courteous service and an impressive wine list with a broad selection of the finest Brunellos, many from older/highly regarded vintages. Overall Gambero Rosso 2003 rating: 84 (with a 47 for food and a 17 for the wine list). I have been there twice and enjoyed it very much both times.

2. Banfi --- located at the Banfi winery. I have not been there personally, but several friends have been and have enjoyed it very much. Would be a good choice if you want to combine a winery visit/tour with a leisurely lunch (though there are --- in my opinion --- vastly better/more interesting wineries/vineyards to visit in the area, Banfi is actually a good one to visit as it is geared up to handle impromptu visits and has been designed with tourism in mind; it's also owned by Americans --- an interesting fact given that it is one of the largest producers in Italy). The restaurant ties with Osteria del Vecchio Castello in the Gambero Rosso guide: an overall score of 84. It's food rating is better than ODVC --- a 50 --- while it's wine list only earns a 12. This doesn't surprise me, as I believe that the Banfi wine list is limited to the estate's own wines.

My other two cents worth:

I would agree that San Gimignano is a tourist trap. Although I would not recommend staying there, you shouldn't miss it. Especially for a first time visitor to Tuscany, it's a must see --- an unusual medieval hilltown, with towers that have made it known as the "Manhattan" of Tuscany. Make a day trip there for a few hours.

A general piece of advice: check well advance with anywhere you plan to stay or eat --- during December, many rural hotels, inns and restaurants are closed in the Tuscan countryside, though that fact is not always well publicized. You'll avoid a lot of disappointment, frustration and fatigue if things are mapped out/confirmed ahead of time. Maybe not as much fun as a spontaneous drive to stumble upon that quaint, memorable spot that many times appears out of nowhere, but a much better bet for a first time visitor during this quiet time of the year. Enjoy!!

[flushingflash]

Thanks Giovanni. Any lodging suggestions in Montalicino?

[giovanni]

Any lodging suggestions in Montalicino?

Have never stayed overnight there, so I don't have a broad knowledge of all your options. I do know, however, that one of the nearby restaurants I recommended --- Osteria del Vecchio Castello --- has five or six rooms (very lovely) available by reservation to its customers. Depends whether you want to be right in town or spend a night or two in the midst of the vineyards.

[RRainey]

Maltalcino is great. I would recommend searching for an Agriturismo,a farm that rents rooms.

in Alba we stayed at the villa Meridiana.One alternative that is quite nice is colle lungo between Florence and Siena www.collelungo.com RR

[ann]

Here is a list of restaurants in the area you're interested in by the owner of a very reputable company which handles vacation rentals: http://www.tuscanhouse.com/travelplanner/r...antsinsiena.htm. To it I would add Grappolo Blu, which we enjoyed very much last month. Take a look at Palazzina Cesira for a place to stay - http://www.montalcinoitaly.com/home_cesira.htm - lovely and reasonable.

[ann]

Here is a review of Palazzina Cesira - http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/hotels/hotel...gion=Montalcino.

[Craig Camp]

As lovely as Montalcino is, for a 3 or 4 day wine experience I would recommend Siena or an agriturismo outside of Siena as a base for a first time visit. Montalcino is easily covered in a day in a day unless you want an in-depth education about Brunello. At Siena you are on the doorstep of the Chianti Classico zone and there are many wineries to visit and zones to see - Greve, Radda, Castellina etc. I would be happy to recommend some good wineries. Remember appointments at wineries are a must there are not walk-in tasting rooms like in Napa.

You will find a long discussion about Cortona HERE so you can make up your own mind.

I also encourage you to use our "search" tool as there are many threads on Toscana.

[futronic]

I will likely be spending the time in Tuscany in Montalcino with a day-trip north to Siena and Chianti Classico. Considering I met several people that represent Fuligni, Poggio Antico, Costanti, and Antinori's Pian delle Vigne property at a Brunello dinner in the spring, I'm looking forward to seeing them again and tour their facilities.