florence--day three {travelogue}

day three is usually when jet lag hits

at least for me

after so many years of it being a pattern

it is probably now a learned response

or

i allow myself to succumb to it

because it is something you can say to people

and

 they won't judge

which is how

we found ourselves

giving 

rip van winkle

a run for his money

after a long sleep

a long walk seemed in order

we cruised the streets of florence

until it seemed a respectable time to look for lunch

i was craving roasted chicken and potatoes

we found it on the menu of a place that looked really nice

except they were playing sade

i can't stand sade

really

i can't

no specific reason

just can't tolerate her music

reminds me too much of jazz, i think

i like a hook

sade doesn't give you a hook

so i refused to go in

instead

i convinced myself that another place would be just as good

i was wrong

not even photo worthy

although

 mike liked his

he got some sort of pasta

i ordered chicken with roasted potatoes

and was served

seriously, seriously, seriously

overcooked anorexic chicken thigh-slash-leg

and 

french fries

i poked at it

i

ate the salad i had ordered

thinking

more room for gelato

which was good thinking

because it actually did leave

more room for gelato

but let me get ahead of myself here

don't despair

i had a bad meal in italy

no biggie

i made up for it at dinner

and then some

we ate at a fun place

when i say fun

i mean...bring your sense of fun

because if you bring your

"that would never go in america" attitude

you.

will.

 hate.

 this place

and 

they will hate you

so don't go

but

 if you still insist on going

don't tell them i told you to

because

i happen to like these people

and

 i would like to think they like us

you must make a reservation at Il Latini

a restaurant that looks small

but it isn't

you make a reservation

then you queue up

like so

then the crowd starts building

and 

everyone starts thinking that their reservation is the most important

they open the door

and

 it becomes a bit of a fiasco

they start calling out numbers

not names

but numbers

due

cinque

due

tre

everyone starts pushing and throwing up their hands saying

we are due

we are cinque

but mostly 

they start yelling

i have a reservation

rest assured

everyone has a reservation

and

 everyone gets in

and all is forgotten

when

the food starts arriving

first the antipasto

then you make choices

soup or pasta

oh you want pasta?

do you want

ravioli

gnocchi

pappardelle

or

spaghetti

hubs chose ravioli

i had soup

but the people next to us had soup and pasta

they had no idea what was next

oh

did i mention that at this place

they open a bottle of wine

you pay for what you drink

drink the whole bottle 10 euros

drink only half

5 euros

drink less

pay less

i love this system

 ooh la la

the main course

roasted meats

you want

chicken, rabbit, steak, lamb, pork, veal?
all of them

some of them

one of them

none of them

you decide

and of course

the side dishes

this is what our table looked like

you should know

we cleaned our plates

but declined dessert

which was a good idea

because they brought out 

a plate loaded with cantucci

(biscotti)

and

glasses of vin santo

just as we thought it was all over

they brought us a glass of moscato

you know

as you do

if you don't know the drill

you think

ahhh

they get you drunk

so you aren't freaked out by the bill

because

come on

this kind of meal

doesn't come cheap

unless you are at il latini

because they have

reasonable 

in spades

pisa-lucca---day 2 {travelogue}

saturday in florence

is like saturday in any city

locals pouring into town to do their weekend shopping

tourists milling about in large groups

staring upwards

just an all around

crowded situation

which is why

we got out of town

pisa and lucca the destination

turns out
it wasn't such a bad idea
the weather had turned runny
just as we took our seats on the excursion bus
rain began pouring down
(that really isn't its name...i don't know what the name was, except that it was one of those total tourist deals...which turn out to be a pretty good thing, actually)

i never think i am a fan of the organized tourist train/bus/walk
but i nearly always give them a try
i am hardly disappointed
except when it  includes food
which is a big bad bust
most of the time

those, i avoid
because
as you know
i am all about the food

speaking of which
we had steak and eggs for breakfast
but there are no photos
because i forgot
and by the time i remembered
it didn't look so appetizing
just trust me
leftover bistecca fiorentina
with a couple of fried eggs
and hunk of bread
is money

in Pisa
we did a tour of the church
which is beautiful
but dark
which is why i don't have any good photos
because in churches
you can't wear a hat
and
you can't use a flash

the real draw in Pisa
is the tower
a leaning tower
i love all the great photos that people fashion
holding the tower up
grimacing under the supposed weight
they never cease to humor me
but you rarely see this maneuver

someone kicking the darn thing over
but it is funny
right?
that is my husband
who enjoys a good laugh as much as i
we hooted over this one for hours

time for lunch
but in a tourist town
where restaurants actually name themselves
restaurant tourista
getting a good meal is a bit dubious
but we found one
just outside the main tourist area
called
trattoria bruno

