eG Foodblog: divina - Over the Tuscan Stove

[little ms foodie]

Baked pears stuffed with crushed amaretti cookies butter and cacoa powder.

Yum!!! I brought back a few bags of amaretti cookies and want to do something like this, recipe please??

[divina]

msfoodie

in an Italian way.. here is the recipe.

for each pear:

take 1 tbs of softened butter,

2 or three crushed amaretto cookies,

and mix together with 1 tsp of bittersweet cocoa powder.

taste..and adjust.

cut the pears in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds creating a round hole for the filling.

Make small balls of filling and press into holes.

Place in a baking pan.

Pour some water or white wine into the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle sugar o top of the pears, and into hte water, about1 tbs.

Bake at 350 until the pears are tender.

Traditionally this recipe is done with Apricots, a fabulous magic occurs with the tang from the baked apricots and the bitterness from the amaretti cookies.

The bitterness of the amaretto cookies comes from the bitter almonds... that are the inside of the apricot ( or peach)pits. they contain a tiny bit if cyniade!

[Judith Umbria]

Diva! One does find you in the most unusual places.

Take us somewhere rare and insiderish for lunch.

[Domestic Goddess]

Divina - it is truly enchanting to read your blog and see your pictures. I love reading all your experiences and seeing all your delightful pictures. Keep on posting, we love evry one of them!

[Pan]

Three questions:

The Pugliese olives sold in the market are fresh and have not been brined at all until you treat them yourself?

Do you ever eat at any of the shawarma places?

Are any of them good?

For the record, I'd love to move to Italy, if only I could support myself there.

[Judith Umbria]

I have 5 containers of capers.. FIVE! some in vinegar some in sea salt, some appetizer size, the larger seed pod size and various smaller ones for cooking.

in the door is a basket of french butter.

FIVE bottles of capers! Boh! I have two.

I made you a special jar of the peach mostarda with balsamico. When will you be quiet enough for delivery?

[Lori in PA]

I'm curious about this re your classes:

To me, cooking classes are a pretty pricey thing, albeit a thing I would love to experience as a student. I've taught children's cooking classes for years, but it is a decidedly not-for-profit activity. In the past, I've considered offering for-profit classes to adults (have had many requests to do this), but aside from health dept. considerations, one of the things that stops me is the concern that some students would have the mindset that they "paid good money" for this experience and it had better be "worth it." Do you feel pressure to deliver an amazing experience to your students? It sounds like you approach the menu serendipitously -- do you ever have classes where everything just doesn't work well and students are disappointed? How do you handle that?

I'm in a hurry, and hope none of this sounds like I think your classes are less than wonderful -- I'm really thinking about potential classes I might teach and wanting to hear your experiences.

[David Lebovitz]

You are indeed 'divine'!

Love reading your posts as well, and you're photos make me feel like I'm back there with you...at the Mercado Centrale and beyond...great to read you here on eGullet!

[santo_grace]

msfoodie

in an Italian way.. here is the recipe.

for each pear:

take 1 tbs of softened butter,

2 or three crushed amaretto cookies,

and mix together with 1 tsp of bittersweet cocoa powder.

taste..and adjust.

cut the pears in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds creating a round hole for the filling.

Make small balls of filling and press into holes.

Place in a baking pan.

Pour some water or white wine into the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle sugar o top of the pears, and into hte water, about1 tbs.

Bake at 350 until the pears are tender.

Traditionally this recipe is done with Apricots, a fabulous magic occurs with the tang from the baked apricots and the bitterness from the amaretti cookies.

The bitterness of the amaretto cookies comes from the bitter almonds... that are the inside of the apricot ( or peach)pits. they contain a tiny bit if cyniade!

←

I have some amerotto cookies also that I bought for another recipe, and this recipe sounds like a wonderful way to use them. What type of pears do you think work best?

Edited November 10, 2006 by santo_grace (log)

[little ms foodie]

msfoodie

in an Italian way.. here is the recipe.

for each pear:

take 1 tbs of softened butter,

2 or three crushed amaretto cookies,

and mix together with 1 tsp of bittersweet cocoa powder.

taste..and adjust.

cut the pears in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds creating a round hole for the filling.

Make small balls of filling and press into holes.

Place in a baking pan.

Pour some water or white wine into the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle sugar o top of the pears, and into hte water, about1 tbs.

Bake at 350 until the pears are tender.

Traditionally this recipe is done with Apricots, a fabulous magic occurs with the tang from the baked apricots and the bitterness from the amaretti cookies.

The bitterness of the amaretto cookies comes from the bitter almonds... that are the inside of the apricot ( or peach)pits. they contain a tiny bit if cyniade!

←

Thank you!! sounds great and I was definately looking for an "Italian way" vs a recipe!!

[divina]

Santo Grace-I used d'anjou pears and they held up well to the oven roasting.

They were just the tiniest bit green.... and I was worried, but they were perfect!

Lori in Pa- I know what you mean about pricing. I started at $50 a lesson for dinner classes and now have raised my prices over the years, due to cost increases, class and tour, fabulous wines.. gifts with class, aprons, book etc.

Most of my clients say they have their money's worth after the tour...

But when I just offer the market tour, no one booked it.

I think that there are different levels of classes and students.

For my students on the whole I am a great substitute for a weeklong sessio which may be out of price range.. say $3,000- $5,000 for all inclusive weeks... and 10-15 students in a session.. touring and cooking.

I only take 6 students, custom design my menu with the students and it is only cooking... no touring ( except the market!) for l a per day fee, one can stay where they like and can afford.

So giving one's moneys worth is a MUST! and I get return clients...so I must be doing something right.

I also found that when I raised my prices, I got more work????

I think being too cheap also then lessens your value.

It is a hard call.

[divina]

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!

[divina]

Judith..

I have one more week of work.. then am a free woman!

Am having lunch with Elizabeth here in Tuscany on Sunday!

[divina]

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!

[divina]

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!

Edited November 11, 2006 by divina (log)

[divina]

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!

Edited November 11, 2006 by divina (log)

[Swisskaese]

Thanks Divina for showing me Florence again. I can't bring myself to go back anymore because it is not the same place for me. It is too overridden with tourists. All of the locals have left. It really makes me sad. I used to go there a lot when I lived in Lugano. Is there a good time to visit when it is not overrun with tourists? I used to go to restaurants that almost no tourists knew about. I don't think it is possible to find one anymore.

I have this fear that Cinque Terre is the same way. When I went there in the early 90s, there were hardly any tourists. I hope it has not become a tourist trap. I really want to show David the Cinque Terre I know and love.

I love Amaretti Morbidi . Do you have recipe for these? When I was studying in Switzerland, my best friend and I would fight over these. They were very hard to find and we would drive over the border to a little enoteca to buy them. They didn't always carry them.

[marlena spieler]

Divina, I am loving this blog!

the rush of green-gold fresh olive oil out of the press i can almost smell!

i'm just back from a few weeks in piemonte and languishing with a flat flat feeling that comes after being in italy....(and now not). am already thinking: next trip must go here, and there, and not miss.......

love the amaretti morbiditi, too, Swisskaese! I think that Sienna had the most delectable ones...somewhere i have a recipe. if i can find it will send it over.....also, whilst shlepping across the langhe countryside in search of dogs and truffles, i met a monk whose convent runs a hotel in la spezia, so if anyone is interested get in touch. the padre said: good food, no cost molto......i'm going to go check out the website right now. i think they only have about 6 rooms.......

divina, how i wish i could go to the market with you and cook. and that sandwich looks mighty fine too! thanks for this blog!

x marlena

[divina]

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!

[hathor]

Thanks for taking the time to post the olive pressing/molino pics. And including the yield of oil. We have some trees at the Tower and I just don't think its enough to bother pressing, but enough to cure.

I also like Big Daddy!! Some cats just "got it'', if you know what i mean!

[divina]

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!

[divina]

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!

[little ms foodie]

Divinia this is just a fantastic blog!! and as we read it we are actually making lasagna bolanese that I hope will look like your from lunch. We are serving it with a chianti from Badia Coltibuono that I found in my local market!

We went to Fontodi while in Chianti and actually purchased quite a bit of wine from them, it is fantastic!!

I wish I knew before about your friend and her jewlery, it looks gorgous

[divina]

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!

[little ms foodie]

we did ours with bechamel and parm and ragu also! next time I will add more ragu and a bit less bechamel but it was deslish!! do you buy droghe or just make it up yourself??? I put nutmeg in my ragu but would love to do this nexttime!! thanks for the tip