(no identity crisis here)

the pasta outstanding
truly
hubs had

penne with rabbit and boar sauce
and i enjoyed

pasta with porcini mushrooms
the pasta was handmade
and so thin
you could almost see yourself through the sheets

simple yet delicious

from Pisa
we got back on the bus and headed to Lucca
a medieval city
that is usually quite lovely
but on a rainy saturday
with many of the venues closed for the afternoon
there was little to see

after getting a bit drenched in the rain
we stopped for a hot chocolate
which in this part of italy
is more like
warm chocolate pudding
than chocolate water
you decide if it sounds better or not

e poi
(which means and then
not the poi you eat in hawaii
which is not italian by any means
despite having the same name)

we visited a winery just outside of lucca
where
it turns out
they make the house wine
for one of my favorite places in New York City
Sant. Ambroeus
when i was getting married
my dress came from vera wang
and before my first appointment
and subsequently
my fittings
i would go have
coffee and a little something
at
sant ambroeus
 so when the proprietor of this winery in lucca
off-handedly mentioned the restaurant
i perked up with
on madison avenue!?!
she and i had a bonding moment
it is her brother's place
and all the "house wine" comes from here

 it is pretty good
a tasty drinkable wine
i was set to buy quite a bit
but then my new friend
(the owner)
gave me the name of their american distributor
so i wouldn't have to pay for shipping
which now means
i'll probably buy a whole case
ahh
those italians
so crafty!

after the wine and the food and the travel by bus
we were pretty wiped out
without plans for dinner

we grabbed a quick porchetta sandwich
and called it a night
actually
a night and half a day
since jet lag reared its ugly head
and we slept
about 12 hours
waking up just in time
to search out lunch....

Firenze--day one {travelogue}

i should really keep a food journal

not in the way that you think

i don't want it to scold myself

but to

extol the pleasures of each and every bite

lovely lines filled with prose

explanations of the blissful moment

that fork meets mouth

i would show it to my internist

as i step on the scale

so he might be so wrapped in envy

he'd forget to scold

fat chance

literally

today was our first full day in italy

we rented an apartment

both for economy and luxury

i like to fill a fridge

beverages

fresh fruit

yogurt

and other simple provisions

so each meal isn't eaten out

and

we can enjoy lazy mornings reading the local paper

or catching up on email

those gorgeous hotel breakfasts served in europe are mostly lost on me

i like to ease into my day

and an apartment in the heart of the city 

affords me that luxury

and

as luck would have it

for longer stays the cost savings can be quite extraordinary

we dropped in to the local market last evening and stocked the fridge

this morning, i popped down to our local bakery and fruit stand to pick up a couple of things for breakfast

i made a pot of coffee

set up breakfast on the veranda

and enjoyed our

beautiful view of the duomo

these incredible fragoline

(wild strawberries from sicily)

are tiny and pure white on the inside

and are sweet as they are small

with pure strawberry flavor

we are drying a few on the counter

so we can bring them back home to plant

hopefully they will germinate

post breakfast we walked, and walked, and walked some more

this town is crowded

people everywhere

i was in school here in the 1980s and for the last decade or so

i've tried to make it back every year

each time

there are larger crowds

the secret is definitely out

but

i do still feel the charm of a city i loved in my youth

speaking of the secret being out

we had lunch at one of my favorite spots

it used to be a sleepy little place

in a lesser known square on the oltroarno

partly by my own fault (telling anyone who would listen)

partly because of it hitting the guidebook circuit

it has become very, very popular

surprisingly

the prices remain low

and 

the quality high

osteria santo spirito

is a true gem

with simple yet delicious food

i always get the gnocchi tartufo

(small portion--still enough to share)

with a small salad

gnocchi

salad

the restaurant shared with me the ingredients for the gnocchi..but not the recipe.  i have successfully duplicated the sauce  both with pasta and potatoes. i may be persuaded to share!

mike went with the rabbit cacciatore

which was equally delicious

on our way back to the apartment

we stopped in at the gallileo museum

it is a relatively small space

filled with the most amazing instruments

used in applied sciences

like this early thermometer

which beautifully marries

form and function

it also houses

gallileo's mummified finger

if you are looking for a draw for your teenage son

or 

fully grown husband

the day progressed with more walking

an afternoon relax

and

this

ginormous steak

bistecca fiorentina

it is over 2lbs of dry aged beef

fired grilled

3 inches thick

medium rare on the exterior

and 

blood rare inside

juicy and tender

a must try

while just about everyone serves a version of this steak in florence

not everyone does it well

if you find a bargain

it may just taste like a bargain

it is a treat

so treat yourself

skimp tomorrow

we enjoyed ours at

buca mario

an old establishment

with cloth napkins

and attentive service

they are lovely

and the food is delicious

pair with a nice barolo

and

dig in

*be nice while you are there, and they may give you a restaurant apron...just like the one they gave me!

tomorrow we are off on a day trip to pisa and lucca

historic sights and olive oil

what more is there in life?

besides

meals

lots more meals

and i will share them all with you

but if you run into my doctor

just mention you heard i was doing a lot of walking

oh

and drinking lots of water

that's a good distraction

civediamo!

gophers kidnapped julia child

ugh

double ugh

triple ugh

a couple of weeks ago, we planted 61 gorgeous tomato plants...all in a row, perfectly spaced, bordered by marigolds. it took hours.

2 days later we noticed that rabbits had nibbled on the leaves of a few, and 2 plants had disappeared completely

i drove to town, picked up supplies and fashioned a secondary fence to protect the plants

6 more plants disappeared....and fresh gopher mounds appeared in their place

we planted gopher bombs, traps and ran water in the tunnels...and went to bed

the next day, all looked good

3 days later...

julia child was gone

a special tomato that i can only imagine would have been colorful and plump

a real vivor

 we will never know

a gopher kidnapped julia child and michael pollan and 40 other tomato plants

this is what the tomato patch looked like when it was all said and done

decimated

no ransom notes, just holes, mounds of dirt & tipped name plates--where julia, michael, cherokee and others once stood

rather than feed another generation of gophers, we pulled the plants, and are starting again.  we transferred the plants to larger pots as a transitional step.  it was slightly heartbreaking, as they were  rooting really well, and had begun to sprout roots from the deeply planted stalks.  i gave them a good feeding and mixed up a delicious soil (1 part dirt: 1 part organic potting soil: 1 part compost) and crossed my fingers

today

the plants we saved are doing very well...and should produce a nice healthy crop of tomatoes

soon

we will plant again. in gopher safe-raised beds

(this post is from my other blog which catalogs our journey on our new ranch--www.keepingupwiththeclampetts.blogspot.com)

farro crostata {savory&vegetarian}

as spring arrives

so does my realization

that i have been tucking into

 thick suppers of  roasts and shanks

for months

with the promise of long days

and 

evenings of light

my desires change

i begin to crave

hearty vegetarian suppers

when i was offered the opportunity 

to try

Tuscan Fields Organic Farro

i jumped at the chance

i enjoy the meaty texture and nutty flavor of farro

using it mostly in soups and summer salads

however

for this recipe

i took inspiration from a classic (and favorite)

italian easter pie

pastiera

substituting savory elements

for sugar and fruits

this farro pie 

is

lovely as a simple supper

by itself

paired with a leafy salad

or 

as a sliver of a starter for a seasonal tasting menu

  

   farro crostata

(printable recipe)

1/2 cup onion--thinly sliced

1/4 cup onion--finely chopped

1 clove garlic--finely chopped

1/2 tsp fresh or 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup organic farro alle verdure by Tuscan Fields -cooked

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 extra large eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan (+more for topping)

generous pinch kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup cream

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

olive oil

1 sheet puff pastry

pour enough olive oil in the bottom of a skillet to just cover the bottom. toss in thinly sliced onions and over low heat, slowly caramelize. if you find that they are starting to cook to quickly, add a couple of splashed of hot water to slow down the cooking.  once fully caramelized (about 20 minutes), remove from pan and reserve. 

meanwhile, whisk together the farro, ricotta, eggs, parmesan, salt pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl.   using the same skillet in which you caramelized the onions, without washing, add a tiny bit of olive oil (1 tsp) and over low heat, saute the chopped onion, garlic and thyme just until the onion becomes translucent--keep from browning.  pour in the cream, use a spoon to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan.  allow the cream to come to a simmer, then slowly stir into the farro and ricotta mixture.

place your puff pastry on a cookie sheet or in a pie tin.  it is not necessary to shape it into a circle, if it is square.  gently spoon the farro mixture into the center of the pastry, allowing it to naturally move towards the edges.  allow for at least 2" from the mixture to the edge of the pastry. scatter the caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.  fold the pastry ends towards the center, overlapping itself and the farro mixture as necessary to keep the contents within the confines of the pastry.  alternatively, you can line a pastry tin with puff pastry and simply fill with the farro custard.

bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30-40 minutes.   after 25 minutes keep a watchful eye that the custard is not "souffleing"--you do not want to over cook this, as it will dry it out and it will taste a bit eggy.  this crostata is meant to be creamy.  serve warm or room temperature.

*i received several samples of Farro from Tuscan Fields, free of charge, to utilize in recipe experimentation.  in exchange i am entered in a drawing to win a scholarship to Eat Write Retreat